New Pop-Up Dining Concept Coming to Magic Kingdom’s Most Infamous Saloon!

Walt Disney World has announced a new pop-up dining concept for Magic Kingdom, which will presumably start shortly after the conclusion of Cool Kids’ Summer. Here’s everything we know thus far about the food & drinks coming to the Diamond Horseshoe in Liberty Square, along with our commentary and wish list for this location.

For most of our adult lives, Diamond Horseshoe has been the worst dining option at Magic Kingdom. We’ve dined repeatedly over the years, as pre-COVID, this restaurant operated seasonally and went through a variety of menus and meal services, from quick-service lunch to family-style feasts to an a la carte dinner.

Diamond Horseshoe was infamous for this, and every time a new menu was unveiled, we shuddered at the thought of having to fulfill our solemn Disney Blogger Oath and try everything on the menu. Very little thought or effort was put into any of that. Those menus made Tony’s Town Square look like the pinnacle of the culinary arts, by comparison.

For years, people doing the peak weeks at Walt Disney World were “treated” to a revolving door of concepts at the Diamond Horseshoe, with each new meal managing, against all odds, to be just as bad as the one before it. This is actually a red flag when it comes to Walt Disney World dining–the Italy and Mexico booths don’t do new menus for every single EPCOT festival because they’re trying to push the culinary envelope!

Post-COVID, there was actually much more consistency with the Diamond Horseshoe until this year’s Cool Kids’ Summer. For the last ~6 years, the restaurant has served a family-style feast, first as literal overflow seating for Liberty Tree Tavern, and then figuratively. Here’s my spread from the last time I dined at Diamond Horseshoe:

This was exactly the same as the “All-You-Care-to-Enjoy Bill of Fare” over at Liberty Tree Tavern. The names of the various dishes are different, but it’s otherwise identical. Not only that, but the food all comes from the exact same shared kitchen between the venues.

Even though it was a distinct restaurant, for all practical purposes, the Diamond Horseshoe was still just Liberty Tree Tavern overflow until Cool Kids’ Summer started and it was converted to Jessie’s Roundup. With the slowdown in Advance Dining Reservation demand across the board at Walt Disney World, that overflow hasn’t really been necessary for a long time. This is why, in our view, it’s a positive that Magic Kingdom is bringing a distinct dining concept to Diamond Horseshoe.

Speaking of which, let’s dig into the details of the pop-up coming to Diamond Horseshoe in Fall 2026. Here’s the announcement via Walt Disney World:

The Diamond Horseshoe is a shining example of western hospitality and old-world glamour tucked on the edge of civilization, before you dive into the action and wilderness of Frontierland… and it makes for the perfect place to relax your weary legs and enjoy the atmosphere with some provisions and libations while you sit a spell.

Beyond sometime in Fall 2026, a specific start date for the pop-up dining concept at Diamond Horseshoe has not yet been announced. We’d note that the venue is currently being used for Jessie’s Roundup during Cool Kids’ Summer, which runs through September 8, 2026.

Assuming Jessie’s Roundup is not extended, it’ll probably take a few days to a few weeks to prepare Diamond Horseshoe for the new restaurant concept. Given that September is a slow month, there may not be much urgency to open. Accordingly, we’d simply predict that Diamond Horseshoe returns by October 9, 2026 at the latest. (Probably earlier, though.)

Walt Disney World will soon start uncovering every detail of this pop-up experience, but for now, here are a few items to wet your appetite:

Nothing says sharing a bite with friends like a beautiful – and delicious! – savory charcuterie board.

Topped with cured beef, ‘fancy bacon’, smoked pork, green chile cheese, smoked cheddar, and pickles, it’s a dream for all who step into The Diamond Horseshoe’s doors: fine city folk and cowboys alike!

Walt Disney World indicates there will soon be more news about what other small plates you and your traveling party may enjoy.

Enchanting Ember Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic Beverage)

And what’s better than a tasty drink to whet your whistle? Folks of all ages will agree this is the hot must-try item after a taste of this fancy lemonade made with Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, strawberry, and hot honey garnished with a chili-lime rim.

Cactus Rose Margarita (Alcoholic)

If you’re looking for a refreshing beverage before continuing your exploration of all the good fun to be found in Magic Kingdom, I recommend a taste of this beautiful margarita, made with LALO Blanco Tequila, prickly pear, lime, and agave. It isn’t only tasty to sip and savor, but it’s worth snapping a pic or two – just look at that gorgeous pink color!

For those of you that love the family-style Thanksgiving dinner items from The Diamond Horseshoe, don’t fret; Walt Disney World indicates that they will still be available next door at Liberty Tree Tavern.

There will be more menu items and details coming soon about this new pop-up offering at Diamond Horseshoe, including info on Advance Dining Reservations (but walk-ups will still be welcomed!).

Our Commentary

My best guess is that Magic Kingdom is converting Diamond Horseshoe into a pop-up small plates dining concept because of the dining capacity it’s losing as a result of nearby Westward Ho and the Churro Wagon Cart closing. It’s also possible that increased foot traffic following the reopening of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is driving this.

Hopefully Walt Disney World didn’t start by teasing its best dishes at Diamond Horseshoe, and the more exciting options are still to come. Given that Diamond Horseshoe has access to a table service kitchen, it makes sense to have a fully-featured menu here, as opposed to something like Beak & Barrel over in Adventureland, BaseLine Tap House at DHS, or any number of other kitchen-less lounges.

