Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Is Opening SOON in Magic Kingdom — Here Are 5 Rules You Need To Know

With a popular attraction less than a month away from reopening at Magic Kingdom, it’s time to prepare ourselves for how we’ll handle embarking on the wildest ride in the wilderness once again!

After being closed for refurbishment for over a year, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is set to reopen on May 3rd. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Magic Kingdom with Big Thunder, so we know it’s going to be a popular draw all summer long. Lightning Lane is a good way to ensure you get on the ride, but what are the procedures for maximizing your day? Let’s talk about it!

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So, with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad making its grand return to the park, we can all expect that every guest will want to get on that ride this summer. How do you avoid these crazy long wait times? Lightning Lane Multi Pass!

We highly recommend you get a Lightning Lane Multi Pass during your Disney vacation once the ride opens. Big Thunder is planned to be a part of Tier 1 of the Multi Pass, and not a Lightning Lane Single Pass like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle / Run.

Once you get the Lightning Lane Multi Pass, make getting this ride your TOP priority. As soon as you have the chance to book the ride, book it! With Multi Pass, you get one Tier 1 attraction and two Tier 2 attractions for the day. Big Thunder will most likely be a Tier 1 Lightning Lane attraction, which means it will be the only Tier 1 attraction to start.

Crazy enough, when this ride opens at Magic Kingdom, every attraction that is available for Lightning Lane will be open. That means prioritizing matters! Big Thunder should be the number one priority, but there are other procedures to take to maximize your day and still ride the ride without Lightning Lane. If you miss out, target another Tier 1 attraction with high wait times.

Something like a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Peter Pan’s Flight is a great option to choose. That time waiting in standby at Big Thunder Mountain can be made up for by skipping these lines! Remember, missing out on Lightning Lane for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad isn’t the end of the world. You don’t NEED it, it’s just a great benefit!

If you miss out on Lightning Lane, look at the wait time on the My Disney Experience App during the park day. There may be windows where Big Thunder isn’t a super long wait, especially during your typical lunch or dinner times, or during showtimes for fireworks and parades. You’ll get on the ride one way or another, so don’t worry!

If you’re staying at a Disney World Resort hotel, there’s always Early Entry! You can use your extra 30 minutes of access to the park before it opens to ride Big Thunder. You can’t get Lightning Lane for Early Entry, but you honestly wouldn’t need it anyway.

Be ready for a chance of a soft opening for the ride! Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin had a soft opening, and there’s a chance the same thing could happen with Big Thunder Mountain. That could be another great way to get on the ride at a shorter wait time, because people won’t know about the soft opening till it happens (if it happens).

If you haven’t heard, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will open with a new rule change! The height requirement will drop from 40″ to 38″. This was announced after ride testing as a part of the opening announcement. So you may have kiddos in your party who can now ride. Which is something else to consider when booking Lightning Lane — you don’t want to forget to add someone to the list because you didn’t know they could ride.

Remember, the ride opens on May 3rd! We hope all of this information can help make your day at Magic Kingdom feel more organized when the attraction opens. Follow any of these procedures, and we’re sure you’ll be able to get on the ride. Barring anything that is outside of Disney’s control, of course. We’re always here to help with your Disney vacation, so make sure to follow us at AllEars!

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Do you have a plan to visit Disney World soon? Let us know in the comments!

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