The MASSIVE Big Thunder Mountain Construction Project Just Hit a MAJOR Roller Coaster Milestone in Magic Kingdom

One of Disney’s ongoing refurbishment projects just passed a MAJOR milestone.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Legendary Magic Kingdom E-Ticket attraction Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been closed for a long-term refurbishment since January, with a projected opening timeline of next year. However, work on the attraction just took a big step forward.

Recently, we caught a glimpse of some special vehicles being tested on the Big Thunder Mountain track. However, these weren’t any normal coaster cars. Instead, these were specially equipped vehicles with an apparatus designed to test the “ride envelope” and test things like weight loads, ride dynamics, track alignment, and more.

Testing

What’s the “ride envelope,” you ask? It’s the phrase used to describe the full area around a ride vehicle that a rider can reach. Now, obviously, in a perfect world, all riders would follow the ever-present theme park announcement and keep their hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the vehicle at all times. However, in reality, that’s not the case, and Disney needs to take that into account during the testing phase of new and refurbished attractions.

We spotted some ride testing!

One apparatus (the yellow piece in the photos) features fins, poles, and other extensions that come outward from the vehicle frame, which are likely designed to simulate the maximum possible reach of riders. That way, Imagineers can ensure that any props, rock-work, structures, or other elements of the ride environment are within a safe distance from the ride path.

The testing ensures the rider’s arms won’t hit the outcropping or rock-work.

While Disney still lists Big Thunder’s construction project reopening “with a little bit of new magic” in 2026, the test of the ride envelope is a major step towards the “Wildest Ride In the Wilderness” being able to thrill riders once again.