Walt Disney World Park Operations has just confirmed the long-rumored overhaul to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom Park. The attraction will close on January 6th, 2025. It will reopen in 2026 with some big changes!
Disney’s Official Statement
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will temporarily close for refurbishment on January 6, 2025. The attraction will reopen with a little bit of new magic in 2026.
Rumored Upgrades
As we previously reported, sources of Mickey Views indicate Big Thunder Mountain is set to receive a track upgrade to improve ride reliability. In the past year, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has suffered lots of intermittent closures due to issues with the ride system. This refurbishment is expected to permanently remedy these issues.
In addition to this, sources indicate the overhaul plans include adding explosion effects to Walt Disney World’s Big Thunder Mountain.
This effect, found in other iterations of the attraction at Disney Parks around the world, was previously planned as an attraction enhancement for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. The project was shelved by then-CEO Bob Chapek in March of 2020. The version of this effect allegedly greenlit will not be exactly same as the version found in Disneyland. The source indicates Walt Disney World’s version may be ‘value engineered,’ although further specifics were not provided.
Get your rides on the current Big Thunder Mountain Railroad iteration before it closes on January 6th, 2025! Also, be sure to check out our article on today’s announcement of ride closures and construction timelines for Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
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