PDA

View Full Version : Frontierland, Adventureland, New Orleans Square & Critter Country: The "Heart" of DL?



iwannabeanimagineer
01-23-2006, 04:05 PM
The last half dozen times we have gone to Disneyland, I've noticed we tend to gravitate to Frontierland, Adventureland, New Orleans Square and Critter Country. Sure, we eventually get around to Fantasyland, Toontown, Tomorrowland and Main Street, but the beginning, end and middle of the day always seem to occur within spitting distance of the Rivers of America.

Does anyone else do this or is it just us?

My theories on why:

1. The western lands are cooler and shadier, with more trees.

2. If you enter the park in the morning and turn your back to the sun, you will naturally be led through either the Adventureland or Frontierland gateway. This phenomenon has occasionally helped searchers track a lost person, knowing that we subconsciously tend to turn our backs to the sun in sunny climates because it's the most comfortable orientation.

3. The first stop of the Disneyland Railroad is in the heart of the western lands.

4. The western lands are the most densely packed with Grade A Choice attractions (Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder and Splash Mountain) while at the same time having the best places to slow things down (Tom Sawyer's Island, The French Market, shopping in New Orleans Square, the dining areas at the Hungry Bear, the Mark Twain or the Columbia).

5. The casual (meant to be "natural") layout of the paths and buildings is more relaxing and pleasant.

6. There's something about the theming of the western lands that my family and I find more personally enjoyable, perhaps the feeling of walking back through time in a more authentic setting or the more personal association with the re-creation of places important to the American collective memory. Is the appeal Jungian? Why doesn't Fantasyland have the same appeal?

spacemountain85
01-23-2006, 04:38 PM
You can do this with anything though, given enough information. Here's why I think Tomorrowland is the heart of DL:

1. Tomorrowland at night is full of bright, colorful lights, and if Vegas proves anything it's that people love tacky neon.

2. Most people are right-handed, and tend to go right at the end of Main Street (into Tomorrowland) first thing in the morning.

3. The monorail only stops in Tomorrowland, which is also the park's only alternative entrance.

etc etc

SeansMom
01-23-2006, 05:25 PM
Well...I hadn't ever given it as much analysis as you did, but I'd say we spend the majority of our time in the "western" lands as well. I think it has more to do with the following *for us*

1) Fantasyland has more attractions that our kids liked when they were younger (our DS wouldn't be caught on Dumbo, and even balked at Peter Pan)

2) Ditto for Toontown.

3) BUT...we always spend a fair amount of time in Tomorrowland, but I'll say there is NOT the cozy little places to sit tucked away there...more "glitzy".

I do think you have a point, though, about the "e attration" rides. Indiana, Splash, BTMRR, POTC, and HM are all on that side of the park. It'd be interesting to see how a family with small children manage the park.

DisneyDustin22
01-23-2006, 05:27 PM
Personally, the hub will always be the heart of Dinseyland for me. Essentially it acts as the Gateway to all of the lands, including Main Street. Granted, Main Street is the first land you walk through, but the hub is like the central processing unit, if you will.

olegc
01-23-2006, 06:00 PM
well - I think there are two things - heart versus time spent in the park. Right now - i would say the majority of people are in the west. When more activities are there in Tomorrowland then there will be more balance. Right now you have a ton of people on the edge (near the hub) which creates a bottleneck and keeps folks out. then you have atttractions in the back.

I think the western half has many more things to look at, nooks and crannies to walk in, and more attractions you can repeat (lines are a little smaller on average due to more rides). then there's Fantasmic, etc.

however - overall - the beauty of Disneyland is it's your land - as walt said - and your experiences are what count - your memories, wishes, dreams, etc. (man - that was sappy ;) )

Genris
01-23-2006, 06:14 PM
Possibly because of the more "naturalistic" setting, Adventureland/Frontierland always *seems* more crowded to me. I don't ever remember experiencing the kind of gridlock present throughout the day at Tarzan's tree-house, in any other land (except after the fireworks, when there's gridlock everywhere). Based on that, I would agree that a disproportionate portion of the park's population seems to be in that area. Also, my two favorite rides are there (HM and POTC).

But the heart will always be in Fantasyland for me. A big chunk of the opening day attractions still in existence are in that land, and the rides in that portion of the park are themed according to the films that gave Walt the wherewithal to open the park in the first place.

pisces
01-23-2006, 06:27 PM
I think NOS has a magnetic pull because of the live entertainment. It's just naturally where you want to be when the sun goes down. What with the Side Street Strutters and the live entertainment on the French Market Stage. The shows at the Shooting Gallery, and directly across, the two ships constantly in motion....when they are running. NOS has a lot more "atmosphere" than any other place.

That being said, it's not very handy, or accessible from a walking perspective. Unless you take the train in......it is quite a hike from the main entrances.

And, then leaving late at night----few options. The train is tedious, making every stop there is. Walking is little better, having to go up over the bridge, in through Adventure/Frontierland......down Mainstreet......etc etc etc.

There were several late nights when I wished a chopper would come and ferret me out of NOS, and simply deposit me on the roof of the GCH.

Then again, since I never wanted the night to end, it was kind of a pleasant stroll.

stan4d_steph
01-24-2006, 05:53 AM
I know some who consider Critter Country the "appendix" of DL.

Syndrome
01-24-2006, 06:38 AM
I'm not sure about the exact reasoning, but I do tend to like the western lands more. NOS is probably my favorite part of the park, next to Main Street. As soon as I see the streets of NOS and hear the music, that's when I really like I'm someplace magical. Not that I don't love the other lands, but this part of the park always feels special to me for some reason.

Phantom2006
01-24-2006, 07:37 AM
Maybe you think that thoes lands are the heart because all of them together make up half the park. I dont really know how more then one thing can be the heart. For me it is more as Dustin said.

crazi4dlr
01-24-2006, 10:22 AM
For me it's NOS and Main Street. It's the nostalgia I love, the idea of being transported to another time and place. We always start with the ROA area and spend much of our time there. More attractions in a smaller area also plays a part. But I do love FL when I can get to it, very crowded. TL for me is sad because I can't help but think about it's heyday which for me was the 70's when I was a teenager and they would have the dance bandstand and the concert stage, not to mention so many cool attractions. Now it's like one big commercial for Star Wars and Pixar. Well...I shouldn't start on that.

HorizonsA
01-24-2006, 10:53 AM
As a family, we'd always start in Adventureland and work our way around the park. Then we noticed that we'd been doing that far too long, so one time we changed it up and started in Tomorrowland and worked our way around. Then after a dozen times of that we decided to start in Fantasyland and see what happens. It's good to change the routine every once in a while.