Disney Imagineering just went full behind-the-curtain on Piston Peak National Park at D23, and we’ve got new characters, a demolition derby layout, and a whole lot of research trip photos to talk about.
For anyone just catching up: Piston Peak National Park is the new Cars-inspired land taking over the former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island space in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. And based on this presentation, Imagineers are treating it less like a themed land and more like an actual national park that happens to be populated by talking cars. Respect the commitment.
During this exclusive first look at D23, the team shared four guiding principles behind the project: new Frontierland attractions, a fresh adventure set in the Cars universe, a mix of family thrills and family fun, and (my personal favorite detail) striking a balance between excitement and humor. Basically, don’t take yourselves too seriously, even while building a mountain. Noted.
To nail the look, Imagineers actually traveled to Rocky Mountain National Park to study real mountain landscapes, red rock formations, trails, and park architecture, then paired that research against classic Disney wilderness scenes (forests, campgrounds, Frontierland’s own architecture) to land somewhere that feels both genuinely national-park-y and unmistakably Disney. Early sketches show rustic buildings with steep rooflines, stonework, and timber details, with one elevation drawing sizing a new attraction building up against Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion for scale. So: big. We’re talking big.
Now, for the characters, because this is where it gets fun. Ranger J. Autobahn Woodlore made his debut in what looks like a near-final design — a green-and-burgundy park ranger vehicle in a broad-brimmed hat, hauling supplies under a canvas cover. His design pulls from J. Audubon Woodlore, the classic Disney ranger character, right down to the glasses and eyebrows, translated into car form. A+ execution, if you ask me.
And then there are Goat-Carts, which might be the most unhinged good idea Disney’s had in a while: small, gray, tractor-like vehicles with floppy ears, horns, big front teeth, and oversized tires, designed to populate the land’s off-road racing course as reimagined “wildlife.” I did not know I needed goat-shaped tractors in my life until right now, but here we are.
Speaking of that off-road course, the presentation also gave us a closer look at the layout for Miss Fritter’s demolition derby attraction, the land’s second ride. An overhead view shows ride vehicles scattered across a large circular course, with rustic buildings and landscaping wrapping around it. It’s giving chaotic energy, which, if you know Miss Fritter, tracks completely. Disney hasn’t detailed the actual ride system yet, but the layout alone promises a wild time.
Between the ranger, the goat-carts, and a derby course that already looks unpredictable, Piston Peak is shaping up to be one of the more personality-packed lands Disney’s building right now. What’s got you most excited for Piston Peak: Ranger Woodlore, the Goat-Carts, or Miss Fritter’s derby? Let me know!
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