Disneyland Park: Frontierland

 

In this hair-raising land, guests are placed in a romanticized version of the Old West. Here, they enter the gold-mining town of Thunder Mesa, where supernatural forces are at play and things aren't exactly as they seem. Yee-Haw!"

When coming in from Central Plaza, the guests pass a small Native American camp before entering into Fort Cormstock, a log fort. This is home to the Legends of the Far West wax museum, although it has been closed off for a long time and it is unclear if it'll ever reopen. From there, they enter the main square of Thunder Mesa. On the right, they will find the Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building, as well as the Rustler Roundup Shootin' Gallery. If they go left, guests will find three restaurants: the Lucky Nugget Saloon, the Last Chance Cafe, and the Silver Spur Steakhouse. Across way from these restaurants is the Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing, where guests can ride the Molly Brown or the Mark Twain riverboats around Big Thunder Mountain, getting great views of the land. At the end of this path is the ominous Manor sitting on the hill, Phantom Manor. This darker, more elaborate Haunted Mansion has a unique backstory that ties it to Big Thunder Mountain, telling of the tragedy of the Ravenswood family, specifically gold baron Henry Ravenswood and his daughter, Melanie, who was desperate to marry despite her father's unwillingness to let her. After the ride, guests can go back into Boothill, a graveyard with pun names, as well as the graves of the Ravenswood family.
As the guests continue further to the right of the main square, they will approach a Spanish-style building, where they'll find the Overland Trail Cafe snack stand, as well as the Casa de Coco - Restaurante de Familia restaurant. Across from those two is the loading station for Big Thunder Mountain, which despite being loaded over here, is on an island in the center of the Rivers of the Far West. The trains go under the river to get there, and after the ride, they can shop at the Big Thunder Photography gift shop. Going near other Spanish-style buildings are passages to Adventureland, as well as the Frontierland Playground and the Pueblo Trading Post. Also here is a large barn, where the Cowboy Cookout Barbecue is housed. Going further down, guests will find the Critter Coral snack stands as well as the Frontierland theater, which is currently playing The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands. Finally, at the end of the land is the Frontierland depot for the Disneyland Railroad, where trains depart to Fantasyland.
Attractions:
  • Legends of the Far West
  • Rustler Roundup Shootin' Gallery
  • Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing
  • Phantom Manor
  • Big Thunder Mountain
  • Frontierland Playground
  • The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands
  • Disneyland Railroad
Dining:
  • Lucky Nugget Saloon
  • Last Chance Cafe
  • Silver Spur Steakhouse
  • Overland Trail Cafe
  • Casa de Coco - Restaurante de Familia
  • Cowboy Cookout Barbecue
  • Critter Coral
Shopping:
  • Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building
  • Big Thunder Photography
  • Pueblo Trading Post
Despite being in Europe, Imagineers decided to make a Frontierland. The Western films of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood were popular in France, so they decided to have it inspired by this. In addition, they decided to build an elaborate backstory that tied the attractions together. It is a story telling of the discovery of gold in Big Thunder Mountain by Diamond Lille, builder of the Lucky Nugget Saloon. Afterwards, Henry Ravenswood established the Big Thunder Mountain Mining Company and began digging into the mountain for more gold. However, the Native Americans in the area believed it to be the home of the Thunderbird, and if it was disturbed, it would release its wrath upon Thunder Mesa. The people didn't listen, and as a consequence, the Thunderbird struck the town, devastating it in a violent earthquake that killed Henry and his wife. In addition, the town was cursed, specifically the mountain, where trains began to run around driverless, and Henry's mansion, where he and 999 haunts lurk to this day. But over the years, people have forgotten about the incident here and a new wave of gold miners have come around to revive the town, but they may be about to discover that some legends are true after all.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Disneyland Park: Main Street, U.S.A.

Image
 Like most Disneyland parks, guests enter the park through Main Street U.S.A. This recreates a Midwestern American Town at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Aside from taking inspiration from Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri, it also pays tribute to America as a whole, taking inspiration from many cities throughout the country. In order to get into the park, guests go through the Fantasia Gardens and then go under the Disneyland Hotel. This makes guests wonder if there is a park behind, but once they reach the other side, they see it very well. After going through security, they enter into Town Square. In the center is a charming gazebo. Behind them is the Main Street station for the Disneyland Railroad, where trains depart to Frontierland. On the left side is the City Hall, where guests find help and services, as well as the Storybook Store. On the right is the Main Street firehouse. Around this area, guests can board the Main Street Vehicles, which include a firetru...
Read more

Disney Adventure World: World Premiere Plaza

Image
This is where guests enter the park. They enter a Hollywood theater district where shows, attractions, and other things can be found. It is a callback to the film industry that created these worlds that guests are about to explore. When first entering the park, guests come into the Place des Freres Lumieres (Brothers Lumiere Place), which is named after the inventors of the film industry who played black and white videos for a live audience in the late 1800s. In the center is a statue of sorcerer Mickey with the living brooms, as seen in Fantasia. On the right is a stroller rental area alongside the Studio Photo, while on the right is the Studio Store. From there, guests enter a large soundstage, where they are immersed in 1930s Hollywood. This walkway is the World Premiere. On the right is the Hollywood Jewel Box and the Hollywood Gardens Restaurant while the Searchlight restaurant and the Mickeys of Hollywood Boutique are found on the left. The indoor area ends at a place where guest...
Read more

Disney Adventure World: Adventure Way

Image
 Going beyond World Premiere Plaza is a walkway that connects the themed lands together. It is a Victorian-style street known as Adventure Way, home to family attractions and elegant gardens. It's a celebration of Disney stories and an invitation to go on an adventure, as well as a place that makes for a scenic stroll. As they make their way down the road, guests will see two gardens. To their right is the Toy Story Garden, which transitions into the Worlds of Pixar, while on the left is the English Garden, where musical shows will play. As they go further down, they will enter the Adventure Garden on the left, home to the upcoming swing ride Wilderness Explorers Sky Swings, while on the right is the Tangled Garden, home to Raiponce Tangled Spin, a Teacups ride inspired by the lantern lagoon scene in Tangled. At the end of the street is a large lagoon, Adventure Bay, where nighttime shows play. To the left is Cafe Luminosity, a quick service restaurant. To the right is the Regal Vi...
Read more