Frontierland Changes Possible as Disney Files Permits Near Piston Peak Construction

Disney has filed Notice of Commencement permits for three Magic Kingdom food and merchandise locations. Big Al’s, Westward Ho, and the Churro Wagon Cart could soon be removed from Frontierland.

Buena Vista Construction Company, Disney’s in-house firm, will “provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction.” That provides zero context for the actual work being done. But you just need to peek over the construction walls behind the trio to see what those permits could mean. We can do that thanks to Bioreconstruct.

Crews are moving quickly as they transform Rivers of America into Piston Peak, the upcoming Cars-themed land. They recently added forms for the land’s water feature, very close to Frontierland’s boardwalk.

Thankfully, the boardwalk looks safe with this transformation. It’s clearly visible in the Piston Peak concept art. Even so, it’ll probably go behind construction walls at some point so Imagineers can incorporate it into the land’s Pacific Northwest setting.

And when that happens, Frontierland will have a bottleneck whenever Festival of Fantasy, Disney Starlight, or the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade rolls through. Removing Big Al’s, Westward Ho, and the Churro Wagon Cart would compensate for the temporary loss of the boardwalk pathway, allowing guests to pass through on their way to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Haunted Mansion.

Could the three retail locations return once construction is complete? It’s possible. But Imagineers might want Frontierland’s popcorn and churro stands to be more Cars and less wild west.

Read more: Magic Kingdom Construction Photos: New Views Across the Former Rivers of America