Nostalgia. Walt Disney built his career on the public’s enthusiasm for the simple days of the past. When he developed Disneyland, nostalgia was central. Memories of his boyhood on Main Street, classic storybook tales of Fantasyland, and the spirit of the pioneers in Frontierland. When it came time to build the eastern version of Disneyland, many of the most successful elements of the original made their way to the Magic Kingdom— often plussed in some way. The Rivers of America were one such concept, used to create a thematic glue between the western lands of the park.
In the wake of this huge footprint being earmarked for a total transformation, I wanted to take one last trip around and discover what made the river so beloved for nearly fifty-four years.
For context, I visited the Magic Kingdom just after the Universal Epic Universe grand opening event. During the Walt Disney World leg of the trip, I primarily shot with my vintage rangefinder camera, so most of the photos included in today’s article are 35mm film scans of two different film stocks. Tom Sawyer’s Island was shot with Kodak Ektar, a color negative that resembles slide film, but the trip aboard the Liberty Belle was shot on actual slide film— Kodak Ektachrome.
When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, this was a very popular type of film (for those uninitiated, the film creates a “positive” color image you mount onto slides for projecting). Paired with my seventy-year-old camera gear, it gives the images a unique (and expensive) vintage pop. Many of your favorite classic Walt Disney World photos were taken with slide film; perhaps you’ll have some new favorites as we take a photo trip around the Rivers of America aboard the Liberty Belle.
As we begin our steam-powered journey, the architecture of Liberty Square reflects the early days of colonial America. The birthplace of the country is reflected with a show that honors the highest political office, the Hall of Presidents.
Traveling further west on the river brings the journey further into the Old West of Frontierland. Pioneers in search of new prospects set forth from the original thirteen states, settling in the untouched wilds of the frontier. The theming reflects this with the toe-tapping Country Bear Musical Jamboree (now revised with new music), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (rethemed from the ’90s classic, Splash Mountain), and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Tiana’s co-op, housed inside an old salt dome, is the most modern inclusion in Frontierland; perhaps inclusive of what Disney intends with the forthcoming renovation coming to the land.
Leaving civilization behind, the riverboat steamed into the backcountry of the Rivers of America. This area depicted the remote reaches of the frontier, only accessible by boat or train. In fact, right about here is where the two met during my journey and exchanged whistles— a truly sublime experience of bygone transportation technology.
The backside of the Rivers of America was home to two Native American camps.
They didn’t know what to make of the steamboat passing by every few minutes, referring to it as a “fire canoe.”
Just past the village was the Native American sacred burial ground. Those who fall in battle are placed upon the traditional bed of death before returning after nightfall to warn the other warriors. This scene actually ties into the nearby Liberty Square in a clever way, which we’ll get to when we return to civilization.
The narration as the Liberty Belle circled the river really did attempt to be informative about what life was like in the 19th-century West. Yet, when it wasn’t spieling, it still spoke volumes. I took the photo below with that in mind. A lonely suspension bridge, lit softly by the late afternoon sun, surrounded by peaceful water and dense foliage. It’s the epitome of Frontierland. The Wild West— only beginning to be touched by man.
Returning to the starting point in Liberty Square, the full circle of the Rivers of America solidified. The steamboat was now back at the earliest settlement of America, but with some extra context of what it took to get to this point.
The trip also informed us of what has befallen the stately mansion up on the hill. It’s said that the Haunted Mansion was built on an ancient Native American burial ground. Indeed, the Magic Kingdom version of the Mansion is a cautionary tale— don’t just move the headstones!
Pulling back into the dock, the views of Liberty Square and Cinderella Castle were stunning.
With our river voyage completed, let’s take a raft over to the other river attraction, Tom Sawyer’s Island. The island got its namesake from the Mark Twain masterpiece, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The novel follows the titular Sawyer growing up (and getting into mischief) along the Mississippi River in the mid-19th century. The island reflects his adventurous nature with caves, bridges, an army fort, and numerous places to explore. It’s also based on the original Disneyland Tom Sawyer’s Island, which was personally designed by Walt Disney (an unusual incident, as he usually left design up to his Imagineers).
The spooky caves and mines were some of the more memorable elements of the island. Dark, claustrophobic, and at times frightening— as if Tom Sawyer’s fearful imagination came to life as you walked through.
Each corner was filled with story; the destinations on the island served a purpose in 19th-century America. Potter’s Mill demonstrates the grinding of grain via wind. Harper’s Mill is run by a water wheel.
The mills spun the cogs and gears necessary to grind grain for cooking and baking.
