Photographer bioreconstruct took to the skies above Walt Disney World this week and shared an aerial view of the resort’s major construction sites.
Aerial View of Walt Disney World Construction
Piston Peak and Villains Land, Magic Kingdom
The former site of Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom will become the Cars-themed Piston Peak National Park area, while a Disney Villains land is in development for “beyond” Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Previous photos by bio revealed most of the above-ground structures of Tom Sawyer Island had been demolished.
Since then, dozens of trees have been cleared from the land, bio’s video shows. In the screenshot above, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is on the right and The Haunted Mansion is in the upper left corner. Large swaths of dark dirt are all that remains where buildings and trees used to be on Tom Sawyer Island.
It would seem the underground caves have been demolished. The island is becoming flatter, too, more in line with the bottom of the former river. These views also confirm that most of the Liberty Square Riverboat tracks have been removed, although the dock remains (on the left in the above screenshot).
As for the Disney Villains land, there isn’t much to see yet. But there’s a lot of dirt in the area past Big Thunder Mountain Railroad where the land will be constructed.
Monstropolis, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
What was once Muppets Courtyard will soon be Monstropolis. While most of the courtyard’s buildings will be re-used and re-themed (including the MuppetVision 3D theater, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano), the gift shop was fully demolished. The new Monsters, Inc. door coaster will be built from the ground up with a brand new show building.
That show building needs a significant amount of space not afforded by the park’s previous boundary. A section of Cast Member parking has been demolished and is now a dirt lot.
In that area, an array of supports stick out of a rectangular ditch — the beginnings of the building’s foundation.
As for Muppets Courtyard, the sidewalks have become dirt. There are some holes in the ground, perhaps for new structural elements. We already knew from bio’s previous photos that the Miss Piggy fountain was gone. The MuppetVision 3D marquee was recently torn down.
Animation Courtyard, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Across the park, Animation Courtyard is undergoing a transformation. It will become the Walt Disney Studios lot, inspired by the real studios in Burbank, featuring a new version of The Magic of Disney Animation. The archway was demolished and the buildings were repainted.
Bio’s video doesn’t show many more big changes. A large swath of concrete has been torn up in front of the former Star Wars: Launch Bay, soon to be The Magic of Disney Animation. The Disney Jr. Play and Dance archway is still intact. It will be replaced by a new Disney Jr. show.
Where the archway used to be is now another line of dirt, with what appears to be a bridge for crew members. They were having a meeting nearby during bio’s flyover.
Tropical Americas, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Last but not least is the new Tropical Americas land in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This is taking over DinoLand U.S.A. which has been closing in phases and will be fully extinct in February 2026. Bio’s video takes a look at the area that will eventually house an Encanto ride.
There are now clear walls and other concrete foundation elements, including some freshly-poured flooring. The Encanto ride will be where Primeval Whirl and Dino-Rama once were, plus some backstage space. The tower crane in this screenshot was installed in September.
There are several square-shaped concrete forms surrounded by safety fencing. Some vertical construction has begun with columns on the right and various elements on the left.
In the lower part of the above screenshot is the former site of The Boneyard play area. It’s little more than dirt now. Within the Encanto construction site are the old Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures buildings. These will be repurposed for the new land. In the upper right corner is the DINOSAUR show building.
Which new Walt Disney World land are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.