Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is currently undergoing a lengthy refurbishment in Disney World.
The ride closed on January 6th, 2025, with a plan to reopen sometime in 2026. More recently, Disney revealed that Big Thunder will operate again starting on May 3rd. We’ve still got a little bit of time to go, and you may be wondering — what is Disney changing with this ride that could take SO long for the construction to be complete? Well, we’ve got the answer.
We’ve been watching construction progress for well over a year now, since back before Disney even closed down the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island in summer 2025. Construction crews got to work right away after the closure began, and the work seemingly hasn’t stopped since.
Initially, Disney just revealed that the ride would have “a little bit of new magic” when it reopened, but since then, we’ve gotten more details about what the refurbishment entails. Let’s dive in.
Changes Coming to the Ride
First of all, the roller coaster has received all-new track. The new track is supposed to be much smoother, providing an overall better ride experience for guests. Even though it’s dubbed “The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness,” there were definitely some parts of this ride that felt more rowdy than they should have before the closure.
Disney has also noted that the ride will have new lighting and effects, including the addition of the Rainbow Caverns! 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).”
As you enter the caverns, you’ll hear a “menacing rumble,” and we’ll find that the caverns may not be as friendly as they seem. Sounds exciting, right?!
Perhaps the biggest change to the ride is its backstory! Disney noted, “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.”
Bullion quickly found himself in a battle against nature as “strange and unexplainable things started happening” in the mine. When the ride reopens, “the unsuspectin’ passengers who board the runaway trains will learn just how wild the wilderness can get.”
Get More Deets on the Changes Coming to Big Thunder Here!
Piston Peak Is Coming
In case you missed the news, a brand new Cars expansion will be coming to Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom, which is why Disney closed the Rivers of America, the Liberty Square Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island last year.
With this expansion coming to Frontierland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s architecture and exterior will need to blend seamlessly. (You can even see the mountain in the Cars concept art!) As the ride reopens, its new features will likely give us more of a glimpse into what we can expect for Piston Peak.
We know the Cars-themed area will feature more geysers, rockwork, and foliage based on the concept art, so perhaps we’ll see that around Big Thunder as well.
Construction for Piston Peak is already underway — we’ll be interested to get more details in the future.
Beyond Big Thunder
At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, it was revealed that Villains Land would lie “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain.” This land has been heavily rumored, and fans have been begging for more villain representation in the parks. Since the new land will be behind Big Thunder, we figure that some adjustments need to be made to the attraction to allow for construction to progress on Villains Land.
So with all these things in mind, we’ll be paying close attention to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s changes when it opens in May. We can’t wait to see it and ride it again!
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