Tom Sawyer Island…the focal point of the western side of Disneyland, and an icon that somehow maintains its classic feel while constantly changing. This island serves a practical purpose, by creating the illusion of a river instead of a pond. But as Frontierland evolves into a busier and more exciting land, Tom Sawyer Island also tells a critical part of the wild west story. It’s the only place in the park where guests can roam freely, without queuing for an attraction or following a structured pathway. Tom Sawyer Island is Disneyland’s final frontier; a peaceful forest playground not thoroughly developed like its neighboring lands.
Over the years, Tom Sawyer Island has grown, evolved, and even shrunk to accommodate new attractions and guest interests. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and explore how the island compares to its Opening Day self.
The Unfinished Isle, 1955-1956
To create the illusion of a winding river in Frontierland, Imagineers decided to construct an island very early in the development process. Originally, this skinny piece of land was not going to be an attraction; instead, it was a piece of the background, like the Berm. In this photo, you can see that the island is almost entirely trees and grass.
But as a storyteller, Walt still wanted to give the island a theme. And in Disneyland, no available real estate stays vacant for long.
A Wilderness Adventure, 1956 – 1992
According to Walt Disney: An American Original, Tom Sawyer Island was the only early Disneyland attraction personally designed by Walt Disney. Walt loved The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (and named the Riverboat after its author), so Disney drew inspiration from the novel’s “Jackson’s Island” when designing the space.
The island officially opened to the public in the summer of 1956. Visitors explored Tom & Huck’s Treehouse, walked trails, fished off the pier, and ventured into Fort Wilderness, the main draw of the island.
For nearly 40 years, the island remained largely unchanged. Fishing off the pier didn’t last long, but the trails, treehouse, and “grown up” kids looked forward to bringing their own little ones to the same magical place they remembered so fondly.
Frontier by Day & Fantasmic by Night, 1992 – 2007
In 1992, Tom Sawyer Island became the stage for a brand new show: Fantasmic!. This spectacle ran (and still runs) in the evening, leaving the island available for exploration during the daylight hours.
By the early 2000s, Fort Wilderness’ age began to show. The fort’s wear and tear forced the closure of several special effects, and an accident injuring a child marked the final nail in the coffin. Fort Wilderness finally closed its doors in 2003, and a smaller shell version stands on the island today.
With the closure of its biggest attraction, interest in Tom Sawyer Island dwindled. Fewer guests hopped on the rafts to explore, and once again, the land felt like wasted space. Disney needed to bring something new and exciting to the island to generate new buzz.
Pirate’s Lair, 2007 – present
The answer came from the box office. Pirates of the Caribbean became an instant success in 2003, and Imagineers saw the opportunity to expand the franchise’s presence in the park. Pirate’s Lair opened in 2007, with added grottos, buried treasure, and pirate details to discover.
From 2016-2017, the island went through some minor re-shaping on the north end. Disney had to shave a bit of land off the island to make room for Star Wars Land and the new Disneyland Railroad route. But even with that slight shrinking, the island maintained its theming, style, and amazingly quiet atmosphere, despite its central location in the park.
Today, Tom Sawyer Island mixes the old school and modern of Disneyland. It pays tribute to the early days when Frontierland was mostly walking trails. At the same time, the island brings excitement from a recent movie franchise. And somewhere in this mixture of old and new, the island celebrates one of Walt’s sources of inspiration: a fellow creative Missourian named Mark Twain.
