Another Disney Classic Just Vanished—And No One Was Warned

It feels like Disney World is quietly saying goodbye to another beloved piece of its past every other week. One moment you’re grabbing a churro near a familiar attraction, and the next, it’s surrounded by construction walls and scrubbed from the app like it never existed. There’s been a growing unease among longtime fans, especially as the hits keep coming.

Splash Mountain was the first real gut punch. Its closure stirred controversy, nostalgia, and plenty of debate. But love it or not, people had time to prepare. Then came the dismantling of Tom Sawyer Island, Liberty Belle Riverboat closures, and the draining of Rivers of America.

These weren’t just rides—they were pieces of what made Magic Kingdom feel like, well, Magic Kingdom. The frontier spirit. The calm corners of the park that told stories without needing thrill rides. They’re vanishing fast.

Guests have been nervously asking what’s next. But no one expected this.

The Campground That’s Always Felt Like Home

Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground opened in 1971, just weeks after Walt Disney World welcomed its first guests. Tucked along Bay Lake and nestled under towering trees, Fort Wilderness has offered something truly unique—a real back-to-nature Disney experience. It’s a place where families grill burgers on their cabin decks, ride bikes along pine-shaded trails, and roast marshmallows with Chip and Dale under the stars.

You won’t find glitzy lobbies or massive resort towers here. That’s always been the point. Fort Wilderness has been the go-to for guests looking for peace and simplicity. Campers can pitch a tent or pull in an RV, while others enjoy more comfort in log-style cabins. And it still feels charmingly low-tech—like stepping into a time capsule where Disney didn’t need to impress with size, but with soul.

Right next door, but still very much its own thing, is Wilderness Lodge, a Deluxe resort modeled after the great national park lodges of the American West. While it’s often lumped in with Fort Wilderness due to proximity, they’ve always catered to different vibes—rustic campers versus luxury-seekers.

But now the barrier between them feels blurrier than ever.

A Towering Change That No One Asked For

Without any fanfare, Disney has begun construction on a new resort that’s not just near Fort Wilderness—it’s right in its sightline. Tall towers are now visible from the campground, disrupting the once peaceful forest skyline that campers treasured.

Guests walking to Pioneer Hall, home of the beloved Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, now pass by construction fences and steel structures rising higher by the week. If you’ve never been, Pioneer Hall is more than just a building—it’s the heart of Fort Wilderness. It’s where families gather for dinner shows, where traditions are made, and where the charm of the American frontier still lives on in song and cornbread.

But seeing modern resort towers right next to this rustic setting? It’s jarring. And fans are not staying quiet about it.

Why Guests Are So Angry

For many, this isn’t just about a new resort being built. It’s about what Disney is replacing and ignoring in the process. Fort Wilderness was one of the last untouched corners of Walt Disney World—one that felt more like classic Americana than corporate expansion.

Now, charm is being erased with concrete and scaffolding looming in the distance. Guests are already raising concerns that the new resort’s guests will spill into Fort Wilderness, taking advantage of activities like archery, pony rides, and even the dinner show—without paying to stay at the campground.

And that’s not just frustrating—it’s disheartening for longtime fans who’ve chosen Fort Wilderness for its more intimate, less crowded atmosphere.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) summed up the sentiment:

“They hate the American Frontier. There’s no other explanation than they outright hate it. Shooting Arcade, Liberty Bell, Tom Sawyer’s Island… Sooooooo many examples of them absolutely wrecking this theme to the point where it’s irreversible.”

You don’t have to agree with the hyperbole to understand the heartbreak. Guests aren’t just reacting to one change. They’re responding to a pattern—a feeling that Disney is walking away from its roots in favor of sleek, modern, revenue-driven decisions.

And those decisions are starting to push some of its most loyal fans away.

Disney’s Direction Has Never Felt More Unsettling

Let’s be honest—Walt Disney World has been in a state of change since the doors opened. Walt himself famously said the parks would never be finished. But what fans are reacting to now isn’t growth. It’s a replacement without respect. You can add new experiences without erasing the ones that built your legacy.

With Splash Mountain and Tom Sawyer Island gone and Fort Wilderness losing its quiet charm, many guests are starting to feel like the Disney World they grew up with is slipping away.

Fort Wilderness was more than just a campground. It was a reminder of a different Disney—one that valued storytelling over spectacle, and simplicity over luxury. The towers rising next to Pioneer Hall may be just the beginning of something bigger, but to many fans, they signal the end of something far more meaningful.