Disney World Shifts Frontierland Staples as Construction Walls Take Over Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is heading into one of the biggest periods of expansion in its history, and Frontierland is now sitting right in the middle of that transformation.

Disney has major plans for the area, but a growing list of closures, removals, and relocations accompanies them. Guests have already watched several longtime pieces of Frontierland disappear, and the latest construction is now affecting another familiar section of the land.

One location is behind walls; nearby stands have moved, and more pathway changes are expected as Disney continues to prepare for what comes next.

Disney Is Building Toward a Much Different Magic Kingdom

Two major projects are expected to reshape Magic Kingdom in the years ahead.

Piston Peak National Park will become part of Frontierland, bringing the world of Cars (2006) into the park. Disney plans to use the former Rivers of America area for the expansion, creating a wilderness-inspired setting based around America’s national parks.

The project will include new attractions and environments while dramatically changing the footprint guests have known for decades.

Beyond that expansion, Disney is also developing Villains Land.

The new area will sit beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and give Disney villains a permanent home inside Magic Kingdom. Together, Piston Peak and Villains Land represent a significant expansion of the park.

Before either project opens, however, Disney has a lot of construction work ahead. Frontierland is already showing just how extensive that process will be.

Several Frontierland Favorites Are Already Gone

Disney began clearing the way in 2025 when Rivers of America permanently closed.

That closure also ended operations for the Liberty Square Riverboat and removed access to Tom Sawyer Island.

For generations of Magic Kingdom guests, those offerings helped define this corner of the park. The Liberty Belle carried visitors around the river, while Tom Sawyer Island offered trails, caves, bridges, and areas guests could explore without following a traditional ride route.

Those experiences are now part of Magic Kingdom history.

Their closures created ample space for Disney’s plans, but the construction zone has continued to expand beyond the former river itself.

That brings us to the latest activity in Frontierland.

Construction Walls Now surround Westward Ho

Guests walking through Frontierland will now find the former Westward Ho location blocked off.

Westward Ho permanently closed in June 2026, and construction walls have since gone up around the area. The location is expected to be demolished as Disney continues preparing the surrounding space for Piston Peak National Park.

The work has also reached the area nearby.

Construction walls now surround a section that previously housed popcorn stands, forcing Disney to relocate those operations elsewhere in Frontierland.

For now, most of the nearby boardwalk remains accessible, but additional changes are expected as construction continues.

Current plans call for walls to eventually move farther into the existing riverwalk area. A temporary pedestrian pathway is expected to run along the promenade, helping guests move through the area and providing space for viewing the parade during the extended construction period.

That means guests may continue seeing the layout change in stages rather than all at once.

Snack Stands Have Moved to New Spots

The closures do not mean churros and popcorn have disappeared from Frontierland.

Disney has simply moved the stands.

The churro stand can now be found near Frontier Trading Post. Guests who previously stopped near Westward Ho will need to head to the new location instead.

Popcorn has also been split between two new spots.

One stand is now near the Disney Vacation Club kiosk, while another has moved closer to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe.

These relocations may seem minor compared with the loss of Rivers of America or Tom Sawyer Island. Still, they show how much construction is beginning to affect everyday movement through Frontierland.

Longtime visitors often have familiar routes through Magic Kingdom. They know where to grab a snack, where to stop before a parade, and which pathways help them move quickly between lands.

Those habits may need to change as construction progresses.

Frontierland Still Has a Long Road Ahead

Frontierland is already noticeably different from what guests saw just a year ago, and Disney is far from finished.

Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat are gone. Westward Ho has closed and now sits behind construction walls. Nearby snack stands have relocated, while the riverwalk is expected to face additional changes later.

Most of the boardwalk remains available for now, but the area will continue evolving as Disney expands the Piston Peak construction footprint.

Eventually, Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land will bring entirely new experiences to Magic Kingdom. Until then, guests should expect more temporary routes, relocated offerings, and familiar spaces disappearing as Disney prepares Frontierland for its next chapter.