Six months into the Pete’s Silly Sideshow refurbishment in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park, the construction walls are still up, but more is now visible above and around them.
The Tent Is Transforming
WDWNT reported on June 22 that Walt Disney World Resort had pulled back the scrim concealing the tent walls at Pete’s Silly Sideshow, revealing that the faded, worn fabric, which had long been showing its age, had been fully replaced with vibrant new pink and red material. Paired with the new tent roof installed earlier in the refurbishment, the fresh wall fabric makes the Fantasyland structure look dramatically different from the tired circus tent that closed in January.
Additional finishing work is still visible. Disney cast members were spotted near the Pete’s Silly Sideshow sign, which appears to have been repainted, with its support poles also refreshed. The character meet-and-greet banners that once advertised Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and Goofy on the sign are currently absent — likely being updated to match the renewed aesthetic before they return.
Construction walls continue to surround the building, and scaffolding remains on the backside of the tent walls, confirming the project hasn’t fully crossed the finish line.
Walt Disney World Resort has not announced a reopening date for Pete’s Silly Sideshow at any point during the six months the building has been closed, and that remains the case following this week’s update. The attached Big Top Souvenirs gift shop, which occupies its own tent structure alongside Pete’s Silly Sideshow, is also still closed for a concurrent refurbishment with no announced reopening timeline.
Where the Characters Are in the Meantime
Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and Goofy haven’t disappeared from Storybook Circus; they’ve simply relocated to other areas of the Fantasyland neighborhood while the refurbishment continues. Guests looking to meet any of the four characters should check the My Disney Experience app or grab a printed Magic Kingdom Park entertainment schedule for the most current meet-and-greet locations and times.
Have you noticed any other changes around Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Tell Disney Dining about your experience in the comments!
