Can the Cars Franchise Fit Frontierland?
Walt Disney World has announced two all-new Cars attractions in a reimagined area of Magic Kingdom. Despite Radiator Springs Racers and its land being hugely popular at Disneyland, the fan response was relatively restrained at D23–and this was before we knew what the rides were replacing. (Updated February 18, 2025.)
To be sure, the response was not negative–there were still plenty of cheers and it’s not like guests were booing. But as compared to Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, the reaction was more muted, especially considering its scale and scope. There are any number of possible unremarkable reasons for this, from the awkward way the news was shared via Tow Mater making the announcement via a video call to the stilted script.
To the latter point, Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro attempted to describe Frontierland as being a land about “keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou, or a racecar from the big city.” This and the accompanying fan reaction has made us wonder: is the Cars franchise thematically-fitting for Frontierland at Magic Kingdom?
February 18, 2025 Update: Now that Walt Disney World has the green light to replace Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island with Cars Land, we thought it’d be a good time to revisit this topic. Previously, many fans were in denial about this project, or holding out hope that the State of Florida would deny permits due to the environmental impact, etc.
Now that the last big roadblock has been removed and Walt Disney World has put out construction bidding indicated that construction will begin on March 1, 2025, all hope that the plans will be derailed or altered to retain the waterfront promenade is gone (or should be). The project is accelerating as announced, without further delay. There’s still time to enjoy the serene scenery of the Rivers of America, but it does not seem that Walt Disney World will change course at this point.
As such, many of those who were disappointed about the plan to completely fill in the Rivers of America and demolish Tom Sawyer Island might want to come to terms with the decision. That includes us, for what it’s worth, and we still strongly believe this is a shortsighted mistake that sacrifices too much of the distinct character and charm of Magic Kingdom, and one of the park’s most iconic features.
Nevertheless, it’s happening. And even though we don’t love the idea, we do think there’s a great opportunity for Imagineers to make lemonade out of lemons and pull off the impossible. So if you could use a little optimism, this commentary might be just what you need…
Before we attempt to answer that titular question, let’s quickly bring you up to speed on these Magic Kingdom additions. According to Disney, these Cars attractions will be set outside of Radiator Springs, as the franchise heads west into exciting new frontiers. On this adventure, guests will be able to experience not one but two exciting new Cars-themed attractions.
In other words, the marquee attraction is not a clone of Radiator Springs from Disney California Adventure. It’s a new story and setting that goes beyond what was established in the Cars film franchise. Same goes for the secondary ride–it’s not Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree or Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters.
One of the two all-new Cars attractions will invite you on a thrilling rally race through the mountains. Take on wild terrain as you race across the landscape climbing mountain trails, dodging geysers and — Mater’s favorite — splashing through mud holes. The second attraction will be geared towards them and will be fun for the whole family.
Work on this new Cars Land area of Frontierland will begin in early 2025.
Let’s turn to the titular question, which is the thematic appropriateness of Cars in Frontierland.
Starting with the positives, the first is the natural world that the Cars inhabit. The reimagined area appears that it’ll feature beautiful buttes, rushing rapids, cool canyons, and a variety of other stunning landscapes that feel inspired by the vistas of Utah, California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, and other areas of the American West.
In the last decade-plus, Imagineering has demonstrated it’s at the top of its game with rockwork. Cars Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Moana’s Journey of Water, Pandora – World of Avatar, New Fantasyland, and Fantasy Springs all come to mind as exemplars. No matter what you think of these lands as a whole, the “natural” environments are undeniably awesome.
Most of this is attributable to Imagineer Zsolt Hormay. That’s a name more Disney fans should know–he should be a future Disney Legend. He does not miss, and if he’s helming the rockwork team behind the Cars land at Magic Kingdom, it’ll look great. Even if it’s different from DCA (and it will be), it’ll still look fantastic. I look forward to sitting in my rocking chair near Country Bear Musical Jamboree and gazing out across the snow-capped peaks.
