These Are the Most American Things at Disneyland

Walt Disney was the great American Dreamer of the 20th century, and his love for his country is evident, with patriotic experiences peppered all throughout Disneyland. We'll walk you through the most American things at Disneyland that will make you swell with patriotic pride!

The Columbia

The Sailing Ship Columbia was built following the plans of the original Columbia from 1787, which was the first American ship to ever fully circumnavigate the globe. The ship has 10 guns, three masts, and is 84 feet tall.

As was tradition with sailing ships of this era, Walt Disney personally placed a silver dollar under each mast before it was set.

The Golden Horseshoe

The Golden Horseshoe Saloon has hosted a number of productions over the years. The most notable was the original Golden Horseshoe Revue, which logged over 50,000 shows, making it Guinness World Record's “world’s longest-running live stage show.”

Before Disneyland opened to the public, Walt Disney and his wife Lillian held their 30th anniversary here, featuring Wally Boag, who later went on to lead the Golden Horseshoe Revue.

Disney Legend Harper Goff was the set designer for the saloon in the 1953 Doris Day film Calamity Jane, and he used the same design to build the Disneyland Golden Horseshoe two years later.

The Mark Twain Riverboat

The Mark Twain Riverboat is modeled after the steamboats of the 1800s, and when it was constructed in 1954, it was the first riverboat to be built in half a century.

“Mark Twain” was a pen name for Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who was a riverboat captain in his youth. On a riverboat, the calling of “mark twain” means “mark that the river is at least two fathoms deep,” which means it was safe for a riverboat to pass.

Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln

The Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln show features a film about Lincoln's life, then transitions into a moving speech by an audio-animatronic figure of Abraham Lincoln as he tells the “tale of generations past and shares his stirring vision of the future.”

In the lobby of the Main Street Opera House, a presentation produced in collaboration with National Geographic highlights how Lincoln and Frederick Douglass worked together in the fight against slavery.

Main Street USA

At Main Street USA, the entrance into Disneyland, you will find vehicles and architecture resembling America as it was seen at the turn of the 20th century. When you look around and see the classic horse-drawn streetcar, omnibus, jitney, and fire engine, you'll feel as if you've stepped back in time.

Main Street was imagined by Walt Disney to resemble his hometown of Marceline, Missouri, but was designed by Harper Goff, who drew inspiration from his own hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado.

Dotting the street are beautiful gas lamps adorned with the American flag. These lamps were purchased by the pound from Baltimore, Maryland and Saint Louis, Missouri for 5 cents a pound. Each lamp is about 500 pounds, making each about $25, and is over 150 years old. On December 22, 1982, Disneyland had a rare power outage, but guests were able to exit safely because of the light from the gas lamps.

Flag Retreat

The Disneyland Flag Retreat is a heartwarming experience that honors the visiting members of the armed forces and retires the flag each afternoon with the help of the Disneyland band. The flag retreat happens daily before sunset in Town Square, honoring veterans and active-duty service members. Main Street acts as the perfect background for this all-American recognition of those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. This is a time-honored tradition that dates back to the days of Walt Disney.

Frontierland

Frontierland represents the rugged Frontier of America, preserving the rough-and-tumble feel of the 1800s American West. The area brings the American West to life, representing the power of the American people, their dedication to expansion, and their dreams for the future.

Walt Disney presented Frontierland as “the story of our country’s past…the colorful drama of Frontier America in the exciting days of the covered wagon and the stage coach…the advent of the railroad…and the romantic riverboat. Frontierland is a tribute to the faith, courage and ingenuity of the pioneers who blazed the trails across America.”

Disneyland Railroad

Walt Disney's love of trains can be traced back to one of his first jobs, where he worked selling concessions on the trains passing through Missouri.

Railroads connected the Western Frontier with the established East, tying the country together. The Disneyland Railroad provides a grand circle tour of Disneyland, taking guests on a journey as they pass through the Frontier, New Orleans Square, and Grand Canyon.

Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes

Davy Crockett is a true American hero who has been celebrated throughout the parks. The Disneyland TV series featured the Davy Crockett story starring Fess Parker in its original season, and Fess Parker has a window celebrating his work as Davy Crockett, which is hung adjacent to the Golden Horseshoe Saloon.

In 1971, the Indian War Canoes closed with the rest of the Indian Village, but unlike the village, the canoes reopened that March as the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. Now, guests can join Davy Crockett, the “buckskin buccaneer,” on the only guest-powered attraction in Disneyland.

Disneyland Supports Veterans

The tradition of Disneyland proudly supporting veterans and active duty service members dates back to Walt Disney himself, and Disneyland has a Business Employee Resource Group called SALUTE dedicated to Cast Members who are actively serving or have served in the military.

Along with the career opportunities for veterans that Disney offers through its Heroes Work Here Initiative, it also provides assistance and resources to veterans who are transitioning into the civilian workforce.

The next time you are in the parks, think back to Walt Disney, the American dreamer who created the happiest place on earth, and reflect on how The American Way is represented throughout Disneyland as you experience important pieces of our past.

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