Guide Tour of Frontierland, Disneyland Park, California, United States

Frontierland is one of the “themed lands” at the many Disneyland-style parks run by Disney around the world. Themed to the American Frontier of the 19th century, Frontierlands are home to cowboys and pioneers, saloons, red rock buttes and gold rushes.

Frontierland is home to the Pinewood Indians band of animatronic Native Americans, who live on the banks of the Rivers of America. Entertainment and attractions include Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Sailing Ship Columbia, Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, and Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition. Frontierland is also home to the Golden Horseshoe Saloon, an Old West-style show palace.

Frontierland recreates the setting of pioneer days along the American frontier. According to Walt Disney, “All of us have cause to be proud of our country’s history, shaped by the pioneering spirit of our forefathers. Our adventures are designed to give you the feeling of having lived, even for a short while, during our country’s pioneer days.”

To build an accurate depiction of an old-West town, Walt Disney sent a camera crew to Frontier Town, in North Hudson, NY, to film a movie that was used as the inspiration for Frontierland, as revealed in the book, “Frontier Town Then And Now.”

Frontierland first appeared in Disneyland as one of five original themed lands. Conceived by Walt Disney, the land did not initially contain many attractions, but centered on open expanses of wilderness which could be traversed by guests via stagecoach, pack mules, Conestoga wagon, and walking trails. The Mine Train Thru Nature’s Wonderland opened in 1960, consisting of a sedate train ride around various western landscape dioramas. The Mine Train closed in 1977 to make way for a new attraction; the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which opened in 1979.

Disneyland’s Frontierland gateway is constructed of ponderosa pine logs. The land’s long shoreline along the Rivers of America is considered a prime viewing location for the show “nighttime Fantasmic!”. The docks to both the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Sailing Ship Columbia, (a replica of American explorer Robert Gray’s 18th century ship that circumnavigated the globe) are located here, and Tom Sawyer Island in the river’s center is also considered a property of Frontierland

On the roof of the Westward Ho Trading Co., there are elk or deer antlers. Elk antlers were commonly placed on general stores in the old west so cowboys coming into town immediately knew where to get supplies. Also in Frontierland is a building that has a large sign that says “Laod Bhang Co. Fireworks Factory”. Plus, at the storefront marked “Crockett and Russel Hat Co.”, there is a window honoring Fess Parker, who played Davy Crockett in Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett. Frontierland borders Fantasyland (via the Big Thunder Trail), New Orleans Square and Adventureland, and connects to the Central Plaza through an iconic set of fort-style gates.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a mine train roller coaster located at Disneyland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is also the name of the fictional rail line the roller coaster depicts. The station buildings are themed to appearance of a mining company office from the mid to late 19th century. California’s version of the ride is the only version of the ride to feature an outdoor station. All of the other versions feature an indoor station.

Sometime in the late 1800s, gold was discovered on Big Thunder Mountain in the American Southwest. Overnight, a small mining town called Rainbow Ridge became a thriving one. Mining was prosperous, and an extensive line of mine trains was set up to transport the ore. Unknown to the settlers, the mountain was a sacred spot to local Native Americans and was cursed.

Before long, the settlers’ desecration of the mountain caused a great tragedy, a flash flood which befell the mines and town, and the town was abandoned. Some time later, the locomotives were found to be racing around the mountain on their own, without engineers or a crew. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was founded in the old mining camp to allow wanderers to take rides on the possessed trains.

In the Disneyland park, there is music and laughing in one of the saloons of Rainbow Ridge, and a typewriter is heard from a newspaper office. The mountains themselves are themed to the red rock formations of the American Southwest. The rock work designs in the Disneyland version are based on the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Special care was taken by the Imagineers to make it appear that the rocks were there originally, and the track was built around the rocks.

There is also a dinosaur skeleton that the train passes by in all versions of the ride. A cracked eggshell is nearby, and there is a pleasant lake with water that is shot up while the train passes on the warmer days. Sound effects of a typical locomotive operation are piped into the surrounding scenery to add realism to guests viewing the ride from observation platforms, including the steam whistle sounding, even though there is no whistle displayed on the locomotives.

