Magic Kingdom announces details for 'Piston Peak'
Disney has detailed how ”Piston Peak’ a new themed area within Frontierland, will fit into the waters, landscapes, and storytelling at Magic Kingdom.
Since the early days of Magic Kingdom, Frontierland has been a core land that until now has seen little significant change with the exception of the Splash Mountain log flume in the nineties.
The current Frontierland (starting eastward) features architectural influences from upstate New York and colonial America in Liberty Square, before traveling to the Country Bear Jamboree in the ‘North Woods’, a stop by New Orleans at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and ending in the Arizona bluffs at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The one theme that links these together are stories featuring characters with what Disney describes as ‘a belief in themselves that helped forge a path to their dreams’. This American storytelling is set to continue with the addition of, Piston Peak National Park as part of the largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom.
Bringing parkitecture to the frontier
Disney has started the build-up in earnest, saying, “Imagine an awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers, and impressive geysers.”
Piston Peak is a fictional locale inspired by the Rocky Mountain area and the iconic landscapes of the American Frontier and its national parks.
Within Piston Peak, guests will be able to explore a Ranger HQ visitor lodge, walking trails, and more all set within the Disney and Pixar Cars movie universe.
To ensure the contrasting landscapes don’t detract from the existing Frontierland setting, Imagineers are using ‘parkitecture’, an architectural technique devised by the National Park Service to create manmade structures that are sympathetic to the natural environment. Further aiding this, trees will provide a natural barrier between the off-road rally and other parts of Frontierland and Liberty Square.
“Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks will be nestled along a calming waterway across from Grizzly Hall and soaring geysers from the famed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stretch into the trails of our off-road rally.” Disney adds.
Piston Peak will replace the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat, which will permanently close 7 July 2025 to enable works to begin. Disney is also planning a separate Villains-inspired land with additional new rides and experiences.