Then there’s the not-so-natural world. It’s more difficult to get a read on this from the concept art, but it appears there’s the architecture itself and then an added layer of RSN broadcast stuff. And of course, there are the talking cars with eyes, which are not indigenous to any of the places in the American West that I’ve visited.
The architecture is reminiscent of classic style of ‘Parkitecture’ or National Park Service rustic. This design combines natural materials, such as whole logs and rocks, and appears as if it’s built by hand. The goal was design to blend into landscapes instead of imposing upon them.
You’ll see exemplars of Parkitecture throughout the Western National Parks, in entrance gateways, visitor centers, in-park hotels, and other infrastructure. The concept art above reminds me of Yosemite National Park, which isn’t particularly surprising since Imagineers have drawn on it (and Sequoia National Park) in the past for areas of DCA.
Speaking of which, what also jumps out to me about the concept art is that it looks like Imagineering is repeating a mistake made over 20 years ago with the opening of Disney’s California Adventure. In particular, I’m talking about what was then known as the Grizzly Peak Recreation Area.
According to the land’s original backstory, it was developed as a mine in the 1800s after a chance discovery of gold. The mine was later abandoned and the land sold to the government in the 1950s. As white-water rafting increased in popularity in the 1980s, a group of young entrepreneurs purchased the land to establish the Grizzly River Rafting Company, which would be an extreme sports facility.
Ironically enough, it was the massive DCA overhaul and expansion that brought Cars Land to the park that changed this. Although Grizzly Peak was largely good, a placemaking project scrubbed it of the extreme sports look. That was a modest improvement, and one that also removed the very late 1990s, X-Games quality.
As a replacement, Imagineering added placemaking details that made Grizzly Peak look more like one of California’s beautiful National Parks. What was done to Grizzly Peak was excellent, but the more ‘extreme’ changes came to adjacent Condor Flats, which was transformed into Grizzly Peak Airfield. (I actually liked the high desert and Age of Aviation theme–just not the 1990s repurposing portion.)
In any case, Grizzly Peak went from being weathered with a layer of already-dated 1990s extreme sports on top of it to a classic 1950s style. Along with Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, Grizzly Peak is probably the best area of present-day Disney California Adventure. But in fairness, I’m a huge fan of U.S. National Parks, and love the calming atmosphere of this area. The bypass behind Grizzly River Run is one of my favorite areas in any Disney park.
Back when reviewing Disney California Adventure 2.0 back in 2012, I wrote the following about a replacement I’d like to see for Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: “a well-done family dark ride allowing guests to board a 1955 Pontiac Station Wagon and drive through vignettes of places inspired by California’s National Parks.”
To be honest, I don’t even remember writing that. Reading it now, it sounds very specific–but I don’t recall there ever being a rumor of such an attraction. (The long-running rumor/wishful thinking is adding the Country Bears to Grizzly River Run.) But that’s not the point. Rather, it’s that I’ve wanted a classic car ride through U.S. National Park-like settings for a while.
Looking at the concept art released at the D23 Expo for the headliner Cars attraction, it looks like I’ll partially get my wish. But at the same time, that they’re going to make the same mistake as DCA 1.0, which was undone a decade ago for a cleaner and more timeless concept.
It just makes me wonder–is no one still around from when Imagineering did such a great job with placemaking on the Grizzly Peak and Condor Flats refresh? Why go down the road of extreme sports again? It didn’t work the first time and it doesn’t feel appropriate for the ambiance of Frontierland…or even Magic Kingdom as a whole, for that matter.
This is especially the case given that the environments themselves in the main Cars ride look like a U.S. National Park. And in fact, Piston Peak National Park is one of the settings of the Cars cinematic universe, combining Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks. It appears in Planes: Fire & Rescue rather than the core film franchise, but it would still be a perfect backdrop for the Magic Kingdom land.
