Frontierland Guide: What to Do, Eat, and See at Magic Kingdom
Explore Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, including the best rides, food, snacks, parade viewing spots, Lightning Lane tips, and what’s coming next.
Estimated reading time: 20 minutes
Frontierland is in a bit of an awkward phase at Magic Kingdom right now.
This part of the park has always felt smaller to me than you might expect from looking at the map. And right now, with a significant portion of the area behind construction walls as Disney works on the new Piston Peak National Park expansion, Frontierland feels even more compact.
But don’t mistake small for skippable.
Frontierland punches way above its weight when it comes to attractions. Two of the best rides at Magic Kingdom—Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure—are here. You also have the wonderfully corny Country Bear Musical Jamboree, some surprisingly good food, and one of my favorite places to watch a Magic Kingdom parade.
And Frontierland is about to become considerably more interesting.
Disney is currently transforming the former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island area into Piston Peak National Park, a Cars-inspired expansion designed around the landscapes and architecture of America’s national parks and the West.
Honestly, I think this is a fascinating choice for this particular part of Magic Kingdom.
Frontierland already represents America’s westward expansion, while neighboring Liberty Square represents an earlier chapter in American history. Piston Peak almost feels like it could become a thematic bridge between the two—continuing that journey west while incorporating the national parks and landscapes that eventually became part of the American story.
We’ll have to see how it all comes together.
For now, though, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, including the rides you shouldn’t miss, where to eat, how to use Lightning Lane here, and one surprisingly important trick for choosing your parade spot.
Where Is Frontierland at Magic Kingdom?
Frontierland sits on the western side of Magic Kingdom between Adventureland and Liberty Square.
There are several ways to enter the land, but one of the easiest transitions comes from Adventureland near Aloha Isle and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. Walk through the passage toward Frontierland and you’ll emerge practically beside Country Bear Musical Jamboree.
That’s actually useful to remember if you’re touring Magic Kingdom without wanting to spend your entire day standing in ride queues.
Adventureland and Frontierland have several attractions that make excellent fillers between Lightning Lane reservations. You can watch the Tiki Room, walk over to Frontierland for Country Bear Musical Jamboree, grab a snack, and give your feet a break without committing to another long line.
Frontierland currently feels somewhat truncated because of the enormous construction project underway behind it. Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America are gone, and construction walls now dominate what used to be a significant portion of this area.
Eventually, that will become Piston Peak National Park.
But for now, your Frontierland experience is concentrated primarily along the main walkway containing its attractions, restaurants and shops.
Frontierland Rides and Attractions
There aren’t a huge number of attractions in Frontierland.
But the ones it does have are excellent.
The three primary attractions are:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree
That’s a pretty impressive lineup for such a small area.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is easily one of my favorite rides at Walt Disney World.
Actually, it’s probably one of my top 10 Disney World rides, period.
This is Disney’s classic runaway mine-train coaster through the American Southwest, and it’s just ridiculously fun. It has enough speed, dips and turns to be exciting without crossing over into the kind of intense thrill ride that scares off a lot of more cautious Disney visitors.
Big Thunder also recently reopened after an extensive refurbishment, so this is the newly refreshed version of the attraction.
If you’re someone who doesn’t normally love roller coasters, I wouldn’t automatically rule this one out. Big Thunder is much more about the sensation of careening around curves in a runaway train than enormous drops or terrifying heights.
It’s one of those rides that just makes me smile.
And while I’m not going to promise this for everyone, I think Big Thunder can be a really good gateway Disney coaster for people who want something more exciting than Seven Dwarfs Mine Train but aren’t ready to launch themselves across EPCOT on Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is Frontierland’s other major headliner.
The attraction replaced Splash Mountain and takes you into the world of The Princess and the Frog, following Tiana as she prepares for a celebration and searches the bayou for musicians.
And yes, there’s still that big drop.
I really enjoy this ride. It’s probably not quite as high on my personal ranking as Big Thunder Mountain, but it’s still one of the better attractions at Magic Kingdom.
The animatronics are beautiful, the music is fantastic, and the ride has that wonderful combination of a lengthy Disney attraction with a little bit of genuine excitement thrown in.
Just understand one important thing before you ride:
You may get wet.
And you may get very wet.
That’s either delightful on a hot Florida afternoon or significantly less delightful when it’s chilly outside and you weren’t planning to walk around Magic Kingdom in wet clothes.
Lightning Lane Strategy for Frontierland
Frontierland is one of the areas where having Lightning Lane can be especially helpful.
Unlike Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, Frontierland does not operate during Early Theme Park Entry.
