Panning for Gold

Learn how to pan for gold at the Panning for Gold Exhibit, located at the exit of the Klondike River Expedition. Five wooden troughs filled with water are lined up along the pathway, with two cast-member "panning experts" on hand to teach passerbys the fine art of gold panning.

Hidden within the sand at the bottom of troughs are "golden nuggets". To reveal them, you'll have to balance shaking with delicacy, as the gold must be shaken harshly to get the sand off, but not too harshly for the nuggets to fall back below. Cast members routinely instruct groups of student gold-panners, and when not instructing go one-to-one to watch panners' progress.

Note: this is real gold panning! Even if the gold may be more common in the parks than real life, you're being taught the real skills that gold prospectors used in the Frigid Frontier.

Should you successfully pan for gold, you can walk over to the gold-weighing station, where an expert will congratulate you on your findings. They'll then determine how much gold you've found before kindly asking you to return the gold to the trough for others to find. Depending on your gold collection's weight, you'll receive an Alaskan wildlife-themed sticker, which can be redeemed at the shops in Town Square for a free merchandise item*.

The Stickers are:

• Salmon

• Hare

• Goat

• Caribou

• Eagle

• Moose

• Wolf

• Bear

So what are you waiting for? Get panning!

*Prices are scaled. For instance, the lowest weight (salmon sticker) might only earn you a free Disney pin, while the highest tiered weight (bear sticker), a rarity that might only be received by a guest once a day, provides the best the store has to offer.