Rivers of America Closing July 7 to Make Way for Piston Peak

Get ready to say your farewell to Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island at Disney World; Disney has finalized a date for the previously announced closure of these attractions. July 6 will be the final day of operation before construction walls go up around this area. But when you’re done with a sentimental sniffle, read on for details about the new attractions that will go into this space, newly named “Piston Peak National Park”.

Piston Peak carries on the adventurous spirit of Frontierland, paying homage to the towering trees, majestic mountains, and spouting geysers of the Rocky Mountain area and its national parks. Inside the park, guests will be able to visit a visitor lodge and ranger HQ (just like a real national park), and explore trails set within the “Cars” universe. Imagineers will lean on an architectural style, “Parkitecture,” developed by the National Park Service to create buildings and structures that blend into the surrounding natural features.

Two attractions have been announced for Piston Peak. One is the Cars rally race attraction that runs across the terrain, climbing mountain trails and dodging the geysers. The second attraction will be geared towards racers of all ages.

If you are wondering how this will all fit into the surrounding attractions, Disney has dropped some details. From the outside, part of the terrain of Piston Peak’s off-road rally will be separated from other parts of Frontierland and Liberty Square by a natural barrier of trees. “Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks” will also be employed to protect the sightlines, running alongside a waterway across from Grizzly Hall. And Disney has indicated that geysers from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stretch to the trails of the road rally attraction, so we can anticipate some clever transition of the rocky terrain.

The Walt Disney World Railroad will remain open after construction begins. However, to accommodate the changes, the full-circle route will pause on July 7, and the train will run in shuttle mode instead, with stops at Main Street and Fantasyland only. The full-circle route is expected to resume when Villains Land opens.

Are you excited to see Piston Peak National Park? Let us know in the comments!