Continuing our walkthrough of Pioneer Fields...
As we continue out into the farmland, we walk along hard-packed dirt roads. The ground bears track marks from both horses and airplanes. Embedded in the soil are airplane nuts & washers. Further from the reach of civilization, even bird tracks become visible in the pathway.
Nestled in a corner behind Cathedral Collections, a welcoming hacienda leads the way to Mickey’s Plane Crazy, a biplane track ride which could be considered an airborne Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Next door is the relaxing Airtopia balloon tower ride, whose glistening red-and-yellow striped hot air balloon 100-feet in the air is sure to be Pioneer Field’s most-photographed “weenie.” Dwarfed by the balloon is a weathered mission archway spanning the roadway, church bells above its lodestone. A nearby altitude sign reads “8,250.”
The bucolic quietude of the farmlands is interrupted by evidence of modernity and barnstormers. Power lines overhead are totally overloaded with excessive wires. Fresh biplane tracks in the mud lead towards Barnyard Barbecue, a charming farmhouse restaurant with many a quaint, homey birdhouse in its front yard. Opposite that, alongside a mossy water well with shadoof (well pole), is the garishly-colored tent of Jenny’s Flying Circus, a children’s toy store with extensive barnstormer theming. LaunchPad McSnacks serves savory corndogs and more from a 1920s fire truck.
Two final attractions serve as anchors in the furthest farmland. Pedro’s Mail Carriers, inspired by a forgotten segment from Saludos Amigos, is a simple spinner ride which introduces guests to the adorable baby airplane Pedro. UP Snapshot Safari, found inside Carl Fredricksen’s house which he has relocated from Venezuela’s Paradise Falls, is a headlining interactive dark ride where guests go birdwatching aboard personalized hot air balloons. Accompanying this is Carl’s Balloon Cart, a simple-yet-adorable balloon vendor. The DisneySky JetRail glides over the wheat fields in the distance, adding extra energy to such a vibrant land.
At last, transition to Diesel Bay is marked by a covered wood bridge built atop a stone foundation. A spinning waterwheel connects to a gently flowing river below, which is mostly visible from the Pedro’s Mail Carriers queue. There is a rowboat moored beneath the bridge, and just out-of-sight beneath is a native encampment of Incan thatch huts. Thicker foliage spans the river, anticipating the wild jungles of Diesel Bay.
Cast member outfits
Cast members dress either as vintage leather-clad “aeronauts,” or instead in traditional Peruvian attire (heavy on the knit alpaca wool), with costumes selected befitting their story role within the land.
Streetmosphere
Set across from the Cabildo Building, The Plaza Stage hosts a wide variety of appropriate acts. Daily rotating performers include gaucho guitarists, Coco-inspired mariachis, flamenco dancers, and Incan pan flute musicians.
Found elsewhere throughout the land, wandering barnstormer pilots advertise their stunt shows to guests - even approaching them unawares and handing out souvenir flyers. And if you don’t want to keep the flyer, don’t worry, because other cast members put on paper airplane-making lessons (with special care of course that the paper airplanes never create litter or harass passersby).
Walkaround characters
Pioneer Fields is a very character-centric land. Common character sightings include the cast from UP (most often seen in front of UP Snapshot Safari, naturally), Launchpad McQuack, the Fab Five dressed up like aviators, and the Three Caballeros. During the Halloween season, guests can instead expect to find roaming skeletons from Pixar’s Coco.
With such an expansive cast, several locations throughout Pioneer Fields serve as designated meet ‘n’ greet spots. Most notably is Cathedral Collections, with its connected character-based retail shop. Parque Condor and the Cabildo Building, out-of-the-way and shaded and otherwise lacking in purpose, also regularly host costumed characters.
Restrooms
A dilapidated wooden railroad storage shed serves as this land’s restroom. It is found due south from the DisneySky JetRail Station, past a disused railroad water tower whose leaking spigots imply the restroom’s purpose. In case this message is lost, there are also creaky old outhouses on display nearby. Meteorological instruments such as anemometers dot the shack’s upper levels, providing our thematic connection to the skies. The shack is centrally located equidistant from Paseo Plaza and the farmlands, making it a convenient drop-off spot for all guests.
Churro carts
Cast members serve churros from the back of handmade carts made from local woods. Vintage jalopies pull these carts like oxen. Peruvian folk art painting covers the carts, with the land’s characters depicted in a charmingly vernacular style. Churros come filled with flan custard and covered in pine nuts, lending an airy flavor to this airy land.
Drinking fountains
A great many fountain designs appear depending on the location. In colonial Paseo Plaza, ornate curlicue brass drinking fountains dominate. In the farmlands, old-fashioned water hand pumps appear reworked, and set alongside animal troughs. The drinking fountain found near UP Snapshot Safari resembles a row of helium tanks.
Trash cans
Old repurposed wine barrels serve this purpose.
Benches
In town, Spanish colonial benches appear much as you’d expect to find in any Latin American village, with some made of copper and others of carved wood. Such niceties vanish in the fields, where instead guests sit upon non-itchy (in fact, fabricated) hay bales.
Umbrellas
A barnstorming motif defines the land’s umbrellas, which stand apart from their earth-toned surroundings with a bright red-and-white checkered pattern. Of course other umbrellas retain the traditional Andean look instead, with handwoven textiles and Inca-style knots.
Fencing
Colonial iron barriers of course populate Paseo Plaza, especially bounding Carousel of Flight’s greenspaces. Meanwhile, the farmlands feature nothing less than the forever-classic white picket fencing, befitting the land’s soothing domestic vibe.
Lighting
Gas street lamps in Paseo Plaza flicker and hiss. These inventions are very exciting to the townsfolk, having just been installed the previous year.
Dangling popcorn lights festoon the barnstormers’ encampments out in the fields, lending an appropriate carnival atmosphere to complement their shows.
Misters
Steam emitting from pies cooling on a windowsill. It’s kind of a cartoony gag, but steeped in a delightfully corney vintage nostalgia.
Stroller corrals & phone-charging stations
The charging station is found in a circus tent overhang attached to Jenny’s Flying Circus alongside Launchpad McSnacks. Inside, the rechargers are modeled after UP’s helium tanks.