An area themed to Piston Peak National Park could easily pass for what the Western National Parks looked like prior to the Mission 66 project! For those who are unfamiliar with it, Mission 66 was a bold post-war proposal to spend $1 billion over 10 years to modernize the U.S. National Parks following an era of explosive growth in visitors after World War II.
It came during an automotive boom in the United States, with rapidly increasing numbers of cars clogging up National Park roads. Updating vehicle infrastructure was a major priority of Mission 66, as many roads were built for horse-drawn vehicles and often unpaved. Promotional materials for Mission 66 emphasized the romanticism of family road trip vacations, and the National Park Service even partnered with oil and automotive companies to promote Mission 66.
Americans now look back fondly on that halcyon era of the National Parks, seeing classic cars in rustic settings and often around wildlife. (It’s actually quite controversial among conservationists. One of my ‘favorite’ anecdotes is how the NPS rangers used to put out piles of trash to attract bears so guests could watch them eat. Crazy times.)
Point being, all of this sounds pitch perfect for a Cars ride that’s similar to the concept art released by Disney. It could be set in Piston Peak National Park and feel right at home amidst both the settlement side of Frontierland and Big Thunder. All that would need to change is a bit of the Cars window-dressing, as the scenic environments are already appropriate–right down to the dirt roads.
Instead of featuring off-road rally racers, they could use classic cars from the 1950s. As opposed to a bunch of banners and modern-looking broadcasting equipment from RSN, they could feature signage evoking a bygone era of the U.S. National Parks.
This all wouldn’t be a perfect fit for the “thrilling” nature of the attraction (I don’t think there’s much off-road racing of 1955 Pontiac station wagons), but who cares? It would be a perfect fit for Frontierland.
From my perspective, that’s what matters much more. Frontierland is themed to the Old West. That’s a defined era with a set time period, albeit a debatable one over which historians quibble. Regardless, there is no one who claims that rally car racers are part of the Old West.
At the absolute latest, Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland ends sometime around the late 1800s to early 1900s–and the latter dates are only to accommodate Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Still several decades too early for rally racers.
Even if it weren’t, they just feel at odds with the atmosphere of Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland as it currently exists, which is what I suspect many fans take issue with. (This is also my perspective on Tomorrowland Speedway–that the vibe is off-putting, regardless of thematic appropriateness.)
You could also argue–successfully, in my opinion–that the American frontier is as much a spirit as it is an era. That sense of rugged individualism, manifest destiny, big folklore, and western exploration–all of it is as much an ethos as it is an era.
As America gets older and the 1800s are further in the rearview mirror, the case could be made that the bygone era of the U.S. National Parks and the Mission 66 boom are all part of that spirit. It was a different time in America, but one that embodied a similar sentiment as the “go west, young man” age.
In fact, the America of today is further removed from that automotive boom and heyday of the western ‘Great American Road Trip’ than Walt Disney was from the Old West when he dreamt up the concept of Frontierland. At least as far as the passage of time is concerned, the middle of the last century is already older than the Old West was in the 1950s.
At least, that’s my perspective. Thematic purists will likely be far less forgiving, arguing that any cars (lowercase or uppercase) do not belong in a land with “frontier” in the name. There are also those who will argue that talking cars with eyes are wholly inappropriate for this portion of the park.
But for me, the U.S. National Parks around the Mission 66 boom are a quintessential era of the Western United States and the American spirit that could fit fine in Frontierland. Talking cars with eyes don’t bother me in the least, especially since this is Magic Kingdom and not World Showcase or Animal Kingdom, which are more grounded in reality.
Magic Kingdom’s lands are always imbued with a sense of fantasy. If we can have singing bears that tell jokes, we can have cars with eyes that tell jokes. (With that said, I don’t hope the sightlines are such that we don’t see these car-eyes from Haunted Mansion or Hall of Presidents.)
