The Disney’s In The Details: Frontierland

Today I am proud to present the details of Frontierland – spotlighting all the tiny details that people walk right by but that make Disney so special! Since this area is a little larger than Adventureland, I will be using a different format and talking about design elements of the land rather than a walking tour. Also, Tom Sawyer Island is not included in this post, but I can certainly feature this often forgotten section of the park if there is interest! Let’s get started! 🙂

There are two signs marking the entrance to Frontierland. They’re very different depending on where you enter from. When entering from Adventureland you will see this:

Heading into Frontierland from Liberty Square you will see this:

I’ve never understood why one is more grand than the other. I have a feeling it is because one is really a DVC booth! Regardless of how you enter you will notice the plant life changes when you enter this land. From the Adventureland side the tropical plants slowly take on a more western feel:

When entering from the Liberty Square there is more classic and lush greenery that bleeds over from the neighboring land.

However, for plant life Big Thunder Mountain takes the cake for best greenery. I have no idea what kind of plant this could possibly be but it is awesome!

Besides the plant life Frontierland does an excellent job of adding little details through posters. These are so fun to stop and read! The ones pictured below are just the tip of the iceberg. These are all over Frontierland, and I’ve only found a couple duplicates.

To set the feel in Frontierland there are many other little details throughout. Let’s start with the FastPass+ machines that were just added. While guests are still mistaking them for ATMs, that just shows how well themed they are!

Another of my favorite little touches in this area are the rocking chairs. While these offer a very obstructed view of the fireworks, I still think they are a nice, quiet spot to enjoy them. (Bonus points for spotting the poster in the background!)

While this isn’t a detail that Disney puts in the park, I don’t think Frontierland would be the same without these big birds that hang around and try to steal food. I’ve seen one swoop down and steal an entire churro!

Speaking of churros, if you’d like one in Frontierland you’ll have to get it from a little chuck wagon. Below is the one where you can get Turkey Legs. (If you look you can see the wooden sign in the shape of a turkey leg!)

Adding to the sleepy feeling of Frontierland is this cute barrel top game of checkers near the Shooting Arcade:

Other little things to notice about Frontierland are the fencing and lights. They are designed to fit right along with the theme of the land and are very different from what we saw in the Adventureland photos.

If you aren’t playing you might walk by the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom portals in Frontierland. While they stand out a bit in other lands, they blend right in with excellent theming in Frontierland!

Another unique feature of Frontierland is writing on the buildings and various crates or barrels. This gives it a great old west feel, and being a Disney nerd I can’t help but wonder if there is more significance to some of the numbers and phrases written on building and objects. If you know any fun facts about these, please leave a comment. Otherwise it might just be a question for Jim Hill!

 

Also sprinkled throughout Frontierland are some of the most interesting signs in the park! Sure, everyone has noticed the big Country Bears sign.. but has everyone seen the tiny Grizzly Hall sign just above?

What about the Big Al’s shop sign right across the street?

People are in such a rush to get that corn dog that maybe they don’t notice the really beautiful sign on top of the refreshment stand:

Speaking of refreshments – I lost count of all the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe signs, but this one is my favorite:

This very cool sign can be spotted as you are leaving Big Thunder Mountain. I have no idea where Nugget Way actually is in the park, but it has a very nice sign!

Directional signs throughout Frontierland look consistently like the one below. They are helpful and really well themed!

I think my favorite sign in all of Frontierland might just be the tiny one that marks the entrance to the train station.

While covering all these little details I would be remiss if I didn’t cover what I consider to be one of the most excellent details in all of Walt Disney World. I will call it our grand finale! Not just one – but every single portrait of the Country Bears from Grizzly Hall!

And with that our journey through the details of Frontierland has come to an end. Did we miss your favorite detail? Did you see something here you hadn’t noticed from your visits? I hope so! Let us know what you think in the comments below and tune in soon to see the details of Liberty Square!