To better fit with the adjacent Fantasyland areas of the theme park, the original Walt Disney World design had to be replaced with something more appropriate for Disneyland, the Disneyland’s version was developed with more rounded features and muted colors resembling the Bryce Canyon hoodoos in Utah. Upon entering the attraction, the queue winds through a narrow rock wall and passing by the tracks. The surrounding walls were originally created from 100 tons of gold ore from Rosamond.

Leaving the outdoor station, trains enter a bat-infested tunnel, make a right hand turn, then a left hand turn before climbing the first lift hill, which takes trains through a cavern full of stalactites. Leaving the lift hill, the train drops away to the right, then levels out and makes a left hand turn. The track then crosses under the second lift hill drop before making a right hand turn.

The sounds of coyotes can be heard howling at the train as it dives into a cave. At the end of the tunnel, the train hits a trim brake, exits the tunnel, and climbs the second lift hill. At the top of the lift, an animatronic goat bleats at passing guests as the train drops away to the right, crosses under the lift hill, and rises up into a downward spiraling clockwise helix. Leaving the helix, the train shoots through a small canyon, then drops down into a mining camp, where it hits another trim brake.

The train then makes a left hand turn, enters another tunnel, and climbs the third lift hill. As the train climbs the lift, the tunnel is dynamited, and artificial smoke is blasted in guests’ faces as the train crests the lift and exits the tunnel. The train then drops to the right, towards the river, then makes a right hand turn and passes through a short tunnel. After crossing over the drop, the trains make a left hand turn as they pass through the ribcage of a T-rex skeleton, hit a trim brake, then make a right hand turn into the final brakes. The train then travels by the buildings of Rainbow Ridge as it returns to the station.

Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade
Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade is an attraction in Walt Disney World which simulates a shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, over Boot Hill in 1850. The gallery includes a jail, hotel, bank, and cemetery with targets which are animated when shot.

There are a total of 97 targets in the shooting gallery. Originally, the guns shot lead pellets, but were replaced with infra-red light rifles due to the maintenance costs of repainting the targets almost every night. This would use 2,000 gallons of paint a year.

Mark Twain Riverboat
The Disney riverboats are paddle steamer watercraft attraction ride vehicles operating on a track on a series of attractions located at Disney theme parks around the world. The first was the Mark Twain Riverboat, located at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California, on which passengers embark on a scenic, 12-minute journey around the Rivers of America. Originally named Mark Twain Steamboat when the park opened in 1955, the stately, 5/8-scale stern-wheeler was the first functional riverboat to be built in the United States for 50 years.

Passengers wait for the 150-ton, 28-foot-high (8.5 m), 105-foot-long (32 m) riverboat, which departs every 25 minutes, inside a sheltered area in the Frontierland section of the park. The waiting area resembles a real riverboat loading area, with cargo deliveries sharing space on the dock. Historic United States flags are displayed at the attraction’s entrance.

Upon boarding Mark Twain, passengers are free to move about her three levels. The lower deck’s bow has chairs. The upper deck provides a vantage point for viewing landmarks during the voyage. The wheelhouse, where Mark Twain’s pilot is stationed, is located on the upper deck. The lower level of the wheelhouse features sleeping quarters and a sink to maintain the illusion of this being the captain’s living quarters.

The boat pilot signals the departure and arrival of Mark Twain using a horn and bell system, along with various signals to other river craft attractions. Because the riverboat travels along a hidden I-beam guide rail throughout the ride, the pilot does not maneuver the ship. Instead, the pilot serves as lookout for other river traffic, such as Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes and the Rafts to Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, and communicates his observations with the boiler engineer.

The boiler engineer is stationed on the bottom deck towards the stern. This is where the throttle and reverser are located. From here, the boiler engineer controls the speed and forward or reverse direction of the riverboat. Steam from the boiler is used to power the paddle wheels which push the craft along its guide-way.

The voyage on the Rivers of America around Tom Sawyer Island features pre-recorded navigational commands by Jim Etchison and Peter Renaday. The captain is played by Disney voice actor Stephen Stanton, who speaks of his days piloting a riverboat.

Tom Sawyer Island
Tom Sawyer Island is an artificial island surrounded by the Rivers of America at Disneyland. It contains structures and caves with references to Mark Twain characters from the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and provides interactive, climbing, and scenic opportunities. In 2007, the attraction was rethemed and expanded as Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, adding references to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean film series.

