After more than three months of speculation, the Frontierland kiosks that we reported were slated to be removed have received closing dates at Magic Kingdom. Both Big Al’s merchandise kiosk, and the Westward Ho snack kiosk have received closing dates, according to the Walt Disney World website. Here’s the latest!
Frontierland Kiosk Receive Closing Dates at Magic Kingdom
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. 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.
The latest in this saga is that both Big Al’s and Westward Ho have received closing dates. According to the Walt Disney World website, Big Al’s will be closed starting May 11th, and Westward Ho will be closed starting June 22nd. It is likely that the Frontierland churro cart will also close on or around June 22nd.
At this point, it’s unclear if the kiosks will return when the boardwalk reopens or not, but we’ll continue to try and gather more information.
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!