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Disney Releases More Details On Its New Cars-Themed Land
Say hello to Piston Peak National Park.
Last year, Disney announced an entire land dedicated to Pixar’s Cars at its Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando. Aside from a few illustrations that, actually, looked pretty awesome, the details were otherwise scarce. But today, the company has revealed new information on its next big expansion—including a name.
Say goodbye to Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America (RIP), and say hello to Piston Peak National Park (which, you probably don’t remember, was a real place in Disney’s Planes: Fire & Rescue movie). The new Cars area will be ripe with thick pine forests and snowy mountain peaks, and include a river that runs through the entire land. It will be the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom.
Disney Imagineers drew inspiration from America’s national parks for this new land, with the Piston Peak mountain range inspired by Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The faux national park will also include a visitor’s lodge, a Ranger headquarters, and walking trails alongside two designated Cars attractions.
The first attraction, an off-road rally-style ride, will allow guests to weave through the forests and over Piston Peak on a trackless ride vehicle with new characters from the Cars franchise. Disney promises it will be “just like a real race.” A second, yet-to-be-named attraction will be geared toward smaller children and families.
Piston Peak National Park will extend from Liberty Square all the way to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and toward the updated Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster, which is set to re-open sometime in 2026. Guests who want to experience Tom Sawyer Island and the Riverboat before work begins on the new land have until July 7.
Disney hasn’t said exactly when the new land will open. But for such a massive expansion, don’t expect to see anything until at least 2027 or 2028.
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The Honda Civic Type R Nearly Costs $50,000 Now
The sixth-generation Civic Type R is now about $4,000 more expensive than when it first went on sale for 2023.
The 2026 Honda Civic Type R will start at $48,090, including the $1,195 destination charge. That’s $1,000 more expensive than the 2025 model.
The Civic Type R packs Honda’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, sending power to the front wheels. A six-speed manual transmission is the only gearbox available, and Honda has made no tweaks to the car to justify the added cost.
The sixth-generation Civic Type R went on sale for 2023 with a starting MSRP of $44,890, including the destination charge that was $100 cheaper at the time. The 2026 Civic Type R is about $4,000 more expensive than it was a few years ago, and Honda has made only minor updates to the model since its launch.
The Civic’s higher price isn’t a surprise, as new-car prices continue to creep upward post-pandemic, and vehicles built outside the United States are now facing fresh tariffs. Consumers hoping for lower prices will have to wait.
The 2026 Volkswagen Golf R now starts at just over $50,000, which has 328 hp and all-wheel drive. The VW GTI is much cheaper, but it also makes much less power than the R and Civic Type R. The Toyota GR Corolla is a better value by comparison, starting at $41,115 for 300 hp and AWD.
Motor1’s Take: New cars are only getting more expensive, and paying nearly $50,000 for a performance hatchback is now the norm. The Civic Type R lacks all-wheel drive, which might limit its appeal if it’s priced to compete with the Golf R and thousands more than the GR Corolla. At least we have choices.
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