Frontierland at Magic Kingdom is increasingly dominated by construction activity as Disney pushes ahead with one of the largest transformations in the park's history. And based on the latest developments on the ground, things are about to get a whole lot bigger.

A Major Milestone: The Tower Crane Foundation

The former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island area has already changed dramatically, but the newest work signals that the project is entering an important new phase. Disney has poured a concrete platform to serve as the foundation for a massive tower crane at the Piston Peak National Park site. Once installed, that crane will give crews the equipment necessary to move large structural components around the site — meaning Disney isn't simply moving dirt anymore.

Tower cranes typically remain on major construction sites for extended periods, and their presence is one of the clearest signs yet that substantial structures are getting ready to rise from the ground. Retaining walls and utility work continue across the former waterfront as well, with a large concrete retaining wall already stretching along the edge of the project area from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad toward the former Riverboat Landing.

Piston Peak Construction Is Getting Much Bigger

Disney officially closed Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America in July 2025, clearing the way for a major expansion inspired by Pixar's Cars (2006). That project — Piston Peak National Park — will effectively expand Frontierland into the land formerly occupied by the river and island.

For months, much of the work has focused on demolition, site preparation, excavation, utilities, and other infrastructure that guests may not immediately associate with building a new themed land. Now, however, Disney appears to be approaching the point when substantial structures can begin rising from the site. Once the tower crane is installed, the transformation should become far more noticeable from inside Magic Kingdom — and the crane itself could become a prominent feature of the Frontierland skyline during construction.

Frontierland Has Already Lost Much of Its Former Footprint

The scale of the change is hard to overstate. The Rivers of America once created a large, open boundary along Frontierland, with the Liberty Square Riverboat circling Tom Sawyer Island and offering expansive views across the water. That entire environment is now being transformed.

Disney permanently closed the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat in July 2025. Construction barriers subsequently separated guests from the enormous project area, and heavy infrastructure has effectively taken over what was once one of Magic Kingdom's largest open spaces. The guest-accessible Frontierland experience is now concentrated around its existing pathways, attractions, restaurants, and shops — and that situation isn't going away anytime soon.

Permits Extended as Work Continues

Disney has also extended a permit covering demolition and utility work associated with the Piston Peak project. Those less glamorous parts of construction are critical to preparing the former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island property for an entirely different purpose.

Piston Peak National Park will eventually contain two attractions, including a major off-road rally experience. Disney has described the area as drawing inspiration from the American West and the country's national parks, allowing the company to connect the world of Cars (2006) with Frontierland rather than simply dropping Radiator Springs into Magic Kingdom. The project will require Disney to completely reshape land that spent decades functioning as waterways, an island, attraction infrastructure, and landscaped scenery — which helps explain the scale of the infrastructure currently appearing around the site.

Big Thunder Mountain and a Changing Frontierland

Piston Peak isn't the only major project affecting this side of Magic Kingdom. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had also been undergoing an extensive refurbishment after closing in January 2025. The difference now is that Piston Peak appears to be approaching a much more visible phase, with concrete retaining walls already giving guests a sense of how dramatically Disney is reshaping the former waterfront. The tower crane should take that transformation another step further as structural work begins moving upward.

Eventually, guests won't be looking across Frontierland toward the Rivers of America. They'll be looking toward an entirely new section of the park.

Magic Kingdom's Western Side Is Being Completely Rebuilt

Piston Peak also represents only one piece of Disney's larger plans for this portion of Magic Kingdom. Beyond the Cars (2006)-inspired expansion, Disney is also developing a Villains-themed land farther beyond the existing park. That makes the former Rivers of America project especially significant — Disney isn't merely replacing several retired attractions. It is restructuring the entire western side of Magic Kingdom to accommodate a much larger collection of experiences.

For now, guests will continue seeing the messy middle of that transformation. Construction walls restrict views and access around the former waterfront, heavy equipment fills areas that once held water and trees, and concrete infrastructure continues spreading across the site.

The newly poured tower crane foundation may not look particularly exciting on its own, but it represents a meaningful shift in the project's progression. Disney has spent months tearing apart and reshaping the old Frontierland landscape. Now, with a permanent tower crane preparing to rise over Piston Peak National Park, the next version of Frontierland is getting closer to rising with it.