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!
Like you we will benefit from this so we are happy to see it.
I think it is good to have benefits to being DVC. Disney wants to sell DVC so it makes sense to have some benefits.
Sucks that its limited to DVC. 🙁
I’m a resale DVC owner, and there’s just no amount of lounges and parties that would make me buy 150 points direct. If perhaps they were to remove the 150 minimum points requirement, I could maybe see buying a small direct contract. But honestly, they could unfreeze Walt and have him meet guests personally in that lounge and I still would not pay 20K to do so.
Sad to see a unique attraction go, as the parks could use more, not less, of this type of thing. I only hope that it being “problematic” wasn’t a part of the decision to close it. I also feel this way about the permanent loss of Tom Sawyer & the riverboat.
I don’t miss Magic Kingdom’s “Skyway” and I don’t expect I’ll miss the pretend guns either. Such attractions remind me more of what you’d see at a State Fair, or a beach boardwalk (in the case of the gallery). Presumably Disney didn’t want to have offerings that were so basic without enough of a distinctly Disney overlay, especially if they are also notably unpopular.
This is personally devastating. I have so many memories of gleefully enjoying this shooting gallery, from having shootouts against my grandma in the 1980’s, to teaching my own kids how to aim and fire 30-years later. It would be amazing if they would pack up the gallery and relocate it to Fort Wilderness. I am certain there is room for it somewhere in those 750 acres, and the theme would blend right in.
My boys are grown now and my husband has passed so our days of the shooting gallery have mostly gone . Only the son who lives in LA always goes there. When DVC first opened at Old Key West I almost had my daddy talked into joining but he hesitated and asked if we would always want to vacation there. I said yes but sadly he died before he had a chance. For the last 40 years we have gone at least twice a year and boy do I regret missing that opportunity. Makes me sad to think I will never be able to do it. At least I own my own house. Yes I am envious of those who have the perks and resent them. Sad but human.
They should have closed the country bear jamboree instead… that antique abomination is terrible.
Hi Joe,
I was never a huge fan of the old show, (I did like the Christmas overlay way back when) BUT this past August I was quite surprised at how good the new show is. Check it out next time you’re there. You might change your mind.
BUMMER!!!!!!! I am one of those that didn’t even know it was free now, because the last time I was there and wanted to ‘play’, it was CLOSED. Along with a lot in the area. Now I’m really bummed that I can’t stop by the next time. I am not against lounges for the DVC (of which I am not one), but since you pointed out all the other closed area’s it just doesn’t make since. There are so few things that are fee free in the parks these days. I’m already furious about GENIE of which I won’t use. I already pay a huge amount to get in the park, and now have to pay extra for the rides? nope! What does my ticket pay for these days?
I always hate seeing something being removed in order to add something new, especially when it isn’t necessary. This particular one IS worse because it removed something public for something limited. It also is an extra disappointment that they’re announcing the closure with only a week’s notice. I’m heading down in three weeks and the Shootin’ Arcade was already on my list of “this will probably be my last chance” attractions so it’s a bit of a bummer that it is closing so abruptly.
I understand that people are upset about this, but as you said, the space is not widely utilized. I’ve been taking my kids to Disney for 25 years and only heard about it when it was announced that it was leaving. I think I assumed it was a shop or that it cost money. I did make a point of checking it out on my last visit. It’s cute, but I understand why they’re replacing it. It probably requires quite a bit of upkeep and it makes no money. Plus, there’s the “shooting things with a shotgun” visual.
The DVC lounges are very popular and I use them myself. It was much needed at Epcot as a way to escape that brutal stretch of concrete. The number of DVC owners is doing nothing but going up. I didn’t buy in because of perks, but I LOVE the moonlight magic events and the available lounges. Membership always has privileges. Airlines, hotels, and resorts all reward their loyal customers. DVC customers are loyal and they’ve invested. It’s just good business to keep them happy. They come back year after year and spend money on tickets and food and merch.
That said, I do understand that it makes people sad when something they enjoy is taken away. I just don’t think this area had the popularity to keep it as a shooting arcade.