Magic Kingdom could definitely benefit from another restaurant added to its roster, especially at the lower end of the spectrum.

One point we’ve made repeatedly is that Magic Kingdom has less quick service dining capacity in 2026 than it did pre-COVID when Tortuga Tavern, Tomorrowland Terrace, Aunt Polly’s, and Be Our Guest Restaurant all were open for lunch during peak season. I’m not 100% sure, but Magic Kingdom might have less counter service capacity than it did in the 1990s.

Given that, I welcome more being added to the culinary landscape in Magic Kingdom. I wish Tortuga Tavern were reopening as a counter service restaurant, but I’ll nevertheless happily accept a small plate concept at Diamond Horseshoe if the price is right and the speed is sufficient.

We love Walt Disney World’s recent approach to lounges, which straddle the middle ground between counter and table service, and the pop-up at Diamond Horseshoe sounds like it could be that.

Frankly, I’d prefer this to a pure counter service restaurant. Diamond Horseshoe probably isn’t large enough to do counter service at scale, and the kitchen isn’t configured for it. The seating area is fairly small, probably the smallest of any restaurant in Magic Kingdom. It’s also essentially a wide open room, with very little to break up the space.

It’ll be interesting to see what Walt Disney World does with this pop-up concept at Diamond Horseshoe. In particular, I’m curious as to whether they’ll use both levels or incorporate a stage show or dance party element.

Way back in the day, Diamond Horseshoe used to be a revue/jamboree much in the style of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness. I vaguely remember seeing it when I was a kid, but nothing has been performed on stage here since 2003.

In recent years, the only “entertainment” at the Diamond Horseshoe has been the “World Famous Self-Playing Piano.” The music is nice, but it’s a shadow of what once was. Obviously, the time for mourning the loss of the revue or jamboree entertainment at the Diamond Horseshoe has long passed. However, I do think it’s fair to point out that this venue was built for that purpose, and has essentially been a flex space for years.

Maybe I have the burden of knowledge, but the Diamond Horseshoe very much feels like a flex space to me, even today. The old school design and attention to detail are nice, but you have to put blinders on for it. There’s also a lot of unused a/v equipment, the bars aren’t used for any practical purposes, and the upstairs seating is unavailable.

If the pop-up dining concept coming to Diamond Horseshoe addresses any of these criticisms, it’ll be an improvement over the previous version of this restaurant, when it was de facto overflow seating for Liberty Tree Tavern.

The Diamond Horseshoe was shuttered for several years up until around 2009, when it started being used as a character dance party and refreshment spot during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. As noted above, it has since been open seasonally for a rotating assortment of concepts.

Right now, Diamond Horseshoe is hosting Jessie’s Roundup during Cool Kids’ Summer. I’ve briefly stopped inside a handful of times over the last two months, and have been pleasantly surprised by how busy that (glorified) dance party is.

Jessie’s Roundup is almost certainly the highest utilization that Diamond Horseshoe has seen in years, and I’m somewhat surprised it’s not being extended into October and beyond. I’m certainly not complaining about the pop-up dining concept, especially as the weather gets cooler, but I hope the dance party returns for the 2027 Cool Kids’ Summer. Magic Kingdom needs as many indoor reprieves from the heat as it can get!

My one ‘wish list’ item for the menu at the Diamond Horseshoe pop-up is that it continues to serve the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. This dessert is the one redeeming dish from the current family-style feast, and is one of the best desserts in all of Walt Disney World. It doesn’t rank as the definitive #1 for me, but it’s incredibly close. Always in the top 10, which is incredibly high praise for a dessert at an all-you-can-eat meal.

The base has the density and flavor of a thick toffee-chocolate chunk cookie, with a crunchy exterior giving way to a gooey center. It’s topped with plain vanilla ice cream, caramel, chocolate sauce, and toffee chips. Much like the rest of the meal, the ingredients here are all a bit ordinary on their own. Unlike those, this somehow comes together in perfect harmony, with the end result being one of the most addictively good, rich and delicious desserts you’ll have anywhere at Walt Disney World.

It’s hard to describe what makes the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake so good, but it reminds me of the No Way Jose at Beaches & Cream (another seemingly “ordinary” dessert that excels) meets the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Sundae at Ample Hills. Now that the latter venue on BoardWalk has closed, this is the best “Ooey Gooey” dessert at Walt Disney World.

Here’s hoping this pop-up dining concept at Diamond Horseshoe is the start of something bigger. Maybe this is the first piece of the puzzle, with Tortuga Tavern also reopening or counter service lunch being restored at Be Our Guest Restaurant.

Perhaps Walt Disney World is bringing Diamond Horseshoe online because it has plans to take Pecos Bill offline, which has been rumored for years. That seems inevitable at some point, especially with the Piston Peak Cars Land only a few years away from opening and not featuring a full-scale counter service restaurant of its own.

Regardless of the reason, it’s good to see Walt Disney World switching things up with Diamond Horseshoe. And we say that as fans with long memories of the revolving door of awful attempts at revitalizing Diamond Horseshoe back in the aughts. Whatever the outcome here, it’s gotta be better than the worst of those ill-fated efforts!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

Thoughts on Walt Disney World reopening Diamond Horseshoe as a small plates pop-up dining concept? Hope that glorious Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake makes the small plates menu? Have you dined here over the years? What was the good, bad or ugly of your meal at this restaurant? What changes would you like to see made to Magic Kingdom’s culinary landscape? Do you agree or disagree with our thoughts? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!