That means you can’t enter Magic Kingdom 30 minutes early and immediately head for Big Thunder Mountain or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Instead, Frontierland opens with the rest of the park.
That leaves you with a few good options.
You can use Lightning Lane for one or both major attractions, or you can position yourself to rope drop Frontierland when the land officially opens.
If I were going to rope drop one of these attractions, Big Thunder Mountain would be a particularly attractive choice. It’s an extremely popular ride, and getting there before the standby line builds can save considerable time later.
Lightning Lane is also valuable here because both Big Thunder and Tiana’s are among the more desirable attractions at Magic Kingdom. If they’re priorities for your family, I wouldn’t casually assume you’ll just squeeze them in whenever you happen to wander through Frontierland.
Have a plan.
Country Bear Musical Jamboree
And then we have the Country Bears.
I love this ridiculous show.
Country Bear Musical Jamboree is about 16 minutes long and features an assortment of audio-animatronic bears performing country-style versions of Disney songs.
Is it corny?
Absolutely.
It’s not quite Enchanted Tiki Room levels of corniness, but it’s close.
And that’s part of the charm.
This isn’t a technologically spectacular attraction. Nobody is going to walk out of Country Bear Musical Jamboree wondering how Disney accomplished such an astonishing feat of Imagineering.
You’re going to walk out thinking:
Well, those bears were adorable.
And sometimes that’s exactly what you need at Magic Kingdom.
It’s also an incredibly practical attraction.
Country Bear Musical Jamboree is indoors. It’s air-conditioned. You get to sit down. Shows run frequently. You can escape the heat or an afternoon rainstorm, and you don’t have to stand in another long ride queue.
I especially like attractions like this during the middle of a long Magic Kingdom day.
If you’ve already walked several miles and your next Lightning Lane isn’t for another hour, you don’t necessarily need to find another ride. Grab something to eat, watch the Country Bears, and give yourself a break.
This is an easy yes for me whenever I’m at Magic Kingdom.
And don’t be surprised if you see some of the Country Bears outside the theater, too. The bears occasionally roam around Frontierland interacting with guests, which is one of the few character experiences you’ll find in this part of the park.
Frontierland Is Especially Good for a Mixed Ride-and-Show Strategy
One thing I really like about Frontierland is how easily you can combine it with Adventureland.
If you’re touring Magic Kingdom during the hottest part of the afternoon—or you’re simply tired of standing in lines—you can string together several lower-stress attractions in this part of the park.
Country Bear Musical Jamboree and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room are very close to each other. Pirates of the Caribbean isn’t far away either.
That makes this entire side of Magic Kingdom particularly useful when you’re trying to fill the space between Lightning Lane reservations without spending 45 minutes in another standby queue.
And then, when your Lightning Lane time arrives, you can head back over to Big Thunder Mountain or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
It’s a much more pleasant way to tour Magic Kingdom than treating every empty 30 minutes on your schedule as an opportunity to cram in another line.
Where to Eat in Frontierland
Frontierland doesn’t have a huge number of dining options, but there are a couple worth knowing about—especially if you need something substantial without leaving this side of Magic Kingdom.
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe is my favorite quick-service option in Frontierland, and I think it’s a really solid Magic Kingdom lunch or dinner choice.
Disney changes the menu here periodically, but the current version leans into Southwest-inspired flavors, with bowls and other dishes built around ingredients like rice, beans and proteins.
I’ve had good experiences eating here. The food has more going on than your basic theme park burger and fries, and there are usually enough choices that most families can find something that works.
I’ve also tried the corn dish with the mousse topping. It’s fine. I don’t dislike it, but it’s not something I’d tell you that you absolutely have to order.
One of the biggest advantages of Pecos Bill is simply space.
There is a lot of seating, much of it indoors or at least sheltered from the Florida weather, and there are restrooms inside the restaurant. When you’ve been walking around Magic Kingdom for hours, those practical considerations start becoming surprisingly important.
Pecos Bill has also historically been a useful option during Magic Kingdom party nights because it can remain open when some other restaurants close earlier.
Overall, if you’re hungry while you’re already in Frontierland, I’d be perfectly happy eating at Pecos Bill rather than trekking across Magic Kingdom for another quick-service restaurant.
Golden Oak Outpost
Golden Oak Outpost sits near the Adventureland end of Frontierland, and I’m a little more mixed on this one.
I need to give it another fair shake.
I’ve tried the beignets here, and I’m sorry, Golden Oak, but no.
