Oct. 20, 2006: Burning Settler's Cabin

[Werner Weiss]

I LOVE YESTERLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ALWAYS HAVE!!!!

And to see why, are these awesome pictures of the flaiming cabin.
I wish they would bring back the Indian war canoes and the Keel Boats.

hmmmm.

Thank you for the nice comment about Yesterland.

Disneyland still has a canoe ride. It's no longer called the Indian War Canoes; it's now called the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. The name change happened when Disneyland's Indian Village became Bear Country (now Critter Country).

Disneyland's Mike Fink Keelboats not only provided a different experience than the Mark Twain or Columbia, they also added to the "life" of the river for guests on Tom Sawyer Island and the lands that touch the Rivers of America.

[Werner Weiss]

Good job Werner. I saw in the second to last picture, I believe it was second to last, that the house now seems to be shrouded with trees all over it. Is that how it is today?

With the Settler's Cabin no longer burning, there is no need for Disneyland to hire tree surgeons to cut back branches that are too close to the flames and to haul those branches off the island.

That picture is from August 2004. My guess is that if anything has changed since that picture was taken, it would be that the trees have had two more years to grow, so that the Settler's is even more engulfed by trees.

Perhaps someone who has seen it more recently can comment on how it is today.

[RenMan]

So, if the flame is still burning at the WDW cabin, what storyline do they attach to it?

[cellarhound]

Disneyland's Mike Fink Keelboats not only provided a different experience than the Mark Twain or Columbia, they also added to the "life" of the river for guests on Tom Sawyer Island and the lands that touch the Rivers of America.

I really agree with you, Mr. Weiss regarding the Keelboats... The river does seem to be less busy and less full of life with out them... particularly on days the Columbia is in dock when there is several minutes with out anything passing by... I like to think of them a little bit like the PeopleMover in certain terms, but a little less drastic of an effect on the river's business...

One could say that having a river that is not full of motion diverts your attention to the New Orleans side... Perhaps this is why TSI is not as well frequented? and management insists on a make over to make the area more popular?

[Anders]

I remember the burning cabin from my earliest trip to the park. Great to see the old pictures. Great update Werner!

[DLDCALVR]

Remember last time they drained the river to clean up fantasmic... why didn't they spend time then? heck, they probably will hope we forget and never fix it... then when they finally figure out the next change to the island remove the pipes.

This is what i was told by a Maitanence Guy when i asked him, think about 50 years of water damage to pipes, i think it is a pretty big undertaking, and they feel it is not a pressing issue, would you rather have an improved DCA or a brning cabin which few people see anyway.

[bigbrian-nc.com]

Although I'd like them to get this effect back up and running, or removed and replaced with a new scene, If they are going to do some work or Tom Sawyer Island I think I'd rather see them getting the Fort back to being a place that guests can visit. I know that it is currently used for Fantasmic prop storage, and cast break areas, but perhaps they could hide a new facility for those purposes on the back side of the island where the cabin is, and that just might be the imputus for putting something new back there where the cabin was, it could hide the entrance to that new area, perhaps even have a dock that would seem just to be a set piece in the day "for the folks living in that cabin by the river", but might have a real practical use for the Fantasmic performers at night. Then the fort could be fixed up and re-fitted with things for the guests.

[Indiana Joe]

Where exactly is the non-burning cabin today? Can you see it when you visit Tom Sawyer's Island, or do you have to be on a boat?

[Athlonacon]

Another sad, sad loss to political correctness. I guess I was a fool to think there were actually hostile Indians who fought both amongst themselves and the settlers in the 18th and 19th century, my 8th grade history book was all wrong.

And what about the sensitive feelings of river pirates!? Didn't Disney care at all about how river pirates would feel about being portrayed like that! Thank goodness we live in a world where Disney is more senstive and is willing to destroy entire areas of the park and ignore American history to cater to the whim of a few individuals in a vocal minority. I feel much better knowing that those 4 or 5 people won't be offended now.

But seriously though, Yesterland rocks. I have always liked it and it sure was good to see the old burning cabin in all its former glory. If Disneyland won't let us have it, we can just find it at Yesterland.

[Werner Weiss]

Where exactly is the non-burning cabin today? Can you see it when you visit Tom Sawyer's Island, or do you have to be on a boat?

The Settler's Cabin is where it's always been, near the northern end of Tom Sawyer Island—the end of the island that's not open to the public.

You can't see the No-Longer-Burning Settler's Cabin while you're on Tom Sawyer Island, and you never could. Even when Fort Wilderness was open, the public part of Tom Sawyer Island ended just beyond Fort Wilderness.

You can see the Settler's Cabin from the Mark Twain, Columbia, and Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. I believe you can still see the Settler's Cabin from the Disneyland Railroad, although I don't know to what degree the Disneyland landscapers still cut back the tree growth that could obscure the view. Perhaps someone who has been on the Disneyland Railroad recently can tell us more.

[train man]

well guys I just had a thought with the new POTC theme they'r aparently doing on the island this might be just the opertunity to light the cabin back up again they could say it was attacked by pirates which would fit the theme pretty well and also bring back a classic part of disneyland

[Radiobarry]

Another sad, sad loss to political correctness. I guess I was a fool to think there were actually hostile Indians who fought both amongst themselves and the settlers in the 18th and 19th century, my 8th grade history book was all wrong.

And what about the sensitive feelings of river pirates!? Didn't Disney care at all about how river pirates would feel about being portrayed like that! Thank goodness we live in a world where Disney is more senstive and is willing to destroy entire areas of the park and ignore American history to cater to the whim of a few individuals in a vocal minority. I feel much better knowing that those 4 or 5 people won't be offended now.

But seriously though, Yesterland rocks. I have always liked it and it sure was good to see the old burning cabin in all its former glory. If Disneyland won't let us have it, we can just find it at Yesterland.

What he said. I thought the loss of the cabin was primarily due to the PC wave that has washed over the Dismey conglomerate over the past 15 years or so.

--Barry

[thmar]

I love these pictures and these memories!!

[Unregistered]

Hey guys - I'm a WDW riverboater and the cabin has not been burning for at least sixteen or eighteen months (maybe longer)... its been so long that I can't specifically remember that last time that it actually was burning. There are rumors there about the pipes too, but noone knows for sure. The audio on the Liberty Belle referred to river pirates setting it ablaze, actually, it still does refer to that - one of the two obviously need to be fixed.

[TheManator]

Last I saw the cabin burning, was the last time I visited, back in Dec 2004.