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WDW Radio # 699 – Past, Present, and Future of Frontierland in Walt Disney World – Part 2

We head back to Frontierland in Walt Disney World this week, as we continue our look at the past, present, and future of a land that, like Liberty Square, celebrates more than real American history, but fanciful stories of fictitious characters and locations. And with announced and possible changes on their way, we discuss what Frontierland’s immediate and long-term future might look like. And yes… it might just involve some Disney Villains.

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Sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio show. Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

Thanks to Kendall Foreman for joining me this week. See Kendall’s posts on the WDW Radio blog and her other appearances on the show HERE!

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Click Here To Read The Full Podcast Episode Transcript

[00:00:00]

[00:00:00] Lou Mongello: We're gonna pick up where we left off last week as we were talking about the past and more importantly. And future of what Frontier Land and Walt Disney World looks like now and may look like in the future. Enjoy. You know what's interesting too, is we talk about things like Thunder Mesa and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

It sort of again, helps to distinguish and differentiate the Walt Disney World version of Frontier Land from its California counterpart, cuz again, More fast pace, it's more theming and definitely more humor than we see, or, or we did see certainly at that time in, in Disneyland in California versus the, the, the tone that they were looking to go with for Walt Disney World.

[00:00:47] Kendall Foreman: Uh, Yeah. And I think it's interesting that even though they were developed at the exact same time, like you say, that they didn't, they didn't take the same tone. They, they, and they didn't end up with the same story either because you have, you know, the town of Tumbleweed in Walt Disney World, and then you have the town of Rainbow Ridge out in Disneyland.

And, and also just from a design standpoint, Both Big Thunder Mountains were designed with a different inspiration as well, because you can see the peaks of, well, I have not had the fortune of being to, to Disneyland yet to experience this myself, or from what I understand, you can see the peaks of Big Thunder Mountain from fantasy land.

So they felt the need to use kind of more fanciful colors than what they did on the Walt Disney World version. So Walt Disney Worlds is based more. On Monument Valley versus Disneyland based on Bryce Canyon. Um, and, and the colorings of those.

[00:01:43] Lou Mongello: I'm still stuck on the fact you haven't been to Disneyland. I think we need to get you out there like for a research trip because how can you really talk about these things?

I know, without having experienced it.

[00:01:52] Kendall Foreman: Um, you gotta watch all these walkthroughs and spoil it for yourself. That's .

[00:01:58] Lou Mongello: Um, but you're right. You know, when [00:02:00] you, you. Look at the design and the layout and this, this sort of allegorical map of, of the Midwest and even the, the way that it's designed. You know, in Disneyland you enter Frontier land through these massive wooden gates.

It's, it's like a, um, sort of a frontier. Stockade just off the hub, you know, there is. Visible way into Frontier Land from the hub in Magic Kingdom because of the way that Liberty Square and Frontier Land are not. Are so closely connected, not just geographically, but thematically as well. And I know we, we sort of touched on it as well because the way this whole part of, of Magic Kingdom starting from fantasy land and in the old world, and then moving across the Atlantic to the New World and Liberty Square, then moving through Frontier Land moving forward in time, um, following that, that sort of, Both geographic and chronological path from the 1840s to a ghost town in the 1880s.

And that, that sort of boom at that time I think is, is really interesting. Cuz remember too, when, you know, we were talking sort of the, the, the Barron landscape that was Frontier land when it opened. In on October 1st, there were only three attractions. It was the country Bear Jam, and if you wanna call them attractions, it was the Country Bear Jamboree, the Frontier Land shoot arcade, and may you rest in peace.

The Davy Crockett Explorer canoes, cause again, we don't get anything new until the train station in 72. And then Tom Solar Island doesn't come until 1973. So there was not necessarily. Happening in frontier land early on from an experiential point of view, from even a, a design and thematic point of view as well.

There wasn't a ton to do there. Certainly not a ton to do outside, although, gosh, I wish that the explorer canoes were back. [00:04:00]

[00:04:01] Kendall Foreman: Yeah, I think it's really interesting because you have Disneyland where you had pack mules and covered wagons and. The mind train through Nature's Wonderland and all of these things kind of intertwined over each other and, and just very kinetic.

