Good morning from Magic Kingdom, where more demolition has taken place on Tom Sawyer Island as part of a massive reimagining of the northwest corner of the park. A couple of days ago, we shared some aerial photos showcasing that Fort Langhorn had been demolished on the north end of Tom Sawyer Island. Today, we have a new look at more structures that have been demolished. At this point, nearly all buildings have been demolished on Tom Sawyer Island.
Aunt Polly’s Demolished on Tom Sawyer Island
The first structure we’ll take a look at is the former Aunt Polly’s dining location. While the location hadn’t been utilized in years, it remained one of the most highly visible buildings on Tom Sawyer Island thanks to its prominent location across from the Liberty Square Riverboat load/unload platform. Here’s a look at Aunt Polly’s before we take a closer look at the demolition.
And here’s a sneak peek at the Aunt Polly’s demolition. We can see the concrete slab that the restaurant used to sit on. Both the dock and restaurant are now rubble.
While heavy equipment is (mostly) out of view of guests, it is audible along the Frontierland boardwalk area as crews continue to work to demolish Tom Sawyer Island.
Harper’s Mill & Tom’s Landing Demolished on Tom Sawyer Island
Harper’s Mill, or The Old Grist Mill, was another iconic landmark on the island. A red barn-like structure, Harper’s Mill had a water wheel on one side, and a hooting owl inside. Here’s a look at what it looked like before it was demolished.
Another building that was recently demolished was Tom’s Landing, which is the main dock on the island.
In order to show the removal of these two structures, we have to rely on before/after photos, as we can’t see the actual demolition.
Huck’s Landing Demolished
Going back to visible demolition, we can see that Huck’s Landing has also been demolished. This was a secondary dock for Tom Sawyer Island, typically used during weather evacuations of the island to speed up the return of guests to the “mainland”.
As of our visit today, the only (traditional) building that was left standing on the island was Potter’s Mill, the windmill seen below.
Why is Tom Sawyer Island Being Demolished?
As to the why, Walt Disney World simply looked at the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island as an “underutilized area”, according to Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle. Last year, Disney announced ambitious plans for the largest-ever expansion of Magic Kingdom, transforming the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island into a Cars-themed land at the southern end, and an all-new Villains Land at the northern end.
We recently explored a new permit that offered some hints as to how the two themed lands will be positioned. While the positioning and theming of the Cars-themed expansion to Frontierland, called Piston Peak National Park, has been known for a while, the permit offered some potential insight as to the layout of the upcoming Villains-themed land.
For everything we know about the Cars-themed expansion to Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, check out our dedicated project page below!
For everything we know about the upcoming Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, check out our dedicated Villains Land page below!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
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