MK Frontierland Shootin' arcade to close and replaced with DVC Member lounge

[Club Cooloholic]

IMO, it is being closed because it wasn't making enough money. The bottom line seems to be all WDW is concerned about these days.

Any other reason gets into politics/social issues.

You are kind of right in that it doesn't make money, more, it loses money in probably the maintenance of the guns and moving parts of the targets. I imagine when it closes, some folks who specialized in the maintenance of that gallery are losing their gig or being reassigned.

 

[Tha Realest]

I thought that they had turned off the quarters mechanism and it was free to use?

This was so someone could then say, “look, this is a drag on our revenue and we could really better utilize this space in a different way.”

 

[MisterPenguin]

Who carries change nowadays?

If they were going to keep them for-pay, they have a tapboard for credit cards.

 

[Bocabear]

Who carries change nowadays?

If they were going to keep them for-pay, they have a tapboard for credit cards.

TRUE!!!!!!!

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Who carries change nowadays?

If they were going to keep them for-pay, they have a tapboard for credit cards.

At Disneyland, most of the arcade games left are free - the fortune tellers are free with the play app. there are a few that still take coins, Aladdin’s lamp and Shrunken Head in Adventureland, the band organ in the Frontierland gift shop…. Maybe some others I’m forgetting.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Ideally this would be relocated elsewhere on property, but it's unlikely they'd bother.

The Fiesta Fun Center at the Contemporary also used to have a shooting gallery as part of its arcade.

There was a short lived Pirates arcade in Adventureland in the 70s. If they're not going to put the new Pirate bar in the former House of Treasures/Pirates League space...

 

[Bocabear]

ACTUALLY, to create an all new Pirate's themed shooting gallery would be amazing in the Pirate's League space.
A wide night time panorama vista of a harbor with pirates and ships to shoot at... Maybe add a cannon or two alongside the guns...all with great motion and special effects... and a couple other Pirates themed games. It would be charming and very old-school Disney.

 

[CntrlFlPete]

IMO, it is being closed because it wasn't making enough money. The bottom line seems to be all WDW is concerned about these days.

Any other reason gets into politics/social issues.

I can imagine a view that some of the decision could be attributed to technology (quoted for I wanted to show what I feel is a non political/social issue).

I recall in my youth seeing things for the first time at Disney. The shooting gallery was one that was so new to me (I mean Pong was the only video game back then. People saw auto sinks at the Magic Kingdom before they were anywhere else the RC boats over by the Jungle cruise. (all unique to me) -- touchscreens at Epcot.

Today, I believe I have seen the shooting gallery at Bass Pro Shop as well as Sprit Halloween. I could see WDW thinking its time has come on gone since it is not so unique anymore.

But I am a realist and I am sure it had to do w/ the lack of revenue from the 'attraction'.

 

[Nickm2022]

Any idea/rumors on what the actual lounge will look like?

Curious how the lounge will look/be given that this is the first time in a while I can think of where they are completely demoing and creating a space just for a lounge instead of throwing up light theming in abandoned areas. I.e. looking at you Imagination, Morocco, and (DL) Launchbay

 

[doctornick]

I must be the only person who couldn’t care less about this shooting arcade. I’ve probably been to MK at least 100 times and I think I’ve used this once.

Do I wish they would use the space for something that isn’t a DVC exclusive lounge? Yes. But there isn’t much room for anything else and it’s not like they were going to build a Snack stand / QSR location when MK still has so much shuttered dining space.

This is largely my take. I don't like the premise of taking away something for everyone to make an exclusive lounge. But I honestly am not that bothered overall as the shooting arcade was not really something we ever did. My biggest hope is that theming of whatever replaces it will enhance the area.

Even under the principle of "taking away the shooting arcade means fewer things for others to do making lines longer, etc" I don't think holds as the DVC lounge will likely occupy more guests at any given time than the shooting arcade did which (marginally) helps with crowds for everyone else I would think.

Disclaimer: parents are DVC so I will certainly be using this when it is built, so it does benefit me directly too. But I don't think my attitude would change much if it were a (say) AP exclusive lounge.

 

[lazyboy97o]

This is largely my take. I don't like the premise of taking away something for everyone to make an exclusive lounge. But I honestly am not that bothered overall as the shooting arcade was not really something we ever did. My biggest hope is that theming of whatever replaces it will enhance the area.

Even under the principle of "taking away the shooting arcade means fewer things for others to do making lines longer, etc" I don't think holds as the DVC lounge will likely occupy more guests at any given time than the shooting arcade did which (marginally) helps with crowds for everyone else I would think.

