Disney Park Comparison: August 2023

1. DISNEYLAND

FRONTIERLAND - OPENED: JULY 17, 1955

Frontierland is one of the five original lands of Disneyland. It is a romanticized version to the Old West or the American Expansion from the 1770’s to the 1880’s.

From the hub, you enter Frontierland through a Fort-styled gate to find yourself in the heart of the Old West Town with all the Hollywood Western ingredients: the typical wooden façades of the shops and restaurants, including a saloon. Imagineers used the same forced perspective technique as for Main Street. On the right sits Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante, adding a touch of Spanish colonial architecture to Frontierland.

On opening day, Frontierland was bigger than today, with more open spaces and a range of small-scale transportation attractions like a Conestoga wagon, a stagecoach, and pack mules. The weenie in Frontierland was Mark Twain Riverboat sailing the Rivers of America, the only opening day attraction of this land still operating. It is a replica of an actual stern-wheeler built on a smaller scale and named after Mark Twain since his writings are the inspiration for modern day river boat cruises. Since 1958 a second vessel sails the rivers of America: Sailing Ship Columbia, a full-scale replica of the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe. This attraction is found only at Disneyland. The rivers reflect: the Mississippi, the Columbia, the Missouri, and the Rio Grande.

The adventurous Tom Sawyer’s Island is found in the middle of the rivers. It got a Pirate re-theming in 2007. Although thematically inconsistent with the Old West, given the huge popularity of the Pirate franchise and since there is no space available in the more Pirate-like zones of the park, it is an understandable choice since it is hidden from the rest of the land.

On the right side, the landscape is dominated by one of Disney’s most iconic rides: Big Thunder Mountain (BTM) Railroad. It opened in 1979 as Frontierland’s first blockbuster ride. The idea came from a never-built Magic Kingdom complex, including many attractions (see further). This huge pavilion was scrapped but Imagineer Tony Baxter proposed to use the mine train part of it as a single ride. And so BTM was born, opening one year prior to Magic Kingdom’s version. The rock work is based on the tent rocks from Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park. This is one of Disney’s first rides to use Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software.

The dinner show restaurant The Golden Horseshoe Saloon’s interior is designed by Imagineer Harper Goff, who also worked on Main Street and the Western movie Calamity Jane. The white painted interior is themed after typical New York theatres. John De Cuir painted the scenic backdrop in the style of Toulouse-Lautrec including circus artists and can-can girls.

During the early years of Disneyland, an Indian Village was located on the west side of the Rivers of America. The still operating attraction Indian War Canoes was part of this section. And although the canoes were renamed Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes after the ‘King of the Wild Frontier’ Davy Crockett, they became a part of a different land: Critter Country (see separate comparison). The boisterous Davy Crockett was the star of Frontierland during the early decades due to the hugely popular Disney mini-series. Thus, this attraction feels more at home in Frontierland rather than in Critter Country.

The borders of Frontierland, New Orleans Square, and Critter Country are unclear, luckily these lands blend well around the Rivers of America.

2. MAGIC KINGDOM

FRONTIERLAND - OPENED: OCTOBER 1, 1971

The overall look and theme of Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland is very similar to Disneyland’s. It opened together with the grand opening of Magic Kingdom. Frontierland shares the Rivers of America with a second land: Liberty Square (see separate comparison).

On opening day Frontierland had only 3 attractions: Frontierland Station, Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes and one new attraction: the Country Bear Jamboree. This attraction, designed by Disney legend Marc Davis, came from an earlier idea for a never built recreation park in Mineral King. Its show building, named Grizzly Hall is designed as a Northwoods union hall. Further to the west sits the restaurant Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café. The main façade is styled as a typical Old West Saloon. The back of the large restaurant features different Pueblo-styled façades, as seen in the Southwestern States. Thereby it forms a smooth transition towards the somewhat similar Caribbean Plaza in Adventureland.