Then again, I’m also a realist about it, and also know there’s no way on earth Walt Disney World is adding more stuff themed to cowboys and indians. If it’s going to exist into the future, Frontierland is always going to be about the frontier spirit of America rather than that particular era. That’s just the truth of the matter. It’s always going to be a compromise, and classic cars (and Cars) in a 1950s National Park setting is one that I can completely get on board with. Extreme sports off-road rally racers…not so much.
Ultimately, I’m accepting of Cars in Frontierland so long as the environments are clearly inspired by the National Parks of the American West, the layer of Cars themed design on top of that marries Parkitecture with classic 1950s vehicles, there’s kinetic energy via water and other placemaking, and the sightlines work. Thematic purists may still scoff at this, but I think most reasonable fans or the average guest will find that a bygone area of Yosemite or Yellowstone National Parks passes the Frontierland smell test.
An area and attractions themed to Piston Peak National Park evokes the era and atmosphere they’d expect to see in a rustic land themed to the frontier, even if it’s no longer set in the precise era as it was in 1955 or 1971. Things change over the course of 50+ years, and a shifting of that setting makes sense. For me, this is still quintessential Americana–the kind that belongs in a Disney theme park–as the U.S. National Parks are America’s Best Idea. They deserve to be celebrated, even if in fantasy-form, at Walt Disney World.
What will make a lot less sense is if there are loud and modern cars zooming through the land, which will make it feel more like the 1990s. And also, not the U.S. National Parks of the American West, since off-road rally racing is not something you can do on those public lands. So to answer the titular question, my personal take is that Cars can fit in Frontierland–and quite well, if done right. The unanswered question from the concept art is whether they’ll pull the elements of the franchise that fit, or those that don’t.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you think the Cars franchise is capable of fitting thematically into Frontierland? Do you think the concept art as shared so far actually does work with the ambiance and spirit of Frontierland? Would it be better if Imagineers leaned more into the look of the 1950s, dropping the extreme sports angle and RSN broadcasting stuff? Otherwise, what’s your reaction to Cars rides coming to Magic Kingdom? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I absolutely love your concept- I think a 1950s cars road trip around American national parks would be perfect. (And the ride can’t be too boisterous as the main audience for Cars is toddlers and small ones).
However – what is presented looks brash, cartoonish and like a rally race.
It doesn’t really fit at all with neighbouring Tiana; it doesn’t feel there was a lot of long term planning with these IPs. A less contentious retheme of Splash might have been Mater’s Saw Mill where you ride logs through mild peril, the cartoonish nature might have suited and felt like a more cohesive land. However hard imagineering try it’s going to be a real patchwork of IP.
Perhaps I am misunderstanding what Tom and some others are saying, and apologies if so, and my reply here is not just directed at “Geek”, but I get the impression that many believe rally races were invented in the 1990s or later? I am no expert and know them only from video games but what flits through my mind is black and white or sepia toned silent movie clips from the 20s and earlier of old roadsters going off dirt roads at comically over-cranked frame rates. A quick Google tells me that the Pikes Peak rally race (the most famous one? It’s the only I have heard of by name) has been around since 1916. If you can get past the hurdle of Frontierland being set in the 1950s, and it’s clear that some can’t which I respect, there is nothing intrinsically “modern” about rally races. The term “extreme sports” is a stuck in the 90s marketing phrase, but that’s just the phrase itself. The races themselves appear to have a much longer history that goes almost as far back as Carl Benz and Henry Ford. NB: It’s about as far from Disney content as you’re likely to find, but if you have seen the (now) classic Western the Wild Bunch, the leader of the Mexican “bandidos” is showing off his brand new car, and that movie is set in 1913 (and probably the car is a Benz… they are being supplied by Kaiser Wilhelm’s German Army in that movie.) Admittedly, a big point of that movie, and the car, is the passing away of that Frontier era – or actually, the point might be the passing away of the traditional “Cowboys and Indians” John Wayne movie era – but my point is there is nothing instrinsic to a mountain park rally race that would be out of place in the 1950s.
