Disney Brings Back Pieces of Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America in Piston Peak National Park

Walt Disney Imagineering has unveiled plans to bring back pieces of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America to Magic Kingdom's Frontierland in 2027. The areas, which closed permanently in July 2025, will be incorporated into the new Piston Peak National Park as part of the Cars-themed expansion.

A large-scale model displayed at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 shows that while the former landmarks are gone, their visual identity appears to be returning in new forms. Four elements in the model closely recall structures or experiences associated with Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America area.

The elements include a barrel bridge, a structure reminiscent of Fort Langhorn's frontier architecture, a building recalling the architecture of Harper's Mill, and another near the Haunted Mansion side that echoes the Mike Fink Keel Boats landing. These homages fit Disney's strategy to use natural scenery and architecture to create a transition between the new Cars attractions and the surrounding Frontierland.

Piston Peak will not restore the Rivers of America as they existed before, but water will be retained as part of the new environment. Imagineering's official description mentions trees forming a natural barrier around the off-road rally and a 'calming waterway' opposite Grizzly Hall, along with geysers extending into the rally trails.