Beginning this summer, the Walt Disney World Railroad at Magic Kingdom will shift to a limited operational mode due to construction in Frontierland for the upcoming Disney Villains and Cars-themed lands.
Beginning July 7th, the day after Rivers of America closes, the Frontierland station will also close, and the train will operate exclusively as a shuttle between the Main Street, U.S.A. and Fantasyland (Storybook Circus) stations. The train will travel back and forth along this shortened route, including running in reverse for return trips—something rarely seen during normal operations.
To accommodate this change, select train cars will be modified with reversed seating, allowing guests to face forward no matter the train’s direction of travel. This temporary setup will still provide a unique opportunity to experience a portion of the classic attraction, while major construction takes place along the Frontierland portion of the track.
On the bright side, you get to experience a classic Disney attraction in a whole new way… backwards!
This is a major improvement when compared to the recent disruption during the construction of TRON Lightcycle / Run, which sidelined the railroad for nearly four years.
According to Disney, the complete loop around Magic Kingdom will return to the WDW Railroad once Villains Land officially opens. A timeline or estimated completion date for the project has not yet been announced. Hopefully the trains are back to full capacity for the park’s 60th anniversary in 2031– or earlier!
— The Main Street train station with 50th-anniversary decor
