Rope Drop Is About to Get Even BETTER in Magic Kingdom

After a refurbishment that lasted well over a year, Big Thunder Mountain is set to return to the Magic Kingdom on May 3rd, and the return of the “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness” is set to transform early mornings at the park this summer.

After a closure that began in January of 2025, the legendary E-Ticket coaster is scheduled to reopen with updated tracks and trains that will “preserve the attraction’s classic storytelling and trademark hootin’ an’ hollerin’ energy” while improving the ride experience. These changes – and a “comprehensive review from their safety teams” have even allowed Disney to lower the ride’s height requirement from 40 inches to 38 inches, allowing younger riders to experience the attraction even earlier!  In addition, the ride will also feature a new “rainbow caverns” sequence as a tribute to the rainbow caverns that once found a home in both the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train and its successor, the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland at Disneyland. The new and improved Big Thunder is sure to be a major draw when it reopens, but there are some things guests planning to hit the ride first thing in the morning need to know.

Guests staying at Walt Disney World hotels (and select other hotels) can take advantage of a 30-minute early entry into each of Walt Disney World’s theme parks every day of their stay (including check-in and check-out days).

The following attractions are available in the Magic Kingdom’s Early Entry attraction pool:

• “it’s a small world”
• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Mad Tea Party
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• The Barnstormer
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Notice what’s NOT on that list? Neither Big Thunder Mountain – nor anything else in Frontierland for that matter – is offered. So, Early Entry guests can’t DIRECTLY take advantage of the perk to ride the reopened coaster. However, there is a different strategy they can use.

While Big Thunder is not part of Early Entry, it WILL be offered as part of the Magic Kingdom’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass offerings, a Tier 1 offering at that. Of course, Disney hotel guests can begin booking Lightning Lanes 7 days before their arrival, 4 days earlier than day guests. So, if a hotel guest can snag a Big Thunder Lightning Lane, then they can then head to Tomorrowland or Fantasyland to knock out those rides during Early Entry, then head to Frontierland once their window opens.

However, hotel guests or day guests who didn’t score a Lightning Lane will need a different strategy. If you’re in that position, you can line up as close to Frontierland as possible and (safely) rush to the ride as quickly as possible once the rope drops.

Big Thunder Mountain is about to reopen, and with it will come massive changes to early mornings at the Magic Kingdom. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney’s summer 2026 offerings.

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Heading to the Magic Kingdom this summer? Let us know in the comments below.