Got a few books a while ago, thought i’d post the covers
Frontierland
A lot of people go to Disney World with stars in their eyes. They want Cinderella’s Castle; they want to ride Pirates of the Caribbean to get a small taste of the movies, they want to ride Space Mountain just to say they did. But the place in Magic Kingdom that I could spend endless amounts of time in…Frontierland. It has everything that I need to enjoy myself.
Characters: First off you have countrified versions of Chip and Dale. Can you think of anything cuter than two chipmunks in cowboy getups? If you can I don’t want to hear it…seriously, you may ruin my childhood. Chip and Dale are always around, sometimes near Big Al’s sometimes you just get lucky and catch them walking around.
Woody and Jesse: Toy Story is a long time fan favorite. The amount of tears brought by that trilogy could have enough water to keep Splash Mountain running for years. Not only are these two fun, but there’s hardly ever a line. Seemingly hiding right under Splash Mountain most people will walk right by them to get to the bathroom.
My next character interaction is a bit of a specialty. I’ve only ever met them (in Frontierland) during Mickey’s Christmas Party. They are the Country Bears. Perhaps my longest interaction to date I had a blast with my all time favorite Disney Characters. Big Al went out of his way to make sure this man-child was able to get as any pictures as the photographer could. (Without upsetting the other waiting guests)Live Lips McGrowl and my wife hit it off as well and attempted to walk off with her.
Character meetings are pretty essential to Disney trips, there’s just something about meeting childhood favorites. But what kind of trip would it be if you were just waiting in line to meet cartoons all day? Obviously an awesome one, BUT you need to eat don’t you?
FOOD: easily the most important thing about vacations. If you can’t eat you’re grumpier than Grumpy. (I went there) And if you’re grumpy, you’re not getting the most out of your trip. So you just got out of the Woody and Jesse line and the parade is going to make its way through momentarily and you’re starving, where do you go?
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café. This place is perfect to sit outside of and watch the parade. The menu, admittedly, isn’t that vast. But who cares?
#1 BBQ Pork Sandwich - Smoked pulled pork served with your choice of French fries or Apple Slices - $9.59
#2 1/3 Angus Cheeseburger - Served with your choice of French fries or Apple Slices - $8.69
#3 Deluxe 1/3 lb Angus Cheeseburger - Topped with Bacon, onion rings, and BBQ sauce. served with apple slices or French fries - $10.59
#4 Vegetable Burger - Served with apple slices or french fries - $7.79
#5 Ceasar Salad with Chicken - Romaine lettuce, chicken and Parmesan - $8.29
#6 Taco Salad - Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese, and Chili - $8.59
#7 Chicken Wrap - Served with French fries or Apple Slices. - $9.59
If that isn’t enough for lunch or dinner, than perhaps you should’ve gone to Epcot. This place although not that big is bigger than Westward Ho! Which seems to be being changed over to something else anyway.
ATRRACTIONS: Anyway, you’ve met the characters. You’ve eaten, you’ve digested…presumably. So what do you do now? Well the first thing I’d do is Country Bear Jamboree. Yes it’s clear that I’m a big Country Bear fan, but there is something about the Jamboree. I feel the show’s comedy still holds up, with Big Al usually getting the biggest laughs, followed closely by Trixie. The MASSIVE beauty of a bear. Buff, Max, and Melvin are your hosts hanging over the door, listen closely when you leave.
Some of your more gun ho! Kids will want to try out the Frontier Shootin’Arcade. For a quick trip into literature you can head on over to Tom Sawyer’s Island. If you’re careful with the Island you can lose a couple of hours without realizing it. But the next two attractions are the big time.
Big Thunder Mountain, it’s almost funny how people seem to miss this ride. This roller coaster always gets a louder reaction than I anticipate, mostly from teenagers. The line moves pretty quickly as it splits the closer you get to the ride itself, so don’t get turned off by the longer wait time. If you’re easily nauseated though I would probably skip this one, it can feel like one giant turn at times, and there are A LOT of ups and downs.
Splash Mountain. On our honeymoon Naomi and I took an empty morning in Magic Kingdom and rode Splash Mountain about 10 times in a row. Why? Because it’s the best ride Magic Kingdom has to offer and it’s in Frontierland! First off, yes the line will normally be pretty long for this ride. But the imagineers have added a nice ambiance so there is plenty to keep you occupied. Look out for some of the funnier props and signs that give hints and extras to the story of Splash Mountain. There is some cool animation throughout as well, which always impresses the kids. “How can they do that in REAL LIFE?” No once you’re through the line you soon find that the ride is worth it. Many false drops and mix of more animation and animatronics characters keep the rider excited and occupied, until the end of Brer Rabbit’s story where you and he take the final plunge. Those of you worried about getting wet don’t be too concerned. Yes you’ll get a little wet, but not enough to ruin your day. Unless you’re a dink.
All in all I can kill a day on Splash Mountain no problem. But a person has got to eat and take time to enjoy some of the other aspects of Frontierland. Built on the back of Davey Crockett’s popularity and Walt Disney’s ironic foresight to want to keep a close eye on the past Frontieland has something truly special that Magic Kingdom cannot do without.
Frontierland. It is here that we experience the story of our country’s past. The color, romance and drama of frontier America as it developed from wilderness trails to roads, riverboats, railroads and civilization. A tribute to the faith, courage and ingenuity of our hearty pioneers who blaze the trails and made this progress possible.
—Walter E. Disney, July 17, 1955
