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Called Piston Peak National Park, the new Cars-inspired land will be located in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland and will feature two new attractions
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 10 Jun 2025
The new Cars land has been described as the “largest expansion” in Magic Kingdom’s 54-year history Credit: Disney
Disney has revealed more details of its highly-anticipated Cars-themed expansion at the Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Called Piston Peak National Park, the new land will be located in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland and has been billed as the “largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom.”
The land is inspired by the Rocky Mountains – a North American mountain range that stretches 3,000 miles from Western Canada to New Mexico – and the American frontier.
According to Disney, the land is designed to evoke the atmosphere of a national park and will feature “an awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers and impressive geysers.”
Piston Peak is inspired by the Rocky Mountains and the American frontier CREDIT: DISNEY
It will also feature a style of architecture, known as “parkitecture,” that was developed by the US National Park Service to create structures that complement the natural environment.
Among Piston Peak’s offerings are two new Cars-themed attractions, one of which will see Lightning McQueen and friends take on a new rugged frontier.
Few details are currently known about the new additions. However, a Disney panel at the South by Southwest (SXSW) media and arts festival in Texas, US, in March revealed that one of the rides will feature custom ride vehicles, specifically designed to simulate real-world, off-road driving conditions.
“For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it,” said Disney Imagineer Michael Hundgen.
The panel confirmed that the new ride vehicle is being developed for the attraction, with Disney Imagineers working with a motocross company to build a dirt track and test customised vehicles, equipped with sensors to gather real-time data, which will then be used to create the ride experience.
The land will feature two new Cars-themed attractions CREDIT: DISNEY
Pixar CCO Pete Docter revealed during the panel talk that the ride vehicles will also feature unique personalities, with concept art showing vehicles with their own names and numbers, like real race cars.
“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests,” Hundgen added.
Piston Peak will replace several existing Magic Kingdom attractions, including Tom Sawyer Island, Frontierland’s Rivers of America and the Liberty Square Riverboat, with closures beginning on July 7, 2025.
The news comes after Disney announced “Beyond Big Thunder,” a new project that will see the development of Magic Kingdom’s first-ever land inspired by Disney villains in the woodland behind the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Ride in Frontierland.
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