One of the most controversial Disney Parks decisions in the last decade was closing Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America to make way for a Cars themed land. We were vehemently against the change. Since the river was closed and construction began, Walt Disney World has started selling Piston Peak (the Cars themed land) hard. As much as I will forever miss the river and everything that came with it, I have to admit that the sneak peeks of the new land are starting to win me over.

Much of the optimism came after Piston Peak was the star of the Imagineering Pavilion during August’s D23 Expo. There were presentations, details on ride vehicles and the different attractions announced, and one of the most impressive show floor models I’ve ever seen. That model was a whopping 19×19 feet, stretching through most of one room while being detailed to the nth degree.

The size, scale, and detail of that model were enough to add some intrigue to the project. That put to rest any doubt of them having a clear vision of the project. It was also cleverly made. Set next to the dusty, old western feel of Frontierland and Big Thunder, the Piston Peak model emphasized greenery with grass and trees everywhere. No, we weren’t informed if this would be real grass!

Along with the lush looking model (hoping I don’t have to say that very often), there’s also water features throughout. Part of my chagrin when it came to Rivers of America being taken away was the loss of the water. It added kinetic energy and a peacefulness that rockwork, buildings, and even trees can’t replicate. I don’t think the water features in Piston Peak are going to be as calm as that. Peaceful nights walking along the boardwalk are likely gone. But there will be plenty of places to see the water, including the main icon in the land having a large waterfall.

The inclusion of water is a huge relief. Not only is it needed as a quasi-replacement for Rivers of America but is just needed in Magic Kingdom in general. There’s no water features in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland, and the whole park goes heavy on the concrete. Piston Peak should alleviate some of those concerns, especially if there aren’t budget cuts to the project.

I doubt trees and water are the reason why too many people are excited for Piston Peak though. The two attractions lead the way! This should ultimately be where Piston Peak is clearly an upgrade. We can argue the merits of Tom Sawyer Island and the Riverboat, but the two attractions coming to Piston Peak will add more capacity than the no longer existing rides were. That’s a need for the most visited theme park in the world.

Cars Ridge Run Rally, a name that I will never remember correctly, is the headliner and one we’re very excited for. The ride system seems like a mix of Radiator Springs Racers and Indiana Jones Adventure. I doubt that riders will need to escape from snakes, but the off-roading aspect of the ride is promising with brand new ride vehicle technology built for this attraction. Ridge Run Rally appears to fit well inside of the wilderness-inspired land surrounding it. Having an attraction that circles the entire mini land should bring plenty of picturesque spots and a nice energy.

Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along feels like a stark contrast to the nature, and we have some concerns about it. First of all, I constantly mix up Miss Fritter, a bus character from Cars 3, with Miss Frizzle, the lady who drives the Magic School Bus. I don’t mix up who they are, just their names. That seems more like a me problem so we’ll let it slide. I’m just proud that the name Miss Fritter didn’t make me go buy donuts.

The real concern with this attraction is how little the trees, water, and nature are around after being an emphasis everywhere else. It appears to be the same ride system as Cars Quatre Roues Rallye from Disney Adventure World. That ride is okay for a flat ride but doesn’t look all that pretty and feels like a placeholder. My fear is that we’ve got the same issue here, as Miss Fritter (or is it Frizzle?) blows fire around and hopefully doesn’t light any trees on fire. I do think Disney having more flat rides that are open for all ages is a good thing, just the theme here, as well as the concept art above, was a surprising choice.

This feels like a good time to say that I haven’t totally forgiven the upcoming land for what it’s replacing. Time is healing some wounds, and most of the details and artwork looks promising, but I’ll miss the river, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Riverboat no matter what. Don’t take this post as me completely flip-flopping on whether this project should have happened. I still don’t think it should have. But, Disney World knows that they need to nail this, and most of what they’ve shown so far has me excited. We can be disappointed about the loss of Rivers of America and excited about the addition of Piston Peak at the same time.

To their credit, the national park angle with this new land was a great place to start. It takes Magic Kingdom’s story seriously, as the idea of passing into colonial Liberty Square before setting out for the new Frontier(land) still works. Piston Peak National Park might not be a real place but is inspired by the Rocky Mountain area. That pairs well with the Arizona bluffs in Big Thunder and the Bayou in New Orleans. When this project was first announced, I thought the fit would be questionable at best but Disney has done a good job of bringing it into focus. As long as the execution is on point, I’m not as concerned about the fit anymore.

They’ve also been selling the transitions of this land into the rest of Frontierland. In the model, you can see the geysers from Big Thunder making their way to Piston Peak. The waterway will be smaller but still run across from Grizzly Hall, just like it always has. Time will tell on how the IP character integration will work within the land, but I wouldn’t expect them to be on the outskirts. It’s more likely they’ll be near the center of Piston Peak, similar to Star Wars characters in Galaxy’s Edge.

All of these details and loose thoughts to say, I’m starting to come around on the idea of Piston Peak in Magic Kingdom. It may not be my ideal project but it’s clear that Walt Disney World knows they need to hit a home run and have an come up with a fit that doesn’t seem unnatural. The E-ticket attraction should go a long ways in making this land a success but it’s the small details and transitions that I’ll be watching carefully. D23’s model showed promising things and Imagineering has definitely said the right things. As the massive dirt area slowly transforms into Piston Peak over the next few years, we hope those details show up in the final product!

Are you excited for Piston Peak at Magic Kingdom? Let us know, along with any questions you have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. This site offers discount tickets for those looking! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!