Greetings family, friends, neighbors and Disney buddys! Today's ramble is about an iconic Disneyland attraction that has evolved both physically as well as politically since the parks opening in 1955. Here's more to the story.....Bill
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DISNEYLAND’S INDIAN VILLAGE
The original concept of an Indian Village in Walt Disney’s planned
Anaheim theme park is attributed to a memo from imagineer Steve
Daly to Dick Irvine in 1953 with a magazine article about Wig-Wam
Motels sprouting up along Route 66 and the country’s roadsides,
along with a suggestion that maybe they should consider placing
some wig-wams near the future park’s western town. By the time
Disneyland opened in 1955 the concept had evolved into three
Indian Villages; An “unfriendly” village and burning settlers cabin
behind Fort Wilderness on Tom Sawyers Island, a “friendly”
village on the banks of Rivers of America, and a main Indian
Village located along a stretch of land in Frontierland where
Native American’s would perform authentic ceremonial dances for
park guests. The popularity of the Indian Village during the first
summer resulted in the moving of the interactive encampment to a
larger undeveloped space beyond a newly created faux rock
entrance tunnel where guests could comfortably watch authentic
tribal dances in an amphitheater and be encouraged to join in.
The Indian Village was moved again in 1962 to make way for the
upcoming New Orleans Square and the Pirates of the Caribbean
ride to a larger space with a new dance ring and larger
amphitheater, teepee and totem pole displays, canoe rides, basket
weaving and sand art craft area and themed gift shop. Tribal
Dancers from the Pacific Northwest performed daily for the next
ten years, however fading crowds, competition from new exciting
park attractions and improved audio animatronic technology
signaled the end of Disneyland’s spirited interactive Indian Village
and the creation of “Bear Country” and the introduction of eighteen
audio animatronic bears, a racoon, stag deer and buffalo at the
Country Bear Jamboree.
Bear Country evolved into “Critter Company” and in 1989 Splash
Mountain flume ride took up the space once the site of the Indian
Village. Today’s highly detailed audio animatronic version of
Disneyland’s Indian Village sits behind Tom Sawyer Island on the
bank of the River’s Of America, visible only from the Mark Twain
Riverboat, Sailing Ship Columbia, and Disneyland Railroad, and
where Chief Big Thunder has been greeting guests to Disneyland’s
back country for nearly 70 years.
FRONTIERLAND INDIAN VILLAGE
An Indian Village along the banks of the Rivers of America where hearty
braves perform authentic tribal dances to the throbbing beat of Indian drums.
A FRIENDLY INDIAN WARRIOR greats travelers to Frontierland as he sits
astride his painted stallion along the banks of the Rivers of America.
PEACEFUL INDIAN VILLAGE
A trip to Frontierland Rivers of America, takes guests past a peaceful Indian
Village and a child and his dog watch them pass as the rest of the village
goes about their daily chores.
Circa 1950’s postcards from my collection
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