Closing Date Announced for Tom Sawyer's Island & Liberty Square Riverboat
- Rob
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Disney has shared updated information related to the closing of Tom Sawyer's Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat, including new artwork that shows how the majority of the river itself – including the river walk boardwalk – will be preserved in the update that will add a Cars-themed area to Frontierland.
Last Day to Ride the Liberty Belle and Tom Sawyer's Rafts: July 6, 2025
Fans of the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer's Island will have a little over a month to experience these attractions before they close forever to make way for the new expansion to Frontierland that will welcome characters from Pixar's Cars franchise to the Magic Kingdom. We will be creating a video that was requested by one of our Patreon members to document Tom Sawyer's Island and the Riverboat before these attractions go away, so those who can't make it before the closing date will be able to enjoy that video over on our Patreon community.
Scenic River Walk to be Preserved in Frontierland with Even More Water Features
Along with the announcement of the closure dates for these attractions, Disney also released updated artwork depicting the new addition to Frontierland and we are ecstatic to report that the river is NOT going away. From the moment this expansion was announced, many Magic Kingdom fans were deeply concerned about the loss of the scenic waterway and river walk boardwalk that meanders along the current Frontierland path. Not only will the river and boardwalk be preserved, there will even be some new water features visible from Frontierland and Liberty Square, including a very striking waterfall that cascades down snow-capped peaks.
This new land will be loosely based on the Rocky Mountain National Park and features not only the snowy Piston Peak with its eye-catching waterfall, but also multiple geysers, hot springs and creeks that will add even more water features to the expanded world of Frontierland. It appears the new area will be accessible from both ends with one entrance near Big Thunder Mountain and another beyond the Haunted Mansion, which is depicted by a sign along the path that is themed like a National Parks entrance sign. Just beyond that entrance, there appears to be a large lodge, which is likely to be the entrance to the signature off-roading adventure attraction that was announced at D23 Expo last year. Also near the entrance is a circular fenced area that looks similar to a pasture, which may be the attraction for younger guests that was also mentioned when the expansion was announced.
The reveal of the updated map of this new expansion finally has us really excited for this new chapter at the Magic Kingdom. It seems that Disney has been listening to the fears of many fans (us included) that the loss of this scenic waterway would destroy much of the charm of the park. It is also possible that this was the plan all along and the earlier renderings just didn't do a very good job of showing how the expansion would be placed while preserving much of the river. Let us know in the comments – does this announcement make you more excited about the changes coming to Magic Kingdom? We look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts, both here and in the forum.