New McKim’s Mile House Lounge Replacing Magic Kingdom Opening Day Attraction
Walt Disney World has revealed that McKim’s Mile House is the newest private lounge for Disney Vacation Club members coming to Frontierland in Magic Kingdom. This post shares everything we know so far, including new concept art and details, plus our commentary about the good and bad of this decision. (Updated February 12, 2025.)
For starters, exclusive DVC Member spaces have long been part of what Disney Vacation Club calls “Membership Magic.” From the Top of the World Lounge, which reopened with villainous new offerings atop Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, to the colorful Member Lounge in the iconic glass pyramid of the Imagination! pavilion at EPCOT, these exclusive enclaves are among Disney Vacation Club Members’ favorite places at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World has announced that the latest of these will replace the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade in Magic Kingdom. Construction is now underway on McKim’s Mile House Member Lounge, and is slated to be completed at some point in Summer 2025. Disney indicates that the new Frontierland DVC lounge will be a “pioneer-inspired space” designed in the spirit of the “the bygone era of exploration and adventure.”
February 12, 2025 Update: Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a Notice of Commencement for the installation of signage at McKim’s Mile House Disney Vacation Club Member Lounge. The permit is assigned to Design Communications, a frequent collaborator with Imagineering that specializes in themed signage across Walt Disney World.
The permit is otherwise uneventful. It provides no clues as to a specific opening date for McKim’s Mile House, which Disney Vacation Club previously announced would open in Summer 2025. Based on glimpses of work above the construction walls, it would appear it’s on track to meet this opening timeframe (roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day), as the front is now enclosed and work is progressing inside. When first teasing this new lounge in Magic Kingdom, Disney indicated it would open last year. So it’s already shaping up to be several months behind schedule.
Nestled in the heart of Frontierland, McKim’s Mile House is a rustic retreat that will offer eligible DVC members and their guests rest and refreshment in a space inspired by boarding houses that accommodated tired train travelers during the Gold Rush days of the American West.
According to aerials, the space they’re working with is around 2,500 sq. ft., but there’s no guarantee that they’ll use all of that. The upstairs Imagination lounge at EPCOT only uses a portion of the former ImageWorks area. Our hope is that McKim’s Mile House is as large as possible, as there’s undoubtedly going to be significant demand for this Magic Kingdom lounge.
The “McKim” name is a nod to the late Disney Legend Sam McKim, a Western-film-star-turned-
Among McKim’s first sketches was Slue Foot Sue’s Golden Horseshoe Revue in Frontierland. He later contributed to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Carousel of Progress, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion. Eventually, every land at Disneyland bore Sam McKim’s inspiration. He also created the fan-favorite souvenir maps of Disneyland from the 1950s and 1960s.
Like its counterpart over at EPCOT, McKim’s Mile House will offer comfortable seating, complimentary soft drinks, a children’s entertainment area, Wi-Fi and charging cords, as well as a dedicated Disney Vacation Club Member Services team and more!
Turning to commentary, I knew this was coming but didn’t want to believe it. After expressing (let’s say) mild skepticism about this in a recent post, I received some (let’s say) concrete reassurement that, actually, that is the plan. Nevertheless, I was still skeptical.
It feels like a lot is in flux at Magic Kingdom on this side of the park and the dining/lounge scene (more on that tomorrow), and there are so many other spaces that could’ve been used for this instead. Several of these other spaces, I might add, are vacant, closed, or used for storage and are not currently available to all guests.
Seriously, if I shared a full list of everywhere that’s currently closed in Magic Kingdom, it would blow some minds. (Including mine, probably, since I always forget just how many spots are unutilized…and this is not just a COVID thing! Many of them have been closed for years before that.)
Personally, I’ll be sad to see Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade go. I have childhood nostalgia for it and have done it more than ever in the last few years since it went to free play. It’s an easy little diversion that allows kids (or adults in my case) to have a bit of fun without waiting in line. Spots like this are needed counterprogramming and reprieves from the crowds. Plus, I enjoy showing off my sharp shooting skills to Sarah. She pretends not to be impressed, but I know she is (secretly).
Honestly, I’m less sad to see this go on a personal level than I am a “discourse” one. The responses to this news among Walt Disney World fans are going to be quite predictable, and continue a narrative that I really hoped the company was making a concerted effort to break.
Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade has been on borrowed time for a while. I don’t think that’s really a provocative or contestable statement. Walt Disney World removed almost all ‘authentically-presenting’ guns from the parks back in December 2015. This included everything from the gun used by the Jungle Cruise skippers to toy guns being sold in the gift shops.
I remember back at the time, there was widespread speculation that the shooting galleries in Florida, California, Paris, and Tokyo would also close. That didn’t happen, perhaps because they’re all opening day attractions at their respective parks, and there would’ve been backlash as a result that wouldn’t occur to the same intensity as getting rid of toy guns and other smaller-scale tweaks.
