Does This NEW Permit Hint at a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopening Timeline in Disney World?

A new permit filed for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom suggests the construction timeline could be extended.

Magic Kingdom’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed for refurbishment in January 2025 as part of Frontierland’s expansion to include a new Cars-themed area. And a new construction permit suggests that the coaster’s reopening timeline might be pushed back from what was initially expected.

When Big Thunder Mountain Railroad first closed, Disney announced the ride was planned to reopen in 2026. And while they didn’t give a more specific timeline, initial construction permits hinted that the coast was likely expected to be closed until at least spring 2026, as the expiration date listed on the Notice of Commencement filed in January 2025 was March 13th, 2026.

However, a recent update suggests that the reopening timeline for the ride may have been pushed back. A new Notice of Commencement has been filed for the ongoing refurbishment, and this one has an extended expiration date of April 15th, 2026.

The new expiration date is just over a month later from the date on the Notice of Commencement filed earlier this year. While this doesn’t guarantee that the reopening date will be later than Disney initially expected, it appears they are building some flexibility into the construction timeline.

Disney said that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen with “new magic in 2026,” and while they haven’t released much info about what all that entails, it sounds like we will have some extra surprises to look forward to when this lengthy ride refurbishment is finished!

We’ll continue to keep a close eye out for any additional updates on the construction — including any official announcements from Disney — so stay tuned to AllEars for the latest news!

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