Disney's Ghost Town

When you enter Frontierland who doesn't feel like a cowboy? You pass through the fort entrance and visit another time and place. Too bad there isn't a little more to it.

Big Thunder Mountain, Mark Twain Steamboat and what? The Frontierland Shootin' Exposition? Why are there constant rumors about Tomorrowland and needing to add attractions when Frontierland hasn't had an addition since 1979? It is hard to count the Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island as an update to Frontierland when it makes the island more a part of New Orleans Square than anything else.


It is not like there isn't plenty of room to place a new attraction. Festival of Fools arena hasn't been used in years for anything but private events. Big Thunder Ranch will be open again next month for HalloweenTime and then it will go back into hiding. Why not use this space for something that can be open all year and give people a reason to use the trail between Frontierland and Fantasyland for something other than a place to puff a cigarette.


Disneyland is in a great place for a Frontierland attraction with Tony Baxter as the head Imagineer over the park. As the person most responsible for both Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain he has proven that he can design great attractions that fit well into Frontierland. He should cement his status as a future Disney Legend and give us an attraction or two in Frontierland.

What would you like to see in Frontierland? Would you prefer a thrill ride, a dark ride, a movie tie in, an original story, or a grand pageant like Pirates of the Caribbean? I don't think a Disney park will ever see the Western River Expedition but it would be great to get something similar to that. I would hope for a water based attraction loaded with animatronics. Something that tells the history of the west or like Pirates just moves you from scene to scene depicting life in the old west. Another ride capable of eating 3000 people per hour would make the busy days of summer a lot more bearable.


While rumors continue to swirl about a new E-ticket for Tomorrowland I will continue to hope for a west side addition. Maybe someday the dreams will become reality and Frontierland will finally get the attention it deserves.

Big Thunder Mesa

One of my earliest memories of Disneyland is being bribed to ride Big Thunder Mountain with my mom. I was four and scared out of my mind. My parents bought me a leather vest with a sheriff star and matching chaps. I know I didn't want to get on that day even after they had bribed me but now you can't keep me away.

Big Thunder is the first roller coaster that I ever rode. I believe for that reason it hold a special place with me. I can't help but think I missed out on though. I grew up watching old Disneyland specials on the Disney Channel and I always wished I could have ridden a donkey or taken the Mine Train through Natures Wonderland. When you hear that the Big Thunder concept came from a runaway train that was going to be housed on the show building for Western River Expedition you have to wonder what might have been. Yet this attraction will always be a classic.

Big Thunder takes you to another time. At Disneyland while you are in the queue you can hear the town in the buildings above you. Having the train wrap around the queue only serves to help make you feel separated from the rest of the park. I would like to know who doesn't smile when they are told to hang on to their hats and glasses. You whisk around goats, under waterfalls, and through collapsing caverns. You do all of this under a spectacular mountain and in an area in the middle of the park.

Frontierland doesn't have many attractions. At this time I think it may be down to just Big Thunder and the Mark Twain (I don't count the Shooting Arcade). It is still one of my very favorite areas of Disneyland. You can escape the crowds of Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Adventureland right here. And while you are visiting the old west what could be better than a train ride through a mountain?

If everything I have learned researching Thunder Mesa and Western River Expedition are true then I would have loved to see this attraction come to life. I can hold out hope that they will bring back the huge experience rides like Pirates and the Haunted Mansion. If they ever decide to use the Big Thunder Ranch for something other than private parties I would love to see a grand attraction there. The old west has so many stories and tall tales you could have blast visiting the old cowboys.


I have heard rumors of an E-ticket attraction being planned for Disney's California Adventure that would be similar to the Western River Expedition. I don't really believe them but that can't stop me from dreaming. I don't know if I am the only person that would be thrilled with more animatronics, but I think they are a huge part of what sets Disney apart from other theme parks. I believe this would make a great addition to Disney's California Adventure. Other than Hopper in It's Tough to Be a Bug, they don't really have any animatronics in the whole park. It would be great to see more over there. I would hope that $1,000,000,000 will buy a couple in the next few years. With a little luck we will get to board a boat and take a river ride through western mining towns. With a lot of luck we will get to board a boat and take a long river ride through western mining towns.