I Assumed A Closed Disney World Ride Had Already Been Destroyed, But I'm So Glad I Was Wrong

Being a theme park fan means trying to find the balance between being excited for new attractions while also embracing the nostalgia of the classics. It’s never fun to see popular rides go away because once they're torn down, that means they’re gone forever.

While Disney Parks trade on nostalgia in a big way, they also have little problem with tearing down elements of the parks once the decision to do so has been made. The massive Dinosaur figure that once loomed over Dinoland U.S.A. has reportedly already been smashed to pieces now that the land is undergoing a transformation, and I assumed the same had happened with a classic Frontierland attraction.

The Liberty Belle Is Still In One Piece (For Now)

Among several new Disney World projects currently underway is the biggest change to Magic Kingdom since it opened over 50 years ago is currently underway as a large portion of Frontierland is being transformed into the Cars-themed Piston Peak. A lot of fans are frustrated by this change, as it will essentially eliminate the Rivers of America, the park’s only significant water feature, and is removing both Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle Riverboat.

With the Liberty Belle already out of the park, I had simply assumed the boat was no more. However, a new set of images from theme park eye in the sky Bioreconstruct confirms that the Liberty Belle is still in one piece, or at least was a few days ago.

I honestly breathed a sigh of relief at seeing this image. There had been some rumors that the Liberty Belle had already been demolished, so seeing that it is still intact just makes me feel better. It may be gone from Magic Kingdom as an attraction, but the ship lives on. Of course, the fact that it is still in one piece makes one wonder, are there plans for it in the future?

I Hope Disney World Finds Another Way To Use It

Maybe tearing the Liberty Belle apart would simply take more work than Disney World wants to put into the task at the moment. Or perhaps the reason it hasn’t been taken apart already is that there are plans for the ship to live on in some way.

I don’t pretend to know what those plans could be. Everything we know about plans for Piston Peak is that the Liberty Belle won’t be part of it. In fact, with the Cars theme, I have no idea how it would make sense for the boat to be back.

However, Walt Disney World is an awfully big place, so the possibility exists we could see it again somewhere else. I certainly hope that’s the plan. It’s a piece of Disney World’s history, and it deserves to live on in whatever way it can.