As far as “cartoonish”… any objections on that ground would be an objection to the Country Bears and, presumably, the wrath of Tom Bricker! And to Brers Rabbit, Bear and Fox of course. And Disney full stop, no?
Hahaha Mark I take your points.
I think by cartoonish I meant- there are different styles of animation and the concept art looks more like something from Mickey’s ToonTown- garish colours, the faux news outlet, the mountain capped with a piston (how do they hide that sightline from Haunted Mansion). I guess I’m saying a more restrained art style might gel a bit better.
I’m feeling that this is going to be inspired by “cars on the road” the Disney+ show where mater and McQueen go on a road trip cross country. I can see a road trip through the national parks being a good theming to keep it with frontier land.
I feel the concept might be easier to swallow if it were ranger Jeeps taking you for a spin through the wilderness. I would be fun if the Jeep “character” was a big Lightning McQueen fan and wants to give you an exciting ride through the forest to show of their moves. Pink Jeep tours are a big thing out in the Southwest, so they could make it work with some thoughtful story telling.
I think your concept of a 1950s national park setting for the Cars area could fit in with Frontierland, but it would’ve been much more feasible if they had placed it beyond Big Thunder Mountain as initally rumored. This is because the time period depicted shifts forward (roughly) as you walk clockwise around the river: Liberty Square takes place either during the colonial era or the early years of the country, the main stretch of Frontierland during the era of westward expansion and the Gold Rush, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure during the 1920s (encountering Tiana’s before Thunder Mountain sort of interrupts this time progression, but given that Thunder Mountain is an abandoned mine, it could plausibly take place any time after the Gold Rush). Following this sequence, encountering a modern day national park-themed area beyond Thunder Mountain woundn’t be so jarring.
The problem, of course, is that it’s going right in the middle of it all, and even the well thought out concept you outlined here would be almost impossible to pull off successfully when it’s jammed between Liberty Square, Frontierland, and the existing mountain rides.
I think that Imagineering can make it fit in at least in the Frontier Land and Big Thunder Mountain area. Liberty Square is another story. Maybe some creative screening might work. The American Southwest backdrops can be made to work. I have a feeling that the blending of locations can be made to work with proper staging.
Don’t get me wrong, Tom’s gets the best information. But the best thing to happen to DTB is ChatGPT – which boils down a 15 minute read to 7 bullet points. Tom – please remember your audience – not your penchant for wordiness.
Many of us go to this blog specifically for the lengthy, detailed analysis and commentary provided. If you want two paragraph regurgitations of Disney press releases, there are plenty of other blogs out there. This particular audience member is pretty happy with the content provided here.
I love the lengthy discussions of topics. Soundbites are a sad deterioration of discourse. ChatGPT is just giving up altogether.
I understand the urge to have bullet-points of Disney news, despite it being available at many other places on the internet. However, for a post like this that is no news and all analysis, there’s no way to fit this on a PowerPoint slide without cutting out actual content!
Remember, Tom’s audience isn’t middle-managers not fully invested in the matter under discussion, but who only need a summary so they can move on to something more important to them. (On the other hand, Tom does a great job of breezing through economic explanations as quickly as possible to get to the core theme parks and resorts discussions, so it’s not like that isn’t a useful skill to have.)
Losing the island and the river aside, I don’t think it fits, 80+ years out of place. Now unless the cars are portrayed as steam-powered… Should had made a new park – Pixar Land.
«Ultimately, I’m fine with Cars in Frontierland so long as the environments are clearly inspired by the National Parks of the American West and the layer of Cars themed design on top of that marries Parkitecture with classic 1950s vehicles. »
That’s already very specific ! Did you have intel it was going that way ?
I have received intel regarding the first half of that statement that I found to be reassuring. That, and the fact that this type of environment is Imagineering’s bread and butter, and they can do it really well.