The area opened in 1956, one year after the opening of Disneyland Park. The Island received major upgrades, new show elements, and a complete re-theming in 2007 when it re-opened as Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. The re-theming eradicated much of the previous Tom Sawyer theme in favor of characters and elements from and inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.

Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island’s opening coincided with the theatrical release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. A justification behind connecting the Tom Sawyer and pirate themes came in the form of a chapter from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer where Tom, Huck and Joe Harper go off to play pirates on a nearby island, the idea being that all of the Pirates of the Caribbean elements added to the island are all a part of their imaginative play.

Guests visit the island, surrounded by the Rivers of America, by traveling on a motorized raft which is piloted by a Disneyland cast member. While aboard the Sailing Ship Columbia or Mark Twain Riverboat, Disneyland guests travel clockwise around the island. Looking to starboard, they can see the many areas and adventure opportunities of the island. To port, they see Disneyland itself and from time to time will see a Disneyland Railroad train passing by.

The most prominent structure on the island, viewable from Frontierland, Adventureland and New Orleans Square, is Lafitte’s Tavern, which was formerly Harper’s Mill. At the northern end of the island, inaccessible to guests, is the Burning Settler’s Cabin, a cabin that used to actually burn by spewing fire from its roof. When the island reopened in July 2017, the cabin was removed due to the shortening of the island for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. A new cabin that does not light on fire was built on the north-most tip of the shortened island as an homage to the original burning cabin.

Sailing Ship Columbia
The Sailing Ship Columbia, located at the Disneyland park in Anaheim, California, is a full-scale replica of Columbia Rediviva, the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe. The Columbia has operated in the park for more than fifty years. Passengers of the ship take a 12-minute trip around the Rivers of America. At night, the Columbia plays the role of a pirate ship in riverfront performances of the park’s nighttime show “Fantasmic!”.

Passengers wait for the 110-foot-long (34 m) ship, which departs every 25 minutes, inside a sheltered area called Frontier Landing, located in Frontierland. The waiting area for the 84-foot-tall (26 m) Columbia is shared with the Mark Twain Riverboat. Historic United States flags are displayed at the attraction’s entrance.

Passengers board the full-scale replica of the original sailing ship Columbia by climbing steps, also known as the “brow”, up onto the main deck. Once on board, they can visit a nautical museum below deck, which shows what life was like for the 1787 crew. In addition to the galley, pantry, dry stores, and sick bay, there are quarters for the crew, bosun and bosun’s mate, first mate, captain, and surgeon.

Once the ship casts off, it begins its voyage around the Rivers of America. The ship, which has three masts and rigging but rarely unfurls its sails, is powered by a compressed natural gas engine (formerly a Marine Detroit Diesel 2-stroke). It runs along the same track as the Mark Twain, hidden by green dye in the water.

The captain provides a tongue-in-cheek running commentary as he calls orders to his crew, while recorded background music plays a selection of nautical songs, such as “Blow the Man Down”. As the ship passes Fort Wilderness on Tom Sawyer Island, a Columbia cast member fires two 12-gauge blanks from one of the ship’s ten cannons. The Fort also had a cannon that used to fire back.

The Sailing Ship Columbia operates only on the park’s busiest days, or when the Mark Twain is not operating. The attraction usually opens at 11am and closes at dusk. On evenings when Fantasmic! is being performed, the ship, which plays the role of the Black Pearl in the show, will also close at dusk. In previous incarnations of Fantasmic!, the ship served as Captain Hook’s pirate ship. When the ship is not operating, it is docked at Fowler’s Harbor, near the Haunted Mansion attraction.

Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is a nighttime show at Disneyland Park, it features fireworks, characters, live actors, water effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, music, audio-animatronics, searchlights, decorated boat floats, and mist screen projections. The narrative of Fantasmic! is a voyage through Mickey Mouse’s imagination that culminates in a battle against the Disney Villains.

The show “Fantasmic!” originated at Disneyland in 1992 after Walt Disney Creative Entertainment was asked to create a nighttime spectacular involving water and fireworks to reinvigorate the space in front of the Rivers of America. The area was reworked, including terracing the walkways to accommodate viewing and modifying part of Tom Sawyer Island to allow the show’s staged live action segments. The producers employed the resources of Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Imagineering.

A second version featuring new scenes opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1998, and a third version premiered at Tokyo DisneySea in 2011, replacing BraviSEAmo!. An updated version of Disneyland’s Fantasmic! debuted in 2017, featuring a re-recorded soundtrack in addition to new scenes, lighting, choreography and costumes.