And when Walt Disney World opens, you know, you. Explorer canoes and um, and then Walt Disney World kind of becomes more kinetic on the rivers really than than Disneyland ever was because you have the river boat, you have the explore explorer canoes, you have Mike think keel boat like that kind of becomes, not that those weren't present at Disneyland, but almost the river becomes more of.

Where it's happening. Mm-hmm. , the, the place to be ,

[00:04:44] Lou Mongello: all the action takes place on the river . Yeah, because we don't, like we said, you don't see, you know, the, the expansion, literal and figurative of a frontier land is very slow moving. Right. You've got the train station, then you have Tom Swearer Island, which again is somewhat sort of removed.

It opens in 1970. . It's not until 17 years later that we get the first new big, like that's a massive gap in time. Imagine in 2022 you tell Disney fans, we're not gonna really update this land for the next 17 years. Good luck watching the internet explode on itself. So Big Thunder Mountain debuts in 1980.

It's another 11 years before we get any other sort of major. Change or attraction. There's not a lot of changes that take place in that decade and SP until Splash Mountain is built on that piece of vacant land between Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Wal World Railroad Station and that parade access road, which is why they had to relocate the station as well.

And then again, that doesn't. The station doesn't open until early October, 1992. Right. Because it was so much work that had to be done in terms [00:06:00] of demolishing certain parts of the land except where Big Thunder Mountains sit, and then the new train station, um, the Parade Road had to be built as well. And, and like you said, you talked about this new storyline that's, that's helped to, to be crafted for, uh, big Thunder Mountain in 2012, just to sort of.

Pull all these pieces together as well.

[00:06:25] Kendall Foreman: Yeah, and I just, I have to hop back to the big Thunder mountain opening because something that I did not know before, I'm sure you probably did, but that there was a special song written for Big Thunder Mountains opening, and it was supposed to be sung by John Denver when Big Thunder Mountain opened in Disneyland.

But it, it, the opening was delayed there, and so they, they lost the contract with John Denver to sing it. And so the first time it was played was at Walt Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain opening. It's, it's called The Ballad of Big Thunder Mountain. And you can find that on YouTube. And I guess, uh, supposedly it's still, you can still hear like an

[00:07:04] Lou Mongello: instrumental, I would say there's outside a battle of, yeah, in the, in the background loop, there is a battle of thunder, but I did not know that there was.

that there were lyrics to it.

[00:07:13] Kendall Foreman: Yes. Yeah. Yep. There are lyrics to

[00:07:15] Lou Mongello: it. We have to find this and link to it in the show note, because now I, I mean, I incredibly, um, I'm incredibly intrigued. Yeah, and

[00:07:23] Kendall Foreman: I mean, as you mentioned, you know, things kind of, uh, Not a lot has come and gone in Frontier Land since Splash Mountain opened.

You know, I mean, definitely not much has come at all. And just a few minor things have gone like, you know, we kind of see, as you said, the explorer canoes go away. Which, you know, if we're all being honest, cool. But how many of us wanna have to, you know, row ourselves in the Florida heat around, around Tom Soyer Island?

Hence why I think. Often seasonal and, and then we lose the mic. Think keel [00:08:00] boats and just some other smaller things like the Frontier Land Stunt Show and you know, and some of the, you know, kind of audience participation elements that started to go away in Frontier Land. But other than that, there, I mean, really in that amount of time, in, in three decades, You know, correct me if I'm wrong, there hasn't been addition to Frontier Land.

[00:08:26] Lou Mongello: No. If anything, to your point, Ken, we've, we've sort of lost, you know, we, we, when I say we lost things, I remember as a kid, and I know I tell this story all the time because it, for some reason, it's sort of burned into my memory. My dad loved, loved, loved the Diamond Horseshoe. He absolutely loved it. It was like a 45, 50 minute show that you used to have to make reservations for and get a ticket for on Main Street usa, you had to go and make a reservation there and it would give you, for certain show times, and we may have talked about the diamond horseshoe in, in, in depth before, but it was for, for years.

