When Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens on May 3rd at Magic Kingdom, the classic attraction will feel brand new. Disney has embarked on a 16-month mountain-top to cavern-deep refurbishment that included a full replacement of the roller coaster track, along with the addition of some new magic. In an interview with media today, Imagineer Dan Flynn offered some insight as to what guests can expect when The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness reopens this weekend.
Big Thunder Finale to Include Glimmering Mother Lode of Gold
When looking at how they wanted to update, or plus, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Imagineers went back more than a decade to 2013 and the interactive queue update for the attraction. As explained by Dan Flynn, Executive Show Management with Walt Disney Imagineering, Imagineers wanted to ensure that they not only kept the lore introduced with that previous update, but that they expanded it.
Flynn said that guests see the gold in the queue (pictured below), which got Imagineers thinking. Some questions that Imagineers asked were: Where did it come from? How did it get there? Why is the Big Thunder Mining Company constantly in the mountain?
For this update, Imagineering was able to expand on that curiosity, creating a new finale moment that will reveal the mother lode of gold to guests. Flynn notes that “as you cross your final hill, you’re going to enter a cave of lots of shimmering glimmer, and at last, you’ll see the mother lode of gold”. But that’s not all!
The backstory of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is that shiny dreams rarely come without a cost, and Barnabas T. Bullion quickly found himself in a battle with the forces of nature and in a whole heap of trouble. No matter how deep the miners dug into the heart of the mountain, the forces of Big Thunder fought back.
Flynn went on to say that after finding the mother lode of gold, the runaway train will be pushed out of the mountain with an ominous warning about those who continue to try to explore and mine the caverns of Big Thunder Mountain. It sounds like the finale could be quite dynamic, but certainly different than the “exploding finale” found in other versions of the attraction.
In addition to the new finale, Imagineers have been hard at work to update the opening scene of the ride as well. As seen in the previously released concept art below, and reiterated by Flynn, the opening scene of the attraction will feature an enhanced Rainbow Caverns scene.
Flynn described an updated scene where the Rainbow Caverns are more prevalent and colorful than they used to be. As guests climb up that first lift hill, Imagineers take advantage of the updated backstory for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that includes natural forces fighting back. In this updated Rainbow Caverns scene, guests will find a vibrant scene that is quickly transformed into something more menacing as the mountain rumbles and the scene is transformed into something more ominous.
This new Rainbow Caverns scene is meant to act as a foreboding moment and a signal of things to come for guests brave enough to ride The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness.
Speaking of brave, there will be an entirely new wave of younger guests who will be able to enjoy the attraction thanks to a lowered minimum height requirement. While we weren’t able to get into the nuts and bolts of what allowed Disney to safely lower the minimum height requirement, Disney has previously said that a combination of new roller coaster track and new trains, among other changes, allowed for the change in policy.
When asked about the ride experience, Flynn confirmed that the new roller coaster track would create a smoother ride than guests may have previously been used to. We shouldn’t have to wait much longer until the ride is open to all guests to experience for themselves!
When it reopens, guests can expect to find the following changes at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
- All-new trains
- All-new roller coaster track
- Refreshed Audio-Animatronics throughout the attraction
- Returning effects that haven’t been present for years
- Rainbow caverns that come to life as the mountain pushes back against our presence
- Actual gold out on the mountain for the first time ever
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!