Disclaimer: parents are DVC so I will certainly be using this when it is built, so it does benefit me directly too. But I don't think my attitude would change much if it were a (say) AP exclusive lounge.

It’d be marginally better if the lounge used on the already abandoned guest spaces.

 

[haveyoumetmark]

Everyone is calling this an 'attraction' now like it attracted people. I feel like I'm going crazy

 

[JoeCamel]

Everyone is calling this an 'attraction' now like it attracted people. I feel like I'm going crazy

You ever see DVC flock to free water?

 

[Horizonsfan]

Everyone is calling this an 'attraction' now like it attracted people. I feel like I'm going crazy

It was advertised as an attraction by Disney & had a steady stream of people at it for decades. What more do you need?

It’s fine to not care that it’s leaving, but that doesn’t necessitate pretending nobody used the thing.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

It was advertised as an attraction by Disney & had a steady stream of people at it for decades. What more do you need?

It’s fine to not care that it’s leaving, but that doesn’t necessitate pretending nobody used the thing.

In the last 8 years, where was the steady stream of people at it? Seriously I remember it being a fun draw when i went as a kid 30+ years ago. But in the last 8 years since we have been taking our kids, I didn’t think I have ever seen it really full. Sure you might see one or 2 kids, but I never saw anything close to a “steady stream.”

In addition outside of bass pro shops, I haven’t seen anything similar to this offering anywhere, which kinda speaks to its popularity/demand. Penny/quarter style arcades are a dying breed in general. And in the markets where arcade type setting still exist, like a Dave and Busters for example, none of them are marketing these types of laser gun type “games.” It was a great piece of tech when it was first built, but times move on. It’s 30+ years old, society’s view of kids “playing”‘with guns (for good or bad I am not judging) has changed, and the space can almost certainly be used for something else.

 

[LSLS]

I'm struggling to be worked up by this. It was a cool little thing that fit the theme of the area, but it definitely didn't draw much of a crowd (I'd venture to guess more than 75% did not even know it was there, let alone had any desire to do it). Best I can do is I'd be upset if they blow through a ton of money that could be used elsewhere on this change over. Other than that, I'd say this is something I didn't notice before, and I doubt I'll notice after.

 

[Horizonsfan]

But in the last 8 years since we have been taking our kids, I didn’t think I have ever seen it really full. Sure you might see one or 2 kids, but I never saw anything close to a “steady stream.”

I’m not surprised the time has come to replace it. That’s fine. I also don’t doubt a 2k sf lounge will host more people in an hour than a shooting arcade with 10-12 guns. That’s pretty self evident.

My issue is people using anecdotal data and personal preference as fact. I also don’t love the underlying premise than all attractions need a wait to have worth at the park.

I don’t doubt it has lulls with low usage, so do COP and the Tiki Room. Should those disappear too?

In my experience the arcade’s been full every time I passed it in the last 5ish years since free play was introduced. But I’m not about to argue it’s a smash success based on anecdotal data. It was an A ticket and that’s all it needed to be.

 

[Raineman]

I respect that you're pushing a narrative here but you have to remember that this is a location in one of the most centralized, high-traffic areas in the park... and it gets no foot traffic. So this change will benefit more people than just leaving it be.

Marginally more people, and a minority of WDW guests. There's always been a class system at WDW with DVC members, and they just keep giving them more and more spaces. So how does this change benefit the average guest?

It’d be marginally better if the lounge used on the already abandoned guest spaces.

Like the Diamond Horseshoe that is 100 feet away from where they are ripping out an attraction for a DVC lounge? The Diamond Horseshoe that probably has 6 inches of dust on every surface inside from non-use? That would make too much sense for Disney.

 

[Tuvalu]

Like the Diamond Horseshoe that is 100 feet away from where they are ripping out an attraction for a DVC lounge? The Diamond Horseshoe that probably has 6 inches of dust on every surface inside from non-use? That would make too much sense for Disney.

The Diamond Horseshoe has been open for many years, serving the same menu as Liberty Tree Tavern.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/diamond-horseshoe/

 

[Raineman]

The Diamond Horseshoe has been open for many years, serving the same menu as Liberty Tree Tavern.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/diamond-horseshoe/

I was not aware of that. It's nice to see that it is being used. Was it not closed for quite a while at some point in the last 2 decades? I thought it was, which is why I thought it wasn't open. Every time I've bee to WDW in the last 10 years (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019) there was no one walking in or out every time we walked by.