Fuente del Oro

Native tribes, cowboys and prospectors aren't the only folks making their home in Frontierland. In a corner of Thunder Mesa, not far from the Big Thunder Mine, is a collection of haciendas associated with the town's Mexican American population. The Mexican immigrants who settled here called this place Fuente del Oro, the "Source of the Gold."

Fuente del Oro Restaurant at Disneyland Paris is a counter service restaurant, offering southwestern specialties. The adobe structure comprising the restaurant are modeled on those found throughout the desert southwest. One can almost imagine El Zorro bounding over the rooftops, being pursued by Capitan Monastario's soldiers. In fact, just such a thing happened when a small Zorro stunt show was performed here during the park's first couple of years.

Today, Fuente del Oro is a quieter spot, where you can grab a bite to eat and rest before continuing your exploration of the wild frontier. A series of stone owls stand watch over the entrance, presumably to ward off unfriendly natives (an old Mexican saying roughly translates as "When the owl cries, the Indian dies"), and in the courtyard of the main hacienda, there is a golden fountain covered in Aztec symbols (not sure why these kids felt the need to reach inside it, though).

Inside the hacienda, a giant burro holds up the roof, opening a window to the kitchen to allow the delicious smells to flow into the restaurant. At the other end, a man has the burro by the tail, holding the animal in place so he and his guests may get the tasty treats from within.

A reverence for the creatures of the southwest, both real and imaginary, pervades the dining rooms of Fuente del Oro with animals depicted in paintings, ironwork, traditional masks and Oaxacan woodcarvings. It's an outstanding tribute to yet another aspect of the cultural diversity of the American West.