Big Thunder Mountain Railroad News

3 days ago · Oct 08, 2026 | 12:34pm ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Possum Return Looking Likely After New Permit Filing

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's missing possum figures look set to return. A new permit names Icarus Exhibits for set element installation work, after the figures failed safety clearance before the…

5 months ago · May 11, 2026 | 10:50am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Wall Now in Place Blocking Piston Peak Construction Sightlines

A permanent-looking construction wall around Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is now complete, blocking views of the Piston Peak build site ahead of the ride's May 3 reopening.

5 months ago · May 04, 2026 | 6:50am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopens After Small Fire on Opening Day at Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened to guests at Magic Kingdom at around 10:20pm on May 3, following a closure earlier in the evening after a fire extinguisher was deployed at…

5 months ago · May 03, 2026 | 6:54pm ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Closes After Fire Extinguisher Deployed on Reopening Day at Magic Kingdom

An incident at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom late this afternoon resulted in guests being evacuated from the queue and the attraction closing, on the day it…

5 months ago · May 03, 2026 | 10:53am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Draws Massive Crowds on Reopening Day at Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad pulled in big crowds this morning as guests rushed to be among the first to ride following its refurbishment at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom…

5 months ago · May 03, 2026 | 10:16am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopens at Magic Kingdom — First Ride Impressions

Magic Kingdom's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened today after nearly 16 months of refurbishment . First impressions suggest Disney used the downtime well. Closed since…

5 months ago · May 02, 2026 | 6:09pm ET

First Look at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's Refurbished Town of Tumbleweed

Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a first look at the refurbished town of Tumbleweed at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ahead of the attraction's May 3 reopening at Magic Kingdom…

5 months ago · May 02, 2026 | 8:28am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Soft Opening Watch: What We're Seeing on May 2

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens officially tomorrow, May 3, but the question this morning is whether Disney will offer a soft opening today ahead of the scheduled return. As…

5 months ago · May 01, 2026 | 5:45pm ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Backstory: The Full Legend of Barnabas T. Bullion and Tumbleweed

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens at Magic Kingdom on May 3, 2026 . Ahead of the return, Disney has shared a deeper look at the lore behind one of its most enduring…

5 months ago · May 01, 2026 | 10:47am ET

Disney Shares Barnabas T. Bullion Message as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Walls Come Down

Disney has released an in-character note from Barnabas T. Bullion, Proprietor of Big Thunder Mining Co., ahead of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's reopening this Sunday, May 3 at…

6 months ago · Apr 26, 2026 | 1:15pm ET

Disney Building Tall Wall Around Big Thunder Mountain to Hide Cars and Villains Land Construction

Disney is installing a large wall around portions of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that overlook the Cars and Villains Land construction areas at Magic Kingdom. Aerial photos from…

6 months ago · Apr 17, 2026 | 10:05am ET

Disney Imagineering Reveals Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Bat Cave Scene in Behind-the-Scenes Video

Walt Disney Imagineering has released a behind-the-scenes video showing the enhanced bat cave scene inside Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ahead of the attraction's May 3 reopening…

6 months ago · Apr 12, 2026 | 12:45pm ET

Disney Restores Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to Lightning Lane Lineup Ahead of Reopening at Magic Kingdom

Disney has added Big Thunder Mountain Railroad back to the Lightning Lane lineup at Magic Kingdom ahead of its May 3, 2026 reopening at Walt Disney World. The attraction returns…

6 months ago · Apr 08, 2026 | 3:45pm ET

How Did Disney Lower Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's Height Requirement?

Walt Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen May 3, 2026 with a new height requirement of 38 inches, down from the previous 40-inch minimum. Disney says the…

6 months ago · Apr 08, 2026 | 2:25pm ET

Disney World President Jeff Vahle Takes Test Ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Ahead of May 3 Reopening

Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle took a test ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad today along with Magic Kingdom Vice President Sarah Riles and Imagineer Wyatt Winter. The…

6 months ago · Apr 08, 2026 | 2:04pm ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopening May 3, 2026 with New Track and Lower Height Requirement

Disney has announced Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen at Magic Kingdom on May 3, 2026 with new track, refreshed trains, and a lowered height requirement. The height…

7 months ago · Mar 24, 2026 | 10:50am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Getting New Signage as Part of Magic Kingdom Refurbishment

Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a new Notice of Commencement for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad signage installation at Magic Kingdom. Design Communications Ltd. is a frequent…

7 months ago · Mar 12, 2026 | 9:00am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopening Early May 2026 at Magic Kingdom

Disney has confirmed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen in early May 2026 at Magic Kingdom. "The attraction will reopen with new magic and the shine and polish of an…

7 months ago · Mar 04, 2026 | 10:39am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment Permit Amendment Points to Later Spring 2026 Opening

An amended Notice of Commencement has been filed for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's refurbishment at Magic Kingdom, extending the construction permit through August 31, 2026. The…

9 months ago · Jan 10, 2026 | 10:50am ET

Walt Disney Imagineering Shares Update on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment at Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney Imagineering provided new update about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's upcoming spring 2026 reopening during a segment on Good Morning America this morning. Wyatt…

10 months ago · Dec 03, 2025 | 9:15am ET

Disney Confirms Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Will Reopen in Spring 2026

Disney has officially announced that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen at Magic Kingdom in spring 2026, confirming the timeline that we have long been tracking through…

11 months ago · Nov 17, 2025 | 11:00am ET

New Construction Permit Filed for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment as Trains Begin Testing

Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a new Notice of Commencement for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom, with Coastal Steel Inc. listed as the contractor and the scope…

1 year ago · Aug 27, 2025 | 5:20pm ET

Disney World Pulls 'Exploding Dynamite' Line from Big Thunder Mountain Description

An updated ride description on Disney's website has cast doubt on the possibility of a new finale scene for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Walt Disney World. The ride's…

1 year ago · Aug 21, 2025 | 2:40pm ET

Disney Shares First Story and Scene Details for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's 2026 Reopening at Magic Kingdom

As refurbishment work continues behind the construction walls, Disney has released the first official story and scene details for the updated Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which…

1 year ago · Jun 18, 2025 | 11:35am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment Update: Work Continues Across Track and Queue

Our latest visit to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom shows that refurbishment work remains active throughout the attraction, though visual changes since the last…

1 year ago · Jun 14, 2025 | 1:10pm ET

New Ride Train Arrives for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney World

Another major step forward in the ongoing Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment at Magic Kingdom has been spotted - the first of the new ride trains is now on the track…

1 year ago · May 17, 2025 | 1:55pm ET

Ride Envelope and Track Testing Begins at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment in Magic Kingdom

Another key milestone has been reach this in the ongoing refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom, as ride envelope testing got underway this week . Crews…

1 year ago · May 06, 2025 | 3:10pm ET

Walt Disney Imagineering Files New Notice for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Theming Work

Walt Disney Imagineering has filed another Notice of Commencement for the ongoing refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom . The new filing lists Mecca…

1 year ago · Apr 18, 2025 | 8:15am ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment Update: New Permit Pushes Timeline Further Into 2026

A new Notice of Commencement has been filed for the ongoing refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom, and it comes with a notable change: an extended…

1 year ago · Mar 31, 2025 | 1:30pm ET

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment Update: New Lift Hill and Track Installed at Magic Kingdom

Progress continues on the extensive refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom, and our latest photos show that significant new track sections are now in…