Imagineering has filed the primary permits for the not-so-Beyond Big Thunder undertaking encompassing Cars and Villains Lands expansions to Magic Kingdom. This submit covers particulars in regards to the permits, implications for the Walt Disney World Railroad, Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island–plus hypothesis a couple of future in-park resort and extra.
During the Parks Panel on the 2024 D23 Expo, Walt Disney World has introduced two all-new Cars sights in a reimagined space of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. This shouldn’t be Radiator Springs or a clone of Cars Land from Disney California Adventure, but it surely’s sizable sufficient for us to think about it Cars miniland at minimal. Along with this, they formally introduced Villains Land growth at Magic Kingdom.
Subsequent to D23, Walt Disney World revealed that the Cars space will truly change the Rivers of America, that means that Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat will completely shut. This information let loads of the air out of the tires, so to talk, from Walt Disney World’s in any other case blockbuster D23.
These first permits have been filed with the South Florida Water Management District nearly instantly after Walt Disney World’s ‘clarification’ in regards to the location of the Cars land. The timing of all this was clearly purposeful. As mentioned in our Beyond Big Thunder submit, we have been suggested by Imagineering again in early April that the permits can be filed within the coming weeks. They presumably reconsidered, as these would’ve let the cat out of the bag that the Rivers of America can be crammed in to some extent.
The “to some degree” a part of that was anticipated. As defined on the time, it was extremely probably that the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island would each be “condensed.” From a purely operational and crowd circulate perspective, one of many apparent objectives of the ‘Beyond Big Thunder’ undertaking was eliminating the Big Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion useless ends. We simply didn’t know on the time that this meant fully filling in and dropping all the Rivers of America.
Anyway, the brand new mid-August 2024 permits filed with the South Florida Water Management District relate to stormwater displacement modifications and development laydown yards. There are low-lying areas to the northwest of the Rivers of America, necessitating further work to ascertain usable gravel laydown yards within the first place.
Water administration permits are all the time the primary to look for a undertaking of this nature. Think of approval on these as a obligatory prerequisite for starting substantive development–such a allow is required is when waterways are going to be rerouted or water is displaced.
Basically, earlier than the Rivers of America could be drained, Disney wants to elucidate how they will change the misplaced stormwater runoff capability. Such is the character of development within the swamps.
As for the gravel laydown yards, there might be three in complete across the northwestern perimeter of Magic Kingdom. Two might be situated past the berm, that means outdoors of Magic Kingdom visitor areas, with the third laydown yard that ought to be seen from inside Magic Kingdom alongside the northwestern banks of the Rivers of America. These gravel laydown yards might be used for development tools, heavy equipment, supplies staging, earth-moving, and many others.
Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America don’t have any deadline at current. Walt Disney World has solely indicated that work will kick “into high gear” in 2025, however earlier than then, that “guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today.”
If you need to evaluate the allow package deal for your self, you are able to do so on the SFWMD website by looking for 407 Basin Stormwater Modifications. Fair warning: it’s over 1,000 pages in complete unfold out over quite a few PDFs. And this isn’t even the “exciting” stuff. There will probably be many extra “meatier” permits filed within the months and years to come back as Imagineering brings the Cars and Villains Lands to life.
As a little bit of shade commentary and context, these kind of staging areas are frequent for large-scale development tasks at Walt Disney World. It may appear surprising that the gravel laydown yards are like triple the scale of the particular growth space, however that’s not unusual–particularly since this isn’t a single uninterrupted staging location.
There have been comparable laydown yards for all kinds of main growth tasks, from New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom to Pandora – World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom. The one for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land was equally huge, dwarfing the scale of the growth itself.
What’s extra fascinating about these staging areas, in my view, is that they need to lead to land that was beforehand marginally appropriate for development to change into appropriate for constructing. Meaning that the staging areas themselves might be development websites sooner or later.
This might merely imply this space is an growth pad for the Villains Land. Should it’s properly obtained, Walt Disney World may greenlight one other attraction to be constructed on this area. That would definitely make sense, particularly with Villains Land being extra of an open idea land as an alternative of one other single mental property growth.
Equally probably, from my perspective, is an in-park resort overlooking the Villains Land. To be clear, that is purely speculative–I’ve heard zero credible rumors a couple of resort being a part of the ‘Beyond Big Thunder’ undertaking. I simply know the way Walt Disney World administration salivates on the prospect of extra high-dollar resort stock, and this will surely examine that field–and in a extremely fascinating location.