Note that reassured is not the same as being on board with replacing Rivers of America. I still think that’s a mistake. But it’s happening regardless of what I think, so at the very least, I want the replacement to be well done and gel with the rest of Frontierland and Liberty Square.
No word yet on the second half. I’m just going by what’s in the concept art, and that’s much more of a mixed bag.
I am curious Tom if you know, or can share, whether wildlife played any part in this decision? For myself, on balance I would rather they left the Rivers of America and TSI alone, despite comments I have made that may read as if I am all for the change. I am mainly commenting favourably as a kind of wistful “it’s happening, might as well embrace the upside” attitude adjustment. But I probably still am marginally ok with it more than many because have to admit that I have never enjoyed them as much in the Magic Kingdom as I have in Disneyland. Why? One word: alligators! Whenever I am near the waterfront in WDW, I am always at least a little bit nervous about that, informed by horrifying news stories (which I won’t get into) and social media videos I have seen showing them in Splash Mountain. Whether or not that fear is rational, it’s there and it’s not going away. When we go over to Tom Sawyer Island in MK (which we do whenever we visit), I am always at least 1% on high alert for running across a very scary non animatronic animal. Where I live, when I am in the (real) woods, I am slightly nervous about bears; in the Magic Kingdom ,it is unsettling to think that I could run across alligators OR bears!!!
Not to my knowledge.
My understanding is that this all comes down to infrastructure and operations. Long before this announcement, it was widely known that eliminating the dead ends at BTMRR and HM was a goal of Beyond Big Thunder. There was a less-ambitious version of this that would’ve saved a portion of the Rivers of America, but not all of it.
Having grown up in the Northwest and a current resident of Colorado, Disney could really knock this outta the park by focusing on the rugged beauty of the West and still provide placemaking that brings tranquility into much of this new land. I agree they should ditch the sports off-road rally idea and instead have cars “race” to secure a camping spot. For any of us who camp/adventure in the rocky mountains during the summer, the race to secure a camping spot in many of the non-reservable camp sites understand the thrill of trying to get a coveted spot! It’s certainly more thrilling than any off-road rally race they could come up with.
No.
Rivers of America is being replaced by Cars land at the south end and Villains land on the north end. My understanding is that park operations has been wanting to get rid of the river for some time. One reason is that it hinders guest traffic vlow by creating a dead-end at both Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain. It also is a headache and expensive to maintain, especially after a storm. The riverbed is in bad shape. Operations wants the area redone so that there are more paths and more ride capacity in that area of the park.
So, the river and island isn’t being removed because Disney was desparate to have Cars in the Magic Kingdom, but rather Cars was chosen to fill in some of the space after the river and island were removed. According to Jim Hill Media, Imagineering present management with two proposals for the space not taken up by Villains land — Coco and Cars. Management chose Cars because the merchandise sells so well at Radiator Springs in DCA. Then they came up with the Piston Peaks setting from Planes — Fire & Rescue to make it more appropriate for Frontierland.
I really couldn’t agree more with your article here, excellent and thoughtful as usual. Some additional comments of my own.
It doesn’t necessarily matter if it is precisely accurate as to the era, so much as it matches our misty pop culture coloured memories of the era. For example, whether or not a 1955 Pontiac Station Wagon was in fact a car that was or could have been fixed up to be a rally car at that time, if it is as iconic an image evoking that era for others as it is for you (and for me), why not. So, yeah: give us the souped up 1950s Station Wagons, by all means!
This may offend some – I hope not – but I don’t believe that most people know actual history all that well; we mostly know history “as seen at the movies”. And here I mean more current movies, not 1950s movies. To the extent I go to Radiator Springs in Anaheim and am struck with a warm glow feeling of a 1950s diner and sleepy small town on Route 66… well, I don’t actually have any knowledge of that era except from movies like American Graffiti or Asteroid City, each of which has a nostalgic feeling about that era from the perspective of early 1970s George Lucas and 2020’s Wes Anderson. Is either accurate or realistic? I have no idea, but they are how I have any sense of that era at all, and both examples are effective in evoking it as a “feeling”… the fact is that they also basically created that feeling in me; I did not live in 1950s Western USA, nor have I ever done any “serious reading up” on it. I saw it on Disney Plus.
