After five years, a Frontierland location has reopened in Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom. But it looks pretty different from what it was pre-COVID-19…
In March 2020, every Disney park around the globe shut its doors. Though some locations reopened sooner than others, all saw temporary and long-lasting changes from the global pandemic. Like many of our lives, the Disney parks will never be the same as they once were.
One of the COVID-19 casualties at Walt Disney World Resort was Magic Kingdom Park’s Prairie Outpost store. Located in one of the main Frontierland storefronts, the merchandise location once sold pre-packaged candy and freshly made treats like cake pops, caramel apples, and cookies. When Magic Kingdom Park reopened in July 2020, Prairie Outpost’s doors remained locked.
Over the last five years, Walt Disney World Resort has transformed much of the original Frontierland. In 2024, Splash Mountain became Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and the refreshed Country Bear Musical Jamboree debuted. The Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade recently transformed into a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) lounge.
The overhaul isn’t done, either. At D23 Expo 2024, Walt Disney Imagineering announced that the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island would shut down to make way for two new Cars (2006) rides in Frontierland. Both original Magic Kingdom Park attractions will close permanently next month so construction can begin on the new area, Piston Peak National Park.
In January, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed for a year-long refurbishment, adding “new magic” and new tracks to the classic steel roller coaster. The maintenance work will spruce up the attraction as it experiences increased traffic during the Piston Peak National Park overhaul and construction on a new Disney Villains land, set to expand the Magic Kingdom “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.”
With all this change, many Disney Parks fans forgot about Prairie Outpost, assuming that the store was lost to history. However, earlier this month, Walt Disney World Resort announced that the shop would reopen as a hat store.
“Become a fashion pioneer when you shop for wide-brimmed hats, classic fedoras, customized headwear and more at this stylish shop in Frontierland,” Walt Disney World Resort writes of the reimagined merchandise location.
As of June 30, 2025, the new version of Prairie Outpost is now open in Frontierland. The merchandise location has the same hours as Magic Kingdom Park on most days, but check the My Disney Experience app or the official Walt Disney World Resort website for the most up-to-date operational information.
What do you think of the new hat shop in Frontierland? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!
The post Disney World Goes Back to the Way Things Were Before COVID-19 appeared first on Inside the Magic.
