Page 55 - CelebrationsSpring2020

the days of the covered wagons and the gold rush. It had wide open landscapes, as the settlers must have seen them coming across the arid plains. The attractions included walking trails, pack mules, a stagecoach, and covered wagon rides. The first train ride through the wild wilderness of the west wasn’t a runaway train, but a rather simple attraction called The Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland that took Guests through various dioramas and depictions of the vintage western landscape. The iconic red rock of Disneyland’s Mountain Range didn’t emerge until 1979 (19 years after the land originally opened). The story behind Big Thunder’s runaway railroad has inspired three other versions all around the world and is still a beloved thrill ride today, almost 40 years later.
With all the new changes coming to Disneyland Resort, it’s easy to overlook and take for granted the experiences that harken back to a simpler time. From the dusty pavement inlaid with wagon tracks to the sailing ships that take Guests around the Rivers of America, there is a lot to be embraced about these groundbreaking places that carry over into the space aged planet of Batuu.
But Star Wars fans can thank the work and standards laid out by the Disneyland’s western frontier for the transportive ingenuity that lead to the rock formations in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. As Frontierland evolved and
grew, it became clear that setting a story in a small town was doable and appealing to Guests of all ages. Small stories could create big back drops for amazing, iconic, original, must-do adventures.
The groundwork for Frontierland was laid by Imagineers and concrete workers, who spent tireless hours shaping rock formations from scratch. To give them more dimension and variation, gravel was thrown at them and the clumps of concrete “rocks” were beaten with sticks. No cubic yard of concrete is exactly alike.
In Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the rock work was done differently. Computers helped engineers and concrete workers overlay layer after layer until they achieved the look they were after. Instead of each area looking completely different, similarities cut from the same computer models appear in both Disneyland’s version of the planet and Walt Disney World’s version at Hollywood Studios. But the fact that these things cannot be more easily recreated makes signature areas like Frontierland even more impressive.
We cannot reach for the future, even a science fiction one, without standing on the shoulders of the giants that came before. Give a nod to the peak with red rocks when visiting the frontier from the future. If it weren’t for the hand placed wagon trails, there may not be a rock to hide the Millenium Falcon behind!
Photo © Disney
55 · Celebrations