Nevertheless, that point almost a decade ago is when we started viewing these attractions as on life support. If they weren’t replaced outright, they’d probably get the boardwalk games treatment, rethemed to Woody’s Roundup or something, and made inauthentic. The blaster and boardwalk style games have all been deemed acceptable, so that made sense. Probably would’ve been the smart thing to do, in hindsight!
Instead, what’s happening is a double-shot of (arguably) negative news. First, Walt Disney World is converting an opening day attraction that anyone can play (and for free now!) to one that’s exclusive and reserved for guests who spend big-money on timeshares.
This is not quite on par with Club 33 or other private areas in terms of the “things only for the wealthy” narrative. (Most DVC members we know are not rich, but upper middle class does seem appropriate.) It’ll still be similar sentiment, though.
Second, they’re doing so at a time when Disney is already being accused of being hyper-sensitive about everything, not understanding what makes the parks special, an active participant in the culture wars, etc.
None of this is any secret or would’ve been difficult for Disney to anticipate. The fan response to this news will not be the least bit surprising. Even Bob Iger knows this has been an issue, and has said that he’d “quiet the noise” and step back from hot topics and culture wars and refocus on respecting the audience. He’s made comments like these on multiple occasions now, dating back about a year.
To some extent, that has started to happen in the parks. Portraits of Courage by President George W. Bush in the American Adventure and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure honoring military service were savvy moves from this perspective. Little things, but that send the right signal. (At least, in my view.)
Part of the problem is probably that decisions like this DVC lounge conversion are well below Bob Iger’s pay grade. There are still plenty of people at the company making lower-level decisions that are at odds with Iger’s mandate (or whatever you want to call it). This isn’t to absolve him from blame–changes in direction like this are top-down and could/should be clearly communicated. Plus, the buck stops with Bob (and Josh).
Of course, this is only one side of the story. The other side is that Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade has low guest satisfaction scores. It’s not popular, even after going free. (Part of that is probably due to many longtime fans not knowing it’s free and actively avoiding it because they don’t want their kids to spend a bunch of money playing there.)
As mentioned above, I’ve made a point of the opposite–doing the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade much more since it’s gone free. In my anecdotal experience, the ‘core’ demographic of Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade at this point is South American tour groups. I’m not even kidding. These groups seem to flock to it, and in my experience, the only time it’s even remotely busy is when they’re around. (I can’t explain this…but I also can’t explain why they’re also big fans of walkaround Big Al. Again, not kidding!) Regardless, something tells me these groups are not going to be at the vanguard of complaints about Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade closing.
I’d be much more receptive to the perspective that Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade is being converted due to lack of popularity and not much else but for the fact that so many alternatives that aren’t used at all are available. Sure, Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade isn’t putting up gangbuster numbers…but closed venues aren’t putting up numbers at all.
With that said, if Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade is the only version of the attraction to close–and the ones at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris stay open (Tokyo is irrelevant because OLC marches to the beat of their own drum)–then that would seemingly confirm this is only happening due to a lack of popularity and not against the backdrop of anything else. So I guess we shall see about that.
Selfishly, even though I’ll miss Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade, I will also use a DVC lounge in Magic Kingdom much more. Having a spot to stop for a quick break and free Coke Freestyle or coffee is huge. I would hazard a guess that our #1 “attraction” at both EPCOT and Disneyland last year was the respective DVC lounges. But I also understand that I’m one of the lucky few who will have access, and what’s good for me–personally–isn’t always the same as what’s good for the park-going public as a whole.
For anyone wondering about the motivation for this, the company also has good reason for creating more Disney Vacation Club lounges. The EPCOT lounge is incredibly popular, and often utilizes a waitlist during busier times of year. More than that, the rationale for another lounge is to increase sales.
Now, you might think that surely a lounge in Magic Kingdom isn’t going to move the needle on a $20,000+ purchase. That would be very irrational, to put it mildly. And you’re probably correct about that, thankfully, and for the most part. Where it does move the needle is on the resale vs. direct dilemma. We’ve heard from many potential purchasers who are willing to pay a bit more because of FOMO associated with missing out on current and potential future Membership Extras.
I would also hazard a guess that the totality of the Disney Vacation Club perks–the Moonlight Magic parties, lounges, discounts, etc–actually does move the needle on selling memberships. The existence of these perks and additions to them keeps member satisfaction high, which also helps sell more points. Disney Vacation Club is the closest thing that Walt Disney World and Disneyland have to loyalty programs that makes fans actually feel valued, and a lot of people really appreciate that. I know we do.
