Disney announced some BIG news about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom!
The ride will be undergoing refurbishment soon, but not just any kind of refurbishment. It will be a refurbishment that lasts for at least a year! But what does this announcement mean for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?
Disney announced that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will temporarily close for refurbishment on January 6th, 2025. The closure is expected to last until 2026. Yep, you read those dates right. That means the closure will be for at least an entire year!
In addition to general refurbishment and maintenance, Disney also noted that when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad re-opens it will have “a little bit of new magic.”
While we don’t know exactly what that “new magic” will be, we hope that this could mean Disney World’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad could get some similar explosive and dynamite effects as the attraction has at Disneyland Resort. The effects at Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad are way cooler and much better than the effects at Disney World.
Disney filed a permit back in June for work to be done at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The permit had an expiration date of August 8th, 2025, which often signals that the permit is for bigger changes. Permits automatically expire a year after they are filed, unless an expiration date is specifically indicated.
The permit filed in June was for “General Construction” and lists Coastal Steel Inc. as the contractor for the work. Coastal Steel Inc. is “a leader in steel erection” that specializes in ride systems, including roller coasters.
While we don’t expect there to be any monumental changes to this iconic Magic Kingdom attraction, you never know what Disney has up their sleeves. So far Disney hasn’t announced any drastic changes to this attraction. We can expect the ride to be refreshed, undergo general ride maintenance, and some “new magic” to be added to the ride during its refurbishment.
While we will miss “the wildest ride in the wilderness” while it is closed for refurbishment, we are excited to see what new magic will be coming to the attraction.
Even once Thunder Mountain closes, there is still so much to enjoy in Magic Kingdom. Check out our video for 20 things you MUST-DO in Magic Kingdom:
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What “new magic” do you hope will be coming to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad? Let us know in the comments!
In addition to some “extra magic” coming to the ride itself, some of the work done is to prepare for what is “beyond Big Thunder” which we now know will be the location of the new Villains’ Land expected to open sometime early next decade.