Another minor entry to file under “nature is healing” at Walt Disney World. It appears that a location in Frontierland that’s been closed for over 5 years is finally scheduled to reopen per the Magic Kingdom outpost’s official page. This covers what we know plus quick commentary.
This is hardly ‘stop the presses’ news, especially for us. And even if you’re an outpost enthusiast, it’s hard to imagine you’ll plan a trip around this. However, as we recently documented this type of thing in Walt Disney World’s COVID Closure: Changes, Cutbacks & What’s Still Missing 5 Years Later, it feels worthy of discussion.
Perhaps if fans applaud this type of thing, even when it doesn’t meaningfully matter to them, Walt Disney World will take the hint. Positive reinforcement leading to more experiences restored, including those that actually do matter to us. (Basically, I’m doing everything in my power to get breakfast back at Be Our Guest and brunch at California Grill!)
Walt Disney World is preparing to reopen the former Prairie Outpost & Supply as (drumroll) Prairie Outpost (no supplies served).
Prairie Outpost & Supply was previously a candy shop. It was used to be home to confections and other treats from Goofy’s Candy Co. such as candy apples, Mickey Mouse Rice Krispies, and pre-packaged candy. However, the storefront closed in March 2020, and has yet to reopen.
Prairie Outpost & Supply is located in between Country Bear Musical Jamboree and Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe–here it is on the map for those who have simply passed the storefront without giving it second thought:
The new-look location will become a place to shop for headwear simply called Prairie Outpost. No opening timeframe has been shared, but Walt Disney World has indicated that the location is “Coming Soon!”
Here’s what the official Prairie Outpost page has to say about the store: Become a fashion pioneer when you shop for wide-brimmed hats, classic fedoras, customized headwear and more at this stylish shop in Frontierland.
In all likelihood, this is going to be a location that’s either operated by or primarily sells Chapel Hats, a third-party operating participant that also has a shop at Disney Springs.
The only things I know about Chapel Hats are that it’s a hat store and has a location at Disney Springs. Ground the previous sentence already covered.
I’m pretty sure Chapel Hats is one of the “original” Disney Springs transformation tenants, as my awareness of their existence (and this is no joke) stems from Must-Do Disney with Stacey, the fantastic in-room television show that is sadly, also now defunct. What I learned from that is that Disney Springs is a place you can say “yum and wow” every 5 seconds, and also that Chapel Hats is one of the cool new places to shop. It first appeared in those videos right when Downtown Disney was in the process of becoming Disney Springs.
What’s the point of sharing that? An excuse to plug the greatness that was Must-Do Disney, for one. But also to demonstrate that Chapel Hats isn’t some fly-by-night operation. Disney Springs has become somewhat of a revolving door for retail, and if someone told me today that a fancy hat shop was opening, I might respond: “I give it 18 months.” Well, Chapel Hats is still going strong over a decade later.
I’ve been inside Chapel Hats maybe once, and I stopped at Prairie Outpost when it was a candy shop only a handful of times. So this isn’t something I am excited about, personally. But I am enthusiastic about Walt Disney World getting back to 100%, so I’m fully on board with this.
I also don’t mind Walt Disney World doing more retail collaborations with third party operating participants when it makes sense. A hat store, even one run by an outside company, beats a candy store. This should be similar to the Sunglass Hat shop over in Adventureland–speaking of which, Agrabah Bazaar still needs to return!
There was a time when Walt Disney World had a ton of on-theme merchandise in its gift shops, most sourced from the real world as opposed to character stuff. It doesn’t look like these will be cowboy hats, but it’s still a step in the right direction.
Longer-term, I’m curious to see what becomes of both this shop and Pecos Bill. The Piston Peak National Park subsection of Frontierland is on the other side of this walkway and will be demarcated from this thoroughfare by a rushing river (and hopefully a large one), but I still can’t help but wonder whether these two venues end up being the primary retail and restaurant space supporting the Cars miniland.
I love the new menu at Pecos Bill, but wouldn’t mind seeing it get a retheme and character integration in the least. Now that Tiana’s Palace is seemingly off the table, something inspired by the Junior Woodchucks would be awesome–bridging the gap between this area of Frontierland and Piston Peak.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Pleasantly surprised to see the Prairie Outpost reopening after being closed for over 5 years? Does it bug you that it’ll become (at least in part) a Chapel Hats store? Or are you fine with whatever it takes to get the remaining long-shuttered venues reopened? What do you think of the plans for the Piston Peak Cars miniland in Magic Kingdom? Think Pecos Bill and Prairie Outpost will eventually receive reimaginings as extensions of that project? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? 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!