If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about the new DVC member lounge replacing Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade at Magic Kingdom? Disappointed about the location given all of the unused spaces in the park, or do you not really care? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? If you’re an existing Member, what do you think? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
Would be nice to see the Shootin’ Arcade end up at Fort Wilderness. That doesn’t seem to be the direction they’re headed, since they’ve said goodbye to Musket Mickey and have been modernizing the cabins and Trails End, but if they were to incorporate it into whatever Reflections becomes, it would make for a nice dose of nostalgia to soften the blow.
In terms of sales — it’s not just direct vs resale for new buyers. It’s also add-on sales for existing buyers. Keeping up their guest satisfaction. A new contact point to promote add-on purchases.
Of course, right now Disney is going through a new period of massive DVC offerings. When the Poly tower goes on sale, there will be 5 properties in active sales, 3 in active sales at the same time at WDW. That’s historically unheard of (at least in the last 20 years). So little things that can make DVC seem like a more valuable purchase may be important in generating sales, now more than ever. A prominently placed DVC “VIP” area acts as a billboard in MK for DVC.
Thrilled we are getting another DVC lounge. Sad the Shooting Gallery is going away. I love the Shooting Gallery and one of things I like about Magic Kingdom is that it has a lot of what I call “spillover attractions” like the People Mover, the Railroad, the Treehouse, and the Shooting Gallery that never have lines but are still fun. I hope it is still open when I go in November.
DVC is a waste of money.
You’re just jealous you don’t get to sit at our DVC Cool Kids table at lunch.
Pecos Bill’s has several dining rooms. Why couldn’t the least used be converted to a DVC Lounge? Or, if there are second floors above PB’s, why not just use that area? You’d just need a stairway or elevator.
You’re too easy on Bob Iger for some reason and often provide cover for him with the “below his pay grade” explanation for a lot of the lousy decisions and reductions being made. Me, you, the legions of Disney Park fans, and Bob Iger the very most, should be thankful that Walt, Roy, Eisner, Walker, Tatum, and Miller did not succumb to that “pay grade” philosophy when it came to the parks, parades and resorts. They truly cared about the park experience, reputation, and theming much more than Iger seems. They delivered Iger a company that made him rich beyond all of our pay grades. Perhaps he could pay more attention to the company’s biggest profit maker, the parks. This said, I will happily use that DVC lounge frequently, but think it should have been put in the circus area near Dumbo instead of one of the busiest thoroughfares in Frontier Land.
I absolutely love the shooting arcade. Such a terrible decision for a timeshare sales pitch. BOOO!!!!
This just further signals that Disney does not care about you if you aren’t willing to pay more than the entrance price to the parks. Removing an attraction, even one as small as this, in favor of a lounge for people who pay more money feels like a direct attack on the average guest, especially when plenty of empty space exists. Free Fast pass? Gone. Free airport transportation? Gone. And now attractions themselves are being removed? Where does it end? Maybe I’m overreacting, but this feels like it sets a VERY bad precedent.
I think the DVC lounge in the Imagination pavilion used to be ImageWorks or something back in the day, so it’s not the FIRST time they’ve done something like this.
But, yeah, they’re replacing an attraction I’d never do with a lounge I’ll never use. Not exactly a step in the right direction…
You forgot free magic bands, gone! Free luggage handling, gone! Free resort airline check in, gone! Dining reservations 180 days in advance, gone! Daily housekeeping (except for luxury resorts), gone!
And last but not least…..Disney’s reputation with long term fans, gone!
Night time parades – gone, park purchases to resort delivery – gone, longer and later park hours – gone, highly themed resorts and pools – gone, mini raycer boats – gone, being able to decide to wait in a standby line for a new ride – gone, the “Kiss Goodnight” – gone.
I was just there and made sure to visit. I really enjoy the reprieve from lines for rides and do something else fun, and will really miss it. A pleasant and welcome distraction for sure. I’m a DVC member and can think of plenty of other places for a DVC lounge. Bummed.
Tom, I don’t know if you follow the DVC resale market closely, but one interesting thing I’ve been keeping an eye on is Disney’s reluctance to use their Right Of First Refusal over the last 18 months. That was a significant departure from their past strategy, and the result has been a noticeable decline in DVC resale prices across the board – which in turn makes direct purchases of DVC look like a worse financial decision, because the price difference between direct and resale keeps growing, so direct buyers need additional incentive to absorb that immediate depreciation of their investment.
I suspect they are now looking for ways to prop up DVC sales while keeping their own buybacks to a minimum. We’ll see if they succeed.
I actually did cover this a little over a year ago! https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-vacation-club-sales-slump/
Admittedly, I haven’t been paying super close attention since then, but I thought I’ve seen in passing that they’ve started exercising ROFR at OKW and the Poly. Maybe somewhere else, I can’t recall?
