Step Off The Tracks

Walking around Frontierland in Disneyland Paris can be dangerous enough, watching out for the horses and cowboys, but now it appears we have to watch out for the mine tracks too!

Yup, just be sure to look both ways when you cross them there tracks!

We don't want a runaway mine train knocking us down - I hear they can be a real problem...

Need Your Bones Set?

Frontierland in Disneyland Paris is just as full of hidden treasures as anywhere else in the resort. Although this one, situated at the Last Chance Cafe, may be a different kind of treasure...

As you can see, Doc Holliday specialises in some, well, cowboy related injuries and ailments.

Doc Holliday

Bones Set

Bullets Removed

Open Until Six O'Clock

After Hours Inquire At Saloon

Hopefully we won't need to visit this doctor on our visit to Frontierland!

A Welcome To The End

To round off the previous ten days, or so, of fun (and frightening!) in Frontierland, I thought it would be nice to remind us of the beautiful plaque which welcomes all to Frontierland.

The frontier of the Far West

was a ragged landscape

of great expectations and grand illusions,

where dreams rode wild,

and simple lives became legends.

As you pass through these gates,

follow the footsteps of the pioneers...

and dream.

Welcome to FRONTIERLAND

A Frontier Welcome

Frontierland in Disneyland Paris has a small nod of welcome to the area, in the form of a plaque. And if you're a regular to DF'82, you will know just how much this Princess adores plaques and signs from the Disney Theme Parks!

Often overlooked by many guests, the plaque reads as follows (in English, and French):

The frontier of the Far West

was a rugged landscape

of great expectations and grand illusions,

where dreams rode wild,

and simple lives became legends.

As you pass through these gates,

follow the footsteps of the pioneers...

and dream.

Welcome to FRONTIERLAND

Creating a Stink

Disneyland Paris has an exciting area named Woody's Round-Up Village, in Frontierland. A place where you can meet some of the Toy Story characters, as well as other Disney characters in their Frontierland outfits!

And if you're lucky - or maybe unlucky, depending on your point of view - you could end up just another Stinky Pete collectible!

Complete with gold, dynamite and gunpowder!

Visit A New Frontier

If you visit Parc Disneyland in Paris during one of their Early Mornings, especially for hotel guests, you will be greeted with Discoveryland and Fantasyland to explore. Frontierland, however, remains a thing of mystery...

Closed to all until the very last minute - Thunder Mesa cheekily sneaking up behind the closed gates!

Thundering Goods

Heading over to Frontierland in Disneyland Paris,it's time for us to purchase some goods. But where should we go just to get some general items?

We should visit the Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building, where the Bonanza Outfitters are situated.

Perhaps the Bonanza in the stores' name relates to the long-running American Western TV series of the same name. Anyhow, as you can see, we can obtain some general and dry goods from the Outfitters.

Yeehaw!

Hairy Times

If you are visiting Frontierland, over in Parc Disneyland, Paris, and are in need of some special, um, hair treatments, look no further than Hall's.

It's Effect Is Miraculous

Hall's

Vegetable Scilian

Hair Renewer

From the before and after shots, we can tell that is a product that can make you younger, more handsome, and hairier! Plus, it is available at the Thunder Mesa Apothecary. Maybe I will pay a visit...father's day is coming up, after all!

Need Some Medicine?

If you are out and about in Frontierland, Disneyland Paris, and you suddenly find yourself in need of a doctor, look no further than Doc Wassell's! Whether it is a tonic you are after, or something for an ailment, this is somewhere that you will surely find something to help you on your way to full health.
Some of the items of 'Good Medicine for Good People' are:

Miss J. M. Kerry's Vegetable Coolpound for health and vitality

or

Prof. Arthur's London Tonic for the Treatments of aches

There are 'Miracle Cutes for All Ailments' with 'Efficacy Guaranteed or Your Money Returned'.

You will easily be able to spot Doc Wassell's cart:

Indian Remedies Snake Oil Boot Pills
Retailer of the Acclaimed INDIAN SAGWA
a renovator of the blood, liver, stomach and kidneys

And possibly the most interesting quote of them all:

Use for Men or Beast

When The Bell Sounds

Frontierland, in Parc Disneyland, Paris, is a successful mining town, which is still operating today. The mine trains on Big Thunder Mountain take you through some of these mines, albeit with a sense of mystery and intrigue as they are 'runaway' of sorts.

However, when spending time in Thunder Mesa itself, it is important to take heed of any safety instructions or notices that are posted. Such as this one, for those who may be working in or around the mines themselves.


Code of Mine Signals
Signal Bells
1 Bell Hoist, 1 Bell Stop (if in motion)
2 Bells lower men, 3 Bells hoist men
4 Bells blasting signal,; engineer must answer by raising cage or bucket a few feet and letting it back slowly.
Then 1 Bell hoist men away from blast.
5 Bells steam on, 6 Bells steam off.
7 Bells air on, 8 Bells air off. 3-2-2 down drills, 3-2-3 send down pick.
9 Bells danger signal (case of fire or other danger), then ring number of station where danger exists. No person shall ring any signal bell except the station tender, except in case of danger, or when the main shaft is being sunk. Engineers must slow up when passing stations when men are on the cage.

For Life And Death

If you are in Frontierland and happen to need something for your house to hold your personal belongings, such as a cabinet or wardrobe, you can pop along to J. Nutterville Cabinet Maker.
As you can see from the sign, however, Nutterville is also an undertaker! So perhaps while you're there choosing something for your living space, you can also pick out something for the future. That's multi-tasking!

