Attractions in the Magic Kingdom's Frontierland in Disney World

Posted by Jennifer Blaske on July 19th, 2019

Frontierland is a section of Disney World's Magic Kingdom, located to the left of Main Street and the Cinderella Castle as you enter the park, and between Adventureland and Liberty Square.

The land is themed to be like the American Old West of the 1800's, with restaurants and attractions that allude to cowboys, saloons, and gold rushes.


Frontierland has five major attractions, two of which are family favorites for us.

1. Big Thunder Mountain
This is a roller coaster with a Mine Train theme, and one of my family's favorite rides. The theming is both fun and intricate, and the ride itself is exhilerating without being frightening or causing you to lose your lunch. (Although I'm sure that there are those who would disagree with me.) We ride it at twice on every visit.

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2. Splash Mountain
This is another family favorite. If you're not familiar with it, it may appear to be just another log flume ride -- which would be enjoyable in itself -- but what makes this ride really shine is the music and characters, based on the stories of B'rer Rabbit, that you ride through before the part of the ride that you can view from the outside.

It's funny -- when I think of how to describe this ride, I want to say, "It's just happy." And the plunge at the end (where you may get a little wet, very wet, or not wet at all) is a great way to end it.

3. Tom Sawyer Island
My husband is the one who introduced me to this attraction, and I'm really glad he did.

Part of the reason Tom Sawyer's Island is so neat is that it's unlike anything else in the Magic Kingdom. It's not a ride. It's not a show. It's more of an "escape." You take a relaxing raft ride (yeah, okay, so that part kinda is a ride) to the island, which has caves, paths, and a tipsy barrel bridge to cross. It's a great way to get away from the "theme park experience" of crowds, pavement, and standing in line. Some people actually pack a lunch and spend a couple hours there. In what other Magic Kingdom attraction is that even possible?

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4. Country Bear Jamboree
This is a classic ride that has been around since 1971 when the park first opened. It has evolved into a ride that has a small cult following, but that many people like to make fun of -- if they remember to think about it at all.

This isn't a ride, but rather a show hosted by audio-animatronic bears playing country music. They sing songs, tell corny jokes, and interact with animal heads that are mounted on the walls.

We haven't been to this attraction in over twelve years. I remember thinking it was fine, but nothing I would knock myself out to see again.

One plus to this attraction -- which sounds like an insult, but isn't -- is that it's a great place to sit in an air conditioned room for a while when you're hot and tired in the middle of the day. It also has the advantage of being an attraction for all ages.

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5. Walt Disney World Railroad

Whoops, I almost forgot this one! We always get on the railroad at the Main Street station, so I don't think of it as a Frontierland ride.

This train has a loop of 1.5 miles around the park, although you can get off at any of the three stations that you like. (We usually get on at Main Street, ride through Frontierland, and get off in Fantasyland.)

It's a nice change of pace from racing to the back of the park, especially if you want to give your feet a break. And it was extra fun when my son was little and crazy about trains!

And that's your tour of Frontierland! There's not a lot there, compared to Fantasyland, but it's got some really quality attractions, in my opinion, that will keep your family busy and happy for quite

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Jennifer Blaske

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Jennifer Blaske
Joined: April 20th, 2019
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