If what you really want are Disney beignets, go get the Mickey-shaped beignets at Port Orleans French Quarter. Those are the beignets I want to eat. I cannot make myself order the Golden Oak version again.
But Golden Oak does have other things that are much more interesting.
I’ve heard good things about some of its breakfast offerings, including chicken-and-waffle-style options, so this is somewhere I’d like to revisit on a future trip.
And more importantly…
Get the Candied Bacon Skewer
This is the Frontierland snack I don’t want you to miss.
The candied bacon skewer used to be sold at Westward Ho, one of my favorite little Frontierland snack stands. Westward Ho has now permanently closed as part of the changes happening in this area.
Thankfully, the bacon survived.
You can now find the candied bacon skewer at Golden Oak Outpost.
And yes, I recommend it.
It’s exactly what it sounds like: thick bacon with that wonderful salty-sweet combination that makes candied bacon so ridiculously good.
So even though Golden Oak Outpost isn’t necessarily somewhere I’d send you for an entire meal, I would absolutely stop there for the bacon skewer.
RIP Westward Ho. Long live the bacon.
Shopping in Frontierland
Shopping is another area where Frontierland currently feels a little sparse.
There used to be more merchandise scattered throughout this area, but the ongoing construction has changed the landscape considerably.
One shopping option worth knowing about, especially if you’re into Disney pin collecting and trading, is the pin shop in Frontierland. If your family collects pins, this is an easy place to browse while you’re already in the area.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t currently consider Frontierland a major shopping destination at Magic Kingdom.
If shopping is one of your priorities, you’ll find significantly more options on Main Street U.S.A. and elsewhere in the park.
Characters in Frontierland
Frontierland isn’t really a character-meet land either.
You won’t find anything comparable to Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland or the character experiences scattered around other parts of Walt Disney World.
But you may encounter the Country Bears roaming around Frontierland.
And honestly, that’s better.
There’s something wonderfully silly about unexpectedly running into one of the bears outside rather than lining up for a traditional character meet-and-greet.
I wouldn’t build your Frontierland plans around seeing them because roaming characters aren’t something I’d ever treat as guaranteed.
Consider it a bonus if you happen to encounter them.
Frontierland Is One of My Favorite Places to Watch a Magic Kingdom Parade
Here’s something I think Frontierland is genuinely underrated for:
parades.
Several Magic Kingdom parades use the route through Frontierland, including the daytime Festival of Fantasy Parade and the special parades during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
The nighttime Disney Starlight parade also travels through this area, although its direction through the park differs from the traditional daytime parade route.
And Frontierland can be a much more pleasant place to watch than Main Street U.S.A.
That’s not a guarantee. Crowds vary tremendously depending on the day and parade.
But I’ve watched parades from Frontierland multiple times, and it’s absolutely somewhere I’d consider before automatically planting myself on Main Street.
I specifically recommend Frontierland for the daytime parade, though. For a nighttime parade, I prefer Main Street U.S.A. The lighting in Frontierland isn’t nearly as good after dark, and Main Street gives you a much brighter, more atmospheric backdrop for photos and the overall experience.
The Most Important Frontierland Parade Tip: Pick the Right Side
For a daytime parade, I strongly prefer the side of the route closest to Country Bear Musical Jamboree.
Why?
The sun.
I’ve watched from the other side, and depending on the time of day, you can end up staring toward the parade with the Florida sun glaring directly into your face.
No thank you.
From the Country Bear side, you’re much more likely to have the sun behind you, and you may be able to find some shade as well.
That can make an enormous difference when you’re standing outside waiting for a parade.
I’ve also watched from farther down the route near Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It works, but I don’t like that location as much for the actual parade-viewing experience, again largely because of the glare.
There is, however, one situation where I would deliberately choose that spot.
Use the Parade to Your Advantage
If you want to watch the parade and then ride Big Thunder Mountain or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, positioning yourself near that end of the parade route can be extremely strategic.
You’re already standing near two of the most popular attractions in Frontierland.
Once the parade passes and the route begins reopening, you’re positioned to move toward the rides rather than joining everyone heading back toward the center of the park.
I wouldn’t choose that location because it’s my favorite view.
I’d choose it because I had a plan for what I wanted to do immediately after the parade.
That’s an important distinction.
What’s Happening With Frontierland Construction?
This is the elephant—or perhaps the giant construction wall—in Frontierland right now.
The former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island area is being transformed into Piston Peak National Park, a new Cars-inspired area that will substantially expand this side of Magic Kingdom.
Disney has described Piston Peak as drawing inspiration from America’s national parks and the landscapes of the American West.
And I actually think that makes a lot of thematic sense.
