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To the east of New Orleans Square and Critter Country lies Frontierland, one of Disneyland's original theme lands. Frontierland's pavement is a reddish-brown color to simulate the dirt streets found in western towns; also, the sidewalks are made of wood, just as those that were found in the old west. Walt Disney had a love of the "wild west", and he wanted one section of his park to reflect this important period in the shaping of America. Instead of portraying one period in American history, Frontierland is a composite of the entire western era, from the early west in St. Louis, portrayed by the Golden Horshoe Saloon, to the desert southwest, as seen in the Big Thunder Mountain area. However, these different elements are woven together so seamlessly that most guests never notice the transitions. Gentle transitions are found throughout the park. Imagine the reaction if a guest were to walk from the jungles of Africa and immediately find himself in the southwestern desert. Thanks to careful planning by the talented Imagineers, these kinds of "culture shock" are avoided. Like the rest of Disneyland, Frontierland has seen many changes since its opening. Original attractions here included a pack mule ride, a stage coach ride and a train ride through Nature's Wonderland. The pack mules were removed because of the difficulty in working with the live, stubborn animals. The stage coach ride was removed after it turned over while guests were aboard. Nature's Wonderland, which was replaced by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, featured a mine train ride through several western scenes, including mountains, deserts, and rivers. One highlight was a trip through the Rainbow Caverns. Although most of this area was removed, some of it still remains. Between Big Thunder Mountain and the Rivers of America, some of the "mountains", complete with the tunnels still through them, can be seen. From Tom Sawyer Island or one of the riverboats, guests can see the last mine train, wrecked by an avalanche and taken over by beavers. Part of the river area still remains west of Big Thunder Mountain, where the fish still jump out of the water. Rainbow Ridge, the town where the train ride began, is now the loading area for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the roller coaster also takes a trip through the Rainbow Caverns. Near the banks of the Rivers of America can be seen a large petrified tree trunk. This trunk was a gift from Walt Disney to his wife Lillian; she in turn donated it for display at Disneyland. The Golden Horshoe Saloon was once home to what the Guiness Book of World Records lists as the stage show with the most performances. The Golden Horseshoe Review was one of Walt Disney's favorite attractions; he had his own private booth so he could see the show whenever he wanted. The stars of the original show, Wally Boag, Fulton Burley, and Betty Taylor, became familiar faces to many Disneyland visitors, and all three have provided voices in other Disneyland attractions. Wally Boag, who portrayed Pecos Bill, even had cameo appearances in several Disney films, and also appeared as a guest on "The Muppet Show". Although the show has changed, the saloon hall atmosphere still remains, complete with can-can dancing girls.
The Mike Fink Keelboats once traveled the Rivers of America, taking guests past the same sights as the Mark Twain, although from a slightly different view. Mike Fink, "King of the River", and Davy Crockett, "King of the Wild Frontier", had a keelboat race down the Mississippi river in the Disney movie "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates". The boats at Disneyland, the Bertha Mae and the Gullywhumper, were the actual boats used in that movie.
Guests can also take rafts across the Rivers of America to Tom Sawyer Island. This small island features a playground, caves, a small restaurant, and a fort for guests to explore. It also boasts quiet, wooded pathways that seem much farther from civilization than they actually are. Guests were once able to fish from the docks around the island, but this practice was stopped for fear of guests trying to eat the fish they caught. Original plans called for this to be the "Mickey Mouse Club Island", but it was changed to fit in with the Frontierland theme. Guests can explore Fort Wilderness and fire rifles from its towers. There are several unusual rock formations found on the island, such as the "Teeter-Totter Rock" and the "Merry-Go- Round Rock". At nighttime, the south end of Tom Sawyer Island, as well as the water that surrounds it, becomes the stage for Fantasmic!, a show featuring fountains, fireworks, lights, lasers, live dancers, costumed characters, and a large helping of special effects, not to mention the Mark Twain and the Columbia. Fantasmic!, a show about Mickey Mouse's imagination, has proved to be so popular that the walkways around the river were terraced, giving guests a better view of the show. This complex show, performed two or three times on summer and holiday evenings, requires over 100 performers and technicians and features moments from several Disney films. Of particular note are three 30-foot screens of mist, on which film clips are projected as part of the show. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a runaway mine train ride, opened in 1978 on the old Nature's Wonderland location, and immediately became one of the most popular rides at Disneyland. This attraction offers guests more than just a roller coaster; only after several trips do guests notice many of the details. An old Indian legend says that the mountain thunders every time prospectors take gold out of the mine, which leads to the mountain's name; observant guests will notice that as the train comes out of one tunnel, thunder can be heard. The area around Big Thunder Mountain is covered with old mining equipment that Imagineers found at antique stores and flea markets across the country; one item found here is an engine used in the film "Hot Lead and Cold Feet" starring Don Knotts and Jim Dale, which was released about the same time the attraction opened. While in the waiting area, guests can hear conversations coming from the upper windows of the Rainbow Ridge buildings. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering's Tony Baxter, who later helped design such rides as Star Tours, Splash Mountain, and the Indiana Jones Adventure; Tony worked in high school selling ice cream at Disneyland before moving to Imagineering. His original proposal called for Big Thunder Mountain to be part of a new land called Discovery Bay. This area would have contained several different elements; such as an attractions based on "20,000 Leagues under the Sea" and "Island at the Top of the World". Its look was to be inspired by the works of Jules Verne and H.G. Welles, and it was to be built in the area now occupied by Big Thunder Ranch and the Fantasyland Theater. Although Discovery Bay was never built at Disneyland, Baxter and others reworked it into Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris; several items in the New Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom were also inspired by this concept. The area to the north of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the home of the Big Thunder Ranch from 1986 until 1996. This ranch housed the horses used to pull the trolleys down Main Street; it also contained a barbecue restaurant and a farmhouse exhibit with several pictures of Walt Disney and horses. Big Thunder Ranch was another quiet place where guests could go to get away from some of the more exciting adventures of Disneyland. For a time after the closing of Big Thunder Ranch, this area was the home of a show centered around the animated film "Hunchback of Notre Dame".  |
Five days before the opening of Disneyland, the Mark Twain riverboat had
its maiden voyage on July 13, 1955, for Walt and Lilian Disney's 30th
anniversary party. Despite almost sinking on Disneyland's opening day due
to overcrowding, the Mark Twain continues to provide guests with a trip around
Tom Sawyer Island on the Rivers of America. Sights along the riverbanks
include "wild" animals, a settler's burning cabin, an Indian Chief, and an
Indian village, as well as such attractions as the Haunted Mansion, Splash
Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain. Incidentally, while the decks of the
Mark Twain were built at Disneyland, the hull was built at a local shipyard,
and the two pieces fit together perfectly. Also, rumors say that the ship is
built at 5/8 scale; however, if that were so, the railings would be at knee
level. Instead of a certain scale, the Imagineers built it to proportions
that would appear normal, while keeping the overall size down from that of
an actual paddlewheeler.
If you are lucky enough to catch
it operating, another method of travel along the Rivers of America is the sailing ship
Columbia, a scaled-down replica of the first ship to sail completely around
the world; the original ship is referred to in the song "Columbia, Gem of
the Ocean". Disneyland's version of the ship, which was christened in
1957, was the first three masted windjammer to be built in the United States
in over 100 years. It was customary in ship building to put a silver dollar
under each mast; therefore, Walt Disney personally placed three silver
dollars on the ship. The Columbia, like the Mark Twain, plays an important
part in Fantasmic!, the nightime show on the Rivers of America.