Yee-haw! Welcome to Frontierland at Disneyland Paris, the entrance to which is protected by the walls of Fort Comstock. As we'll see in future posts, the story of this particular Frontierland covers a very specific period, from the Gold Rush of 1849 to roughly 1885. Some elements, like the fort for example, predate that period. Fort Comstock gets its name from the Comstock Lode in Nevada, one of the richest mines in the old west, and it pays tribute to some of the pioneers who tamed the frontier, opening it up for settlement.
Built into Fort Comstock is the walk-through attraction, Legends of the Wild West. Added to the park in 1993 as part of an effort to increase capacity, Legends of the Wild West uses a series of tableaux to tell the story of some of those early pioneers, among them the Miner 49'er, the Outlaw and the Frontiersman. Plaques like this communicate the story (in both English and French) of Davy Crockett and other legendary figures:
The scenes are far from sophisticated, comprised of props and costumed mannequins, but they're well-staged and reminiscent of scenes on Tom Sawyer Island in the Magic Kingdom or the old Davy Crockett Frontier Arcade at Disneyland.
One of the best tableaux in the attraction is this one of Buffalo Bill Cody addressing the fort's Captain. He may be bringing his wild west show to town... or maybe he's here recruiting for an upcoming tour of Europe. In any case, it's a fun scene and a nice connection to the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show presented nearby in the Disney Village.
Looking around Fort Comstock, you'll also find the Captain's quarters, along with some (thankfully, more modern) restrooms. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a well-themed restroom sign.
Of course, Fort Comstock is a fort, first and foremost. There are antique cannons here and guns which can be fired from the stockades.
Be sure to keep straight your enemies and your friends, however. This collection of teepees just outside the walls of the fort actually belong to a peaceful tribe of Shoshone Indians, who regularly trade goods with the fort's soldiers.
Hey Shawn! Just wanted to say you're doing a fantastic job with your blog. This is a great place to visit to achieve that "Disney fix" when I can't be at the park. Just curious, on average how many days a week do you spend at the park? You lucky dog you! haha
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice words, Kirk.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually at Walt Disney World 5-6 days/week, but don't get to the other parks nearly as much as I'd like to. I'm glad the blog can give you your "Disney fix." I certainly get mine going through all these photos and telling the stories!