Major changes are coming to the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World, including new rides, restaurants, and shops, as well as a major demolition effort for one of the park’s opening day attractions.
Following major announcements at D23 this past weekend, Disney has confirmed that the new Cars ride will be housed on the location currently held by the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. When Magic Kingdom first opened, the Rivers of America were home to the Mike Fink Keel Boats, an attraction that operated from 1971-2001. Disney said it will “transform” these locations into “vast and rugged terrains” for the Cars ride. The word “transform” here basically means demolish and renovate, we think.
Magic Kingdom is an iconic park at Disney World, and Imagineering boss Michael Hundgen said Disney understands the “massive responsibility” that comes with doing such a major overhaul. Hundgen said Disney’s teams will do their best to “get it right and tell stories that connect with our guests.”
This new space will include a ride that sounds similar to Disneyland’s Radiator Springs Racers, in that people will sit in cars and “race through the mountains, climbing trails, and dodging geysers.” The location will also include a second attraction “geared towards fun for the whole family.” The names of these rides have not been announced.
Construction for this project will begin in 2025.
Additionally, Disney is creating a new land dedicated to Disney villains, set behind the existing Big Thunder Mountain ride. “Inspired by the wicked characters fans know and loathe, the multi-acre expansion will include two major attractions, plus dining and shopping. Walt Disney Imagineering is pushing creative boundaries to dark and mysterious levels to bring this new, first-of-its-kind land to life,” Disney said.
With the new Cars land and the villains-themed area, Disney said this represents the “largest expansion” to Magic Kingdom since it opened in 1971.
Also during D23, Disney announced “Monsters, Inc. Land,” a dedicated space at Hollywood Studios themed around the popular film and TV series about scary monsters who make you laugh. Disney has not announced the exact location of this land, but fans have posted their theories. What is confirmed, though, is the land will include Disney’s first-ever suspended coaster.
At Epcot, construction is currently underway on the reimagined Test Track ride, which is set to open in 2025. Exact details on the update are unknown, but Disney said Chevrolet remains the sponsor and that the ride will celebrate “the past, present, and future of automation.”
At Animal Kingdom, Disney is opening a new area called Tropical Americas, and it’s themed around Indiana Jones and Encanto, featuring new rides for both of those franchises. Tropical Americas will replace the existing space held by Dinoland.
For Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney is adding new missions for the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride themed around The Mandalorian and Grogu. It just so happens that the next Star Wars movie is 2026’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, so it’s a nice bit of planned synergy from Disney.
Finally, Disney is opening a new lounge called Pirates Lounge in Magic Kingdom and another lounge at Spaceship Earth in Epcot. As for Disneyland, Disney recently announced that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to play Iron Man again for a new ride.
Disney is making these major announcements around the same time that competitor Universal Studios announced significant expansion plans for its own parks in Orlando and California as part of the “Universal Epic Universe.” When completed, Epic Universe will include four unique lands geared toward popular properties like Super Mario, Harry Potter, and the Universal Monsters. The park will also include a hub that feeds into the individual areas, with its own rides.
During Disney’s latest earnings briefing, the company said it expects attendance at its parks in Florida and California to remain soft in the time ahead. Management said on an earnings call that economic pressure on lower-income families is partly to blame, while higher-income families are opting for trips abroad instead.
