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Iconic sections of Disney World closing down and disappearing before visitors’ eyes

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Fans of Frontierland at Walt Disney World Resort are bidding farewell to beloved attractions as construction on the upcoming “Piston Peak National Park” accelerates — with much of the Western-themed land to be replaced.

Construction walls now dominate large sections, the “Inside the Magic” blog reported, notably around Big Al’s and the nearby Westward Ho area, where guests have been funneled through a narrow temporary walkway. 

That limited access may soon end. Based on permit filings and typical Disney timelines, the remaining pathway could close imminently, according to the blog.

DISNEY FANS SAY THEY’RE OUTRAGED AFTER THEME PARK ELIMINATES THEIR BELOVED SNACKS

If access is cut off, several iconic elements could disappear from view. Big Al’s — one of the few structures tied to Magic Kingdom’s early years — is considered a piece of history, the “Disney Dining” blog said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Walt Disney World Resort for comment.

Some Disney lovers worry the small back walkway near Country Bear Musical Jamboree, a longtime sit-down attraction, could close as Frontierland shifts toward the Piston Peak setting, the blogs reported.

One of the most noticeable changes has been the loss of the Frontierland boardwalk shortcut, once a quiet bypass for guests during peak crowds, “Blog Mickey” said.

The Frontierland Walt Disney World Railroad station is closed, and the train is operating as a shuttle between Fantasyland and Main Street, U.S.A., “Blog Mickey” reported.

Several staples — including snack kiosks and merchandise locations — are being removed, disappearing from the park as Disney reworks the area, according to multiple reports.

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These updates follow bigger changes that have already reshaped Frontierland.

The Rivers of America, Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island closed in July 2025, marking the end of a long-standing centerpiece of Frontierland, “Disney Dining” said.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad — famously the “wildest ride in the wilderness” — remains closed for refurbishment, though it is expected to return in 2026, the blogs said.

Right now, Frontierland feels less like the Wild, Wild West to many and more like a construction zone — with walls, detours and shifting pathways, the blogs reported.

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Disney’s Piston Peak National Park promises a very different experience, as it is inspired by the Rocky Mountains and the Pixar “Cars” franchise, the “Disney Castle Dreaming” blog said.

To create the new rides, Disney is seemingly rewriting a major part of its history.

Frontierland was rooted in America’s past.

Introduced by Walt Disney in California in 1955, it was designed as a tribute to pioneer spirit, with riverboats, wilderness trails and frontier towns. Magic Kingdom’s version opened in 1971 and expanded that vision into a fully realized Old West setting.

But some fans aren’t ready to say goodbye to elements of it.

“It’s a shame Magic Kingdom is losing its Rivers of America to ‘Cars,’” one Reddit user wrote last year after hearing about the changes.

Another agreed, saying, “I don’t think Magic Kingdom should lose [it] either. It’s such a beautiful area. Sure, Tom Sawyer could be updated, but keep the river.”

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Last June, Disney reported, “We are excited to share that Piston Peak National Park will continue the sweeping storytelling tradition that has crossed Liberty Square and Frontierland since opening day.”

The “Disney Parks” blog also reported, “At the heart of all these stories are heroic characters with a belief in themselves that helped forge a path to their dreams. To continue this journey in great American storytelling, Piston Peak National Park will be part of the largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom.”

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Artemis crew says they wanted to ‘connect with humanity,’ show what can be done when they put their mind to it

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The Artemis II crew, following their return to Earth after a historic 10-day lunar flyby, spoke with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, describing the mission as a “glorious” experience.

The crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — returned to Earth on April 10, splashing down off the coast of San Diego after their journey around the Moon during which they set a new record for the farthest distance traveled by humans in space, surpassing the mark set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

Waltz gifted the crew “MUNGA,” or “Make the U.N. Great Again,” hats, inspired by President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

The crew was asked by Waltz what they thought as they looked back at Earth from space.

ARTEMIS II PILOT VICTOR GLOVER PRAISES GOD AFTER RETURN, SAYS MISSION WAS ‘TOO BIG TO BE IN ONE BODY’

“As a crew, we wanted to go for all and by all,” Wiseman said at U.N. headquarters in New York. “And we wanted to set the stage for Artemis III. We wanted to get this space agency in this world ready for Artemis III and IV. But in the end, we really wanted to connect with humanity. We wanted humanity to just pause for a second and see that this world can still do something exceptionally well when they put their mind to it.”

Artemis III is expected to launch next year, and Artemis IV is targeted for the following year.

