As you move your way through Adventureland, you soon find yourself going back in time to Frontierland. When it first opened in 1971, this area of the Magic Kingdom only had three attractions: The Walt Disney World Railroad, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes (those ended back in 1994), and the Country Bear Jamboree. Then, two years later, Tom Sawyer Island opened. Not much else happened until 1980 when the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened, followed 11 years later by Splash Mountain.
So all told, there isn’t a ton of things to do here. Granted, Big Thunder & Splash Mountain are two of the most popular attractions in the park, but once you remove those two from the picture then you really just have an area to walk around a bit.
For my money, the best attraction here is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The line-ups are usually long, but this is a great way to ride a roller coaster without actually being on a roller coaster. I mean, it’s an indoor/outdoor roller coaster that’s meant to portray an out-of-control mine train, but it doesn’t have super speed or does it contain any loops or anything. It is definitely a thrill ride with some small drops thrown in for good measure, but kids 40 inches or taller can go on and enjoy a heckuva ride. This is definitely one I would consider for a Fast Pass if I wasn’t there early, as lines can easily reach an hour before noon.
The other fun attraction is Splash Mountain.
Before you get too excited, though, know that this isn’t a mile-a-minute log flume ride. This is a primarily indoor, slow-moving log flume ride that features characters and songs from Disney’s 1946 movie, Song of the South. Your children will probably want to at least be familiar with the exploits of Br’er Bear, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Rabbit prior to going on this ride or else they aren’t going to have much of an idea of what’s going on. Because of the slow nature of this ride (with the exception of a couple of big drops that might get you and your party wet), the lines form pretty quickly on this attraction, too. Similar to Big Mountain, kids need to be at least 40 inches tall. This is a cute ride, but I don’t know if I’d waste a Fast Pass on it or not. I guess it depends on where it ranks on your “must ride” list. It’s not at the top of mine…but I wouldn’t mind waiting 20 minutes or so to enjoy it.
Finally, the only other real attraction worth attending in Frontierland is the Country Bear Jamboree.
Basically, this is a stage show with animatronic bears who perform country music. They rise up out of the stage, appear from behind curtains, descend from the ceiling, and even interact with animal heads that are mounted on the walls of the auditorium. I gotta be honest…I saw this show when I was a child and absolutely loved it. I saw the show back in 2006 and was extremely disappointed…nothing had changed at all, including the sound quality of the auditorium! I could “bearly” hear anything and it all looked so extremely cheesy…it just didn’t turn my crank. I wouldn’t even consider going back to this again with my kids but I read that the attraction got a complete overhaul in 2012 with all of the characters receiving new fur, skin, and costumes. In addition, a couple of songs were removed and the show is 4-5 minutes shorter than the original version. Because of this, I’d consider going with the kids if we were doing well on time. You won’t find too much of a line-up or a wait for this one.
If you’re looking to take a breather, you can jump on the Walt Disney World Railroad, which circles the entire park and has stations in Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Main Street USA. This doesn’t do anything for me, but if you’re looking to relax then this steam-powered train will do the trick for you.
The great thing about Frontierland is the availability of food. And by the time you’ve made your way though Main Street USA and Adventureland, your kids are probably feeling a little snack-ish. There are food carts serving turkey legs and hot dogs, the Golden Oak Outpost (which is a take-out location that offers chicken nuggets and fried chicken breast sandwiches), and Westward Ho Refreshments (they offer corn dogs & French fries).
The Diamond Horseshoe is a quick-service table-service restaurant that features sandwiches and salads. It’s not a large menu as the idea is to feed you and get you back out to enjoy the park. Still, it’s a very popular eatery and you might run into line-ups.
The Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café is another quick-service table-service restaurant. This one features burgers, BBQ pork, chicken, steak, and ribs.
All in all, between the slow-line attractions and the food availability, you could find yourself in Frontierland for longer than you anticipated. My advice? If you’re not hungry and just want to hit the rides, use one or two Fast Passes and try to get through the area as quickly as possible. There is so much to see at the Magic Kingdom that you won’t want to waste time doing things you could be doing elsewhere.
Next stop? Liberty Square!!
To Travel Or Not 