After spending roughly six months hidden behind construction walls, a familiar piece of Fantasyland is finally starting to reappear.
Guests visiting Magic Kingdom recently noticed an important change at Big Top Souvenirs in Storybook Circus. The longtime merchandise and confectionery location has remained closed since February while Disney carries out an extensive refurbishment.
While the doors aren't open just yet, the building suddenly looks much closer to its familiar appearance.
Construction barriers have been removed from around the location's main sign, giving guests their first completely unobstructed look at the restored marquee.
For a location that has been part of Fantasyland for approximately 14 years, that's welcome progress.
Disney Has Spent Months Working on Big Top Souvenirs
Big Top Souvenirs arrived with Storybook Circus during the Fantasyland expansion in 2012.
Its circus-tent design makes it difficult to miss, especially for guests heading toward Dumbo the Flying Elephant. The location has served as both a shopping destination and a place to grab Disney treats.
That all changed earlier this year.
Disney closed Big Top Souvenirs in February for refurbishment, and the project has continued throughout the spring and summer.
Guests have watched the building disappear behind different combinations of construction walls, scrim, and protective coverings while crews worked on the structure.
The refurbishment has included more than work on the entrance. Crews installed a new roof in June, giving the massive tent-shaped building a refreshed exterior.
Attention then turned toward its elaborate signage.
Construction Walls Are Finally Coming Down
The latest progress is particularly noticeable because guests can once again see the entire Big Top Souvenirs marquee.
The large red sign faces Dumbo the Flying Elephant and serves as one of the building's defining exterior features.
During the refurbishment, portions of the sign remained obscured. Most recently, protective plastic covered the “souvenirs” portion while blue construction walls blocked part of the view from the walkway.
Those barriers have now been removed.
Rolling planters have taken the place of the blue walls, while the plastic surrounding the marquee is gone.
For guests who have watched this project unfold since February, it's a substantial visual change.
Big Top Souvenirs once again looks like part of Storybook Circus instead of a building buried inside a construction zone.
Disney Hasn't Announced an Opening Date Yet
There is one important detail guests should keep in mind.
Disney has not announced exactly when Big Top Souvenirs will reopen.
Removing construction barriers doesn't automatically mean the location will reopen immediately. Interior work or other preparations could still be underway.
Still, the latest development gives guests a reason to keep an eye on the location.
Disney has already completed another refurbishment nearby. Pete's Silly Sideshow reopened in June after receiving its own updates.
Now, attention is shifting toward Big Top Souvenirs.
Its eventual return would bring another familiar piece of Storybook Circus back into operation at a time when Magic Kingdom is undergoing major changes elsewhere.
Frontierland is transforming, Tomorrowland has seen multiple refurbishment projects, and Disney has even larger additions planned for the future.
Against that backdrop, Big Top Souvenirs represents something different.
Instead of replacing an old Magic Kingdom experience, Disney is putting time and resources into refreshing one that has been around since 2012.
After months of walls and coverings, guests can finally see the results taking shape.
Big Top Souvenirs isn't officially open yet, but with its restored marquee revealed and major barriers disappearing, its return appears to be getting closer.
