Walt Disney World Resort has given guests a sneak peek at the new overhaul planned for a section of Frontierland, which brings the world of Cars into the classic Americana of the beloved land that opened with the founding on The Magic Kingdom park in 1971. First announced at last year’s D23 Event, Walt Disney World is happy to introduce Piston Peak National Park. This new addition aims to expand upon the American tradition that we’ve already come to know and love from Frontierland, allowing guests to enjoy the traditional flair of the wilderness with the modern twist of the Cars franchise and our favorite friends from Radiator Springs.
Frontierland has been a landmark section of the park that aimed to immerse guests in America’s past and what it meant to be an American in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These times were foundational to America’s past, present, and future, and Frontierland celebrates the spirit of exploration and ingenuity that helped found modern America. Along with the birth of American Storytelling and the great traditional folk stories that were born in the 1800s, Walt Disney World now aims to focus on the celebration of the wilderness and the natural landscapes of America’s National Parks.
Welcome to Piston Peak National Park at Frontierland
Walt Disney World is excited to introduce guests to a new landscape at the heart of Frontierland: an “awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers, and impressive geysers.” Inspired by the Rocky Mountain area, Piston Peak National Park is the newest look into the Cars universe, whose primary design for Radiator Springs in the original movie also drew from the impressive natural American landscape. The American frontier and its national parks will play a huge role in the recreation of Frontierland, with guests able to see and explore an elaborate visitor’s lodge, Ranger HQ, hiking trails and wilderness beyond your wildest dreams all set in the beloved Cars universe.
In order to preserve the look of the wilderness, Imagineers plan to use a style of architecture that was developed specifically for America’s national parks, in order to preserve the rustic feeling of the wilderness while infusing modern livability and convenience into its parks services and show buildings. This style of architecture – officially deemed National Parks Service Rustic or “Parkitechture” – has played a part in the look and feel of America’s national parks since the late 19th century.
The National Parks Service website defines “parkitechture” as being “[i]nfused with native materials, natural whole logs, and built by hand (or meant to look as if it was),” and an “experience in the collective memories of visitors just as much as our natural landscapes […] because the buildings were designed with the purpose of blending into landscapes instead of imposing upon them.”
(Wooden suspension bridge with steel cable supports crosses over the Nisqually River.
NPS/M. Meitle Photo)
With Imagineers drawing upon this unique style of architecture, guests will feel immersed in the wilderness of the new Frontierland like never before, with a seamless style of development that was developed and always intended to go hand-in-hand with nature itself.
A New Frontier Lies Ahead
Work on this new expansion will be taking place this summer at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park, with Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat all seeing permanent closures beginning July 7th.
While a time frame for Piston Peak National Park has not yet been given by the Walt Disney Company, Theme Park Shark has been informed that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is slated to reopen sometime next year after its extended closure for a year-long refurbishment. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which opened in 1979, is a beloved classic of an attraction at Walt Disney World, and an attraction that the park seeks to take great care of.
Unfortunately, that does mean some extended down time while they make sure it’s in top working condition! But with this new addition to Frontierland and the promise of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopening in the somewhat near future, Frontierland is looking better and better!
The expansion of Frontierland, combined with the announcement of new land dedicated to the Disney Villains planned for The Magic Kingdom, makes this Frontierland overhaul part of the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom Park, and allows guests to experience never-before-told stories from the world of Cars and all our favorite evildoers.
Check Back for More from Theme Park Shark
Check back soon, as Theme Park Shark will continue to bring you updates about the Frontierland overhaul and what exciting new attractions guests will be able to experience inside Piston Peak National Park! In the meantime, check out Theme Park Shark on your favorite social media platform, like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for theme park news from Disney, Universal, and theme parks from all across the world!
