Changes

Although Marc Davis' Western River Expedition never became a reality for numerous reasons (see [[Big Thunder Mountain Railroad]]), on May 20, 1973 [[Tom Sawyer Island]] opened on the Rivers of America <ref> http://thisdayindisneyhistory.homestead.com/may20.html </ref>. Based on the Mark Twain novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, the island is an “outdoor playground” where guests can explore caves, cross wobbly bridges, and even follow rugged jungle trails. To get to the island guests climb aboard large wooden rafts in Frontierland and set sail across the river.

Following the opening of Tom Sawyer Island, Frontierland remained mostly unchanged until November 15, 1980 when [[Big Thunder Mountain Railroad]] opened. The new roller coaster took its inspiration from the runaway mine car attraction that was to be a part of the Western River Expedition. Created by Imagineer Tony Baxter, Thunder Mountain also occupied the space near the back of Frontierland that was originally earmarked for the Western River Expedition expansion <Ref> http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2001/01/01/276.aspx </ref>.