“You asked how it felt, and it wasn’t one feeling for the entire mission,” Glover told Waltz. “What we saw out the window was changing, and that is one of the unique things … I always felt the urge to just be grateful for what we were seeing, and to be grateful for what we were eventually going back to. And the other thing was just how blessed we are to have this.”

Koch said that when she looked back at Earth, the surrounding darkness made the planet feel “even more special than it’s ever been.”

“Instead of this absolute background that just exists everywhere for us, because that’s all we’ve had, it makes the lines that we redraw on it seem big and important,” she said. “You realize that actually, there’s nothing absolute or guaranteed about this, and that actually, there is such thing as a global scale. And this is the first time I’ve said that at the U.N., but the truth is that the global scale is our world. And what we do with it is our choice.”

Hansen described the experience of seeing the vastness of space and feeling both small as an individual and empowered by what humanity can accomplish together.

“It was like this weird thing where, like stars, some stars look closer in our galaxy than others. And it just kept catching my eye, and it just kept making me feel really tiny, really small as an individual. But then, at the same time, I was out there experiencing it, and it made me feel very powerful as a human race. What we can do together, the fact that we were out there and something that has been really heartwarming since we got back to Earth and started to see how many people stopped to watch the mission and resonate with it,” he said.

Glover also recalled the many emotions tied to the mission, including the “glorious moment” of returning to Earth.

ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS FACE TOILET TROUBLE AS THEY HEAD TOWARD THE MOON

During the visit to the U.N., NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wanted to take a moment to appreciate how far they had come, noting that it was not long ago that Trump established the Artemis program that led to the Artemis II mission.

“In fact, in just 2020, President Trump established the Artemis Accords. Now, the initial framework was an agreement of principles between the United States and seven other like-minded countries on the responsible exploration of space,” he said.

The crew’s visit to the U.N. comes after they met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Trump had also spoken to the crew as they were orbiting the moon in early April.

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Fever star Caitlin Clark avoids serious injury after scary fall leads to early exit in preseason game

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Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark exited Thursday night’s preseason game against the Dallas Wings after colliding with one of their players.  

Clark was seen hobbling on the court after taking a step-back three-point shot and landing on Wings star defender Alanna Smith’s foot in the third quarter of the matchup. Upon landing, Clark told reporters after the 95-80 loss that she hit her knee hard when she went down after the foul by Smith.  

Clark rolled over on the court and tried to walk it off as she went toward the Fever bench. Officials ended up reviewing the play and gave Smith, the reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year in the WNBA, a Flagrant 1 foul for not giving Clark a safe amount of room to land after shooting.

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Clark exited the game with fewer than eight minutes left in the third quarter.

She finished with a team-high 21 points despite missing most of the second half. Clark hit two of her three attempted three-pointers, while knocking down 11 of 13 from the free throw line. She also had two rebounds, four assists and one steal in the contest.

Being this was a preseason matchup, Fever fans were holding their collective breath watching Clark in the moment, especially considering the tumultuous season she had in 2025.

CAITLIN CLARK RETURNS TO WNBA COMPETITION AFTER 2025 INJURY IN FEVER PRESEASON GAME

Clark played just 13 games in her sophomore campaign, far from what she had hoped after winning WNBA Rookie of the Year and setting the single-season assists record in 2024.

But it appeared Clark avoided a serious injury that could’ve come in that situation. Being in someone’s landing zone after a shot can lead to severe injuries, especially ankles turning.

Fever head coach Stephanie White didn’t seem to want to push Clark, and sat her the rest of the way.

The Fever still have one more preseason game remaining on the schedule, as they face the Nigerian national team on Saturday. Then, it’s regular-season basketball, with the Fever’s first game that counts on the record against these same Wings in Dallas on May 9.

The Wings are an intriguing team to watch, with Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, reuniting with fellow UConn teammate Paige Bueckers to begin her pro journey. Bueckers led the Wings with 20 points on Thursday night, while Fudd finished with four points.

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Former Minnesota Investigator: State Government ‘Harassed, Bullied’ Department in Alleged Coverup of Child Care Fraud Allegations

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An ex-Minnesota state trooper and former investigator in the Office of Inspector General for Minnesota’s Department of Human Services testified this week that state officials tried to get him to delete findings from a child care fraud report and later tried to shut down his department after “members of our unit were harassed and bullied by DHS officials.”

The post Former Minnesota Investigator: State Government ‘Harassed, Bullied’ Department in Alleged Coverup of Child Care Fraud Allegations appeared first on Breitbart.

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