They’re not which confirms that this particular version of the land is stepping away from being locked the wild west style that Frontierland has been stuck in for years.
Back when Disneyland and Magic Kingdom were built, the idea of a land based around the aesthetics and vibes of the wild western frontier and the time of cowboys and natives, that ideas was a novel one. It tapped in to an interest that many in the country had. In today’s world, though that idea is not novel.
Not only can you step into a frontier style land in multiple Disney parks, you can step into one in literally dozens and dozens of other amusement and theme parks around the country and even around the world. Today you even have some parks that are built completely around that idea.
Disneyland, and by extension Magic Kingdom, had its lands and attractions based around a lot of Walt Disney’s interests and ideations. A lot of those passions and interests of his have stood the test of time. His his love and interpretation of America’s frontier just hasn’t. When you’re running the busiest theme park in the world you can’t hang onto something solely because of what Walt was interested in.
You have a duty to respond to guests’ changing desires and attitudes. You have to take into account the unprecedented access that guest traveling to Magic Kingdom these days have to other experiences, and that includes other experiences, park lands, and attractions just like current Frontierland.
I understand people may not be comfortable with this change. But the wonderful news is that the Disney parks have grown much further beyond the boundaries at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. There are traditional Frontierlands in Anaheim, Tokyo, and Paris for people to still enjoy. But with there now being so many parks around the world, Disney’s job—dare I say responsibility even—is to diversify them and create unique offerings for them.
I am not sold on every part of this project. While I have been in support of doing something else with the land that the Rivers of America sits on for years before this announcement, I have not necessarily been in support of that thing being Cars. While this breakdown of information does help to settle that idea with me more, I still think their execution is what matters the most, and there’s a lot of room from mistakes in that. On that front, I understand the skepticism.
However, I just really cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would see an overhaul of Frontierlsnd to be a bad thing. Magic Kingdom’s has needed it for decades. It has been tired and stagnant for my whole lifetime and beyond, and the same cannot be said for other versions.
It’s not as if this is the only Disney park in the world. If it was, I would understand why everyone would want it left alone. But you can get the classic Frontierland experience, (that are even better than Magic Kingdom’s) at multiple other parks around the world. I think it’s good that Magic Kingdom’s is the one that gets a change. We’ve all talked for years how Magic Kingdom seems to he the last castle park to ever be considered for something that is completely it’s own. It’s finally getting that, and it’s also addressing a longstanding area of issue with the park.
Whether or not this specific change is the right change I won’t know until it’s open and I can see it. But those who are totally closed off to the idea of something drastically different in the area entirely I feel are at this point refusing to look at the multiple valid reasons for it.
It may not turn out well. It may turn out great. We won’t know until we get there. But pretending Frontierland has been fine and dandy and without need of reinvention to me is just completely ignoring reality.
It won't be hemmed in by a "river" so they can spread it out.
