One of the most controversial things Disney World has done in recent years is announcing that it was getting rid of Rivers of America, the Liberty Square Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island to make way for a new Magic Kingdom expansion.
However, now that construction is underway on what will become Piston Peak, a Cars-themed area, most of us have forgotten about it because, let’s face it, it’s going to be a while before we ever see this new area. But we want to remind everyone why this is an exciting addition to Magic Kingdom!
New Rides
One of the biggest reasons to be excited about Piston Peak is that it will include two new rides. One ride will be a thrilling rally race ride that will take you on a fast trip through the mountains while you dodge geysers and waterfalls. Now, I’m a big fan of Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure, so I’m excited to see what this new ride will look like.
The other ride will be a family-friendly ride that kids and older adults can also enjoy. This ride will even feature a brand new character, Ranger J. Autobahn Woodlore.
Theming
If you’ve visited Cars Land in California Adventure, you’ll know how Disney went all-out with theming for that land. You don’t even have to like the Cars movies to appreciate the level of detail that Disney put into that part of the park.
We’re excited to see that kind of theming make its way to Magic Kingdom in a new way.
Shopping and Dining
One thing to also get excited about is that we’ll probably get some new restaurants, which means new food to try. We’re really hoping to see something like those delicious bread cones you can get at Cozy Cone in California Adventure, and maybe we’ll even get a quick-service spot similar to Flo’s V8 Cafe. There is a lot of potential for fun Cars-themed food and drinks, and we can’t wait to see what Disney comes up with.
There are also some great themed shops in Cars Land, too, and we’re looking forward to seeing what Disney comes up with for Piston Peak. We’ll finally also get more unique Cars-themed merchandise in Disney World!
More Cars Representation
Cars has a lot of fans, and there has been very little representation of the franchise in Disney World, save for the Cars family suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. The new expansion is going to be a real treat for fans of the Cars movies.
It’s going to be really nice just to have something new in Magic Kingdom, even for those who aren’t huge fans of Cars. We can imagine Disney will create a space that everyone can enjoy.
Again, it’s going to be some time before the expansion is complete, but it’s still something to stay excited about while it’s being built.
Where is Lightning McQueen in the New Cars Land?
What do you think? What are you most excited about when it comes to the new expansion? Let us know in the comments!
Personally I would have preferred half of Rivers of America to remain. I’m sure the rally racing cars ride in the north section of former fort and north River will be fun. However, the cars land Piston peak ATV cars ride I’m very skeptical. It’s going to look like a modern day off brand googley eyed toon town in frontier land. I’m baffled as to why Disney imagineers are building slow ATV cars ride in the former Tom Sawyer Island. Is this going to take place during planes 2 fire and rescue with the escape from the forest fire. And will Dusty crophopper be on the ride?
Anyways I think cars land is going to look like a mismatched eye sore. They should’ve gone with stagecoach or carriage cars ride or a Stanley model t ride to better fit with frontier land Tianas Bayou Adventure ride and tear down frontier land town and rebuild New Orleans square and bring a small Mickey’s steamboat Willie ride. Also they should have moved Piston peak north of villains land. Anyways it’s too early for me to judge. I’ll have to wait a few years until I see YouTube video footage of the ride.