CONFIRMED: 5 Changes Coming to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disney World

While we’re desperately missing riding the wildest ride in the wilderness right now in Magic Kingdom, it’s worth it when we remember that when the ride reopens in 2026, it’ll be new and improved!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed on January 6th, 2025, to make way for a new, refurbished version of the ride. But what exactly are they changing? It’s hard to see from the outside, but there are at least FIVE big changes coming to the beloved coaster!

Starting with the outside of the attraction, it’ll be getting a bit of a facelift to better match the new Piston Peak land that’s replacing Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island.

This also means that since it’s currently planned that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen before Piston Peak is unveiled, the look may give us a clue into what the new land will look like! “Soaring geysers” will be added, stretching into the trails of the off-road rally ride in the new area, blending the two areas seamlessly together.

Inside the attraction, there will also be new lighting and effects added. While Disney hasn’t announced details on exactly what that will look like, the potential has us excited!

We’re also looking forward to the new, smoother track! While it makes perfect sense for the ride to be a little rough (it’s not called the wildest ride in the wilderness for no reason), there were a few spots on the ride we thought could use some TLC.

One of the new additions we’re REALLY looking forward to is the addition of the Rainbow Caverns inside the ride! These will be “spectacular natural caverns full of phosphorescent pools, shimmering and illuminating iridescent stalagmites (the ones on the floor) and stalactites (the ones on the ceiling)” but they won’t just be pretty to look at. Disney has told us that they’re not as friendly as they first appear — a “menacing rumble from deep within the mountain may be a sign that we ain’t welcome.”

Finally, the largest change to this ride is its story! The plot of this ride has been revamped, with Disney saying, “The story of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad dates back to Olden Times, or rather, Golden Times, during the early days of America’s first major gold rush. When Barnabas T. Bullion struck gold in the Big Thunder region, he saw a future full of riches and hustled to start the Big Thunder Mountain Company.”

However, “Bullion quickly found himself in a battle with the forces of nature”, and then “strange and unexplainable things started happening” in the mine. Failed machines, cave-ins, you name it. When the ride reopens, “the unsuspectin’ passengers who board the runaway trains will learn just how wild the wilderness can get.”