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Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland

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Frontierland is one of only two Magic Kingdom lands not directly spoked to the castle hub. Considered one of the most distinctly American features of the Park, it represents some of Walt’s fondest childhood memories.
 
Ninety years of American folklore—1790 to 1880—span the area. Enter from Liberty Square and traverse the western United States from the mighty Mississippi River to the golden Pacific Coast.
 

Brimming with adventure, Tom Sawyer Island offers no rides because you need only your imagination there. Explore the three caves, take aim at Big Thunder Mountain runaway trains from Fort Langhorne’s turrets, or wander through a real windmill. Be one of the first to arrive on Tom Sawyer Island at Park opening and find the paintbrush Tom dropped as he ran to the swimmin’ hole and you’ll be awarded a Frontierland attraction FastPass.

 
As you journey farther into the wilderness, watch for bears—Country Bears, that is! The Country Bear Jamboree was the first attraction featured at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World that debuted at the Florida Park. Eighteen bears, a raccoon, buffalo, stag, moose, and skunk have performed at Grizzly Hall since 1971.
 
Grab a snack at the Pecos Bill Café and study his Code of the West, a placard advising menfolk of proper behavior when in the company of women and children. A framed document near the exit tells the tale of this superhuman legend of the Old West.
 

Splash Mountain seems a bit out-of-place, since it’s based on the 1946 film, Song of the South. However, the perils Br’er Rabbit encounters are equally as hazardous as the dangers pioneers encountered when crossing unknown territory. Briar patches, tar pits, and waterfalls, yikes!

 
Speaking of perils, the “wildest ride in the wilderness” plusses the mine car ride to a new level. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad barrels around bends and roars through the ghost town of a deserted gold mining town decorated with authentic gold-digging ore cars, lanterns, barrels, and other tools.
 
Leave Frontierland aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad and symbolically complete your cross-country quest. Stop and listen in the station and you will hear the Morse Code transmission of Walt Disney’s Disneyland Opening Day speech.
 
Today’s Takeaway:
Morse Code is a communication system devised of dots and dashes, or DITS and DAHS. Developed by American Samuel Morse in 1835, it was the standard form of long-distance communication until a more effective invention, the telephone, replaced it.
 
Morse Code is still used today in certain settings, such as military transmissions. It is also an effective call for help when stranded in dire circumstances.
 
 
Learn Morse Code:

The above chart can be found at www.learnmorsecode.com and includes letters of the alphabet, numbers 0-9, and punctuation marks.
 
Assign your students to translate a passage from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. Be sure to teach them DIT-DIT-DIT DAH-DAH-DAH DIT-DIT-DIT. That’s Morse Code for SOS, a universal cry for help. Tom Sawyer probably could have used it a time or two himself!

SCHOOL SUBJECT: Communication
SKILL LEVEL: High School

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