Over 30% of Disney World’s Frontierland Erased: 5 Classic Experiences Permanently Cut

Frontierland still exists at Walt Disney World, but the version longtime Magic Kingdom guests remember is disappearing fast.

More than 30% of the land’s classic experiences have now been removed or permanently closed, leaving several pieces of old Frontierland behind. Some were replaced, while others became casualties of Disney’s much larger plans for Magic Kingdom.

And Disney isn’t finished.

Construction on Piston Peak National Park is reshaping a massive section of the area, while two Frontierland survivors have already undergone major updates of their own.

Frontierland Has Been Reinvented Again and Again

Frontierland opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971, offering guests a romanticized journey through America’s westward expansion.

Over the decades, Disney continued building on that idea. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened in 1980, while Splash Mountain arrived in 1992. Restaurants, shops, entertainment, and smaller experiences helped fill out the land.

Now, Disney has entered a much more aggressive period of redevelopment.

Splash Mountain became Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in 2024. Disney then permanently closed the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island in 2025 as it prepared for Piston Peak National Park.

The upcoming Cars-themed area will feature mountainous scenery, trails, waterfalls, geysers, and two attractions built around the Pixar franchise.

That project has required Disney to clear an enormous amount of space, making today’s Frontierland noticeably different from the one guests knew only a few years ago.

1. Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade

One of Frontierland’s oldest experiences disappeared in 2024.

The Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade opened alongside Magic Kingdom in 1971 and allowed guests to fire at interactive targets across an Old West scene.

Its final day was June 23, 2024.

Disney removed the attraction to make room for McKim’s Mile House, a Disney Vacation Club Member Lounge.

While the building remains, the experience that occupied it for more than five decades is permanently gone.

2. Rivers of America

A much larger loss came one year later.

The Rivers of America had helped define the physical layout of the western Magic Kingdom since opening day. The waterway wrapped around Tom Sawyer Island, forming a scenic waterfront along Frontierland and Liberty Square.

That ended in July 2025.

Disney closed the area as part of its plan to build Piston Peak National Park. Construction has since transformed what was once one of Magic Kingdom’s largest open spaces.

Unlike a simple attraction replacement, removing the river fundamentally changed the landscape of Frontierland.

3. Tom Sawyer Island

Tom Sawyer Island disappeared alongside the river surrounding it.

Guests reached the island by raft and explored caves, trails, bridges, and other areas at their own pace. It offered something increasingly uncommon at modern theme parks: an attraction without a traditional ride vehicle or tightly controlled experience.

Its final operating day was July 6, 2025.

The island’s removal cleared another major piece of land for Piston Peak, ending more than five decades of exploration in the middle of Magic Kingdom.

4. Splash Mountain

Perhaps no Frontierland removal generated more attention than Splash Mountain.

The attraction operated from 1992 until January 2023 and became one of Magic Kingdom’s signature thrill rides.

Disney did not demolish the entire ride system. Instead, Imagineers transformed the attraction into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by The Princess and the Frog (2009).

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened in 2024 with new characters, music, animatronics, scenery, and a completely different storyline.

The famous drop survived, but Splash Mountain itself did not.

5. Westward Ho Refreshments

Even Frontierland’s smaller locations have begun to disappear.

Westward Ho Refreshments permanently closed in June 2026 as work surrounding the Piston Peak project continued.

The small food location served grab-and-go items and sat along Frontierland’s main walkway near the expanding construction zone.

It certainly wasn’t a major attraction, but its removal matters when looking at Frontierland as a whole.

Disney isn’t simply replacing one or two rides. Buildings, waterways, pathways, dining areas, and smaller parcels of land are being reworked together.

Country Bear Jamboree and Big Thunder Aren’t the Same Either

Two Frontierland classics remain, although neither exists exactly as longtime guests remember it.

Disney replaced the original Country Bear Jamboree with Country Bear Musical Jamboree in 2024. The bears remained, but their performance changed significantly.

The updated show features country-style versions of Disney songs, including songs from films such as Frozen (2013).

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad also received a major overhaul.

After an extended refurbishment, the coaster reopened in May 2026 with refreshed storytelling, new visual effects and details, and the addition of Rainbow Caverns.

Meanwhile, another Frontierland fixture remains inaccessible.

The Frontierland station for the Walt Disney World Railroad has been out of service since 2025 because of construction. Trains currently operate between Main Street, U.S.A., and Fantasyland while bypassing Frontierland.

What Does This Mean for Frontierland?

Frontierland isn’t going away, but Disney is clearly redefining what the land means.

Within only a few years, five familiar experiences have disappeared, two major surviving attractions have been reimagined, and the railroad station has become temporarily unusable.

Piston Peak will eventually fill much of the space left behind, bringing an entirely new generation of attractions into Magic Kingdom.

For future guests, this may create a bigger and more technologically ambitious Frontierland. For longtime visitors, however, there’s no ignoring how much has already vanished.

The Frontierland they grew up visiting is becoming a piece of Disney World history.