Frontierland is one of Disneyland’s original lands, opening with the park in 1955. Frontierland evokes the idealized version of the Wild West in a way depicted in Disney’s Davy Crockett. Much like the rest of Disneyland Park, Frontierland feels like a warm hug and a look directly into the history of The Walt Disney Company and family. While there have been many changes to Disneyland’s Frontierland, like the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the nostalgia, charm, and incredibly detailed attractions live on.
Rich In Disney Family History
Golden Horseshoe
While The Golden Horseshoe was once a musical revue venue, it now stands as a Frontierland quick service location loaded with history that alone is worth the visit. Just four days before Disneyland’s opening in 1955, The Golden Horseshoe hosted its very first performance for 300 guests in celebration of Walt and Lillian Disney’s 30th wedding anniversary. This “golden anniversary” celebration began with mint juleps on the Mark Twain Riverboat and then continued on to The Golden Horseshoe for dinner, a showing of the musical revue (which ran until 1982), and dancing. Diane Disney Miller even recalled how her father appeared on one of the balconies during the show and then climbed down onto the stage, beaming with happiness. The night then concluded with dancing led by Walt and Lillian; Walt even took dance lessons in secret to surprise Lillian. Every time I’m at Disneyland, I stop by The Golden Horseshoe just to soak in the history that makes Disneyland so special.
“The Oldest Attraction at Disneyland”
You may not have noticed this large, unassuming stump just along the Rivers of America, but it’s worth seeing on your next visit to Disneyland. Just one year after Walt and Lillian’s anniversary party at The Golden Horseshoe, the couple celebrated their 31st anniversary in Colorado. At the Pike Petrified Forrest, Walt purchased a petrified stump estimated to be 55 to 70 million years old. Walt jokingly said it was an anniversary gift for Lillian, to which she replied there was no space on the mantel for it. As a result, the petrified tree has lived at Disneyland since 1957 with a plaque reading that it was gifted by Mrs. Disney.
If you look closely around Frontierland, you will see nods to Davy Crockett and Zorro, which were both popular Disney television shows in the 1950s. Davy Crockett’s Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen were even in attendance as their characters at Disneyland’s opening day broadcast. There is even a plaque at Frontierland’s flagpole dedicated to Walt Disney from the Human Society in 1955.
If Walt Disney World Doesn’t Have It, Disneyland Does
There are some exceptions to this rule, like The Country Bear Musical Jamboree, but you can still find some now-gone or soon-to-change Frontierland attractions at Disneyland. A small example of this is the Shooting Exposition which is still at Disneyland while Disney World’s Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade has since been replaced by a Disney Vacation Club Lounge.
The Rivers of America, The Mark Twain Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island will close at Disney World on July 7th to make way for Piston Peak (aka the East Coast Cars Land). After that date, Disneyland will still have all of these attractions. Better yet, Rivers of America plays an integral role in the landscape of Disneyland’s Frontierland as it hosts both the Mark Twain Riverboat and The Sailing Ship Columbia, plus is the home of the nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic!
Fantasmic!
Disneyland’s Fantasmic! is staged on Tom Sawyer’s Island where both the Sailing Ship Columbia and Mark Twain Riverboat are part of the show. Anyone will tell you that Fantasmic! at Disneyland is a special show with fun features like Peter Pan fighting Captain Hook, and a rare performance of “Pink Elephants on Parade” from Dumbo. The way the Frontierland scenery serves as both a backdrop, multiple attractions, and an iconic show is both impressive and beautiful.
Incredible Version of Big Thunder Mountain
Just like the rest of Disneyland’s Frontierland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad plays a crucial role in creating an impressive backdrop with a varied sight line and kinetic energy. In comparing Disney World and Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain, Disneyland is the clear winner. Some of the differences include a dynamite explosion in one of the ascents, traveling into one of the mountains, seeing more of the fictional town of Rainbow Ridge, and a track that is visible from multiple spots in the land.
Quaint Details
Disneyland’s Frontierland feels like a working movie set for the American West and the frontier that was romanticized in 1950s films. Some of these details can be found in the sprawling Pioneer Mercantile gift shop, which features a large buffalo, wood floors, and clips of classic Disney films like Summer Magic. The quick service restaurant, Rancho del Zocalo, features outdoor dining with a view of Big Thunder Mountain and imagery from Zorro. The hub entrance to Frontierland is a fort that feels to scale with a movie set, or a sleepy Western town. Everywhere you look, Frontierland emits nostalgia and details of a time long gone but often emulated in American culture.
