WDW Railroad Continues Striving For Reopening - Inside the Magic

“Welcome aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad! We’re about to take a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom.”

Those are the first words Guests hear when they hop aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad to take the grand circle tour of Magic Kingdom, with stops in Fantasyland and Frontierland.

However, the sad news is that since 2018, Guests have not been able to take this famous grand circle tour due to the current construction on the upcoming TRON attraction, which will be located in Tomorrowland once complete.

Now, a new permit suggests work is continuing as the train strives for reopening.

In case you aren’t familiar, the Walt Disney World Railroad takes Guests through Magic Kingdom and past some of the most iconic parts of the park, including the untamed jungles of Adventureland, the wild wild west of Frontierland, and the most magical land of them all — Fantasyland.

Now, despite being closed for over two years now, it looks like work is continuing to progress as Disney World is not only installing new track, but also just filed a new permit for the railroad station in Magic Kingdom.

Related: Will the Walt Disney World Railroad Be Closed For Nearly 3 Years?

Construction at Walt Disney World Railroad Station

As mentioned earlier, construction work has been continuing on the track itself around the theme park, but also on the Main Street, U.S.A. train station itself as scaffolding has been placed for a few months now.

A new permit, which you can view here, was recently filed for general construction at 1451 Bus Drop Off Drive, which is the location for the railroad station at Magic Kingdom. Although there are not many other details within the permit, we do know that Disney World has been continuously working on the train station, as seen in the photo below taken in March 2021.

It seems as though the theme park is continuously working on getting the Walt Disney World Railroad ready for when it can reopen to Guests once again. However, at this time, there is no reopening date set. The Disney World website currently states:

The Walt Disney World Railroad is not currently circling Magic Kingdom park, but the train is available as the perfect backdrop for a memorable photo at the Fantasyland station. Please check back for updates on the train’s next departure.

Inside the Magic will continue to update you as we get information regarding the Walt Disney World Railroad.

More on the Walt Disney World Railroad

If you’ve never had the chance to ride the grand circle tour around Magic Kingdom, the official Disney description reads:

Listen to the clamor of the engine, the chug of the wheels and the call of the whistle aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad.

Ride 1 of 4 meticulously restored, vintage narrow-gauge steam trains—originally built between 1916 and 1928—and enjoy a relaxing 20-minute, 1.5-mile scenic round-trip tour.

It’s a convenient—and nostalgic—way to get around Magic Kingdom park!!

Find a Station

You can board or disembark at any of 3 stations:

• Near the entrance to the park on Main Street, U.S.A.
• The Frontierland station
• The Fantasyland station

You can take a virtual ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad just before it closed in December 2018 thanks to our POV ride through here:

Do you miss the Walt Disney World Railroad? When do you think it will reopen? Let us know in the comments below.