While visiting Magic Kingdom recently, we stopped in Frontierland to get an updated look at the Piston Peak National Park construction. Our last update showed crews staging various pipes throughout the site. Now, it looks like those pipes have been installed as crews continue some significant land shaping on the east side of the site near Haunted Mansion. Beyond the pipes, the massive retaining wall continues to take shape. The most notable section of the wall is in front of the former Liberty Square Riverboat launch. Here’s a look around!
Piston Peak National Park Construction Updates: Utility Installation & Survey Work
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- The concrete retaining wall for the planned stream is growing, with a substantial angled section in front of the former Liberty Square Riverboat launch.
- Utility pipes previously staged throughout the site are now installed, with survey crews marking out the site.
- Heavy equipment is reshaping land on the east side of the site near Haunted Mansion and Liberty Square.
Before heading into the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad queue for a better vantage point, a ground-level view shows the ongoing utility work. Stubs from a number of different pipes are now installed throughout the dirt, poking up out of the graded earth in small clusters. Blue potable water pipes, purple reclaimed water pipes, and green sewer lines are all visible. The lines are color-coded and spaced across the site in rows, alongside continued digging in pockets where crews are still working. Survey crews are moving through the area with total stations mounted on tripods, taking readings as the site gets marked out for the next phase of work.
From the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad queue, heavier work is visible on the far side of the site near Haunted Mansion and Liberty Square. Two large excavators appeared to be working in tandem, with the Hitachi spotted lifting a steel and concrete form into place.
Where are all of the pipes coming from? A stockpile of materials sits on the plot that will eventually become Villains Land, staged in neat rows across the site. Concrete drainage pipe, blue PVC conduit, and corrugated tubing are all visible, along with rolled coils of black pipe, suggesting more utility work is still to come once this batch gets installed.
Across the site, the concrete retaining wall that will support the planned stream along the south side continues to grow. Its poured-concrete panels are visibly stepping and curving to follow the contour of the future waterway. The section in front of the former Liberty Square Riverboat launch stands out in particular. It’s angled sharply where the wall changes direction, and the concrete itself looks noticeably thick compared to other sections we’ve seen elsewhere on site. It’s possible that this stretch may need to bear more structural load.
Survey work has also become more prevalent across the site, with crews and equipment popping up in multiple locations to take measurements and mark reference points with small colored flags and stakes. As utility installation continues, the next phase will likely involve land prep and grading ahead of attraction foundation work. The growing survey presence is usually a sign that a new phase is upcoming.
Finally, we noticed that it looked like a portion of the closed-off Frontierland boardwalk has been demolished. Concept art shows that a boardwalk element will be present when the work is completed, so it’s possible that it will either be completely rebuilt or replaced in sections.
Keep Reading:
- The retaining wall wrapping this section of the site was already nearly finished last month, and this visit shows just how much thicker it’s grown since then.
- Curious how the underground utility work now spread across the graded site actually started? Our first look at the pipe installation milestone covers where it began.
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!