Starting next week, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed for refurbishment and it won’t reopen until sometime in 2026. The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness will be closed starting Monday, January 6th for a lengthy refurbishment that will stretch into 2026. It is rumored that the ride will receive a full track replacement as Walt Disney World looks to ensure that the attraction is around for decades to come.
Aerial Photos of Large Crane Staged Behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom
The large crane first arrived behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in early December before being extended into the skyline about a week later. The arrival of the crane was preceded by some land clearing before Halloween as Disney prepared for the arrival of the crane.
Thanks to some new aerial photos from friend of the site Bioreconstruct, we have an eye-in-the-sky look at the crane, staged within reaching distance of most of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad site. The fact that the refurbishment will span multiple years means that we can expect a significant amount of work to be done during the downtime. Officially, Walt Disney World has only said that guests can expect “a little bit of new magic”. It’s possible and even likely that Walt Disney World introduces some new projection mapping effects during the explosive finale to bring Walt Disney World’s version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad up to date with Disneyland’s version of the ride.
A closer look at the base of the crane shows the operating area carved into a perimeter berm to allow the crane to move a bit during the refurbishment. The tracks for the Walt Disney World Railroad can be seen between the crane and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction.
I’m not sure if the Walt Disney World Railroad would need to close at all during the refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. As of right now, Walt Disney World has not announced a closure for the Walt Disney World Railroad, but it seems unlikely that Disney would want the crane to reach over the Railroad during operation. Of course, it’s possible that the majority of the heavy lifting will be done during overnight hours when guests aren’t present.
For a list of all Walt Disney World refurbishments, head over to our dedicated refurbishments and construction projects page. For a look ahead at what you can expect when visiting Magic Kingdom in 2025, check out our article below!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!