It was sort of like, You know, pardon the punt, sort of the star of the Show of Frontier Land because it was inspired by the Diamond Horseshoe Review in, uh, the Golden Horseshoe Review in Disneyland. But oh no, I'm sorry. You had to go to the Disney, you had to go to the Disney Anna shop. It wasn't the, the town hall you had to go to Disney Anna shop on Main Street in order to do it.

And the 45 minute show. Was like a version of almost like the hoop de doo. There was the traveling Troubadour and Wildcat Kate and Dr. Bill later and all these, you know, girls doing the CanCan and other sort of salo. Type numbers, and it eventually closed in early 2003. They did a goofy's country dancing jamboree, which was a far cry from the original, to say the least.

They took all the tables and chairs out, right, which used to be on the lower level and goofy, and other characters would sort [00:10:00] of perform a few. Musical numbers that closed like a year later. And then they did a character meet and greet for Toy Story two characters. So Woody and Jesse come in, which is sort of like the first time we really start to see that influx of a.

External IP for the most part. And now Diamond Horseshoe is, is, and I mean this from a, a sentimental affectionate point of view, it's sort of a shell of its former self because it's a seasonal quick service dining location. I think only during lunchtime, I think maybe during some of the busier times of year, they do put tables back in.

Um, I know they had done for a short period of time, they did. Casual dining, but it is, it is not, it is certainly not, it's certainly not my dad's Diamond horseshoe review.

[00:10:53] Kendall Foreman: Yeah, I mean, yeah, you're right. I say that like we haven't, we haven't really lost any, you know, major attractions there. But yeah, diamond, the show for Diamond Horseshoe was definitely a loss.

And then another one that comes to mind is, uh, the mile long. And and what that once was. You know when you would now, now you just exit the country, bears into that little. You know, offside section of Pecos Bills, but I think we've mentioned on other shows before was once a, you know, a snack eatery drinks and had those mirrors that made it look as if the bar went on forever and ever.

And, and I think there are, you know, some other small carts and things that have changed over the years. You know, like the, the McDonald's fry cart has changed names a few times and some other things like that. But it is interesting to see. It's, it may be the least changed land in that amount of time.

[00:11:50] Lou Mongello: Yeah. And if, and, and I remember one of the things that was always interesting about the mile long bar, it was called a Mile Long because there was mirrors on each side of the bar. So if you look down, there was that sort [00:12:00] of, uh, reflective effect, which made it look like the bar was a mile long. But what I loved was that the heads of, um, Um, buff Melvin and Max from the country.

Bears hung above the bar as well, and also were animatronic. They, they would move and talk and sing as you came out of the show and had your, your Frito and Pepsi, cuz at one point Frito and Pepsi were, Pepsi and Coke were sponsors of Magic Kingdom like that could ever happen again. So it was almost like this, this mini.

Attraction in and of itself. Um, right next and now obviously the only dining option is, is Paco's pills. And I know we've talked, we've talked about Paco's pills and the history of, of Pacos Pill and the story that was told by Roy Rogers in Melody time in 1948. And still to this day, Paco's pills has some, not only great food, get the walking taco, but there's also great details in there about, and.

Uh, David Crockett. Um, you, you'll find detail about, um, uh, Bigfoot Mason and, and Georgie Russell, and, and there's a black mask and silver bullet. A lot of cool details in there as well. But going back to what you said, we haven't received many additions. It's mostly been small or or large, depending on how you, you interpret it.

Things that have been removed from frontier land, that that is until. Well, we don't know when it's gonna close, but that is until 2024 when Tiana's Bayou Adventure. And now I wait to listen to sounds of either applause or groans because it is a somewhat divisive change that that is coming to Walt Disney World when Tiana's Bio Adventure, um, takes over the, the theming and the decor and the story of splash.

[00:13:50] Kendall Foreman: Yeah. And from what I understand, the model that was there at D 23 Expo was quite large and they, they gave some kind of some additional information about the story [00:14:00] too. Mm-hmm. , um, that, you know, that it has to do with Tiana having opened this or is, has opened this food co-op and they grow the food inside of the, the mine that's there.

