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Credit: Allen Castillo, FlickrDisney World is no stranger to big changes. From the removal of entire attractions to the addition of brand-new lands, the Magic Kingdom you remember from one trip rarely looks the same on the next. Now, one of the park’s most iconic areas is about to undergo the biggest shift of all. If you had plans to relive the Old West on your next vacation, you might want to brace yourself—Frontierland as you knew it is officially gone.
The End of the Frontier
For decades, Frontierland was designed as a tribute to American expansion. It was a place where guests could walk through wooden facades, ride riverboats, and hear the twang of banjos in the distance. It carried a distinctly American theme—one that celebrated pioneers, exploration, and the legendary “wild frontier.”
But according to a recent Attractions Magazine interview with Disney Imagineers, that entire concept has been erased. The team didn’t outright say, “Frontierland is over,” but their new guiding principles make it clear.
Imagineers explained that the land is now focused on themes like chasing your dreams and writing your own folk tale—concepts that don’t tie directly to the westward expansion of American history or the adventures that helped found the nation.
In other words, the foundation of Frontierland—the idea of the Old West and the pioneer spirit—has been completely stripped away.
“A similar intentionality of language is at work in the points Imagineers shared about their focus for Frontierland’s big-picture vision. The values they shared aren’t simply off-the-cuff goals; they are intentional, strategic priorities of the project,” the article shared.
Cars, Tiana, and a Very Different Frontier
The changes aren’t subtle either. Tom Sawyer Island, the Rivers of America, and the Liberty Belle Riverboat are permanently closed to make way for Piston Peak, a Cars-themed land inspired by Pixar’s Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014). Guests can expect national park-style lodges, a high-energy rally ride, and plenty of Pixar characters filling the landscape.
On top of that, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (which replaced Splash Mountain) brings 1920s New Orleans into the mix, while Big Thunder Mountain Railroad—currently closed until 2026—will eventually return to a very different neighborhood. Country Bear Jamboree still stands, but it’s part of a reimagined musical experience that leans more into fun entertainment than rustic nostalgia.
The result? A land that no longer resembles the American frontier at all.
A Land Without an Identity
When Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, Frontierland was one of its defining spaces. Much like its Disneyland predecessor from 1955, it reflected mid-century America’s fascination with cowboys, gold rushes, and figures like Davy Crockett. It was Disney’s love letter to westward expansion and the stories that grew from it.
Now, the Imagineers admit that the new philosophy is about “the setting isn’t the story.” That means it’s not about creating a realistic timeline of American history but instead about weaving together experiences that fit broader Disney values. Frontierland may keep its name, but its original purpose has been lost in the process.
Why It Matters
Some fans will cheer for the updates. After all, Cars remains a popular franchise with kids, and new rides often mean shorter lines elsewhere in the park. Others, however, see this as the latest example of Disney trading heritage for intellectual property.
The truth is simple: Frontierland as a distinctly American-themed land no longer exists. It’s been rewritten, remodeled, and reimagined into something entirely different. Whether you welcome that change or mourn the loss depends on how much you valued the park’s original vision.
But one thing is undeniable—the Frontier has officially closed at Magic Kingdom.