Frontierland at Disneyland Park – What You Need to Know

1 – Overview

Frontierland, representing the “Frontiers of America,” opened as one of five original lands at Disneyland Park on July 17, 1955. The rough and tumble nature of America’s pioneer days comes to life in Frontierland’s streets and unspoiled wilderness. It’s a land of riverboats, stagecoaches, and railroads, where trappers, cowboys, farmers, and miners all traveled west to fulfill their own dreams of gold. Frontierland brings to life the natural beauty, excitement, and promise of the American West in the 1800s.

2 – What’s new

Hit the blazing trail on the Big Thunder Trail. The path offers guests a walkway between Frontierland and Fantasyland and features a rock formation where guests can relax under the shade and snap a few photos.

3 – Frontierland Attractions

Attractions in Frontierland include one Disney FastPass attraction, the thrilling Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Guests also enjoy tours around the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain Riverboat and Sailing Ship Columbia and the freedom to roam through Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Mark Twain Riverboat
• Sailing Ship Columbia
• Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
• Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition

4 – Entertainment

Editor’s Note: Fantasmic! is on hiatus until at least spring 2024.

Guests will enjoy Western-style entertainment on the stage of the Golden Horseshoe, including a performance featuring a pair of piano players who are ready to challenge one another in a good old-fashioned showdown. Disney’s longest-running and most popular nighttime spectacular, “Fantasmic!,” is a breathtaking nighttime water show on the Rivers of America. Treasured by guests, “Fantasmic!” features enhanced, awe-inspiring effects, innovative state-of-the-art projection technology, and new storytelling elements. The heart of the show remains as guests journey into Mickey Mouse’s fertile imagination as he conjures dreams of beauty, adventure, romance, and in the show’s thrilling climax, danger.

5 – Dining

Frontierland offers a variety of fare. Guests may grab lunch at The Golden Horseshoe or Stage Door Cafe for quick-service options. These two locations are also now available for guests to plan ahead and order their favorite food and beverage selections using the mobile ordering feature on the Disneyland app. Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante is the whole enchilada, serving Mexican favorites. River Belle Terrace offers comfort food with a side of riverfront views. The “Fantasmic!” dining package or the “Fantasmic!” On-The-Go packages are great options to secure dining as well as reserved viewing for the nighttime spectacular.

6 – Imaginative landscaping

Entering Frontierland, guests may notice the landscape represents a town from the Wild West, with cacti, brush, dirt, and rocks. El Zocalo Park features olive trees and bougainvillea, representing the Spanish theme of the area. Up along Frontier Trail, the landscape transitions to represent a more mountainous environment of the frontier. The petrified tree, an iconic landscape piece in Frontierland, is Lillian Disney’s gift to Disneyland.

7 – Facts & Secrets

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad celebrated its 40th anniversary on September 2, 2019.
• Three kinds of fish inhabit the Rivers of America: catfish (bottom feeders), carp (middle feeders), and mosquito eaters (top feeders).
• The Mark Twain Riverboat dates back to opening day at Disneyland: July 17, 1955. It was an “E Ticket” (top-of-the-line) attraction in the days of the A-through-E ticket books, a system that required a separate entry ticket for each attraction.
• The Sailing Ship Columbia is an exact, full-scale replica of the original Columbia Rediviva, which was the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe.
• Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition has more than 90 targets. When guests pull the trigger, the guns shoot an infrared light.
• Crockett & Russel Hat Co. has a window honoring Fess Parker, who played Davy Crockett in Walt Disney’s television show, “Davy Crockett.”
• The Golden Horseshoe is one of several original buildings in Disneyland. Walt Disney and his wife, Lillian, celebrated their 30th anniversary here with the debut performance of the original Golden Horseshoe Revue. With more than 50,000 performances logged since then, the Golden Horseshoe Revue was at one time “the world’s longest-running live stage show,” according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Disney Legend Harper Goff designed the saloon’s interior using a set design he had created for the 1953 Doris Day film “Calamity Jane.”

8 – Cast Member Tips

• Wait until the second “Fantasmic!” show for a smaller crowd. There is a great viewing spot on the bridge over Pirates of the Caribbean.
• Tom Sawyer Island provides lots of fun for young guests who explore its caves, treehouse, and swinging bridges. Several benches throughout the island provide weary adventurers with a scenic, relaxing break.
• A great Frontierland photo location is just inside the fort, as guests come through the main entrance. Navigating the Rivers of America? If you’re on the Sailing Ship Columbia, go to the bottom deck to see where the crew ate and slept. Sharp-eyed explorers can find two Hidden Mickeys on the Mark Twain Riverboat.