July 1955 – October 1973
LOCATION
Frontierland – The Pack Mules led guests on a tour of Frontierland, starting in the town square. Guests would wander through Nature’s Wonderland, which included the land currently beneath Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the now-closed Big Thunder Ranch.
BACKGROUND
In the early years of Disneyland, Frontierland was a very different place. Instead of thrilling train rides, spooky caves, and busy character meetings, visitors took stagecoach rides, fished off the pier, and picnicked on the prairie. The Pack Mules, which made their debut on Opening Day, quickly became one of the most popular attractions in Frontierland.
For the first year of operation, this attraction operated as the “Mule Pack”. By 1956, its trails had expanded, and the mules led guests through a brand new mining town: Rainbow Ridge (the mining town you visit on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad). With the new additions, this attraction changed its name to the “Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules”, though the premise was virtually the same.
In the 60s, Frontierland finally began to grow and change. The Mine Train opened up, ushering in a new section of the land called “Nature’s Wonderland”. This space had new animatronics, trails, and a huge waterfall. The Pack Mules changed names a final time to mark the new space: “Pack Mules Through Nature’s Wonderland”.
EXPERIENCE
Depending on which iteration of the attraction you visited, you would have one of three different experiences:
- Pack Mules: Visitors wound through dusty trails and tall grasses, up near the waterfront, and back down into the town square.
- Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules: The mules led riders through the small mining town of Rainbow Ridge, including Mineral Hall. After heading through town, guests continued through some of the undeveloped desert and around the waterfront, and ended in the town square.
- Pack Mules Through Nature’s Wonderland: Nature’s Wonderland was both a beautiful and slightly odd place. Riders saw mysteriously balanced rocks, animatronic animals, and a waterfall pouring into the Rivers of America. Guests ended their tour through Rainbow Ridge, which led right into the town square.
CLOSURE
As Frontierland evolved from a slow and quaint ranch to a bustling town, many of the original attractions disappeared from the landscape. Guests ignored the slower attractions in favor of the exciting rides in other lands. By the 70s, Disney finally announced plans to bring a roller coaster to Frontierland (Big Thunder Mountain). To prepare for this change, virtually all of the smaller and slower attractions closed.
Even if Big Thunder hadn’t changed the Frontierland landscape, the Pack Mules’ demise was inevitable. Mules are animals, not ride vehicles, and most of the time they did what they wanted. They would stop in the middle of a trail and refuse to keep going, turn and head in the wrong direction, or slow down the whole pack to nibble on some of the scenery. Each mule had very short working hours each day, but they had little interest in walking the trails when it was their shift.
TRIVIA
Each pack had 1 lead horse (with a cast member) and 9 mules. There were between 50 and 75 mules owned by Disney at a time, and the animals would rotate shifts in the park each day.
This attraction was one of the only E-ticket attractions that was not a headliner. Many guests did not understand why the attraction warranted E-ticket status!
No other Disney Park ever developed a Pack Mule attraction.
Love these pictures. Grew up at Disneyland. Remember the smell of orange blossoms from the hotel garden rooms, watching the fireworks from there. The mule train was always one of my favorites.
So happy to find these photos! I was there in June of 1959 and rode those mules. It was the same day of the ribbon cutting for the monorail. That was the best vacation ever! We traveled from Tennessee via Route 66 (when we got out to it), hit all the popular sites: Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, ghost towns, Yellowstone, etc. I know my family is tired of hearing about it…ha ha. But it was great. I am now 70. And that was the summer before 3rd grade. Walt Disney was standing directly behind me when a bunch of people came into the gift shop where I was standing. But I didn’t know who he was until my parents told me later. What a day!! Would love to go there now and take my grandkids.
Love this story. Thanks for sharing!
Love your story. I am from Ohio rode it 3 times with my dad in 1964
Riding those pack mules at Disneyland was a highlight of my annual visits to Disneyland as a young child. I loved riding them. I’m 69 now, still love Disneyland and still going, but I miss the pack mules. they were lots of fun to a small child.
I can imagine how exciting they must’ve been for little ones! 🙂
The line for the mules was always long and the adults who were with us never wanted to waste the time waiting. I think we only got to ride them twice before they were gone.
these pics are amazing
wow Frontierland is unrecognizable in those pictures.