With the Rivers of America mostly drained (depending on daily afternoon storm status), crews are now erecting a multi-level metal scaffolding structure to block guests views of the carnage demolition of Tom Sawyer Island, and construction of the Piston Peak Cars Land in Magic Kingdom. Here’s a look at the latest.
As we previously reported, permits have already been filed for the demolition of Tom Sawyer Island. I’ve spent a lot of time around the River(bed)s of America in the last couple of weeks, and have actually spotted construction crews on Tom Sawyer Island on several occasions. Or maybe project leadership? I’m not really sure. It’s mostly been people walking around in yellow vests pointing at things and having very important conversations, not doing any demolition or other substantive work.
Speaking of which, this update picks up where our previous one, Nature “Reclaims” Rivers of America as Walt Disney World Drains Waterway for Demolition, left off. As the title there suggests, crews were contending with storm season, meaning that some mornings the Rivers of America was close to fully drained, but then by afternoon, it was a bit fuller! There are also lots of photos of various birds eating lingering aquatic life (and garbage). Birds eat fish, river gets paved for Cars. The circle of life is a highway.
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and crews are making progress in their ‘battle’ against Mother Nature. With the assistance of some industrial water pumps, the Rivers of America has become the Riverbeds of America. Storm season is still here in full force, so rainy days can result in some puddling, but the basin is mostly drained, and construction equipment is beginning to arrive.
Some readers have found it interesting that Walt Disney World has elected to drain the Rivers of America during storm season and “fight” Mother Nature as opposed to a few months from now when there will be less daily precipitation, on average. I can’t explain this other than work being dictated by project timelines. Disney has a deadline for Piston Peak in order to ensure its annual expansion cadence, and simply could not start any later.
It is worth noting that a couple of other past Rivers of America refurbishments (that involved at least partial, if not full, draining) have also started in August or September. Except when repair work has been done in the basin itself (unlikely here since it’s just being filled in), Disney has seemed to favor this time of year for work on the Rivers of America.
As for the latest update, the muck we mentioned last time is now being removed from the promenade side of the former Rivers of America, pushed over to the far side by Harper’s Mill. With this, sections of multi-level metal scaffolding are being built where the much has been removed along the peaceful promenade that runs along the perimeter of Frontierland.
Here’s a look at the latest progress in the former Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom:
At this point, pretty much everywhere there isn’t construction walls (see below for those), there’s scaffolding. This multi-level metal structure is all along the waterfront, and seems poised to be covered by a scrim once it’s a certain height. I’d imagine there’s still a decent way to go before that’s reached as the goal will be concealing construction and cranes once this is vertical, not just demolition.
Honestly, this is not quite what I was expecting. I had envisioned this being another construction wall, similar to those that are already up. I’m not really sure why, though; this probably makes more sense. It does make me wonder whether the area of the scrim structure is what’s earmarked for the future river or stream separating Frontierland from the Cars Land.
As a reminder, here’s what that looked like on the Piston Peak National Park Fun Map:
The one thing I want to caution here is that Fun Maps are, well, for fun. They have exaggerated features and are not to be mistaken for concept art. (And even concept art takes certain artistic liberties!)
That’s to say we don’t expect the river or stream to be as wide as depicted in the Fun Map. Some fans saw that and surmised that the front side of the Rivers of America wasn’t really going away, which is incorrect. This certainly is not going to be as wide as it was before; I’d speculate that we’re looking at a small stream, at most.
Point being, the eventual width of the scaffolding could offer insight into just how wide this stream will be. Assuming the scaffolding is in the land being set aside for this water feature, it should serve as an approximation of size (or lack thereof). Obviously, it won’t be precise, but it’ll be more true-to-life than the Fun Map!
It’ll be interesting to see when this scrim goes up. We’re in the heart of hurricane season, so it’s not exactly the most opportune time. (Below is a look at examples of themed construction scrims from past projects at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, followed by discussion of the same.)
It’ll also be interesting to see what, if anything, is on the scrim. For lengthier projects, Disney has done themed scrims that feature facades (see above for a variety of examples). We’ve seen this several times on Main Street USA and even with Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. There was actually a D23 presentation several years back that covered this, with Imagineers explaining how they’re able to do this (and why).
While I’d love to see this, something tells me that the best case scenario is probably a blend-in blue scrim and the most likely scenario is the default dirt brown covering. Maybe if we’re lucky, they’ll add decals of Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen, along with their favorite inspirational quotes for project progress: “Git-R-Done” and “Kachowth.”
Personally, I like the idea of perpetual fall foliage, like what was used along the Rivers of America at Disneyland to conceal the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge a few years back. Pulling from that playbook seems smart. (Wiser still would’ve been using that project as a template and only shortening the Rivers of America and expanding beyond the berm. “Blessing of size” and all that.)
Now let’s take a look at the construction walls that are currently up around the Rivers of America, so you can get an idea of how this looks in-person and impacts the guest experience…
Current Construction Walls Around Rivers of America
Everywhere this scrim structure isn’t, construction walls are up. Since the peaceful promenade between Liberty Square and Frontierland is the largest stretch and runs parallel to the thoroughfare, it’s the most noticeable section–and it’s still wall-free and also scrim-free (for now).
Otherwise, construction walls now extend from Haunted Mansion to the Liberty Square Riverboat landing, and again from the bypass bridge by the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure splashdown loop over to Big Thunder. Assuming the weather cooperates and Tropical Storm Fernando keeps tracking east, it should be only a matter of days before the waterfront walkway starts having walls added.
At this point, it’s time to fasttrack the demolition and construction, at least to the extent that Mother Nature will allow. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but now that it’s crystal clear that this Cars project is happening, we want it to accelerate. Pedal to the metal. Faster than fast, quicker than quick. Focus, speed. Dad-gum. Etcetera.
Minimize the amount of time there’s construction blight in Magic Kingdom, avoiding a repeat of the Giant EPCOT Dirt Pit fiasco. The longer any project drags on, the more likely it is that to be budget-cut or value engineered into oblivion. The view below is long gone, and what’s left is ugly. There’s no reason for fans to want this slow-rolled anymore.
I still don’t love this idea (see Why the Rivers of America is Worth Saving), but it’s going to happen and there’s nothing we fans can do to change the course of this Piston Peak project except at the margins. Accordingly, I would love nothing more than for the future-former Rivers of America to be unrecognizable by January 2026, and cranes appearing on site to commence vertical construction. Get this done quickly to minimize the guest impact and have Piston Peak open ASAP.
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Your Thoughts
Thoughts on the multi-level metal scaffolding structure going up within the Riverbed of America alongside the waterfront promenade? Ready for more to go up and demolition to begin in earnest? Mourning the closure of Tom Sawyer Island, Rivers of America, and the Liberty Square Riverboat? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!