With all the changes in the parks at Walt Disney World, Guests have gotten to a point at which they aren’t completely surprised when they hear that an attraction is being reimagined or closed altogether.
But it is strange when we hear that an attraction that was temporarily closed is opened again, but with modifications, only to hear that it closed again shortly thereafter, and then, that it’s closing forever.
But such is the plight of the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. We had heard it was reopened and operational, but with one major difference–the shooting games that used to cost pocket change to play were now going to be available to Guests at no cost. (Hey, we don’t skip over a sign that says “free” anywhere inside the parks; it’s just too rare.)
But last week, the rumor mills began churning up the waters again, and we began to hear that the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade was closing for good and that Guests would no longer be able to enjoy the experience. We didn’t seem shocked because we didn’t really expect a once-paid-now-free experience at Disney World to retain its availability.
But the super-fast turnaround did seem odd. Many outlets reported its closure, only to have to retract the premature death wish on this hole-in-the-wall type establishment.
So just in case you’ve been losing sleep over the Shootin’ Arcade in the wild, wild west at Magic Kingdom, we hope this post will have you catchin’ z’s, sawin’ logs, and snorin’ like a big ol’ bear tonight. The arcade is, in fact, not closing, per Disney World’s representatives.
So, what happened? Well, we’re glad you asked.
The rumor began because Disney World’s website showed no available times from November 27 through December 11, but during that same time, the attraction didn’t show up on Disney’s list of planned refurbishments. Therefore, die-hard fans assumed it was closing for good, and the recent no-pay-for-play seemed like Disney’s last-ditch good faith favor before it squashed this opening day attraction.
But it seems the rumor about the attraction closing was rooted in a simple internet/website snafu, glitch, oopsy–whatever you want to call it so you can sleep better tonight. If you check now, the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade has available times posted from here ’til doomsday. Well, times are posted for the foreseeable calendar, anyway. (As of today, that happens to be all the way to December 13, 2021.)
So here’s hopin’ you and your posse get your target and can boast the high score for the day, for the Shootin’ Arcade is here to stay!