Disney is making a controversial change to the Magic Kingdom, and many fans are upset both by what is being taken away, and what they are getting in exchange.
Back in August, Disney announced that it would be closing the Florida iteration of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer's Island — opening day attractions at Walt Disney World and, arguably, key parts of Disney parks iconography — for new experiences based on the movie Cars.
This would not be like the attractions in Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort, as they would not (at least primarily) feature the familiar Cars characters from the movie, but they would be taking up the large plot of land devoted now to the river and island.
While the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer's Island, which sits in its center, are not the most popular attractions at the park, they add ambiance, and are pieces of the park many consider key to its identity.
Disney Parks Fans Have Been Mad Since The Announcement
Many fans were angry about or simply saddened by the change since the removal of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer's Island in lieu of a Cars experience was first announced.
Back in August, @artwithinpod on X (formerly Twitter) described it as "the most 'it’s so over' [he's] maybe ever felt:"
"I am returning to Twitter to say that the news of Disney World replacing Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America with a 'Cars'-land is the most 'it’s so over' I’ve maybe ever felt. it has never been more over."
In February, @wallin_ballin said the change would be "the worst decision Disney has ever made:"
"If Disney proceeds with destroying Rivers of America, it’ll be the worst decision Disney has ever made, and Magic Kingdom will never truly recover."
Still, some fans were more optimistic at this point. Little about the new experiences had been announced by that point, so there was some room for them to hope the replacement would end up being a positive.
For instance, reporter Scott Gustin argued that if this replacement did happen, "It better be worth it," and needed to be done "right:"
"If you're going to remove Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, it better be damn good. It better be worth it. That means we better not get a scaled down version of the concept. If you make this change, you have to get it right."
New Details On Cars Experience Enraged Fans More
At a panel at the SXSW film festival, Disney revealed more details about the Cars experiences coming to the Magic Kingdom, particularly the "off-road" driving-inspired experience.
A video from Disney shows imagineers driving around a constructed track, meant to recreate the movement and sensations of off-road driving.
Before these new details, fans were certainly upset. But, many had hope that they would love the new experiences on the way. After more about those experiences was announced, though, the tide turned seemingly almost entirely negative.
That is not to say there are no positive reactions, there are a few, but the majority is certainly negative, with the common use of "No one wants this" on feeds and in comments sections.
Several fans are excited about the ride concept, but just wish it would be implemented elsewhere.
@Chomper2_ explained that they are "excited for a brand new land," but having that replace the Rivers of America "is not a worthy trade off:"
"The thing is is that I’m excited for a brand new land in Magic Kingdom and I think it would be cool to have a cars land in WDW but to destroy the rivers of America for this is not a worthy trade off. The rivers of America are one of the more peaceful parts of Magic Kingdom"
@DrewDisneyDude shared the same sentiment, saying that he "love[s] the ride concept," but that it existing at the expense of the Rivers of America will "sting for a long time:"
"I love the ride concept, but losing Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America for another car ride is going to sting for a longgggg time."
@JessHrtsThmPrks,suggested Disney, "put this in Hollywood Studios where the movies are supposed to be," and that the Cars ride "makes no sense for Magic Kingdom:"
"So a simulated trail riding experience with characters we’ve never heard of before? Put this in Hollywood Studios where the movies are supposed to be. Don’t fill in Rivers of America. This makes no sense for Magic Kingdom."
Some fans, though, simply do not like the new concept, regardless of it replacing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer's Island (though some do acknowledge that this fact makes the loss worse).
@mjh31183 said they "want to meet the person" who "truly gets pumped about this being a new ride," which he describes as simply "a buggy go[ing] around a dirt track:"
"I want to meet the person who watches this video and truly gets pumped about this being a new ride. Whether it is replacing rivers of America or not, put what you are seeing here in a vacuum and ask that question. We are watching a buggy go around a dirt track. I don’t get it."
@Savethedmagic called the ride not only "a terrible idea," but also "a waste of money:"
"Pure and simple this is not Disney quality, is a weak idea to replace an iconic part of the park, is frankly boring, and the fans overwhelmingly don’t want it. Save the rivers of America Disney. Don’t do this it’s a terrible idea. It’s a waste of money. No."
Regarding that piece about how "fans overwhelmingly don't want it," @DreamfinderGuy noted the sheer amount of hate the video featuring testing for the new Cars ride is getting:
"Lots of people told me yesterday that I'm not seeing the excitement for this ride because I'm in an algorithmic echo chamber, which may have some truth to it, but this is the official Disney Parks account with hundreds of hate comments. I don't think this is a popular project."
And, there are fans upset about the fact that the old-west-inspired Fronteirland will now have a potentially out-of-place PIXAR attraction disrupting the theming — as @KevPG13 put it: "What do cartoon cars have to do with the 1800s frontier?"
Regardless, it looks as though the change is here to stay, whether fans love or hate it — and, again, there are people who love it (granted, it takes a long scroll to start finding them in the comments section of Disney's new video).
Still, at the very least, upset fans can take solace in the fact that the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer's Island at Disneyland in California do not seem to be going anywhere any time soon.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
