News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[Disgruntled Walt]

@Drew the Disney Dude @ToTBellHop or ANYONE who might know or have an inkling or even an educated guess...will the River be decimated by July 8-15? That's when I'll be there. I'd like to mentally prepare myself.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Technically, the castle has the stage show, fireworks, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. It’s also the park icon, so I would say the castle is pulling more weight than the river or island.

Operating a raft to and from the island is a waste if very few want to use it

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Operating a raft to and from the island is a waste if very few want to use it

Yes and no… ambiance matters as well. But there are several layers to this change way beyond the island itself.

Partly, it’s the same issue we see across the property - plopping down modern hotel buildings next to well-themed resorts.

 

[Incomudro]

A Operating a raft to and from the island is a waste if very few want to use it

A waste of what?
Money perhaps?
Operating costs shouldn't be everything - especially at a Disney park.
Following that argument, there are a million things that can be stripped away.
Why have a fully themed free fall like ToT?
Just build an exposed metal one.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Yes. If we were getting "Critter Gulch" (current Frontierland + TBA + parked riverboat), "New Frontierland" (BTMRR + Cars "Beyond Big Thunder" and a truncated non-functional river, I would be much more open and excited for this. Heck, throw in a ropes course or playground ala Dinoland or Condor Flats as a spiritual successor to TSI.

This is much less about the loss of TSI as it is the total loss of the River to unnecessarily segment a nostalgic land in an odd way.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Here is what I am hoping for: Disney top-notch quality rock work that recreates beautiful mountains, including the snowy mountains seen in the concept art with beautiful evergreen trees all around. I picture a stunning waterfall to help drown out some car noises, and some ponds spread throughout. I envision a cars ride that is fun for all ages and a smaller kiddie ride that parents can enjoy with their little ones (thus allowing DIS to remove the cars ride in TL for a better ride). This will allow for better expansion of walkways in Frontier Land which always clog up, especially due to the parade route. This will free up these choke points and allow access to Villains Land, not only one of the best lands in all of the Disney Parks (my hope) but allowing quests better traffic patterns as they will be able to walk from Big Thunder all the way around to HM without doubling back.

I love the water as it is, but I truly believe DIS can do something special in this location if they put in enough money and care. We will see…

 

[spresso81]

Here is what I am hoping for: Disney top-notch quality rock work that recreates beautiful mountains, including the snowy mountains seen in the concept art with beautiful evergreen trees all around. I picture a stunning waterfall to help drown out some car noises, and some ponds spread throughout. I envision a cars ride that is fun for all ages and a smaller kiddie ride that parents can enjoy with their little ones (thus allowing DIS to remove the cars ride in TL for a better ride). This will allow for better expansion of walkways in Frontier Land which always clog up, especially due to the parade route. This will free up these choke points and allow access to Villains Land, not only one of the best lands in all of the Disney Parks (my hope) but allowing quests better traffic patterns as they will be able to walk from Big Thunder all the way around to HM without doubling back.

I love the water as it is, but I truly believe DIS can do something special in this location if they put in enough money and care. We will see…

Sadly, looking at the artwork we lose the riverside walk that was added in the late 1990s to help with traffic flow and the new walkway does not look any larger. So, traffic flow could even be worse.

From other posts, I think people know I do not like the Cars ROA replacement plan but even the plan as presented does not seem to solve any of the problems which would make it more logical.

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

@Drew the Disney Dude @ToTBellHop or ANYONE who might know or have an inkling or even an educated guess...will the River be decimated by July 8-15? That's when I'll be there. I'd like to mentally prepare myself.

This month, the SFWMD should update us on the updated plan that WDW submitted. I expect the plan to be approved, which could lead to Disney's announcement of a closure date for the Rivers of America at any point after. If the plan isn't approved for some reason, that would push things back.

I view the original information I was told as outdated at this point with the plan yet to be approved by the state, but if I had to guess when we will see Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America close, I'd say by after Easter at the latest. Just to be clear, that is my guess, not inside info.

 

[TheCoasterNerd]

This month, the SFWMD should update us on the updated plan that WDW submitted. I expect the plan to be approved, which could lead to Disney's announcement of a closure date for the Rivers of America at any point after. If the plan isn't approved for some reason, that would push things back.