This strikes me as a technique to ‘sell’ the undertaking internally, because the room capability can be extremely helpful and assist recoup the prices of the growth. In reality, there’s already just about a blueprint for this: Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea, which can also be behind that park and has a resort overlooking the brand new land. Even although such a Magic Kingdom resort wouldn’t be on the monorail line, it might most likely dethrone Grand Floridian because the flagship Walt Disney World resort.
Speaking of hypothesis, it’s additionally protected to anticipate that the Walt Disney World Railroad will shut for an additional few years.
In case you missed it, Walt Disney World Railroad closed for the development of TRON Lightcycle Run in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom. It went down on December 3, 2018 and didn’t reopen till December 22, 2022 after being closed for 1,481 days (however who’s counting?!).
It’s fully doable that the Walt Disney World Railroad closes longer this go-round. Back with the final closure, we heard so many followers complain that it was poor planning by Disney to take the trains offline so lengthy. That is inaccurate. It was fully by design–a characteristic, not a bug.
Taking the Walt Disney World Railroad down underneath the pretext of development provided the corporate appreciable operational cost-savings. It additionally resulted in minimal pushback from company and followers because it was visibly apparent that constructing the brand new curler coaster interferes with the railroad.
To be clear, I’ve zero perception into Walt Disney World’s plan for closing the railroad to accommodate development of the Cars and Villains Lands. I’m merely sharing what occurred previously, as that’s most likely the most effective predictor of the longer term.
What we do know is that beginning in 2025, the railroad tracks might be between the gravel laydown yards and the development website on Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America. It’s fully doable, if not possible, that the WDW Railroad will should be taken out of service to facilitate work and vehicular site visitors forwards and backwards throughout the tracks from the staging space to the location.
Longer time period, the development of Villains Land will nearly definitely necessitate a closure. Not solely is there the identical subject with staging to website entry, however the Villains Land will truly be constructed instantly alongside the Walt Disney World Railroad. While it’s doable this new land manages to remain contained in the berm, we wouldn’t financial institution on it.
That might imply {that a} observe re-routing is important to accommodate Villains Land. More optimistically, there might be one other station added on the far again of Magic Kingdom, about midway between the present Frontierland and Storybook Circus stations. Getting tremendous speculative and mixing the 2 factors above, having an in-park resort with a railroad station (much like Disneyland Paris, however on the bottom) can be savvy.
Ultimately, it’s good to see these ‘Beyond Big Thunder’ tasks kicking into excessive gear so quickly after their official bulletins on the 2024 D23 Expo. While we are able to definitely debate whether or not Cars ought to be changing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island within the first place, it’s good to see them transferring in an expeditious method regardless.
At least for me, it might be worse to announce all of this, then have Disney sit on their arms for just a few years, solely to have the most effective a part of the undertaking–Villains Land–fall by means of because of the delays. The second part of Disney tasks is notorious for by no means taking place, and that’s normally as a result of work doesn’t begin till the primary part is open. I’m glad that isn’t taking place right here.
Unfortunately, this does imply that “saving” the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island is an absolute misplaced trigger. We’ve had readers ask us whether or not petitions, contacting Walt Disney World Guest Communications, and many others., are good concepts. Our response is that we all the time advocate respectfully expressing your disappointment and explaining how the corporate’s choices and practices will impression your holidays and future enterprise (or lack thereof) with Walt Disney World.
So contacting them over this can be a good thought. But it’s not going to change the trajectory of the undertaking. It’s approach too late for that. The wheels are already in movement, and have been since 2022. This resolution shouldn’t be going to be undone.
On a optimistic observe, listening to from diehard followers who’re displeased by tasks like that is exactly what offers them pause and severe consideration earlier than continuing. Meaning that contacting the corporate is not going to change this resolution, however it might be what helps save Carousel of Progress, Journey into Imagination, or Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (random examples–not suggesting any of them are at present on the chopping block).
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about inns on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips submit takes a singular take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for every thing you might want to know!
Your Thoughts
Excited that Imagineering has already filed permits for the Cars and Villains Lands in Magic Kingdom? Or have been you hoping that there was nonetheless time for a change of plans if sufficient followers voiced their displeasure with the closing of Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America? Are you optimistic that this may usher in an period of growth at Walt Disney World? Excited or underwhelmed by the plan? Or, are you in wait and see mode with this? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we might help you reply? Hearing your suggestions—even whenever you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!