The part to the west of Rivers of America was preserved for a massive expansion called Thunder Mesa, including a runaway mine train, a canoe ride and a large-scale flume ride known as Western River Expedition. This would be the Old West counterpart to the Pirates of the Caribbean flume ride that Magic Kingdom did not have. Since the Pirates ride was so popular in Disneyland, guests were surprised to find out Magic Kingdom did not feature it, so it was built anyway. Another flume ride seemed redundant and so the Western River Expedition, along with the whole project, was scrapped.

In 1980, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was built on this vacant land. The theme is slightly different than the previous version. The overall structure is bigger, and the rock work is based on the brighter colored mountains of Monument Valley in Arizona.

Splash Mountain, a second large-scale attraction opened in 1992 next to BTM. This attraction was also built first in Disneyland, but in a different land. In Magic Kingdom the setting and the theming of the now closed ride was a bit odd and didn’t blend smoothly with the overall Old West theming. Now, this ride is getting a makeover and will be themed to The Princess and the Frog. It will likely remain inconsistent thematically, but it is too early to judge this just yet.

Tom Sawyer Island, similar to the original version of Disneyland, opened here in 1973. Liberty Belle Riverboat, resembling the Mark Twain Riverboat circumnavigates the island, but is considered a part of Liberty Square.

Although the overall experience is quite appealing, the presence of the Country Bear Jamboree, Pecos Bill, and Splash Mountain, make this version of Frontierland a bit less realistic, but quite appealing towards children.

3. TOKYO DISNEYLAND

WESTERNLAND - OPENED: APRIL 15, 1983

In Japanese history nothing resembles the American frontier, making the term ‘frontier’ unknown. Therefore, the land is called Westernland here, easily understandable as Hollywood’s version of the Wild West.

This land resembles Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland most with copies of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Country Bear Theater, and the Diamond Horseshoe Revue. Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes was an opening day attraction in this land but like in Disneyland it became part of Critter Country once Splash Mountain opened.

The building for the riverboat landing is a copy of Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square version. Tokyo Disneyland features even more Liberty Square influences like the Haunted Mansion, located in Fantasyland here, but envisioned as a part of Westernland in the earlier presentations. The mansion is actually situated at almost the same spot as in Magic Kingdom. With this, Tokyo has a little Liberty Square area between Westernland and Fantasyland, just like the little New Orleans Square area between World Bazaar and Adventureland.

Although it is a decent land, it lacks originality, featuring only copies of the American counterparts. Here, the open spaces are quite noticeable and create odd transitions between the lands. The Diamond Horseshoe is very close to the hub and is also just in front of Snow White’s Grotto. The restaurant Captain Hook’s Galley at the back of Fantasyland is visually a part of Westernland.

4. DISNEYLAND PARIS

FRONTIERLAND - OPENED: APRIL 12, 1992

The Far West, with its Cowboys, Indians, and the thrilling gold rush, is a universe that Europeans dream of and know through hugely popular Western films and television series. Davy Crockett and Zorro were still very popular in Europe in the 1990’s. This version of Frontierland needed to be vivid, right into the action, more Wild West than Old West. This is the first version to have an elaborate backstory, creating a link between every aspect of the land. Although the name Westernland appeared in earlier plans, the name Frontierland was chosen eventually.

Jeff Burke, artistic director for the land explains that Big Thunder Mountain was to be the centerpiece of this land, placed on the island in the in the middle of the Rivers of the Far West, as they are called here. Tom Sawyer is a lesser-known figure, and so his island was scrapped. The rivers here reflect different rivers namely the Rio Grande, the Colorado, and the Sacramento. Mark Twain is just one of the two riverboats. The second is named Molly Brown, named after the Titanic survivor. This is the only sidewheeler present in a Disney park.

Early on, the plans to include New Orleans Square in Europe were scrapped, and so the Haunted Mansion got a home in Frontierland. It was renamed Phantom Manor because this would be better understood in multiple European languages. Another key change was its exterior. Walt Disney insisted on a ‘clean’ version on the outside for Disneyland, but this version on the other hand was made dirty and spooky, simply to be recognizable beyond the language barrier. The façade is a ruined version of a Second Empire Mansion, partly inspired by the Fourth Ward School in Virginia, but also resembling an original 1950s Harper Goff drawing for an unrealized residential expansion to Main Street. The ride itself is adapted to fit the Wild West theme and even includes some scenes inspired by the unbuilt Magic Kingdom’s Western River Expedition.

