In the previous post in our series about the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, we looked at attractions in the Main Street U.S.A. and Adventureland areas of the Magic Kingdom theme park. In this post, we’re taking a look at the Frontierland and Liberty Square areas of the park.
Frontierland – Rides and Shows
The two big rides in this Wild West themed area of the Magic Kingdom are Splash Mountain and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Splash Mountain is a log flume ride, which has been based on the Disney movie “Song of the South” (1946). As you travel along in your log, you’ll hear the story of Brer Rabbit as he tries to escape from Brer Fox and Brer Bear. This 12 minute ride takes you inside the mountain, where you’ll see audio-animatronics figures, before taking you on a final 52 ft plunge from the top of “Chick-a-pin Hill”. This ride is extremely popular, so there are often long queues, but you can get a Fastpass from the machine near to the ride’s entrance and come back at the allotted time in order to bypass the queue. Image: Andygalloway93
All riders must be taller than 40″ (102 cm) and the ride is also not suitable for anyone with certain medical conditions. Back and neck problems, in particular, can be aggravated by this ride, as it’s extremely bumpy.
The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a runaway mine train style ride. It lasts for about 4 minutes and will take you on a high-speed journey through scenery based on a Gold Rush theme. You’ll also pass a number of audio-animatronic figures. Like Splash Mountain, it’s a popular ride and queues can be long, but you can take advantage of Disney’s Fastpass system to avoid waiting in line. Riders must be taller than 40″ (102 cm).
Frontierland‘s other attractions are Tom Sawyer Island, the Country Bear Jamboree and the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade.
Tom Sawyer Island is essentially a giant adventure playground for kids, complete with caves and suspension bridges. The island is only accessible by raft and in busy periods, queues for these rafts can be long.
The Country Bear Jamboree is a 17-minute long show featuring audio-animatronic bears. The Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade is a traditional fairground style shooting game, in which you try to hit both moving and stationary targets.
Frontierland – Dining and Shopping
There are two restaurants in the Frontierland section of the Magic Kingdom: Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, which sells burgers, wraps, salads and other meals, and Aunt Pollys Dockside Inn, which is situated on Tom Sawyer Island.
There are also a number of shops in Frontierland, including the Briar Patch, where you can buy Splash Mountain souvenirs, and the Trail Creek Hat Shop.
Liberty Square – Rides and Shows
The Liberty Square section of the Magic Kingdom has a colonial America theme. Its main attraction is the Haunted Mansion ride, which opened in 1971 and which inspired Disney’s movie, “The Haunted Mansion” (2003). On this, one of the best rides in the Magic Kingdom, you’ll travel through the mansion in a “doom-buggy” (be careful getting in and out of it, as the moving platform can be disorientating!). There are some excellent special effects, including dancing ghosts and phantom hitchhikers. Image: SteamFan
The other attractions in the Liberty Square area of the park are the Hall of Presidents and the Liberty Square Riverboat. In the Hall of Presidents, you can watch an audio-animatronic show in which President Obama and former U.S. presidents speak. The Liberty Square Riverboat will take you on a relaxing trip around Tom Sawyer Island.
Liberty Square – Dining and Shopping
There are two main restaurants in Liberty Square: the Liberty Tree Tavern, which is open for lunch and dinner, serving a range of colonial-themed dishes; and Columbia Harbour House, a counter-service restaurant with a menu that includes chicken nuggets, fried fish and sandwiches. There is also a snack bar, Sleepy Hollow, where you can buy ice cream, funnel cake and drinks.
There are a number of shops in Liberty Square, including Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, where you can buy Christmas decorations all year round.
In the next post in this series, we’ll be looking at more things that you can see and do in the Magic Kingdom before heading back to your hotel or your Orlando hire car.
Tags: Adventureland, Aunt Pollys Dockside Inn, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Columbia Harbour House, Country Bear Jamboree, Disney Florida, Disney Orlando, Frontierland, Frontierland Shootin Arcade, Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, Liberty Square, Liberty Square Riverboat, Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingdom, Main Street USA, Orlando car hire, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, Sleepy Hollow, Splash Mountain, Tom Sawyer Island, Walt Disney World Resort, Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
