Frontierland is one of the themed lands at Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It is among the park's original lands.
History[]
Magic Kingdom's Frontierland opened in 1971 together with the park. The instance began with only three attractions: the Walt Disney World Railroad station, Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes (but closed in 1994), and the world debut of Country Bear Jamboree. Tom Sawyer Island opened in 1973. The northwestern end of the park was supposed to receive a massive, pavilion-style "E ticket" attraction complex known as Thunder Mesa, with the headlining attraction being Western River Expedition. However factors relating to budget, the 1970s oil shortage, and guest demand for Pirates of the Caribbean lead to this project being cancelled. The area sat empty until Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, an attraction spun off from a runaway train ride portion of the Thunder Mesa concept, opened in 1980.
Few changes would be made over the next decade. Construction of Splash Mountain began in 1991, and the western end of the land with the exception of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was demolished and rebuilt from scratch, including the existing Walt Disney World Railroad station and parade access road. Splash Mountain opened in October 1992, followed by a new two-story railroad station in 1993. Frontierland borders Adventureland on the south, Liberty Square on the east, and the Rivers of America on the north. At D23 Expo 2024, plans were unveiled for a Cars sub-area focused around off-road adventures in a new portion of the Cars universe's American wilderness, which is set to replace Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.
Design[]
Together with Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom's Frontierland is conceived as a chronological and geographical westward trip across America, with Frontierland roughly spanning from 1790 to 1880. This architectural journey through time includes:
- Early 1800s St. Louis - Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, at the border between the two lands and representing the transition between East and West.
- Mid-1800s Colorado Rockies - Country Bear Musical Jamboree's Grizzly Hall
- 1860s-1870s American Southwest - Pecos Bill's Saloon and other buildings. The corridor to Adventureland takes on more of a Mexican influence to transition into the Spanish Colonial setting of Caribbean Plaza.
- 1870s Deep South - Splash Mountain, admittedly a detour from the original design intent that had originally been planned with Thunder Mesa in mind. The Florida version of the attraction was given more of a deep red clay quality to visually blend with Big Thunder and evoke the soils of Texas. The attraction's transformation into Tiana's Bayou Adventure would shift the setting to 1920s Louisiana.
- 1880s Arizona - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, representing Monument Valley.
Attractions[]
Current[]
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (1980-)
- Grizzly Hall Theater
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree (2024-)
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure (2024-)
- Tom Sawyer Island (1973-2025)
- Walt Disney World Railroad (1971-)
Upcoming[]
- Unnamed Cars attractions
Former[]
- Grizzly Hall Theater
- Country Bear Vacation Hoedown (1986-1992 seasonal)
- Country Bear Christmas Special (1984-2005 seasonal)
- Country Bear Jamboree (1971-2012, 2012-2024)
- Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes (1971-1994)
- Splash Mountain (1992-2023)
- Frontierland Shootin' Arcade (1971-2024)
Entertainment[]
- Frontierland Band
- Frontierland Hoedown Happening
Former[]
- Tiana's Showboat Jubilee! (2009)
- Woody's Cowboy Camp
Restaurants[]
- The Diamond Horseshoe
- Golden Oak Outpost
- Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe
- Westward Ho
Former Restaurants[]
- Aunt Polly's Dockside Inn
- Mile Long Bar
Shopping[]
- Big Al's
- Frontier Trading Post
- Prairie Outpost and Supply
- Critter Co-Op
- Tiana's Bayou General
Former Shopping[]
- Briar Patch (1992-2020)
- Splashdown Photos (1992-2023)
Characters[]
Currently, the characters meetable at Frontierland are:
- Big Al, Liver Lips, Shaker, and Wendell - Normally roaming around the area
- Chip and Dale - On the Rivers of America River Walk
Trivia[]
- It was featured in The Muppets at Walt Disney World, when Fozzie Bear and his mother performed a comedy routine to get some cash.
