Frontier Trading Post


Trading posts were an important element in many frontier towns of the Old West. Here, items would come by stagecoach or train from other towns or across state lines to be bartered for local goods and services. Trading posts also served as gathering places in the community, where folks could come to socialize and learn the news of the day.

The Frontier Trading Post in Frontierland is operated by one "Texas" John Slaughter. The name of this trail boss is actually a bit of Hidden Disney. "'Texas' John Slaughter" was a series that ran on the Disneyland TV anthology show from 1958 to 1961. Tom Tryon portrayed Slaughter, a Texas Ranger, in a total of 17 episodes, making it the longest-running Disneyland series.


The Trading Post offers a wide variety of products for the citizens of Frontierland, from soap and animal feed to spindles of thread and bolts of fabric (see the props in the photo below). Several years ago, however, Slaughter turned over the majority of his establishment to the trading of a most popular item... Disney pins.


Although pin shops can be found all across the Walt Disney World Resort, the Trading Post is chock full of details that make this location uniquely Frontierland. Of course, there are the interior furnishings and "gas" lanterns, but also notice the tin star sheriff's badge pin used in the marquee and the brands "burned" into the top of each wall bay. Even the instructions on "How to Pin Trade" have been given the Frontierland treatment:


While pins may be the main item available for actual sale, props throughout the shop indicate some of the other merchandise offered by the Trading Post, like the saddle and stock of flour and sugar seen here:


Lest we forget the social aspects of the Trading Post, notice the "Wanted" poster for Br'er Fox (a bit of Hidden Disney to tie the Splash Mountain story to the rest of the land) and the barrel table (below) set up for a friendly game of Tic-Tac-Toe.


In order to accommodate theme park-size crowds, facilities like the Frontier Trading Post have to be much larger than what would actually be appropriate to the period. Just as we've seen in other areas of the Magic Kingdom, a solution is provided by breaking up the facade of the shop, making it look like a series of storefronts and even a hotel.


Additional details like raised wooden sidewalks and cold blast lanterns (with the side pipes to circulate fresh air) help to further set the stage for the Frontierland story.

3 comments:

  1. Nice post Shawn. Love all these Fronteirland posts. The Trading Post also has some other unique merch. like a stuffed Humphrey the Bear. At least they used to back in November.

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  2. Well, a few years ago, at least half of this store started carrying western-themed merchandise again.

    Another reason to agree that this location is so much more than just another pin shop.

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  3. Hey Shawn...just started following your blog and this one especially caught my eye. I was the Merchandise Visual Manager in the park when this location was changed over to a pin location. The graphics and propping you pointed out was the work of me and my visual team.

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