As I mentioned in an earlier comment (and as you touch on here), that was just as true in 1955: the original Frontierland didn’t have historians behind it; it had Walt Disney or whomever else with their own artistic impulses, informed by their own “pop culture” memories. Walt Disney didn’t live in the 1840s Hannibal Missouri either: he read the fictionalized adventures about it in Mark Twain over a half century later. 1955 Frontierland has as much to do with history and the real “Old West” as, well, Disney’s other big 1955 product: “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier”.
Whether or not you agree with the above point, it merits comment that the concerns about “IP” and similar are not new to the current world either. Read this Nation article written by a cranky writer who did not like Disneyland for similar reasons IN 1955. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/july-17-1955-disneyland-opens-in-southern-california/
Reads to me similar to many current laments about the usage of Disney’s current IP. The only thing he lacked was the term “Intellectual Property” itself (which to the best of my recollection, came to pop culture prominence in the 1990s when David Letterman left NBC for CBS, and mocked the NBC lawyers for refusing to let him have “Stupid Pet Tricks”, the “Intellectual Property” of NBC.) I am not suggesting you will agree with the above article; only pointing out that similar type comments were made in 1955 ABOUT Walt (If only the writer had said “Mark Twain would be rolling over in his grave…”).
For those envisioning the ‘obnoxious’ sounds and smells of Autopia or Tomorrowland Speedway, I think that’s a very unlikely concern: the sounds and smells of Test Track and Radiator Springs Racers. The two “sense memories” that the latter does not evoke is the gas station smell and horrifically loud race-cars without mufflers found over in (thematically inappropriate) rides in Tomorrowland! I am confident that “ambient noise” will be a paramount consideration for Imagineers. As Tom Bricker has pointed out in many articles, the background music – and SFX noises – are something modern Imagineers have a very good handle on, though we are not usually conscious of it. My prediction is that they will understand and respect the ostensible naturalism of the area. I don’t have any knowledge about this, of course; just some confidence and optimism. And of course a crazy mine train ride with loud whistles and dynamite isn’t exactly monasticism in the first place!
As far as the concerns about “extreme sports” , frankly, I doubt that any self respecting Imaginer would do something that would evoke 90s extreme sports iconography. That is the stuff of Poochie, and if that’s the kind of thing the Imagineers would be ok with in this area of the parks, then nothing will be good in Disney ever again! (albeit, since Disney now owns the Simpsons… maybe this would be a good easter egg!). But I really don’t believe that is at all likely.
Final point about “thematic purity”: one thing Disney could do to stay true to the spirit and the “word” of Frontierland is slightly adjust its overall back story. Instead of being a more or less fixed in time image of one era (say, 1840s-1870s America) it could be the Frontier as it moves through time. Where I am writing from in Canada, we have a theme park / museum called “Fort Edmonton”, and it is based on real history more than pop culture history, to be sure. But one thing they did that lets them explore a variety of eras is designed it as a “walk through time” as the “frontier” itself changed. So that the first era you explore is Indigenous life, and then from the 1840s and the railroad culminating in the early 20th Century and… the Streetcar! It’s quite excellent, and recommended to Frontierland fans if you ever find yourself in this part of the world:
https://www.fortedmontonpark.ca/plan-your-visit/park-map
“As far as the concerns about “extreme sports” , frankly, I doubt that any self respecting Imaginer would do something that would evoke 90s extreme sports iconography.”
I agree with the rest of your comment, but I think you’re discounting this possibility too given the concept art and what Disney already revealed about an off-road rally race.
When I read that description and see some of the D23 concept art with the RSN stuff, it looks reminiscent of an ESPN X Games broadcast or circa 2001 Grizzly Peak/Condor Flats. I don’t get why they would do this, but it looks to me that they might do it.
