Likely Closure Dates Set for Magic Kingdom's Big Al's and Westward Ho

Apr 29, 2026 in "Big Al's"

Gallery / 2 Photos
Big Als Overview

Posted: Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:19am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Operating hours have been removed from Big Al's and Westward Ho on the My Disney Experience app, with Big Al's showing no hours starting May 11 and Westward Ho showing no hours starting June 22.

Disney has not announced permanent closures for either location, but the removal of operating hours suggests they will end operations.

The schedule changes follow the removal of both locations from the Magic Kingdom digital map earlier last month and construction permits filed for their demolition. Both are adjacent to the ongoing Piston Peak Cars Land expansion.

Big Al's Hours End May 11

The merchandise location offers items including coonskin caps and cowboy hats.

Big Als Overview

Westward Ho Hours End June 22

Westward Ho, the refreshment stand near the Frontierland entrance, shows no operating hours starting June 22. The location serves drinks, snacks, and other grab-and-go items for guests entering or exiting the land.

Westward Ho Refreshments

The later date compared to Big Al's may indicate a phased approach to the work, with Disney closing the locations in stages as construction progresses.

Connection to Cars Land Construction

Both locations sit adjacent to the active Piston Peak construction zone. Recent aerial photos show concrete forms and foundation work progressing rapidly alongside Frontierland, with cleared land extending well beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Removing the kiosks would clear additional space for the expansion and allow for staging, equipment access, or future pathway realignment once Piston Peak opens to guests.

Construction Permits Filed

Notices of Commencement filed last month listed Buena Vista Construction Company — Disney's internal construction crew — as the contractor for work at the Frontierland locations.

Disney announced Piston Peak National Park at the 2024 D23 Expo. The land will feature two attractions: a rally race through the mountains where guests race across wild terrain, and a second family-oriented ride. No opening timeline has been announced for either attraction.

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

Bocabear27 days ago

Anything would have made far more sense than the area featuring Cars...LOL Even replacing the speedway would have been a better choice...

HMF27 days ago

The thing that boggles my mind is even if they must do Cars wouldn't it make more sense from a creative standpoint to keep the river and use TSI as the site and find a way to build a load area with a tunnel to connect the actual ride track ala BTM in DLP? Admittedly I am unsure if that is actually theoretically possible or not but that aside, the idea of not leaning into the Grizzly Gulch idea seems especially ridiculous considering the Country Bears are right there, (Bears are literally right in the theme and name.) It would make FAR more sense than having CBJ juxtaposed with Cars.

Bocabear27 days ago

Grizzly Gulch is really what Frontierland should have been changing to for the last several decades...it was continuing to lose it's Frontier feeling and aesthetic... Now with Tiana's Sweatshop Foods factory and swamp in the middle of it, it would have made sense to re-theme that whole area from Diamond Horseshoe to the bend as a 19th century New Orleans waterfront... Put in a proper Tina's Palace, and creat a new Frontierland on the other side of TBA beginning at Big Thunder... but now of course we have the googly eyed autos moving in...which honestly could and should have been somewhere else... When you look at the amount of land recently cleared, I wonder if they could build an all new Frontierland out there beyond...if Villains Land is going to be closer to HM and the back of Fantasyland....

HMF27 days ago

Again seeing @marni1971's Grizzly Gulch at HKDL video really opened my eyes to how effectively this could have been done if not for the damn IP mandate.

DCBaker28 days ago

The Candied Bacon Skewer is available at Golden Oak Outpost.

billem28 days ago

I believe there were some unique snacks here (candied bacon is something I only found there). Are they serving that somewhere else now, or is it just gone?

Disstevefan128 days ago

Frontierland's transition is in progress.....

wdwmagic28 days ago

Westward Ho Refreshments Permanently Closed at Magic Kingdom's Frontierland for Piston Peak Expansion Westward Ho Refreshments has permanently closed in Frontierland, with its My Disney Experience listing pulled and signage directing guests to the nearby Popcorn Wagon - the same quiet process Disney used when Big Al's shut down on May 11. Both closures tie to the ongoing Piston Peak National Park construction. https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/Westward-Ho-Refreshments/news/22jun2026-westward-ho-refreshments-permanently-closed-at-magic-kingdom-s-frontierland-for-piston-peak-expansion.htm

BocabearMay 18, 2026

I wold think the entire waterfront area is going to change in use and function...and these were just sales kiosks...I aim sure there will be plenty of opportunities in the revamped Whatever-it-is-land to buy snacks and stuff....

The Chatbox GhostMay 17, 2026

My guess is that they had to remove these for construction, as they need to work on the boardwalk but can’t close the boardwalk without accommodating for its walking space, so the three structures right next to the boardwalk get torn down, and eventually replacements are put up. Will they look and be named the same? I don’t know. They saved Big Al’s sign, so there’s a chance it’ll be recreated. I can’t see them not putting a food stand back up either.

Mr. SullivanMay 16, 2026

Nothing has been said one way or another, but I would doubt it. All of this sits outside of what all of the concept art we have has established as the boundary of Piston Peak.

FigmentFan82May 15, 2026

Do we know if the intent is to re-theme some of these to go along with piston Peak?

dmc493May 14, 2026

Feels like we're dangerously close to the boardwalk closing?

wdwmagicMay 14, 2026

Big Al's Now Behind Construction Walls as Demolition Nears at Magic Kingdom Big Al's is now behind construction walls in Frontierland, with its signage already removed ahead of demolition. The kiosk closed permanently on May 11 and sits adjacent to the Piston Peak expansion zone, with Westward Ho likely to follow - My Disney Experience shows no operating hours for that stand after June 22. https://www.wdwmagic.com/shopping/Big-Als/news/14may2026-big-al-s-now-behind-construction-walls-as-demolition-begins-at-magic-kingdom.htm