Disney is draining the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom so they can build a new Cars expansion to Frontierland.
Rivers of America Draining
Crews began draining Rivers of America a few weeks ago. Guests can now see the floor of the river and the Liberty Square Riverboat track. The riverboat permanently closed in July and is now docked backstage with an uncertain future.
We spotted some fish swimming in the river. Hopefully, they are removed before the water is fully drained.
Other than the dropping water level, we didn’t see any significant changes to Tom Sawyer Island or the rest of Frontierland. Crews removed some props from the island, and Disney filed a construction permit for Aunt Polly’s last month.
Over by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the netting that separates the attraction from the Rivers of America has a large hole torn through it. Algae has collected between the net and the ride’s flume wall.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
At Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, still closed for refurbishment, we could see newly-installed scaffolding around one of the spires.
We also saw one of the coaster’s refurbished trains pulling into the loading area.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen “with a little bit of new magic” in 2026. Disney has not announced an opening timeframe for the Cars expansion or Disney Villains land, which will be behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.