Disneyland Transportation Cutbacks: Frontierland

Here begins a series on the transportation reduction at Disneyland, starting with the Frontierland area (dry land only for today!). This is not necessarily about attractions that have been cut, but rather modes of transportation that once took guests from point A to point B, OR those that gave guests a tour or glimpse of the Park. In 1956, gigantic maps were sprinkled throughout Disneyland, highlighting the attractions that could be found. This one was in Frontierland. Zooming in, you can see the various modes of transportation that could be found there.



The original entrance for the Stage Coaches/Wagons/Pack Mules, circa September 1955:



The below image shows the upgraded entrance and ticket window structure for the Rainbow Desert Stage Coaches:



Guests could buy tickets here for Conestoga (covered) Wagons, a Stage Coach (also referred in some Disney publications as “Concord Stagecoach”), and the Pack Mules.



Only 50¢? What a value! Or a ‘B’ ticket if you prefer!



Another view of the entrance area, from February 1959:



A 1956 brochure shows you could choose between buggy rides, buckboard rides, conestoga wagon rides, mule pack ride, stage coach ride, surrey ride, and yellowstone coach ride.



The 1958 guide book only listed Conestoga (Covered Wagon) Ride, Stagecoach Ride, Mine Train, and Mule Pack Rides.



Here are photos that show each of these vehicles in action, beginning with the Stage Coach (or Stagecoach, depending upon which publicity piece you read!):



This is a different style of Stagecoach that was also offered, numbered 4:



Number 5:



Number 6:



A buckboard:



A Conestoga Wagon:



The Yellowstone Coach photo is a pre-opening shot. Perhaps Walt intended these to take guests around Frontierland; instead, they joined the other wagons and coaches on the Nature's Wonderland trail.



A color shot from 1959 of the Yellowstone:



A lineup of the vehicles, July 27, 1955:



Guests could ride either shotgun (on top with the driver) or inside of the coach itself (and learn what a sardine feels like!). Both the Stagecoaches and Wagons shared the same route through Frontierland, which included Coyote Rock, Elephant Rock, Inscription Rock, Horse Thief Canyon, Dead Man’s Spring, Natural Bridge, and Indian Territory. A December 1955 newspaper ad for Frontierland stated:

You will ride the Conestoga Wagon in Frontierland—one of the most picturesque and vital vehicles in history. It was the Conestoga, not the Covered Wagon, that developed the West. The great wagons were first built in the Conestoga Valley of Pennsylvania, with water tight bottoms that permitted safe crossing of rivers. You will also ride authentic stage coaches, pack trains, and buckboards in this remarkable re-creation of the old West.

After new scenic landscaping was added, the Stagecoaches were renamed the Rainbow Mountain Stage Coaches in 1956. Unfortunately, the Stagecoaches were prone to tipping over (which shook up the Pack Mules; talk about a chain reaction!).



Breakaway harnesses didn’t solve the problem; instead they caused guests to sometimes be stranded while the horses proceeded on the journey without them.

Although apparently intended for Frontierland, the Surreys were found on Main Street instead, as seen in this August 1955 image:



…and March 1956:



…and April 1963, below. Based on photos in my collection, it seems like they were removed from the rotation of Main Street vehicles after 1965.



They were on display at the Big Thunder Ranch, but of course disappeared when Star Wars took over that area. Hopefully they are being taken care of behind-the-scenes!



The Pack Mules were a popular attraction, lasting in Frontierland until October 1973. Note the weight limit of 195 pounds. Better skip that extra churro!





In this image, you can see the mules passing alongside a stagecoach:



Yes, the Mine Train was part of an attraction, Nature's Wonderland, but I would classify it as transportation. It provided guests a grand tour of the sites of Frontierland, as well as the Rivers of America.

And what’s left of all these amazing transportation modes today? Zip. Zilch. Zero. None of them operate in the Park on a regular basis anymore. At special events, some of the vehicles are trotted out for photo ops, but that’s about it. Big Thunder Mountain replaced Nature’s Wonderland in 1979. Functioning solely as a thrill ride, BTMRR lasts for a fraction of the time that its predecessor did.

