Disneyland Frontierland History: Davy Crockett, Big Thunder Mountain and Lost Attractions (Ep. 29)

Jim Hill and Len Testa explore the history of Disneyland’s Frontierland, from its opening during America’s television-western craze to Disney’s efforts to keep the land relevant as interest shifted toward the Space Age. They revisit Davy Crockett merchandise, staged gunfights, the Golden Horseshoe Revue, Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, and the operational challenges of Disneyland’s earliest animal-powered attractions. Jim also explains how Big Thunder Mountain Railroad emerged from the unrealized Western River Expedition and examines ambitious expansion concepts involving Disney legends, Jules Verne inventions, Indiana Jones, Toy Story, and Oz. Recorded live at Disneyland, this episode reveals how Frontierland repeatedly reinvented the mythology of the American West.

Original Air Date: December 11, 2012
Original Title: Disneyland's Frontierland

HIGHLIGHTS

• How Disneyland’s Frontierland opened at the height of America’s fascination with television westerns and frontier heroes.

• Why the popularity of Disney’s Davy Crockett programs made coonskin caps one of Disneyland’s earliest merchandise sensations.

• The Frontierland appearances of Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, Guy Williams, Davy Crockett, and Zorro.

• How staged gunfights and rooftop chases brought an idealized version of the Old West to Disneyland’s streets.

• Why the Golden Horseshoe Revue became one of Walt Disney’s favorite attractions and a regular stop for his distinguished guests.

• Wally Boag’s long association with the Golden Horseshoe and Walt’s encouragement during contract negotiations.

• How performers Wally Boag, Betty Taylor, and Fulton Burley helped shape Disneyland entertainment far beyond Frontierland.

• The backstage route Wally Boag used to travel from his Main Street dressing room to the Golden Horseshoe stage.

• How Walt encouraged creative competition among Imagineers such as Marc Davis and Claude Coats.

• Why Marc Davis was asked to add humor and stronger storytelling to the Jungle Cruise and Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland.

• The original Frontierland stagecoaches, buckboards, horses, and burros that supplied movement and Old West atmosphere.

• Why Disneyland removed the stagecoach after operational problems and a serious accident exposed the risks of using authentic vehicles.

• The frightened burro that refused to pass an artificial mountain lion inside Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland.

• How the rise of the Space Age and declining popularity of television westerns caused Frontierland to lose some of its original appeal.

• The aging Audio-Animatronics and limited movement that made Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland appear outdated beside newer Disneyland attractions.

• How Disney’s unrealized Western River Expedition for Walt Disney World helped inspire Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

• Tony Baxter’s decision to separate the runaway mine train concept from Western River Expedition and develop it as its own attraction.

• Why Big Thunder Mountain supplied Frontierland with the major thrill ride and hourly capacity the land needed.

• The surviving tunnel and landscape elements from Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland that remain near Big Thunder Mountain.

• How old Audio-Animatronic animals were reportedly buried beneath the expanded Big Thunder Mountain landscape.

• The proposed Rivers of American Legends overlay featuring Paul Bunyan, John Henry, Pecos Bill, and other figures from American folklore.

• Why the Mark Twain Riverboat’s long, passive journey became less appealing to guests focused on maximizing their attraction count.

• Tony Baxter’s unrealized Dumbo’s Circus expansion and its proposed Mickey Mouse fun house, Disney circus show, and aerial balloon ride.

• How the balloon attraction would have connected Dumbo’s Circus to the proposed Discovery Bay expansion.

• Discovery Bay’s planned community of inventors, Jules Verne atmosphere, and connection to the fictional mining engineer Jason Chandler.

• The proposed full-size Nautilus, upscale restaurant, and underwater simulator attraction inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

• How the Island at the Top of the World attraction would have carried guests aboard the Hyperion through Peter Pan-style suspended scenes.

• Why the disappointing performance of The Island at the Top of the World prevented Discovery Bay from moving forward.

• Other concepts considered for the Big Thunder Ranch expansion area, including a Young Indiana Jones stunt show and a Toy Story-themed land.

• Disney’s expectations for Oz the Great and Powerful and the preliminary plans for an Oz-themed Disneyland expansion.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia - jimhillmedia.com

• Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social - Instagram: @len.testa - touringplans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by: Len Testa

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices