Earlier today, we visited Magic Kingdom, where construction walls continue to expand in Frontierland. The construction walls, while new, are not unexpected. It’s all part of a plan that we’ve been tracking since late January, and a rumor that we published at the time that said that three Frontierland locations would be closing. Here’s the latest!
Construction Walls Expand in Frontierland
In order to understand where we are today, we have to go back to late January and our exclusive rumor that three Frontierland locations would be closing. While there had been no visual indications at the time, we were told that Big Al’s merchandise kiosk, the Westward Ho grab-and-go snack kiosk, and the Frontierland churro cart were all on the chopping block.
By early February, we had a sneak peek at early work for the formation of a stream that would run along the Frontierland boardwalk, separating the current areas of Frontierland from the upcoming Piston Peak National Park area. By mid-February, Walt Disney World had filed three permits for the locations that we said were at risk a few weeks prior.
In early March, the three kiosks were removed from the My Disney Experience digital map. They remain missing as of this morning – likely a sign of things to come. Just a couple of days later, we noticed the very first construction wall expansion in Frontierland. It was a small stretch of walls, but an indication that plans were finally moving forward.
What are those plans? While unconfirmed by Disney, we believe that the Piston Peak National Park construction site will soon expand to engulf the Frontierland boardwalk. Long-term, we expect the boardwalk to remain a part of Frontierland. That said, as work continues for the stream that will run the length of the boardwalk (and then some), Disney will need to work on the boardwalk as well. It’s unclear if there will be a full rebuild or a refresh of the current boardwalk.
When the boardwalk closes, the walking space in Frontierland will be reduced. Critically, the north side of the main Frontierland walkway will be blocked by the existing kiosks when parades and cavalcades utilize the roadway. Without the boardwalk available as a bypass, Disney will need to remove the kiosks to allow for better guest flow during some critical times of the day.
It’s unclear if the kiosks will return when the boardwalk reopens or not. Walt Disney World has not responded to a request for comment. It’s also worth noting that the closure of the kiosks has not yet been confirmed. Both Westward Ho and Big Al’s have operating hours through June 15th, which is the furthest into the future that the Walt Disney World website has operating hours for any offering.
In the meantime, we have the evidence of new construction walls in Frontierland as prep work expands for the (very likely) closure of the boardwalk and (very likely) removal of the Frontierland kiosks. Here’s a look around!
For everything we know about the Cars-themed expansion to Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, check out our dedicated project page below!
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!