Low guest capacity and high overhead were the reasons given for why all the coaches were eliminated. The last journey of the Stagecoach and the Conestoga Wagons is debatable; in the Nickel Tour book, two dates are given: September 13, 1959 and February 10, 1960. The Pack Mules were removed as the times changed, and having to rely on unpredictable animals was something the Disney Corporation did not want to have to deal with.

Frontierland lost its zip when all of these rides were removed, becoming a lot more predictable and bland.

See more Frontierland transportation photos at my main website.

Modern Screen, August 1955: Disneyland

For the August 1955 issue of Modern Screen Magazine, actress Pier Angeli graced the cover. Inside, the gossip mag gave three full pages of coverage for the recently opened Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California. The first spread included a color photo of the Sleeping Beauty Castle model:



The historic model was on display at the Disneyland Opera House when I shot it in February 2007:



…and in June 2008:





One can “assume” that while the article came out one month after the Park opened, the feature was put together while Disneyland was still under construction, thus the model shots. A photo of Walt with a colt  from April 1954 was also used. Here’s the uncropped version from my collection:



The article features two “young stars,” Marla English and Larry Pennell, who posed for pictures at the Walt Disney Studio in Burbank, where the rides and vehicles were being construction/refurbished. Below are trees from the Snow White attraction and the Horse-Drawn Chemical/Fire Wagon:



A shot of the Chemical Wagon from 1956 taken in the Park:



The second page of the spread included color shots of the Main Street, Adventureland, and Mark Twain models:



A closeup of the Main Street model, which still had the bandstand situated in Town Square:



An August 1955 black and white closeup of the same model:



Closeups of the other models:





A closeup of one of the Stagecoaches, with Marla and Larry looking very lovey-dovey:



An August 1954 image from my collection of the same stagecoach, also shot at the Disney Studio in Burbank; note the corrugated wall, visible in many of the images from the Modern Screen article:



The last page of the feature included a map and other studio-shot photos of more vehicles and animals (both real and fake):



You might recognize Pennell from “The Beverly Hillbillies,” where he played Dash Riprock. Marla’s claim to fame was being cast opposite Spencer Tracy in “The Mountain” (1955), and then deciding to withdraw from the project. Marla told the columnists that she left as a result of hospitalization due to a recently administered smallpox vaccine. According to the St. Petersburg Times, September 18, 1955, this was the real reason, according to a close relative of Marla:

Said she: “Marla has fallen in love with a young Paramount player, Bud Pennell. She desperately wanted the studio to give him a part in “The Mountain.” Then the two of them could have gone off to France together. When the studio refused, she blew her top. A woman in love will do anything.” This, a Paramount executive conceded, was basically correct. “Only an actress in love,” he added, “would give up a picture with Spencer Tracy.”

At least they had Disneyland…

See more Disneyland brochures and map photos at my main website.

Wonderland Wednesday Medley

Nature’s Wonderland; this attraction has been gone for over forty years and still warms the heart of those Disneyland guests who once had the opportunity to ride it. Today I celebrate it with a batch of images from the 1950s, starting off with this 1957 shot of the desert and balancing rock area. On the left of the picture you can see one of the Disneyland Stagecoaches. This what I love about old Disneyland; so many overlapping attractions. It gave the sense of movement and excitement!

I wonder how many guests noticed these little structures on top of the rocks?

Two years later, we see the queue to the attraction on what appears to be a rainy/cloudy day:

Notice the sign for Mineral Hall and its geodes for sale on the left, and the guest with the plastic rain  hat on her head:

More guests in rain gear:

…and a stroller with two bags of Frito-Lay Corn Chips, most likely samples from the Casa de Fritos restaurant next door.

Another angle of the queue from 1958:

The final two for today are from December 17, 1966:

The second shot yielded a detailed view of two cast members yucking it up as they wait for the guests to arrive:

Closing in even more, you can see the signage that tells guests to remove their “D Coupons”:

See more vintage Disneyland Nature's Wonderland photos at my main website.