One of the biggest transformations in Magic Kingdom history is already underway, but Disney appears to be taking extra precautions to make sure the park guests know today doesn’t disappear behind it.Piston Peak National Park will completely reshape a large section of Frontierland, bringing the world of Cars (2006) into Magic Kingdom with towering rock formations, waterfalls, and new attractions. That creates an unusual challenge for Walt Disney Imagineering.Disney wants the new area to feel massive when guests enter it. At the same time, Imagineers don’t want those mountains suddenly appearing where they don’t belong elsewhere in Magic Kingdom.Credit: terren in Virginia, FlickrA newly spotted test suggests Disney is already figuring out exactly how high it can go.Disney Tests the Mountains Coming to Magic KingdomAccording to a new report from WDW News Today, Disney recently conducted what appears to be a balloon height test at the Piston Peak National Park construction site.A photo featuring Walt Disney World Executive Creative Director Jason Grandt shows a red balloon floating high above the construction area. Cinderella Castle can also be seen in the background of the image.These tests are commonly used when sightlines become an important part of a project’s design. By raising a balloon to a specific height, Imagineers can study how a future structure could appear from different locations around the park.In this case, the report suggests the balloon may have been positioned at the approximate height of one of the planned piston-shaped mountains. Disney could then photograph or observe it from multiple locations before finalizing the design.That matters quite a bit at Magic Kingdom.Disney Wants to “Preserve” the Existing Magic KingdomPiston Peak National Park isn’t being constructed in isolation. Its location means Disney has to consider how the enormous new environment will interact visually with areas that have existed for decades.Imagineers have previously discussed their efforts to protect those sightlines.According to the report, Walt Disney Imagineering has specifically considered views from Main Street, U.S.A., Liberty Square, and other portions of Magic Kingdom. The goal is to prevent the more obvious Cars architecture from becoming visible in places where it could disrupt the surrounding environment.In other words, guests standing in Liberty Square shouldn’t suddenly look into the distance and see something that immediately feels like it belongs in the world of Cars (2006).Disney still wants Piston Peak to feel enormous. It simply has to control what guests can see — and where they can see it.That’s where the mountains themselves could become incredibly important.Related: Disney World Confirms Resort Restrictions, But Guests Find LoopholeDisney Has Used This Trick BeforeImagineers have reportedly compared their approach at Magic Kingdom to the visual techniques used around Mount Prometheus at Tokyo DisneySea.From certain portions of that park, the massive structure doesn’t present itself as an active volcano. Instead, careful landscaping and design allow it to resemble a rolling green hillside, helping it blend with the environment around Cape Cod.Disney appears prepared to use a similar philosophy with Piston Peak.Credit: DisneyFrom Liberty Square, guests are expected to see rockwork and a large waterfall rather than obvious Cars elements.That could allow Disney to accomplish two very different things with the same structure.Guests entering Piston Peak National Park could see a dramatic mountain landscape that establishes the scale of the new land. Meanwhile, guests elsewhere in Magic Kingdom may simply see natural rock formations in the distance.The recent balloon test suggests Disney is working through exactly how those views will come together.Piston Peak Will Dramatically Change FrontierlandThere’s no getting around the scale of what’s happening at Magic Kingdom.Piston Peak National Park represents a major transformation of Frontierland, and its mountains will likely become some of the most noticeable additions to the park’s skyline once construction is complete.That’s exactly why these early tests matter.Disney isn’t merely determining whether it can construct a giant mountain. Imagineers have to determine how tall that mountain can become before it starts changing views from other lands.Even relatively small adjustments to the height, shape, landscaping, or positioning of the rockwork could make a major difference when viewed from Main Street, U.S.A. or Liberty Square.And Disney still has time to make those adjustments.The report notes that balloon testing can help Imagineers alter and finalize designs based on how visible planned structures are from different locations.More Piston Peak Details Could Be Coming SoonThe timing of the test is also interesting.D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event begins later this week, and the Disney Experiences “Horizons” showcase is scheduled for Saturday night. More information about Piston Peak National Park could be shared during the presentation.Disney has already made it clear that Magic Kingdom is changing in a major way. Now, the company has the difficult task of making those additions feel like they belong beside lands and attractions that guests have known for generations.This apparent height test offers a small glimpse into that process.The mountains of Piston Peak may eventually tower over the new Cars (2006) area, but Disney appears determined to control where guests can actually see them.The post REPORT: Disney Tests Mountain Heights to “Preserve” Classic Magic Kingdom appeared first on Inside the Magic.