And that this all would've happened right after the success of Tiana's Place there in the late 1920s. And just, you know, diving headlong into the future portion of this episode. I, that fits in just fine with, with the timeline of Pacos bills. Now the geography creates a bit of a predicament as you've moved all the way west and then, It fits in fine with Paco's Bill, but then once you get to Big Thunder Mountain, now you've, you've jumped back in time again and.

Well, before I jump further ahead, I don't know, do you, do you have anything you wanna add

[00:14:56] Lou Mongello: with that? Yeah, I mean, look, you're gonna have to suspend a little disbelief or maybe they will look, I trust in imagineers to maybe come up with a creative way to explain it. And, and look, you know, the other thing, Kendall, is too, most people, and I, and I don't mean this in a, in a negative way, don't know or don't care, right?

They don't care. Well, wait a minute, this is following the progression of the American West. They don't care. They're gonna be like, oh my God, there's a new Tiana themed attraction. I love it. My kids love it. We love the music, we love the characters. We love the storyline. We love the beignets. I don't think it's going to necessarily affect people as much.

I'm not saying it's right, wrong or otherwise, because I love clearly the details and the cohesive storyline and how it, one part of the, the Magic Kingdom flows so organically and naturally into another. You'll have to just pretend like, well, you're making a hard left and going and going south as you're on your way west when you passed, um, Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

[00:15:55] Kendall Foreman: I spent some time thinking about this and the, what's it been now, two [00:16:00] years since they announced that, that it was going to get a princess in the frog. makeover. We didn't know the exact theming of it, but since we learned that it was gonna be 1927 and, and I was thinking about the different timelines and what Walt Disney World's Frontier land looks like, and okay, you know, what could you do there?

And, and then, especially after the expo and some of those blue sky ideas were mentioned, which I'm sure we'll get into a little bit more here too. But I thought to then, I really thought to myself, I'm like, wow, that that could be a real mishmash. And what could they be planning to do there? And what I thought was, like you mentioned so many people walk in and, and don't, don't care, you know?

Um, But, and as this week, they proved out with the announcement about the Adventure Land treehouse out in Disneyland. I think there is a way, and I, I trust the imagineers as well. I think there are ways to satisfy Nostalgics and people who want that story and also satisfy the fact that a lot of people don't care.

You know, with regards to the Tree House, there's a lot of people who don't have any idea who the Swiss family Robinsons are anymore. , but that treehouse, they're returning it so that nostalgic can feel at home and enjoy it. And for the people who don't know, don't care, they don't look at a map and say, well, I don't know what the Swiss family Treehouse is.

Move on. I think potentially a great way to solve this problem and it, this might sound like heresy. But what if the frontier land that we know now wasn't really the western frontier? What if you transition those facades instead of moving west? You move south, you move south through time. You move from, from, [00:18:00] you know, new England, Missouri, and you move south to Louisiana because the country bears already have a very, you know, Appalachia.

Type feel to their, you know, folk music type feel. I mean, even so much so that when you read about the Country Bears in the, in the Mark Davis, in his own words book, which plug again for that book, anyone who doesn't have it, he mentions in there that when that attraction opened at Wal Disney World, it was so popular.

Huge lines that when they decided to add it to California, they put in two theaters expecting the same type of reception. And he said, we never. He's like, and we always kind of assumed that the, that that type of country music just didn't really, wasn't really as appealing to people out in California and, and, and the theater itself was based off the grand old Opry in Tennessee.

So I think you very easily could, could transition those facades and the focus of those buildings to being. A journey no longer west, but a journey south and, and you could take Pecos bills and turn that into a Tiana Bayou restaurant that would just real easily make the swing right around to the Caribbean.

[00:19:16] Lou Mongello: I, I think that's really smart and I think that makes sense. And I think that you're, you're able to sort of easily sell people on, on the idea. And, and to that point, as I, as I think out loud, I think what this area. We'll start to represent is not necessarily that continuing chronological and geographical journey from east to west.