The show begins with Mickey Mouse being transported into his dream. He dances and orchestrates various water fountain, pyrotechnic, projection, laser and lighting effects to the show’s theme. Mist screens rise from the water, acting as projection surfaces for various scenes from Disney movies.

The show then transitions into a jungle scene from The Jungle Book, featuring a 100-foot-long (30 m) puppet of Kaa and three floating barges carrying King Louie and black-lit monkeys (that debuted in the Tokyo version) across the river stage. The song transitions into “Hakuna Matata”. The music then segues into a dubstep rendition of “Pink Elephants on Parade” from Dumbo, as animated pink elephants appear onscreen and in the form of performers on the island. The scene then transitions to “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin. Sorcerer Mickey watches the Genie perform tricks.

Then they go under the sea as they head into the world of The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo. A bubble floats by and Jiminy Cricket appears onscreen, searching underwater for Pinocchio. An animated Monstro appears suddenly, accompanied by a heavy musical score as he crashes through water. The sea morphs into the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” flood scene. As Mickey looks around in the dark and asks “What’s going on?”, a ship caught in a storm appears. Captain Barbossa then appears on the mist screens.

A cannon is fired from Sailing Ship Columbia, portraying the Black Pearl from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, and other pirates participate in a stunt sequence. The scene ends with fountains that look like explosions and a cannon fired from the Sailing Ship Columbia (In earlier incarnations, the Columbia served as Captain Hook’s pirate ship).

As the scene concludes, Mickey paints the moon, with silhouettes of Peter Pan and the Darlings flying over it. Mickey’s sorcerer hat is painted on the mist screen and the hat turns to clouds as Aladdin and Jasmine are on a physical magic carpet flying through the clouds while a rendition of “A Whole New World” plays. Then the carpet fades away and three small barges arrive carrying Belle and the Beast, Ariel and Prince Eric, and Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, with the accompanying signature melody from each film-“Beauty and the Beast,” “Part of Your World,” and “I See the Light”.

Mickey’s dream takes a turn for the worse. The magic mirror appears onscreen and tempts Mickey to enter the darker realms of his imagination. When asked if he has the courage, Mickey accepts the challenge, and the mirror traps Mickey inside. The Evil Queen, disguised as the old hag, calls all the villains to partake in Mickey’s nightmare, invoking a riled Ursula who joins the Queen’s plot to destroy Mickey.

Ursula calls upon Chernabog, who summons deceased spirits. He then summons Maleficent(the true mastermind who wishes to take over Mickey’s dream), who threatens Sorcerer Mickey as she transforms herself into an enormous dragon. Onstage, the 45-foot dragon sets the waters ablaze, breathing fire onto the river. Mickey defeats the dragon, destroying the villains in the process.

Tinker Bell then appears, the Mark Twain Riverboat approaches with fireworks, and black and white Mickey from Steamboat Willie appears. Mickey then appears again to conduct a final set of fireworks and water fountains before leaving in a bright blast of fireworks.

Golden Horseshoe Saloon
The Golden Horseshoe Saloon is a restaurant and attraction at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California in the United States. It opened in 1955 with several other original attractions at Disneyland Park. The interior of the saloon was designed by Harper Goff, the same person who designed a saloon set for the movie Calamity Jane starring Doris Day.

Over the years the venue has housed multiple stage shows; it currently shows “Showdown at the Golden Horseshoe!” seven days a week. The “saloon” is located in Frontierland and has a picturesque view of the Rivers of America, New Orleans Square and part of Critter Country.

Disneyland
The Disneyland Park, is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opened on July 17, 1955. It is the only theme park designed and built to completion under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. It was originally the only attraction on the property; its official name was changed to Disneyland Park to distinguish it from the expanding complex in the 1990s. It was the first Disney theme park.

Since its opening, Disneyland has undergone expansions and major renovations, including the addition of New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country (now Critter Country) in 1972, Mickey’s Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019. Opened in 2001, Disney California Adventure Park was built on the site of Disneyland’s original parking lot.

Disneyland Park consists of nine themed “lands” and a number of concealed backstage areas, and occupies over 100 acres. The park opened with Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland, and has since added New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country (now known as Critter Country) in 1972, and Mickey’s Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019.