Frontierland, Disneyland Resort, Paris

(I so wish I never remembered that song, argh!)

There are 5 different themed lands at Disneyland Paris - Fantasyland, Discoveryland, Main Street USA, Adventureland and Frontierland.

Location

Frontierland is located in the South West of the park and is next to Adventureland. It is easy to find (especially if you pick up a park map) and there are a number of different entrances that lead to it. You can also catch the Disneyland Railroad to and from Frontierland.

Theme

This land is Wild west themed (1880s American West). It is home to cowboys, pioneers, saloons, red rocks, wagons and an old steam train. Big Thunder Mountain (the big red rock), Rivers of the Far West (the river), Phantom Manor (the big eerie house) and the Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing (the big riverboat) are all big parts of Frontierland and are almost like Frontierland landmarks. The colour scheme is very much brown and red/orange, due to the large amount of wood and rocks.

Size

I would say that Frontierland is one of the biggest lands, but this is mainly due to the big stretch of lake. The area in which you walk around is a fair size and there is plenty to see and do.

Attractions

Big Thunder Mountain - This is a runaway mine train ride which reaches speeds of upto 35 mph and is suitable for older children (height restriction of 1.02m) and adults. It involves lots of drops, caves, tunnels, twists and turns. I wouldn't describe this as a scary ride but it's certainly thrilling. Big Thunder Mountain is one of Disney's main attractions and is always busy. Luckily this ride can be Fastpassed*, which I advise taking advantage of to avoid huge queues (they were over an hour long when we last visited). I have written a seperate review of Big Thunder Mountain if you would like to know more about it.

Phantom Manor - You can't miss Phantom Manor as it is set inside a huge eerie looking house on top of a hill. The queue was relatively short for this ride and there was no height or age restriction. Before you board the ride you are led into a room that 'stretches' and are swiftly made aware of the spooky goings on inside the house. The ride is a cart based ride and each themed cart holds about 3 people. The ride tells the story of a bride who waits eternally for her groom to turn up, unaware that he has been killed by an evil spirit - at least that's what I think it's about, it's quite confusing! It's a fun ride and classic Disney ride (slightly scarier than the Florida version if I remember correctly) and although it's quite spooky I wouldn't say it was scary - my then 2 year old was fine on it!

Woody's Roundup Village - This is a small western village, half of which is themed around Woody's Roundup (from Toy Story 2). This is where many of the Disney characters can be found. The village is tucked out of the way and is located right next to the Disneyland Railroad station in Frontierland. We came across Woody's Roundup village in the late afternoon and it was almost empty - we were very lucky. Pluto and Daisy Duck were outside signing autographs and meeting everybody. We went inside the village and into the first wooden house - Goofy was inside (wearing a cowboy outfit) and we took our own photos with him. We then moved onto the second wooden house and Minnie Mouse was inside (looking very pretty!) - a photographer took our photo with her but we were also allowed to take our own photos. Mickey Mouse was waiting for us outside (also in a cowboy outfit) and again there was a photographer. Next up was Woody but sadly just as we got to him he went off for a break! My daughter got to sit on Bullseye The Horse (not real, a plastic version) and have her photo taken with Stinky Pete (again not real, just a plastic version). We were given tickets to view our photographer photos at a store on Main Street USA. If you have kids Woody's Roundup Village is a must do as my daughter absolutley loved it and we got some great photos too. Make sure you check your park map first, as the characters are only there at certain times of the day.

Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing - Queues weren't big for this attraction but we had to wait for the boat to pick us up. The Thunder Mesa Riverboat is a huge Missisipi riverboat and is a focal point of Frontierland in my opinion. The boat is rather beautiful and has 3 decks. It's slow moving, relaxing and suitable for everybody (though thrill seekers might want to give it a miss). The riverboat takes you around the lake and past Big Thunder Mountain.

Disneyland Railroad - The Disneyland Railroad is a beautifully decorated steam train that goes all around the outside of the Disneyland park. It stops off at all the lands, except Adventureland. The railroad is relaxing, charming and a good way of getting around the park without tiring your feet out. There is a station in Frontierland to get in and out of the land. Trains run about every 10 minutes but quite often the train is full up and you have to wait for the next one, which is a bit of a pain.

The Chaparral Theatre - This is a large stage that is set inside an old barn. The Chaparral Theatre puts on different shows at different times (check your park map) but unfortunatley we didn't get to see any of them so I can't comment on them.

Pocohontas Indian Village - An outdoor play area, complete with Pocohontas theming (inlcluding tipis). Not very useful for adults or older children, but good for younger children under 5 years.

Rustler Roundup Shootin' Gallery - This is a shooting gallery in which you use your own gun to try to shoot as many targets as possible (powered by infra-red laser, not real bullets!). The gallery has a western theme and there are 74 targets to aim for. We didn't take part in the shooting gallery but saw a few people having a go. Sadly there is an extra charge to play.

River Rogue Keelboats - These are only open throughout the summer months, which meant they were closed during our visit. The River Rogue Keelboats are wooden, quite small and have a seating area underneath as well as on top of the boat. They take you on leisurely tours of the lake.

Legends Of The Wild West - This is a walk through attraction in which you come across legends such as Buffalo Bill and Davy Crockett. None of us were really fussed about this one so we gave it a miss.

Places to eat

We didn't eat in Frontierland but places to eat include Silver Spur Steakhouse (table service), Last Chance Cafe (fast food), Fuente Del Oro Restuarant (fast food), The Lucky Nugget Saloon (buffet service) and Cowboy Cookout Barbecue (fast food).

Shops

We didn't look around any of the shops but places to shop include Tobias Norton and Sons, Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building, Legends of Hollywood, Eureka Mining Supplies, Bonanza Outfitters and Big Thunder Photographer. Many of the shops look like old western saloons from the outside.

Overall

The theme in Frontierland is great - it's really well done and is fun for people of all ages. I also like the fact there are speakers hidden all over Frontierland to make certain you get into the spirit (Eg. Old western music throughout and eerie music around Phantom Manor). The size of Frontierland is also a bonus and there are plenty of places to grab a bite.

The attractions are good and cater for all different ages. I definatley recommend Big Thunder Mountain, The Phantom Manor and the Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing. If you have children I also highly recommend Woody's Roundup Village.

It is very similar to Frontierland in Magic Kingdom (Florida), except both parks have a few different attractions and some of the same attractions have different names (or differ slightly). The only attraction I really miss from Magic Kingdom is Splash Mountain.

If you're a fan of Frontierland you might also enjoy a stay at hotel Cheyenne which is in the Disneyland Resort and has the same 1880s western theme to it. I have also reviewed hotel Cheyenne if you're interested.

(* Fastpass is a free service which allows you to 'jump the queues'. Just pop your park ticket into a Fastpass machine at the entrance of your chosen ride and you will issued with a Fastpass ticket which tells you a time to return to the ride.)