I think it will, it, that story still holds true as you transition from fantasy land to Liberty Square, and then maybe as you cross that representative mighty Mississippi River. Um, By the, the diamond horseshoe, but maybe [00:20:00] what this land represents, I'm really like grasping here and I think this might work what it really represents, because it's what Princess ne frog represents.

It what? It's what Tiana represents. And I think, I think it was Sherita Carter was the imaginary who talked about how. . You know, the story of Tiana is an inspiring one. Not just about an individual, but like at the end, how the community comes together, how people come together to work in harmony to achieve something extraordinary.

It is. That's the story of America, right? We come together to go from east to west. We blur the lines. It does, and we work together in community. Maybe that's how you're able, I'm real. I know I'm sort of grasping, but I'm trying to sort of make it all fit. But I think it does. Like I think from a story perspective, the story of Tiana is a microcosm of the story of America.

[00:20:57] Kendall Foreman: Well, and and I think you make a great point too. And kind of like what we talked about on the tomorrow, land, past, present, future, you have to ask what, what is the purpose of this land? What story is it telling? And I think this is what imagineers are constantly doing. What story are we telling? And is that story still relevant?

And is it relevant to all of our audiences? And. If it is, is, is this a fanciful story? Is it a historical story? And if it's historical, we need to be respectful. We need it to be historically accurate. And if it's fanciful, then is it still a story about the frontier? You know, as we said earlier, westerns haven't been popular for over half a century, and I still love Frontier Land.

It's almost like it's something that's become more a part of Walt Disney World than even. The rest of the entertainment industry, it's like they're kind of inextricably linked somehow. And so I guess that's what Imagineering probably has to ask themselves is [00:22:00] is do we still have new guests coming here looking for frontier land, or are they looking for a story of exploration or a story of something new or a story of overcoming hardship?

Like that's it. What Right. The move West is, and if that's what it is, then Tiana is that story, I think. And there's other stories that can be incorporated

[00:22:24] Lou Mongello: too. I think you're right. I think Magic Kingdom as a whole is that subconscious offer of reassurance. That's what, that's what Magic Kingdom I think really is, right?

It's about American stories and, and American values. In, whether it's Main Street USA or Taming the Frontier in Frontier Land or even moving forward in in time and whatever the future holds in tomorrow land, it's overcoming challenges and tough times and coming out on the other side. Better, stronger, victorious, however you wanna sort of define it.

It's what Main Street is, right? It's just struggling through tough times to get this sort of town off the ground. It's what Frontier Land represents in real American history and and mythological American history. And I think Tomorrow Land does it well. So this, this offer of reassurance, this, um, creating an environment of reassurance is really sort of what Magic Kingdom does specifically in these areas.

Liberty Square as well is what these spaces do. So it does actually fit organically in a, from, from that sort of construct.

[00:23:38] Kendall Foreman: Yeah, and I think whether it becomes about the stories that are told, or if you still wanna keep that same, you know, literal concept of moving through time and moving across places, I think, you know, that can be done because just like I mentioned earlier with the Jason Chandler story in the sca, [00:24:00] you can very easily lay something like that over the top of Big Thunder Mountain, and now you have.

Potentially a Disney plus series tie in, and now maybe it becomes about, you know, some period of time slightly post Tiana, you know, because the, the advent of the railroad was still continuing and, and really it's about a cursed mountain and the effects of what they did like that that could be at any point in time after the gold rush, you know, and you move, if you move forward to some of those other ideas.

That they pitched as blue sky possibilities at the expo. Be that in Kato or Coco, like, you know, it's estimated that in Kato takes place probably around the 1950s. Coco takes place at current present day. You're still moving ahead in that timeline. And it also fits with this whole idea of, you know, overcoming and personal growth and, and community in all of those stories too.

[00:24:59] Lou Mongello: So I think, right. So now let's sort of speculate a little bit because as you're talking about this, I'm starting to wonder, Kendall, what impact does Tiana's Bayou Adventure have on Frontier Land as a whole going forward? Because maybe Frontier Land is no longer about. Westward ho the wagons. Maybe that's not sort of the overarching story that's being told.

