Frontierland does not look the same anymore.
For decades, the area stood as one of the most iconic sections of Magic Kingdom, filled with riverboats, quiet waterfront views, rustic pathways, and classic Disney atmosphere that helped separate it from the rest of the park. Guests could spend hours wandering through the land without even riding an attraction simply because the setting itself felt immersive.
Now, much of that version of Frontierland is disappearing.
Disney has already closed Tom Sawyer Island, the Rivers of America, and the Liberty Square Riverboat as construction ramps up on the massive new Piston Peak National Park expansion inspired by Pixar’s Cars franchise. Work crews have been visible throughout the area for months, but another major development today is making the transformation feel even more permanent.
Construction walls have officially gone up around Big Al’s merchandise kiosk.
And for many longtime Disney fans, this feels like the moment Frontierland’s demolition truly became impossible to ignore.
Another Piece of Frontierland Disappears
Guests visiting Magic Kingdom today discovered that Big Al’s has now been fully surrounded by construction walls as Disney continues reshaping the area around Frontierland.
The kiosk permanently closed earlier this year, but the addition of walls strongly suggests Disney is preparing for demolition or a significant refurbishment of the space. Reports indicate the structure is expected to be removed entirely in order to help open up pathways as work continues nearby on Piston Peak National Park.
At the moment, parts of the structure are still visible above the walls, including the chimney and the iconic “Big Al’s” signage. But the location itself is no longer accessible to guests.
That might not sound huge on paper compared to the loss of Rivers of America, but fans who regularly visit Magic Kingdom understand why this matters.
Big Al’s represented another surviving piece of old Frontierland.
The location originally opened as a ticket booth back in 1971 before eventually becoming a gift shop tied to the Country Bears. Over the years, it became one of those little details that helped Frontierland feel layered and lived-in instead of just functioning as a walkway between attractions.
Now, it appears to be next on the chopping block.
Frontierland Is Becoming Something Entirely Different
At this point, Disney’s changes go far beyond simply adding a new Cars attraction.
Frontierland itself is being rebuilt around a completely different identity.
The Rivers of America once created natural separation between areas of the park while giving Frontierland a slower pace and visual depth. The Liberty Belle Riverboat added movement to the land all day long, while Tom Sawyer Island gave guests an experience that felt disconnected from the rest of the crowds.
All of that is now gone.
Instead, Disney is building Piston Peak National Park, a large-scale expansion that will eventually introduce entirely new attractions, environments, and infrastructure to Magic Kingdom.
Even Big Thunder Mountain Railroad now feels connected to that broader shift.
The attraction recently reopened following an extended refurbishment, and Disney updated parts of its backstory during the process. While the ride itself remains one of Magic Kingdom’s most beloved attractions, the surrounding land no longer feels like the same Frontierland guests remember from even a few years ago.
And closures continue piling up.
The Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade permanently closed. Big Al’s is now behind construction walls. Westward Ho is expected to close later this summer as Disney relocates nearby snack carts and continues reworking guest flow in the area.
Every few months, another piece disappears.
Disney May Be Changing More Than Fans Expected
When Disney first announced the Cars expansion, many fans assumed the changes would mostly stay contained to the Rivers of America section of the park.
That no longer feels accurate.
Instead, Disney appears to be gradually redesigning large portions of Frontierland itself. Between walkway expansions, infrastructure work, storyline updates, and continued closures, the entire land now feels caught in the middle of a long-term transformation.
And honestly, Disney probably sees this as necessary.
Magic Kingdom continues dealing with massive crowd levels, changing guest expectations, and growing competition from Universal Orlando Resort, especially with Epic Universe now operating. Disney clearly wants newer intellectual properties, more modern land layouts, and improved crowd circulation throughout the park.
Frontierland simply became the easiest place to make those changes.
The problem is that the land carried decades of history with it.
For many guests, Frontierland was one of the last remaining areas of Magic Kingdom that still felt heavily connected to the park’s original identity. It was quieter. Slower. More atmospheric. The land relied less on screens and modern IPs and more on environmental storytelling.
That version is quickly fading away.
Magic Kingdom’s Transformation Is Only Beginning
What is happening in Frontierland may ultimately become one of the biggest visual transformations Magic Kingdom has ever undergone.
Construction walls now dominate large portions of the area. Entire waterfront views are gone. Longtime locations continue disappearing one after another. And Disney still appears to be in the early stages of the project.
For many fans, that creates mixed emotions.
Some guests are excited to see new attractions and expanded experiences arrive at Magic Kingdom. Others feel like Disney is slowly erasing one of the park’s most unique lands in favor of something more commercially recognizable.
Either way, one thing has become very clear.
Disney is no longer just refreshing Frontierland.
The company has quietly begun tearing it down and rebuilding it into something entirely new.
