Frontierland boardwalk is gone at Magic Kingdom, but it’s coming back

Crews have torn out almost all of the Frontierland boardwalk at Magic Kingdom for Piston Peak National Park. Disney says a new boardwalk will run along a winding stream.

Another piece of old Frontierland is gone.

Crews have torn out nearly all of the Frontierland boardwalk at Magic Kingdom, BlogMickey reported on Oct. 9. The walkway that ran along the edge of the Rivers of America is down to a few weathered wooden posts sticking out of the dirt.

The good news is that Disney plans to build a new one. It just won’t look out over a big river anymore.

What happened to the Frontierland boardwalk?

It’s almost all demolished. From the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad queue, BlogMickey could see a handful of wooden pillars on a dirt slope where the boardwalk used to be.

One short stub is still standing near the spot where the Westward Ho snack stand used to be. It has decking, a rope-net railing and some red caution tape, with a tall light tower behind it.

Construction walls block the whole area from the rest of Frontierland, which is decked out in fall garland right now.

Why is Disney tearing up Frontierland?

It’s making room for Piston Peak National Park, a Cars-themed expansion of Frontierland. It’s going where the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island used to be.

The river and the island closed for good on July 7, 2025. That land is being split between Piston Peak and Villains Land, and together they make up the biggest expansion in Magic Kingdom history.

Disney closed the first section of the boardwalk in early June. Other spots along that stretch of Frontierland have closed or moved this year too:

• Big Al’s closed May 11.

• Westward Ho closed June 22.

• The churro and popcorn carts moved to new spots in late July.

Will Magic Kingdom get a new boardwalk?

Yes. Disney says it will rebuild the boardwalk along a winding stream that’s part of Piston Peak National Park.

The new water will be a lot narrower than the old Rivers of America, but it puts water next to a Frontierland walkway again. Disney has described it as a “calming waterway,” according to BlogMickey, and the boardwalk showed up on the Piston Peak model at the D23 Expo in August.

You can already see where it will go. Big concrete retaining walls now curve along the old boardwalk’s edge, and crews have been building them since early 2026.

What rides are coming to Piston Peak National Park?

Two, and Disney shared their names at D23:

• Cars Ridge Run Rally: Disney says riders will climb mountain trails, cruise through snowy peaks, race past erupting geysers and bounce back down the mountain to the finish line, with Lightning McQueen and Mater calling the action from the sidelines.

• Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along: a spinning ride hosted by Miss Fritter, the demolition derby champ from “Cars 3,” as a giant school bus animatronic, BlogMickey reported.

The land is inspired by real national parks and the American West, with forests, waterways and geysers, WDW News Today reported.

Imagineer Jason Grandt also said Cars Ridge Run Rally won’t have to close every time Florida gets a storm. “This ride is being designed to operate in the rain,” he said at D23, according to BlogMickey. Lightning will still shut it down, like any outdoor ride.

When will Piston Peak National Park open?

Disney hasn’t said. There’s still no opening date for Piston Peak or Villains Land.

Construction is moving into a new phase, though. A tower crane is now fully assembled over the site, and BlogMickey says that’s a sign crews are about to start putting up the ride buildings. Walt Disney Imagineering also filed a construction notice for a new address near the Haunted Mansion last month.

Can you see the Piston Peak construction?

Yes, and you get a pretty good view from the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad line. Grandt brought that up himself during the Piston Peak panel at D23, BlogMickey reported.

BlogMickey’s latest photos show an excavator, a wheel loader and pumps pulling standing water off the site. Some of the walls still have rebar poking out, so there’s more concrete work coming.

If you loved strolling the old boardwalk with a churro, this one stings a little. But a walk by the water is part of the plan, so the boardwalk isn’t gone for good.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• BlogMickey, Oct. 9, 2026: boardwalk demolition photos and Disney’s plan to rebuild it

• BlogMickey, Aug. and Sept. 2026: tower crane, construction timeline, D23 ride details and Jason Grandt’s comments

• Disney Parks Blog, Aug. 2026: Piston Peak attraction descriptions from D23

• WDW News Today, Sept. 20, 2026: Piston Peak land details and opening date status

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