New aerial photographs taken on March 29, 2026, show substantial construction progress on Piston Peak National Park in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The Rivers of America have been drained and filled, with Tom Sawyer Island removed to make way for two Cars-themed attractions. The Liberty Belle riverboat remains docked after nine months of inactivity, its future unclear.
Construction crews have transformed the western edge of Frontierland, where the Rivers of America once flowed. Aerial images depict red clay landscapes, heavy machinery, and foundational work including deep trenches and rebar for a primary show building. Harper’s Mill and other structures on Tom Sawyer Island were removed earlier this winter, creating space for the expansion known as the Beyond Big Thunder initiative. Test rocks for canyon walls are now visible on the perimeter, blending with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's aesthetic through towering pines and rugged mountains themed to Piston Peak National Park from the Cars franchise. The centerpiece is the Wild Terrain Rally Race, a high-octane attraction with an enormous footprint suggesting off-road maneuvers over boulders, through geysers, and amid mudslides. Foundations indicate a trackless or multi-terrain vehicle system integrating indoor projection mapping and animatronics with outdoor canyons. Adjacent site preparation points to a family-friendly flat ride, possibly themed to Lightning McQueen’s tractors, serving as a capacity booster. The Liberty Belle, a 47-foot-tall colonial-style riverboat operational since the park's opening, has sat idle at its dock for over nine months. Aerials show no maintenance or movement, with new canyon walls likely blocking its path. Fans speculate options like converting it to a static museum, relocating to Fort Wilderness Resort, or scrapping it, amid calls under #SaveTheBelle for preservation. Disney appears to be accelerating work with multiple worker shifts and tower cranes, responding to competition from Universal’s Epic Universe. A peripheral pathway connects to a forthcoming Villains-themed land, boosting park capacity. Officials project an opening in late 2027 or early 2028.