Maybe things like the Frontier Land Shoot arcade, which I, I used to love as a kid. I, I, you know, my kids loved when they were kids, but as I walk by now, I hardly see anybody at does this change in theme from splash to ti. Love it or otherwise, I'm actually excited. I cannot wait to see the characters and the music and it's gonna be spectacular at night.

But does this start to bleed over into a, not a [00:26:00] retelling of the story of the frontier land, but sort of the way the story of Frontier Land is being told Right from the lens that we're starting to look at it, it is no longer. A literal, interpretive way to look at American history, but instead, um, a, a new way to sort of look at.

The things that we talked about, right? America's triumph of things. And I will say, and I'm, I'm gonna plant my flag here and I'm, this may prove to be very wrong, what we saw at Expo, this idea for this blue sky concept of what would occupy that little, it's almost like a little island behind Big Thunder Mountain.

They talked about in Canto, they talked about Moana, they talked about villains. I believe, and maybe it's sort somewhat wishful thinking, especially having talked to some of the friends who are Disney fans. I'm not sure that we'll see in Canto and or Moana. There. I can see that thing becoming a villains island, a villains mountain, whatever it is, and there's some sort of.

Transition that takes place as you go from frontier land proper across the rivers of America to, and if you look at a Google map, you'll see that there's alar, a very, very large plot of land there that could become, look, they're never gonna build a fills fifth gate, but man, oh man. If there was a villains island, a villains mountain, remember Fire mountain that they were gonna build in Fantasyland years ago, you wanna talk about a.

E ticket, you know, forget about it, an e ticket attraction, but Mark Davis, your sort of mini land may actually come to, to fruition, not in terms of of Thunder Mesa, but in this villains themed land as this, going through a portal to some other dimension, some other place, whatever, whatever the story is that gets crafted into this place and space that is.

Following that, the now possibly defunct, geographical, and [00:28:00] chronological move from east to west, but a move from, you know, old time America to some other sort of land of villains or villains dimension. Uh,

[00:28:13] Kendall Foreman: Yeah, I mean, I think undoubtedly that's been, you know, if there's a, if there's an OG Magic Kingdom rumor, it is the, you know, the villains mountain.

I mean, I wasn't there at Expo, but I, I can imagine there were people who were just like, ready to lose their marbles over that. Yeah. And, and then you, you bring up an interesting point about, you know, be there, you know, a portal or something. Like that. And that's something interesting to think about as well is, is if there is a continuation beyond Big Thunder Mountain, and let's say Frontier Land stays named Frontier Land, where does Frontier Land end?

You know, does it end before. Tiana's Bayou Adventure and now everything past that is something else. And does that mean a re theme for Big Thunder Mountain or something like that? Or, or does Frontier Land End after Big Thunder Mountain and now Tiana's is some kind of transition between Adventure Land and Frontier Land.

Possibly time will tell, you know, or, yeah. I mean, I personally think it would be really cool if they did use the Coco idea and you had, you know, like Santa Cecilia on the Frontier Land side and you had like the graveyard leading into something. Villains kind of on the other side of, of, you know, whatever transition point they.

[00:29:43] Lou Mongello: Yeah, I mean, it's exciting to look. It's the things that I don't know that excite me the most because you know, they have, look, Disney has their plans laid out, not just a year in advance or two years in advance, but 5, 7, 10 years in [00:30:00] advance, so they know the direction that they are probably going to go while still listening to guest input, which is what I would love to hear.

I would love to hear from you what your thoughts are on Frontier. What it was, what it is now, and what you think it might, or what you hope it might look like in the future. There's a couple different ways you could let us know. I'm gonna put this question in. The show notes@www.com, that'll link you over to our www clubhouse on Facebook where you can chat about this there.

Um, share some of your ideas at www.com/clubhouse. Or better yet, call the voicemail at (407) 900-9391. It's 4 0 7 900 WW one. You can say, I love this idea, mongie, you're crazy. How can, whatever it might be, this is what you'd like to see in Frontier Land, and I will play your voicemail. On the air, uh, Kendall Foreman, did we miss anything?

