Big Thunder Mountain Railroad REOPENS in Magic Kingdom
After a 15+ month refurbishment, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is FINALLY reopening in Magic Kingdom!
The long-term refurbishment has changed quite a bit about the ride, including updated scenes, refreshed trains, a new height requirement, and more. We’re so excited to check it out, so come along with us for an early preview!
Guests Flocked to Magic Kingdom
With Thunder Mountain finally reopening after sixteen months, guests flocked to Magic Kingdom today to ride the attraction.
Everyone was outside the turnstiles early today as lines continued to grow.
Here is another look.
Needless to say, it was an exceptionally busy morning!
Rope Drop
On Main Street, guests continued to flood into the park.
Here is another look.
Most guests were lining up near Adventureland and Liberty Square, ready to make the dash to Frontierland.
As you can see, the park was crowded.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 🚂 rope drop crowds 👀 pic.twitter.com/XRcl14tEhj
— MickeyBlog.com (@MickeyBlog_) May 3, 2026
Heading to Frontierland
As we made our way toward Frontierland, we were joined by thousands of our closest friends.
It was one of the craziest rope drops we can remember.
Along the way, however, we were able to check out the Piston Peak construction.
Work is progressing nicely.
Finally, we made it to Thunder Mountain.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopens
By the time we made it to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the line was already 20 minutes.
As you can see, it only grew from there.
It is important to note that, the height requirement has been lowered to 38 inches, down from its former 40-inch requirement.
New elements have been added to the Thunder Mountain queue, further expanding on its Big Thunder Mining Company backstory.
Barnabas T. Bullion continues to loom large.
Signs throughout the queue continue to tell the attraction’s story.
Here is a look at the mountain’s Assay Report.
Clearly, this mining job is dangerous.
There are also plenty of explosives around.
Needless to say, fire is prohibited!
All in all, the queue looks great!
New Story
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s storyline has been updated, telling the tale of Barnabas T. Bullion during the early days of America’s first gold rush.
According to the expanded story, Bullion strikes gold in the Big Thunder region, leading him to found the Big Thunder Mountain Company in his search for more gold.
Photo: The Mickey Wiki
Instead of a story about a ghost town, the ride now features an active mine.
Photo: Disney
Things go awry, however, when the miners experience machine failure, cave-ins, and more, as if Big Thunder Mountain were fighting back.
Ride Updates
We were very excited to experience what might be the biggest change — a NEW track and refreshed passenger trains, which led to a MUCH smoother ride!
View this post on Instagram
Here is a look at the loading area, which has remained relatively unchanged.
It was finally our chance to board the train.
Anticipation continued to build as we got into the updated vehicle.
Finally, it was time to set off!
As you would expect, the ride still starts out with a descent into the mines.
Rainbow Caverns
Here, we come upon the updated Rainbow Caverns Scene.
The area features colorful and illuminated phosphorescent pools and stalagmites/stalagtites.
It looks beautiful.
There are also more than 2,000 bats!
There are A LOT of bats!
Everything, however, may not be as peaceful as it seems.
Listen carefully — you might catch some new, ominous sound effects.
Leaving the Rainbow Mines, the trains head back outside.
Tumbleweed
Tumbleweed still serves as the heart of the attraction.
Here is a look at the restored scene.
This is still the wildest ride in the wilderness!
Keep your eye out for goats.
Leaving Tumbleweed, it is off to Dave V. Jones mine!
A Gold Mine
The mine is now full of gold, which seems to twinkle and lead the trains further in.
The new fiber optic effects work similarly to the TNT effect we have seen added to other versions of Thunder Mountain.
As the caves seem to come to life with a golden glow, it becomes evident that we have found the motherlode!
Here is another look.
The mountain, however, has warned us that it is not to be disturbed.
Luckily, we learned our lesson and made it back to the unload area!
Our Review
Overall, we loved our trip aboard the refurbished Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The queue was a big improvement, as it now does an amazing job of setting up the attraction’s extended backstory.
The ride vehicles feel essentially the same, though they have gotten new paint and seats.
View this post on Instagram
The ride itself is noticeably smoother and slower than it was previously; you don’t slide around or go airborne anymore.
That makes sense with the new 38 inch hight requirement.
The new show elements, however, including the fiber optic gold scenery, stand out.
The Rainbow Cavern and bat scene is especially immersive.
If you are a Thunder Mountian fan, you are in for a real treat!
I should warn you, however, that the line will be long. It was already 125 minutes by the time we got off!
Watch Our Video
You can take a ride on the upgraded Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with us by watching the video below:
Book With MickeyTravels
This is a great time to start planning your next Disney World visit, so why not contact MickeyTravels for a FREE quote now?
The experts at MickeyTravels have been making Disney magic for 15 years now, and they’re ready to help you plan your best trip ever — at no extra cost to you.
Click here for a free quote now!
15 Years of MickeyTravels
Keep following MickeyBlog for more Disney World news!
