Let’s continue our tour over by the Ye Old Christmas Shoppe. Lots of fun things inside, if we could only get inside. From here, we will continue on through the rest of Liberty Square and then off to Frontierland.
Stop 8 - Ye Old Christmas Shoppe
Tour: As we continue along the edge of Liberty Square we land in Colonial Williamsburg. The Ye Old Christmas Shoppe is three structures that are combined into one shop. The three interiors have very distinct themes. There is a music teacher’s shop, a woodcarver’s shop, and the home of a Pennsylvania German family named Kepple. Walt Disney’s grandfather was named Kepple Disney. If you look closely, you can see where there are smellitizers that can pump in scents into the area.
Reality: So early that the store was closed. Lots of faces smashed against the windows but we were covered from the storm.
Stop 9 - The Liberty Tree
Tour: The Liberty Tree was always meant to be the heart of this particular land. It represents the 1776 time period and each of the thirteen lanterns represents a different colony. The original Liberty Tree was the communal meeting place for Boston’s Sons of Liberty who were protesting the imposition of the Stamp Act. Early patriots replicated this as a symbol of their right to freedom of speech and assembly. The British troops were so threatened, they tried to cut down the Liberty Trees.
This particular tree is very special. It is a Southern Live Oak that was found about 8 miles on the east side of the Walt Disney World property. It is more than 130 years old and was found by Bill Evans. Bill is the legendary landscape designer for Walt’s home in Holmby Hills, Disneyland, and the Magic Kingdom. The plans to move the tree started a year in advance. The tree weighed 38 tons and had a root ball that was 18 feet by 16 feet by 4 feet deep. It was the largest tree transplanted at that time. To move the tree, holes were bored through the trunk. However, the holes got infected and larger plugs were drilled and filled in. Another Southern Live Oak was grafted into the base of the tree.
While standing in this area, I pointed out the Liberty Bell and noted that it was the only one ever created from the same mold as the original. The bell was cast in 1989.
Along the Rivers of America is the Liberty Belle steam paddle wheeler. The ship was originally named the Richard F. Irvine and was renamed in 1996. There was a 2nd paddle wheeler named the Admiral Joe Fowler. However, a dry dock accident crippled the ship and it was removed. How deep is the Rivers of America? Would you believe about 7 feet? Time to leave behind Colonial American and start the westward migration. We are going to leave the early 1800s and move about 30 years into the future. Let’s go to St. Louis, the edge of the western frontier. Off to the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon.
Reality: The storm passes for a few moments just in time to stand at the center of Liberty Square and to admire the space.
Stop 10 - Diamond Horseshoe Saloon
Tour: The time frame has shifted forward to the 1840s and we are now in St. Louis at the doors of a dancehall that would be typical of the era. We have moved from the 1790s represented in Liberty Square and will experience the growth of America all the way to the 1880s. This is the beginning of Frontierland. It is said that Frontierland is the most distinctly American statement in the park. This is the land that is influenced by Davy Crockett and Tom Sawyer. We will go from the midwest through the Southwest and end up in a ghost town in the far west. We will see the landscape change from a forested frontier to the desert. The Town Hall is dated 1867. In fact, many of the buildings have timestamps to help perpetuate the story.
If you look down at the pavement you will see a different material. This represents the mighty Mississippi River. Let’s cross the river and work our way toward the Country Bear Jamboree.
Reality: Rarely in my life have I ever seen it rain this hard. Amazing amounts of water in very little time. Kind of creating our own little Mississippi in the sidewalk drains. Luckily the architectural style of the era allowed for wide covered sidewalks.
Stop 11 - In front of the Country Bear Jamboree closer to the river
Tour: If you look high above the buildings in Frontierland you will notice the head of Western Longhorn cattle. This is a clever cover up because they are actually located in Adventureland and are modeled after an Asian Water Buffalo. The fact they work for both areas is just one of those small details that makes a difference and would be overlooked anywhere else.
The Country Bear Jamboree’s Grizzly Hall represents Colorado in the mid 1800s. Grizzly Hall was founded by Urus R. Bear (1848-1928) and has been running daily shows ever since. The attraction was first proposed for the Mineral King ski resort in California. This show was the brainchild of Marc Davis. Marc tells a touching story of his last encounter with Walt Disney. One day, after Walt had gotten out of the hospital, he went into Marc’s office and asked him to run through the bear show. Marc knew Walt had this one down but went through it anyway. As Walt left the room, he turned to Marc and said good bye. This just hit Marc like a ton of bricks. Walt never said good bye. He might have said, “See you later” or something but not good bye. That was the last time the two men talked. Look down at the floor of the lobby and you can see how scratched up it is from the paw prints.
Reality: Well that was fun. So much water dumped down that none was left in the sky. The skies began to clear. The crowds have started to appear.
Well that was so much fun but we have a long way to go. So let’s keep moving westward and watch as time passes by as well.
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