Is there anything that we That, and now you're gonna say yes. Mange. How did you forget about X?

[00:30:59] Kendall Foreman: Uh, I don't know. I guess we need to thank Frontier Land for giving us Doritos. .

[00:31:03] Lou Mongello: That's true. . Considering my body is built 72% on Doritos. Yes. Thank you to, uh, to the cast members out in Disneyland that created Doritos

[00:31:14] Kendall Foreman: Frontier's.

Frontier Land's, longest lasting legacy cheesy Doritos. .

[00:31:20] Lou Mongello: There's a God quickly tell the story. Cause people go, what do you mean? Doritos were created in Disneyland

[00:31:25] Kendall Foreman: from, from what I, the story I've heard, hopefully this is the accurate wine, but that they would have leftover tortillas in one of the restaurants there at the end of the day in Disneyland's Frontier, frontier Land.

And so the, the cast members at the end of the day, they decided to go ahead and de fry him and throw some different seasonings on him. And voila. Birth of Doritos.

[00:31:47] Lou Mongello: I love it. I love it. It's true. And, and supposedly it's a, it's a true story over at, uh, Rancho de Olo, which by the way, has amazing food. You ha my Kendall.

We need to go out there on a research trip. Clearly that's the, my one takeaway is we need to get you out to Disneyland for [00:32:00] a research and culinary adventure. Uh, thank you again for. Suggesting this and for sharing such great insight and knowledge and, and I love some of the, the little stories and, and tidbits that you share as well.

Uh, not just here on the show, but you also written a, a gaggle of articles, uh, for the WW Radio blog. What is, what's your most recent one? Was it on the Japan? The

[00:32:23] Kendall Foreman: Tori Gate. Yes. It was on, yes, the Tori Gate in Japan at Epco. And the actual real life inspiration for that.

[00:32:29] Lou Mongello: You can, uh, you can find that on the blog@wwradio.com.

And where can people connect with you on the socials?

[00:32:37] Kendall Foreman: Uh, well, right now, I, I still have a Twitter handle. Hopefully we all will still have those in a few weeks. Um, it's, it's, uh, at KL Foreman, F O R E M A N, or you can just find me hanging out in the clubhouse on.

[00:32:52] Lou Mongello: Awesome. This has been great. Uh, I really appreciate it.

Now I want Doritos and uh, I am excited to see what the future holds for Frontier Land.

[00:33:02] Kendall Foreman: Yeah, definitely.

[00:33:04] Lou Mongello: Favorite frontier land attraction detail. Show moment memory, go.

[00:33:09] Kendall Foreman: Oh, um, oh, I, we were stuck on slash mountain on the very first Eide ticket night. Wow. The very first e eide ticket night in history, back when you'd pay your $10 to get a, a little paper band.

And, um, obviously they had not worked the kinks out yet, so the park had been, Uh, closed technically for about an hour. We got on the ride, and obviously they let the rides go for a while after closing because sometimes people get in line right at closing. Well, it hits about an hour after close and splash mount shut down.

And so according to the cast member who evacuated us from Splash Mountain, it was because the computer system, it hadn't been changed in order to allow the rides to continue to. For that late, since it was the first time they had done it. So yeah, we, we sat there on Splash Mountain, right in [00:34:00] that scene where Fox is, has got the ax next to him.

And Rabbit is stuck in the honey pot. And let me tell you, sitting there for an hour watching Bra Fox, you know, menacingly silent with rabbit is kind of the stuff of nightmares,

[00:34:18] Lou Mongello: I love it. I love it. I'll put that, I'll put that question in the clubhouse too. Your favorite attraction moments background. God, we didn't even talk about, about the great background music of, of Frontier Land too. Um, it'll be interesting to see where the next few years take us.

[00:34:32] Kendall Foreman: Yeah. What, what's your favorite, what's your best frontier land memory?

[00:34:36] Lou Mongello: Oh, man... My memory is my dad wanting to go to. Going to Main Street USA to get our ticket to go to. I don't know why all these literal decades later, that sticks out to me. But my dad always, always loving the Diamond Horseshoe Revue...

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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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