Disney has filed a new construction permit for the Walt Disney World Railroad station in Frontierland, which is set to close soon due to the construction of the “Cars” expansion and Disney Villains land.
Frontierland Train Station Permit
The Notice of Commencement is for Disney’s own Buena Vista Construction Company to “Provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction” at 4965 Caribbean Wy, an address approximately corresponding to the Frontierland train station. The permit was recorded on June 18, 2025, and will expire in one year.
Beginning on July 7, the Frontierland train station will be closed, and Walt Disney World Railroad will operate in “shuttle mode.” This means trains will go forward and backward between Main Street station and Storybook Circus station, rather than fully looping the park.
The labor listed on the new permit may be to support the switch to the shuttle operations. Frontierland station was refurbished in 2024 during the transition from Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The Main Street, U.S.A. station is currently going through refurbishment.
The Frontierland station’s closure coincides with the permanent closure of the Rivers of America, including Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island. The area will become a “Cars” expansion to Frontierland.
The station won’t reopen until that expansion and the Disney Villains land are both complete. The latter will be built beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Opening timeframes have not been announced.
The Walt Disney World Railroad last operated in shuttle mode in 2011 – 2012 when Mickey’s Toontown Fair was demolished to become Storybook Circus. Back in the ’90s, it was temporarily renamed the Backtrack Express when it switched to shuttle mode for the construction of Splash Mountain and the current Frontierland Station.
The railroad closed completely during the construction of TRON Lightcycle Run. During the four-year closure, its track was replaced.
Watch our full ride POV of the Walt Disney World Railroad below.
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