The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment reached a major milestone last week with the removal of the massive crane that has been on site since December 2024. The crane was actually installed in a backstage area near Big Thunder while the attraction was still operational, weeks before it closed in early 2025. The crane was the first real confirmation that the scale of the project would include a full track replacement. Now, the crane is gone, signaling that the project has reached a major construction milestone.
Massive Crane Removed from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
The crane was on site for seven months to support the full roller coaster track replacement, along with the movement of other props and equipment.
Removal of the roller coaster track at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad began on January 8, 2025, and the final piece of new track appeared to be installed just after Memorial Day. That would make the track replacement portion of the refurbishment some 4.5 months long. Of course, there is still plenty of work to be done.
Earlier this month, we spotted ride vehicle push-pull testing, which signaled that new track installation was certainly done at that point. Disney will continue to push-pull a ride vehicle through the track to ensure that the track is safe and operating as intended.
Disney will also complete “envelope testing” to ensure that the expected reach of guests will not impact any new or existing elements of the ride. Finally, full-speed testing will occur as the roller coaster gets some repetitions in, and Cast Members are retrained.
Walt Disney World has also promised some “new magic” when the ride reopens sometime in 2026. While Disney hasn’t announced exact details, it would be a huge missed opportunity if Disney didn’t enhance the finale lift hill. In other versions of the ride, a simulated explosion can be found during the final lift hill moment. We’re also hopeful that more enhancements will be made to the ride.
Next month, Walt Disney World will host the Destination D23 fan event. While not nearly as “newsy” as the massive D23 Expo, we expect to get some updates for ongoing projects, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad included.
For more on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad track replacement project, including all of our coverage of the work, check out our dedicated project page below!
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