Description: When you think of the American Wild West then you think of wooden buildings, saloons and cowboys and that is exactly the theme of one of the most exciting areas of Disneyland Park.
Frontierland is just to the left of the castle and the huge Big Thunder Mountain Railroad dominates the area. Big Thunder is one of the most popular rides in the park and it does operate a Fastpass system to help avoid some of the queues. Big Thunder is a wild and crazy ride aboard a gold mine train that is thundering around the mountain completely out of control. The ride takes you over the mountain as well as through the mine and there are lots of clever little touches that make this more than just a roller coaster, it is also a whole visual experience. Personally I think this ride is better than the version in Orlando as there is more to see although it is not quite as good as the one at Paris that has the unique feature of actually journeying under a lake. The ride uses lap bars as restraints and does through the rider from side to side so try not to squash little ones!
After the speed of Big Thunder you can encounter the complete opposite by crossing the pathway and making you way to the Mark Twain Riverboat. This was one of the original attractions when the park opened in 1955 and was the first working riverboat that had been built for fifty years in the United Sates. The boat departs roughly every half an hour and rarely gets crowded. Passengers can wonder around the three decks and we found it very pleasant to make our way to the front of the ship and stand at the railings so we could enjoy the view. I think there were some seats on the lower deck. You set sail on a short journey (less than quarter of an hour) along the Rivers of America after the distinctive horn is sounded. The sailing comes complete with a commentary from the pre-recorded "Captain". You take in sights such as the Indian Village and the Pirate Cave on Tom Sawyer Island. We enjoyed the ride more as an opportunity to relax rather than because it was particularly interesting although it has nice historical value.
During high season there is also a fully rigged Sailing Ship, Columbia, sailing the Rivers of America but unfortunately we didn’t get chance to sail on her but she is a beautiful looking ship.
Children in particular will love a trip across to Tom Sawyers Island. Designed by Walt himself after he had trouble explaining his idea to his Imagineers it is a wonderful Adventure area. To reach it you need to catch a raft which deposits you at the Pirates lair. There children can run around and find all the secret places whilst parents follow dutifully behind. It feels miles away from the hustle and bustle of the park and it is a great place to head for in the afternoon when the young ones are getting a bit fed up of standing in lines.
Budding cowboys can try their shooting skills at the Frontierland Shootin’ exposition. A couple of Quarters gets you the opportunity to use a shotgun on a number of different targets. If you hit them successfully you activate some sort of reaction such as hitting the mine entrance and causing an explosion.
Walking around the back of Big Thunder Mountain will bring you to Fantasyland. We found that this path tended to be very quiet and if you take your time you are guaranteed to see frogs and fish jumping in the waterways alongside with just a hint of Disney Magic. This walkway is also the location of the all-you-can eat Table Service Barbecue which also has entertainment. The walkway itself also played host to some singers whilst we were there.
Frontierland is quite compact but it has brilliant theming and it incorporates a few restaurants that fit in well with the theme too, especially The Golden Horseshoe saloon. Since it contains one of Disney’s Mountains it is always busy but quiet area can be found too so it certainly adds a lot to a day at Disneyland.
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