Each of these carefully crafted places served as a lesson for Tom Sawyer. Whether it was shirking his responsibilities, facing his fears, or just learning a deeper understanding of the world around him, these were just as relevant in the 19th century as they are today.
Tom Sawyer’s Island was a playground for the young (and young at heart), but not the typical kind. You wouldn’t find jungle gyms, swings, or tetherballs. Instead, it was a simpler, quieter escape from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the park, based on everyday kinds of play. When a typical day at the Magic Kingdom is spent face down in a phone, waiting in one attraction queue after another, this form of pure, innocent play was novel.
The ultimate in playhouses laid just across the suspension bridge connecting the two islands.
It’s common for young boys to play fireman, doctor, police, or armyman. For boys like this, Fort Langhorn was a bit of primal wish fulfillment.
The fort was an authentic recreation of an army stronghold, a common sight as the country moved west. These fortresses saw many a clash with the Native Americans, the Mexican army, bandits, and outlaws. Yet, at the Magic Kingdom, there was no conflict. The fort was created for education through play.
The rifle towers demonstrated the reality of what defending the fort required with black powder rifles and cannons poking through embrasures.
The lower level had authentic displays inside peek-ins.
Rudimentary animated figures demonstrated a basic blacksmith forge creating horseshoes. The scene was quite detailed despite its simplistic nature.
In another peek-in, the guard on duty was taking a nap, leaving the fort vulnerable to attack.
Let’s end our adventure on Tom Sawyer’s Island by taking the secret exit underneath Fort Langhorn and return to today…and talk about tomorrow.
The Rivers of America, Liberty Belle, and Tom Sawyer’s Island are slated for closure on July 7th, 2025. Except for the Liberty Belle (which debuted as the second riverboat in 1973), these were opening day attractions for the Magic Kingdom. The entire west half of the park was built with the river in mind, much the same way America was built along its various rivers.
In its place, Disney is building the largest expansion ever to the Magic Kingdom: Piston Peak National Park. The new land, based on the Pixar Cars franchise, will feature a massive, unique off-road rally racing attraction set inside a Cars-ified version of a Rocky Mountain region national park.
As with all closures of beloved, historical attractions, the announcement was inevitably met with disapproval from devoted fans. While some would rather the river stay, others are concerned that motor vehicles and a modern interpretation of a national park will clash with the theming of 18th and 19th-century Liberty Square and Frontierland. Disney responded to the negative feedback in the most recent concept rendering (above) and on the Disney Parks blog:
From the outside, 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.
However, Disney has built examples of unique attractions around a large river elsewhere. Disneyland Paris does not have a Tom Sawyer’s Island; that park placed its version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad right in the center of the river.
In fact, Disneyland Paris is enhancing its Rivers of the Far West.
Former Imagineer (and original show producer for Main Street at Disneyland Paris), Eddie Soto, sketched a mockup of a modified Magic Kingdom Rivers of America that would allow for both the new expansions AND saving the river and a portion of Tom Sawyer Island.
Literally just penciled this out to show that you CAN have it all with a little imagination. Riverboat boards by TBA, track loops w switches (MS Streetcars), allowing direct access to BTM, even a stream for Canoes to explore a BTM “cavern” under the rock bridge. MORE land now to… pic.twitter.com/cw8g05z9Bf
— Eddie Sotto (@boss_angeles) March 10, 2025
It’s worth noting that Disney’s most recent description doesn’t exactly place Piston Peak in Frontierland, instead appearing as a standalone land nestled between Frontierland and Liberty Square. Although they’ve already done something similar before, at Disneyland. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reclaimed a chunk of the original Rivers of America, but Walt’s original park was able to preserve a truncated version in the process.
Walt Disney Imagineering likely already drafted alternative plans, perhaps even similar to what’s written in this article or Eddie Soto’s mockup. It’s just unfortunate that a substitute with some preservation of the original Rivers of America wasn’t chosen. Despite that, if this new Cars attraction is anything like Radiator Springs Racers, Imagineering may be cooking up something incredible. I’ll be eagerly awaiting further announcements.
For now, I hope you enjoyed this nostalgic look back on a classic section of the Magic Kingdom. Do you have a favorite memory from the Rivers of America? Did you learn any lessons from Tom Sawyer? Are you excited about the new Cars attraction? Let us know in the comments down below.
If you haven’t already, take a moment to read the essay from Walt Disney World author and MiceChat Contributor, Foxx Nolte, on the loss of the Magic Kingdom’s iconic river:
A Dagger in the Heart of the Magic Kingdom – Disney’s Most Devastating Mistake Yet