I view the original information I was told as outdated at this point with the plan yet to be approved by the state, but if I had to guess when we will see Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America close, I'd say by after Easter at the latest. Just to be clear, that is my guess, not inside info.

I really hope it's open in the end of March

 

[Bocabear]

Operating a raft to and from the island is a waste if very few want to use it

define "very few"... Maybe it doesn't pull in huge numbers but we are not looking at 5 or 10 people a day...we are looking at more like a few thousand a day...(according to the interwebs) that is not really a "very few" people...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Here is what I am hoping for: Disney top-notch quality rock work that recreates beautiful mountains, including the snowy mountains seen in the concept art with beautiful evergreen trees all around. I picture a stunning waterfall to help drown out some car noises, and some ponds spread throughout. I envision a cars ride that is fun for all ages and a smaller kiddie ride that parents can enjoy with their little ones (thus allowing DIS to remove the cars ride in TL for a better ride). This will allow for better expansion of walkways in Frontier Land which always clog up, especially due to the parade route. This will free up these choke points and allow access to Villains Land, not only one of the best lands in all of the Disney Parks (my hope) but allowing quests better traffic patterns as they will be able to walk from Big Thunder all the way around to HM without doubling back.

I love the water as it is, but I truly believe DIS can do something special in this location if they put in enough money and care. We will see…

Hope you are right and also that there are some walking paths throughout the area to take in the views and provide a little of the calm/escapism that TSI provided

I think the end product will be very good - especially the actual main ride - but concerned it won't hit all the aesthetic elements it could, especially if budget gets cut

 

[James Alucobond]

Sadly, looking at the artwork we lose the riverside walk that was added in the late 1990s to help with traffic flow and the new walkway does not look any larger. So, traffic flow could even be worse.

On the contrary, the beginning of the riverside walk is still shown in the artwork if you look in the bottom left next to the runoff stream from Piston Peak. That doesn’t make it certain that it’ll be retained since it might be an artifact of them kluging together various photos and plans to overpaint, but the artwork does not indicate that it’s going away.

 

[etc98]

Sadly, looking at the artwork we lose the riverside walk that was added in the late 1990s to help with traffic flow and the new walkway does not look any larger. So, traffic flow could even be worse.

From other posts, I think people know I do not like the Cars ROA replacement plan but even the plan as presented does not seem to solve any of the problems which would make it more logical.

Except there will now be a whole new walkway between Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder towards villains to the north. So that may reduce pressure on the southern (existing) walkway

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Except there will now be a whole new walkway between Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder towards villains to the north. So that may reduce pressure on the southern (existing) walkway

Do we know that for sure?

 

[Andrew25]

Do we know that for sure?

Concept art suggests so. I also think Disney, with all their shortcomings, isn't dumb enough to make it a loop around the Cars Land project.

 

[Gusey]

Do we know that for sure?

They bothered to put it in the concept art, especially as access to the Cars attraction seem to be from the back path rather than the currently existing one

 

[HauntedPirate]

Operating a raft to and from the island is a waste if very few want to use it

Weird. Every time I've been there in the last few years there has always been a line for the rafts to TSI.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Do I need to remind everyone, yet again, that you cannot trust concept art?

 

[Gusey]

Do I need to remind everyone, yet again, that you cannot trust concept art?

Yet it's the only source of information we actually have at the moment compared to speculation, hopes and wishes.

 

[Andrew25]

Weird. Every time I've been there in the last few years there has always been a line for the rafts to TSI.

I hate the idea to remove the Rivers of America, but removing TSI isn't a major loss for the park... I hate saying that. I go quite often, and there's maybe a half-raft full of guests most of the time. If this plan was solely removing TSL and back portion of RoA, I'd be 100% onboard, but losing the waterfront is killing me.

Do I need to remind everyone, yet again, that you cannot trust concept art?

Yes, it's unfortunately one of Disney's downfalls. However, it's pretty clear that Disney knows there needs to be a pathway in between the Mansion/Villains & Cars Land for access. I'm not entirely convinced that the concept art featuring Villains and Cars will come to fruition, but a pathway adjacent to HM to provide clear access to Villains is pretty much a given.