You may well be correct Tom. I have to admit that I did not look at the art all that closely. I remain optimistic. One thing I have not said is that while I keep referencing Anaheim Radiator Springs as if it is set in the 1950s, it is not: it is set in the 2000s, and among other things has a 60s “hippie van” (which almost definitely smokes weed!), and of course features designs based on 2000s NASCAR race cars (not a “car guy”; if that’s not what Lightning McQueen is, I type to be corrected). It evokes the era, it is not “pure” by any means. But the whole is bigger than its parts, and it has always worked for me. The Country Bears used to sing Blood on the Saddle, a song from 1960 (which definitely fits the era and theme and which I mainly remember because of how much it cracked up my Grandpa when we first saw it). We’ll see.
“I think you’re discounting this possibility too given the concept art and what Disney already revealed about an off-road rally race”
I understand your concern, Tom, and counter with the fact we have at least 1 piece of concept art from D23 that is not representative of what will ultimately be built. I believe they confirmed the Lion King ride in Paris will be based off the 1990s cartoon and not the “live action” remake, despite the concept art indicating the latter. So maybe/hopefully someone has already thought better about the extreme sports angle and will remove it or do it more tastefully/less obviously than what was shown. I could see it going either way at this point.
I am SO against this! Fitting a square peg into a round hole! First taking away the Riverboat and Tom Sawyer’s Island which are basic Americana and changing it to a more digitized ambiance. As I have said in other blogs, there are visitors and children who need and want the quieter moments (and park visit reset)of the Riverboat life. To again cash in on “Cash” is pushing it
“Here you leave today”
Thanks for pinning the issue so eloquently. It’s just too “now” for a castle park.
Yes, Piston Peak National Park would be perfect! Besides, Frontierland, the Old West, all of it is such a tired concept. Pick an amusement park at random in the U.S. and they probably have an Old West themed area. It’s my biggest gripe with Thunder Mountain.
But bringing in national parks? I think that gives it a twist that makes it stand out, and there’s a million things you could do with it. You’re getting my hopes up now.
Hi Tom,
I suspect this ride will be modeled after Jeep tours that are offered in Sedona, AZ (as well as the Grand Canyon). The US west landscape in and around Sedona fits very well with BTM and the Jeep tours are a real blast and somewhat intense.
This type of thing exists in many of the National Park gateway towns in the Western US–Joshua Tree and Death Valley are a couple more that quickly come to mind.
For me, they’re too contemporary and at odds with the ‘vibe’ of Frontierland and Liberty Square. By contrast, pulling from the ~1950s era U.S. National Parks is so much more timeless and could work really well. It would basically be Grizzly Peak + Cars Land at DCA.
The usual astute assessment, Tom, Makes the loss of TSI almost palatable.
This could be a sort of Wilderness Lodge 2.0. Yes, it’s my favorite resort, too.
In the concept art, there is a suggestion of “lake” or “pond” in the upper right
corner, right in front of Big Thunder. Could it be a sort of “moat” separating
Frontierland from Villains Village (my name for it)? I think keeping a major
water feature will soften the blow of losing the Rivers. Anyway, keep up the
ggod work.
Let us be honest at this point in 2024. There are so many things out of place at each park now that Disney can say whatever they want to justify the change/addition.
I can understand Tom Sawyer Island (maybe) but the Riverboat no way should that be gone. Why not just a new “Park” or extension behind the current classic Disney Park, what could be next ? We’re afraid to think about it.
My first thoughts looking at the concept art was that though we will miss the rivers of America, if they themed this like the Grizzly Peak area of DCA it could be a nice addition. I hope they way to figure out how to make the ambiance nice for the views from Liberty Square and the rest of Frontierland. (As a side note, I’m surprised non of the parkitecture links were to travelcaffiene.com! I’m sure you have some nice photos on there of examples.)