Disney Imagineers are currently evaluating the visibility of future Piston Peak National Park from around Magic Kingdom. A recent photograph shows a red balloon floating above the construction area for the upcoming Cars-themed expansion near Frontierland, indicating that Disney has been conducting height and sightline tests for structures planned for the new land. Balloon tests are commonly used during theme park development to help Imagineers understand how tall structures may appear from different areas of a park before construction reaches those heights. In this case, the balloon may have been positioned around the planned height of one of Piston Peak’s larger rock formations or mountain features, allowing Disney to photograph and study views from locations around Magic Kingdom. Sightlines are especially important for this project as Disney has previously stated that the Cars-inspired area is being designed so its themed architecture will not intrude on views from areas such as Main Street U.S.A. and Liberty Square. Imagineers have compared the approach to techniques used around Mount Prometheus at Tokyo DisneySea, where themed rockwork helps the massive volcano blend differently depending on where guests are standing. From Liberty Square, Disney has indicated guests will instead see natural-looking rockwork and a large waterfall, helping preserve the area’s existing atmosphere while the high-octane world of Cars sits just beyond it. Piston Peak National Park will bring a new Cars adventure to Magic Kingdom as part of the major transformation of Frontierland, and tests like this are one more sign that Imagineers are working through the details of how the new landscape will fit into the park.
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