As you walk through Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square represents an earlier period of American history. Frontierland moves the story west. Piston Peak National Park can continue that progression into the landscapes of the American West.
That’s why I don’t really think of this as Disney simply dropping “Cars Land” into Frontierland.
If Disney executes the concept well, Piston Peak could become a really interesting transition between the historical Americana of Liberty Square and the Western identity of Frontierland.
Right now, though?
Construction walls. Lots and lots of construction walls.
If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom before Piston Peak opens, understand that Frontierland is very much a land in transition.
How Much Time Do You Need in Frontierland?
Right now, you really don’t need an enormous block of time here.
If you’re using Lightning Lane effectively, you could ride Big Thunder Mountain and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, watch Country Bear Musical Jamboree, eat or grab a snack and explore the land without devoting half your Magic Kingdom day to Frontierland.
But that’s also why I wouldn’t necessarily treat Frontierland as a separate touring block.
It works extremely well paired with Adventureland and Liberty Square.
Move between these areas based on your Lightning Lane times, attraction waits, meals and whatever sounds good at the moment.
Frontierland is compact enough that you don’t need to overengineer it.
Who Will Love Frontierland?
Frontierland is particularly good for families who want attractions that are exciting without making their entire day about extreme thrill rides.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a fantastic family coaster. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure adds a bigger thrill with its drop, while Country Bear Musical Jamboree gives you something completely different.
It’s also a good land for anyone who appreciates the classic Magic Kingdom experience.
Country Bears is unapologetically goofy Disney. Big Thunder is classic Imagineering. And the land itself still has that old-fashioned theme-park charm even while enormous changes are happening around it.
For families with very young children, Frontierland is somewhat less essential because its two major rides have height requirements. Country Bears, food and parade viewing can still make it worth visiting, but Fantasyland will obviously offer far more for toddlers and preschoolers.
My Best Frontierland Tips
Frontierland is easy to tour, but a few things can make it even easier.
Don’t plan to use Early Entry here. Frontierland isn’t part of Early Theme Park Entry, so use those precious first 30 minutes somewhere else and then move toward Frontierland when the rest of Magic Kingdom opens.
Consider rope dropping Big Thunder. If you aren’t using Lightning Lane for it, this is one of the better ways to get ahead of the standby line.
Use Country Bear Musical Jamboree strategically. It’s not just a cute show. It’s approximately 16 minutes sitting in air conditioning while being entertained. That’s practically a medical intervention by 3 PM at Magic Kingdom.
Pair Frontierland with Adventureland. The connection near Country Bears and the Tiki Room makes it incredibly easy to bounce between the two.
Don’t overlook Pecos Bill. It’s a solid quick-service meal with plenty of seating and a convenient location.
Get the candied bacon skewer. I have said what I said.
For daytime parades, try the Country Bear side of the route. Having the sun behind you instead of blazing into your face is a surprisingly significant quality-of-life improvement.
And finally, don’t judge the future of Frontierland by what it looks like right now. This is one of the biggest construction periods this section of Magic Kingdom has experienced, and Piston Peak National Park is going to fundamentally change the footprint of the land.
Is Frontierland Worth Visiting?
Absolutely.
Frontierland may currently be one of the smaller and more underutilized areas of Magic Kingdom, but what remains here is very good.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad alone would make me come over here. Add Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Pecos Bill, that glorious candied bacon skewer and a potentially excellent parade-viewing location, and there’s plenty worth doing.
And there’s something kind of fascinating about visiting Frontierland right now.
You’re seeing it between eras.
The old Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island version of Frontierland is gone, but the Piston Peak version isn’t here yet. What exists in between is a compact little land anchored by a handful of genuinely excellent attractions.
A few years from now, this entire section of Magic Kingdom may feel completely different.
For now?
Ride Big Thunder. Visit Tiana. Sing along with some ridiculous bears.
And get the bacon.
More Magic Kingdom Lands and Areas to Explore
Frontierland is only one piece of a Magic Kingdom day. These guides can help you explore the rest of the park and decide how the different lands fit into your touring plan:
- Magic Kingdom Main Street U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle Hub Guide — What to see, where to eat, shopping, entertainment, and how to make the most of the first area you’ll encounter at Magic Kingdom.
- Adventureland Guide at Magic Kingdom — Explore Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, favorite snacks, dining, and more.
- Magic Kingdom for People Who Are Scared of Rides — You absolutely don’t need to love roller coasters or big drops to have a fantastic Magic Kingdom day. This guide covers the gentler rides, shows, characters, entertainment, and other experiences worth prioritizing.
