Disney World Attraction Ceasing Operations Permanently This Weekend

An often-missed part of Disney’s Magic Kingdom closes this weekend after months of rumors regarding its demise.

This change comes as the entire Walt Disney World Resort undergoes significant alterations, with even more exciting projects to be announced later this year during Disney’s annual D23 Expo event.

Related: Disney Brings Back Transportation for Florida Guests Following Extended Inactivity

Earlier this year, Disney confirmed it would close the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade at Magic Kingdom and transform the location into a new lounge for Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members.

The Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade is an opening-day attraction at Walt Disney World and has been in operation for over 50 years.

While certainly not the most exciting attraction offered at Disney World, the shooting arcade has entertained guests looking to take a break from the hecticness of Magic Kingdom park, as well as added to the “western” theming found all across Frontierland.

Magic Kingdom’s shooting arcade officially closes on Sunday, June 23, 2024, and while the attraction was not all that popular, its closure marks a major shift for the theme park.

Not only is the Magic Kingdom losing an attraction, but Disney World guests are also losing one of the few free experiences offered at the Florida resort.

When it first opened, the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade charged guests a certain amount of money to play. However, this changed several years ago, and the arcade became free for everyone.

The attraction is admittedly somewhat problematic, so its closure does come as a total surprise. An attraction centered around guns does not exactly fit into Disney’s modern-day theme parks. However, it may be disappointing for guests to learn that one of the very few totally free experiences at Walt Disney World will be shutting down.

A version of this attraction exists at Disneyland in California and is expected to remain open for the foreseeable future.

Related: Walt Disney World Announces Lengthy Refurbishment Starting This Summer

Over the last year, The Walt Disney Company has made it clear it wishes to reinvigorate Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland area. Disney has shared various pieces of concept art showing off potential additions to Frontierland, including a long-rumored area based on Disney villains.

The first step toward this “New Frontierland” is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a brand-new ride set to open this June. This log flume ride is based on The Princess and the Frog (2009) and replaces Disney’s Splash Mountain attraction, which had operated for decades prior.

With Princess Tiana taking over the former site of Splash Mountain, it makes sense Disney would be reevaluating Frontierland. Alongside Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Disney is also working on a brand-new iteration of its classic “Country Bears” show.

The new attraction is called Country Bears Musical Jamboree and will see the bears sing a variety of iconic Disney songs.

Other notable changes at Walt Disney World include major renovations at DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with Disney teasing that several popular franchises such as Indiana Jones and Encanto will soon make their way into the park.

What upcoming Disney World project are you most excited about?