I should probably investigate and do an update on that, but I have a lot on my plate for the next couple of months.
This is awful on multiple levels. I really hope this doesn’t happen at DL.
I’ve been experiencing the Frontierland Shooting Arcade at Disneyland since the 60’s, and then at Walt Disney World. (As a kid at the beginning, of course!)
About that time cap guns were still popular kid’s toys, but that has faded away over time. The fact is it’s typical to see no one or only one person at the Arcade in recent years, so it makes sense to make better use of the space.
Disney never expected his parks to become museums, so it makes total sense to turn an unwanted attraction into something useful.
Useful to only a select few. I can’t even get one free refill on a drink. Although not a dvc owner, spend close to $30,000 per year with my family.
I would have thought MK would have been the first place a DVC Member Lounge would have popped up. I find it hard to believe it would take months to transform the space but as Tom points out, pretty much par for anything they build.
Here’s hoping they get some Coke Freestyle machines into the temporary lounge over at EPCOT !!
Bummer. This is literally the only thing to do in that area with too-short-to-ride kiddos (or the not yet brave enough kiddos) while everyone splits up to ride Big Thunder /Tiana. I wish the Disney Parks had more small, active, line-free attractions built in like this throughout the parks.
I was really hoping this rumor wasn’t true and am very sad to see that it is. I don’t remember using the Shootin’ Arcade at Magic Kingdom as a kid but I loved the very similar version of it at my local amusement park, which no longer exists. As such, I always enjoyed stopping there for a quick round while passing by. On a different note, I would love to see an article detailing all these closed and underutilized spaces at Magic Kingdom that you speak of! I can think of a few but I’ll bet there are many more than most people are aware of.
So shitty. The shooting gallery was fun. The DVC people buy shares because they supposedly love and are nostalgic for Disney even though it causes destruction of the park and they just continually feed the system.
I, for one, would love the list of closed venues at MK. I know they’re there but they don’t stand out to me the way the multitude of closed stores at DHS do (or did/past tense? I haven’t been to DHS in a long time. But last time I was there, I was blown away by how many stores were boarded up with the lights off.)
I’ve a question. I own DVC points. My wife, daughter, grandson, and sister-in -law are using my points for a trip in July, without me. Are the allowed to use the DVC lounges?
If your wife has a membership card, then yes. If not, then no.
Just having “a membership card” is not enough for entry into the lounge. You need to have a contract that’s eligible for Membership Magic which usually means a blue card but not all blue cards even qualify. You need direct points or a resale that is grandfathered in and when you present your membership card at the kiosk they will know If your membership is eligible or not for entry.
oh man I thought they were going to put it behind Peco Bills up those stairs you’ve photographed. They didn’t take the toy guns from Tom Sawyer Island did they? Frontier Land was and is my favorite park of MK. I really hope this “beyond big thunder” is not going to impact TS Island, a true gem.
I don’t know anything, but I think there’s a pretty good chance it *does* impact (shorten) the Rivers of America, but TSI seems less likely.
I might be mistaken but it really seems like they are pushing DVC more in recent years. You can’t walk around the parks or the hotels without seeing a bunch of kiosks for it, they are dedicating more park space to lounges for members (like this). And this one comes at the comes at the expense of an opening day attraction that is free to play!
I love Disney and I am not one of the ones joining in the constant criticism they have gotten in recent years. However I think this is not a great look. I am a huge Disney fan and go to both US parks regularly, but am not a timeshare person, and I’m not the only one in that category. And if they are trying to get away from looking like they are only for the wealthy, this is not the right move !
“I might be mistaken but it really seems like they are pushing DVC more in recent years.”
This is accurate.
There was a time when Disney’s philosophy was to differentiate itself from traditional timeshares in as many ways as possible, including a ‘passive’ pitch. There was no pressure whatsoever, and guides actively encouraged you to take your time and think about it, etc.
I don’t recall when it changed, but at some point DVC brought over a bunch of timeshare people (IIRC from Marriott?) and the direction changed a bit after that. I’ve been told they’re dialing that back–at least in terms of sales tactics–but I don’t really know since I’m never talking to the guides.
As for the in-park kiosks and stuff, I don’t see those decreasing until Disney sees diminishing returns or they don’t have DVC properties to sell. So…never?
I wouldn’t say they’re pushing anything. That’s why we bought DVC in the first place. It’s not just another timeshare and I often stop to chat with the people at the kiosks. I’ve never felt pressured. Yes there are kiosks everywhere, but I never see them calling people over or being forceful. We bought in 2009 and we have 3 different contracts at 3 resorts and all 3 are worth more now than what we paid for them originally. If I don’t use my points, I can easily bank them or rent them out though we seem to have no trouble using them every year. To me, DVC is magic. It’s completely flexible and has allowed me to bring family and friends for years.