Exciting New Lands Coming to Magic Kingdom Just Got the Green Light: What’s Next for the Park?

At the D23 Expo, a huge round of applause thundered through the room when Josh D'Amaro unveiled exciting news about two new lands coming to Magic Kingdom: a Cars-themed land and a Villains Land. But here’s the kicker—while everyone seemed to be hyped up these new additions, the downside is that in order to make room for these expansions, some beloved parts of Magic Kingdom are being removed.

The Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer’s Island, and the Liberty Belle riverboat are all on the chopping block. That’s right, the scenic waterway that’s been a staple of Magic Kingdom since day one is going to be filled in to make way for Lightning McQueen and company. Now, this whole process hasn't been smooth sailing. Florida officials were concerned about removing all that water and how it might affect drainage or cause flooding in nearby wetlands. Disney’s been working with the South Florida Water Management District for months, and going back and forth to sort this out, but on February 17, 2025, Disney finally got the green light.

For fans of the Rivers of America, this is a sad day. While you can look forward to some cool new attractions (2 attractions for each of the new lands) with the Cars and Villains lands, it comes at the cost of losing a classic part of the park. With the permit approved, Disney’s ready to start building, so expect those new lands and attractions to start taking shape soon. It also makes sense that both expansions will move forward together, with Villains Land likely kicking off its own construction in tandem.

If you’ve got a soft spot for the Rivers of America, it’s tough to see it go, but at least there are some big changes coming to Magic Kingdom in return. It’s bittersweet, for sure! However, I know many people, including myself have long awaited a Villains Land at a Disney Park and are excited to see it move from creation to construction.

Concept artwork of the new Villains Land and Cars Land coming to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Concept art of Villains Land in MK at WDW by Disney.

Concept art of a new Cars attraction along with Cars Land in MK at WDW by Disney.

Concept art of the new Cars attraction and Cars Land coming to MK at WDW by Disney.

Concept art of the new Villains Land coming to MK at WDW by Disney.

Trivia question.

What 13 Disney Villains will be featured calling the new Villains Land home at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World?

Answer. Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), Jafar (Aladdin), Evil Queen/Old Hag (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Lady Tremaine (Cinderella), Yzma (Emperor's New Groove), Cruella De 'Vile (101 Dalmatians), Captain Hook (Peter Pan), Maleficent and Maleficent Dragon (Sleeping Beauty)., Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), Mother Gothel (Tangled), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Hades (Hercules), and Chernabog (Fantasia).

Artwork by Disney of the 13 Disney Villains that will be featured and calling Villains Land home in MK at WDW.