Disney Recasts Frontierland, Permanently Closes Rivers and Island for Pixar’s Piston Peak

Overview

• Disney Imagineers say Frontierland’s guiding vision no longer centers on American frontier history, focusing instead on themes like dreaming and personal folk tales.
• Tom Sawyer Island, the Rivers of America, and the Liberty Belle Riverboat are permanently closed to clear space for the new Piston Peak area.
• Piston Peak is described as a Cars/Planes-inspired land with national park-style lodges, a high-energy rally attraction, and Pixar characters.
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure now anchors part of the area, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed until 2026 for an overhaul, and Country Bear Jamboree has been reimagined as a modern musical experience.
• Coverage notes mixed fan response, with enthusiasm for new IP-driven attractions and concern over the loss of the land’s Americana identity.