A Quick Bite At Fuente del Oro

As you travel through Frontierland in Parc Disneyland, Paris, heading towards Adventureland, the feeling of the area becomes more Mexican than Wild West, and this is reflected in one of the counter service restaurants where we can have a quick bite to eat!

Fuente del Oro (Fountain of Gold) has a strong Mexican theme, serving Tex-Mex style food. Dishes featuring chilli con carne, tacos and fajitas.

The restaurant is open almost all year round, with no obvious high or low season differences (although it may close one day a week in the low season). It can, however, get very busy during peak lunch hours, but it is a delightful place to eat! Inside you can enjoy the beautiful Mexican and Spanish style murals, and with outdoor seating you can also enjoy the views and the screams of Big Thunder Mountain!

This Is Not Your Normal Wild West

When Disneyland Paris was born, there were many challenges that faced the Imagineers who were in charge. They had to figure out what the guests would want to see, and where they would want to travel when they entered the park.
The environment Disney was entering by building Euro Disney was very different to that of Florida or California. This meant that decisions had to be taken as to how the Lands of the Park would be conceived. Frontierland was a relatively easy decision, as described by Imagineer Tony Baxter in the Art of Walt Disney.

"Rethinking the Old West, for example, Walt has visualised it as an idyllic, pastoral Mississippi River landscape, where two boys - Tom and Huck - could run away to an island... But Europeans are looking for something completely different. They take serenity and pastoral beauty for granted. When they think of the Old West, they think of the wild West. An exciting energetic place. We realised that our EuroDisney Frontierland would have to reflect that."

The Art of Walt Disney, Christopher Finch, p441

This reflects why there is no Tom and Huck island in Paris's Frontierland, and why one of the main thrill rides of the Park is situated in this land. It also explains the differences in the Haunted Mansion, or Phantom Manor, as we have discussed previously on this blog. As Tony Baxter continues:

"A sinister, Western land-baron style...and we changed the ride itself so that instead of ending in a Gothic graveyard it ends in a California ghost town, with coyotes baying at the moon and ghost riders in the sky"

The Art of Walt Disney, p443

Shopping in the Wild Frontier

As we found out two days ago, even the shops at Parc Disneyland , Paris have theming spread throughout them. In just one of the many ways Imagineers never want us to forget that we are in a world of fantasy.

One of the shops in Frontierland, Disneyland Paris, is Tobias Norton and Sons Frontier Traders. A fun leather goods shop, themed like the merchants of the Wild, Wild West.
Of course, the theming of the shop doesn't just stop at its goods and facade, but the name also. Tobias Norton is a character from the 1955 Disney film Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. Known as Major Tobias Norton, the character was portrayed by William Bakewell in both the film, and the television series prior.

Round 'Em Up Pardner!

When in Frontierland you have to do what the Cowboys do, right? And what is more fun than the Rustler Roundup Shootin' Gallery? Situated just before the entrance to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and across from the Thunder Mesa Building, this is a great hidden attraction in the park.
Here you can have hours of fun hitting all the different targets and practicing your best John Wayne. Or would it be Davy Crockett? Instead of using bullets, the guns use lasers to hit the targets - and when you hit a target correctly, some strange and interesting things happen...

The Shootin' Gallery is coin-operated and has 74 different targets. For €2 you have a shot 10 times. Although I don't usually encourage people to have a go at things which cost extra once you're in the Park, this is a great addition and is fun for kids of all ages. Just take a look at the King!

Ye Olde Point Photo

I always like to mention the Disney Details found throughout the two parks and several hotels in Disneyland Paris - with the efforts that Imagineers go to, I think it's important to appreciate the finer things! Of course, there are many, many blogs who do appreciate and point out hundreds of Disney Details - not just here at DF'82!

And following on from my previous posts of the Kodak Photo Points in Disneyland Park, I have another fantastic one to show you. This one really highlights the Point Photo as being something that blends into the surrounding area.Situated in Frontierland, this Point shows you a fantastic image of Phantom Manor - you can just see it to the left of the photo. C'est fantastique!

La Fin!

We made it - we made the end of our Riverboat journey around the Rivers of America in Thunder Mesa. But as I said, we see a haunting site as we finish off the trip... Please, enjoy some pictures of Phantom Manor and Boot Hill Cemetery (which you can read about more here and here in earlier postings!).

Apologies for irregular postings - life has got in the way, but I hope things will resume again after the weekend!

Steamy Things A-Foot!

We're nearing the end of our Riverboat cruise - I know, it feels like we've been touring on this boat for days! - and we're about to come upon one of my favourite areas of Frontierland. But first, we pass by the Conestoga Wagon - abandoned, possibly by some of the settlers. You can't see in the picture, but there are also the skeletons of two Ox, buried in the sand.

After that feeling of abandonment, we pass by Geyser Plateau, an area where hot and steamy water spouts into the air and natural mud bubbles.

It's actually quite an eerie place to pass by - especially as we are getting closer and closer to Boot Hill and Phantom Manor.

Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane?

No, it's the Disneyland Paris Railroad! Can you see it - off to the right of the Riverboat, through the trees?

Good Ol' Joe

Next on our whirlwind tour of the Rivers of the West, we pass by Joe's Landing.

Surrounded by Cottonwood Trees, you can see a fisherman - perhaps Joe himself - sitting with his fishing rod, next to his lively and barking dog.