The town is named Thunder Mesa, another homage to the previously mentioned flume ride. It is bigger and more detailed than the American counterparts. From the hub, you enter the town through a fort like in Disneyland. Here the fort is elaborated into a walkthrough attraction, named Fort Comstock. The Lucky Nugget Saloon is a copy of Disneyland’s saloon, but rather than the white paint, it has a warmer, more natural patina.

On the hub, to the right in front of the fort, the story already begins with a Native American encampment showcasing many artefacts and portraying them as peaceful traders.

To the right sits a unique Spanish/ Mexican section including Casa de Coco - Restaurante de la Familia, a restaurant built as a traditional four-sided hacienda and themed after the film Coco.

The whole northwest section of Frontierland is dedicated to the country life of the farmers and their families living peacefully out of town. They meet in the impressive Cottonwood Creek Ranch. The windmill next to it is an authentic artefact, used some 150 years ago. It was gathered, along with every single prop on display in Frontierland by legendary Disney Imagineer Pat Burke. He collected all the props for the previous versions too, but never before so many as for Europe, contributing to the realism of the whole.

In 1995 Frontierland received its only additional experience to date, namely the Chaparral Theater. Right behind the theater land is preserved for a Wild West version of Splash Mountain. Due to budget reasons and because of the cold winter season, this never happened. Frontierland, like the rest of Disneyland Paris, could use some new attractions.

That said, this is the most immersive version of Frontierland. And since Europeans apparently love the Wild West so much, it does not end here. In Disney Village the dinner-show spectacle Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show ran for 28 years, and 3 of the resort’s hotels further expand the theme. Hotel Cheyenne is themed as an Old West Town, Hotel Santa Fe features pueblo styled Southwestern architecture, and the campground is named Davy Crockett Ranch, after the ‘King of the Wild Frontier’.

5. HONG KONG DISNEYLAND

GRIZZLY GULCH - OPENED: JULY 12, 2012

Hong Kong’s version of Frontierland is called Grizzly Gulch. Contrary to the others, this land dit not open with the resort in 2005. It opened seven years later, on the outside border west of Adventureland. Although Frontierland was once announced as one of the opening day lands, this did not happen.

Grizzly Gulch is a booming Californian town founded on August 8, 1888, the luckiest day of the luckiest month of the luckiest year. (The number 8 is considered lucky according to Feng Shui.) Set during the gold rush, keeping some typical Frontierland styled buildings like the Lucky Nugget Saloon, but with an ursine twist to the whole.

The land is shaped around its one key attraction: Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, a multidirectional coaster, using the same rides system Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The mountain is inspired by the Vasquez Rocks in California and this ride is Hong Kong’s counterpart to Big Thunder Mountain. With an updated system, the overall experience is more exhilarating.

Adjacent Big Grizzly Mountain is Geyser Gulch, a small play area where guests can get wet. The rest of the town resembles a mini version of Frontierland with a Lucky Nugget Saloon as a quick service restaurant. This version is a cleaner version, using brighter colors than the previous Frontierlands. Less realistic, but probably more appealing this way to the local visitors.

6. SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND

Shanghai Disneyland does not have a Frontierland but features the unique Treasure Cove instead (see separate comparison).

(click image to enlarge)

FINAL THOUGHTS

Hong Kong has the most unique, but also the smallest version, and has thereby little to offer apart from it’s one signature attraction.

Tokyo, Anaheim and Florida feature Frontierlands that are quite similar, all featuring a nice range of well themed attractions and restaurants. Anaheim and Florida both have a unique Spanish influenced restaurant, but only Anaheim has the Sailing Ship Columbia as a plus.

Paris has the largest as well as the most immersive version of Frontierland. It has the best version of Big Thunder Mountain, and it is the only one to include Phantom Manor and the large country life section.

BEST FRONTIERLAND: Disneyland Paris

Disney Park Comparison

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Comparing every Frontierland