Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is back open at Magic Kingdom, and we’ve had the opportunity to ride a couple of times so far. In this article, I want to highlight the top five improvements made to the attraction during its 16-month refurbishment. From all-new roller coaster tracks to subtle updates to the storyline, the Magic Kingdom classic is back and better than ever.
Top 5 Improvements Made to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
With Big Thunder Mountain Railroad back open, Frontierland finally feels like Frontierland again. At least as much as it’s going to for the next few years. Years ago, Disney identified a need to replace the roller coaster track at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the project officially began when the attraction closed in January 2025. Since then, we’ve been tracking some of the changes, including the replacement of all of the roller coaster track. It’s that same new roller coaster track that is kicking off our top five favorite improvements made to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
#1. SMOOTH NEW ROLLER COASTER TRACK
My favorite update to the attraction is, somehow, the most controversial. While some of the most vocal Disney fans seem unhappy with the smoother ride (I’m sure most opinions have been formed while watching a ride-through video from the couch), it’s worth underlining here that the new track had to happen if the ride was going to stick around for a few more decades. The attraction is more than 45 years old, and it was time for a track replacement or a demolition. I’m happy Disney opted for a track replacement.
Beyond the necessity of it, I think that many guests will love the fact that the ride is smoother. While Big Thunder was never as rough on the body as Space Mountain or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (sorry, Muppets), it was certainly the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness for a reason.
I personally think that it retains that title, even if the imperfections and wobbles of the old aging track profile have been addressed with the new track installation. For the vast majority of guests, it will be extremely noticeable that the ride is much smoother and substantially the same layout as before.
Overall, the new track is a winner, and I really hope that Disney gives the team another task with another Magic Kingdom “mountain” soon. It’s worth noting that I formed this opinion before the new track caught on fire, but hopefully that won’t happen again.
#2. LOWER HEIGHT REQUIREMENT, SAME WILD RIDE
Following updates made to the track, ride vehicles, and more, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad now has a lower minimum height requirement of 38″. Prior to the recent updates, the minimum height requirement was 40″.
In terms of actual impact, this means that children will be able to enjoy this ride some 12 to 18 months sooner than they otherwise could, according to CDC data. Effectively, this brings Big Thunder Mountain Railroad from a Tower of Terror/Test Track/Mission: SPACE/Rise of the Resistance-level attraction to a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train/Slinky Dog Dash/Smugglers Run-level attraction, at least, in terms of who can ride.
While we never really got a satisfying answer as to the exact ingredients that led to the change in minimum height requirement, we’re happy to report that the ride experience isn’t any less thrilling. Yes, the track is smoother, which means the ride is less rough (for now), but the ride isn’t any slower. In fact, our early impression is that the ride actually feels faster in parts from the back row (the best row). That seems to be due to a quicker lift hill in parts of the ride, sending the train down the track slightly faster.
The fact that Disney was able to lower the minimum height requirement to allow more guests to ride, while retaining the thrill of the ride, is a huge win.
#3. UPDATED RAINBOW CAVERNS/BATS SCENE
The first sign that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been updated is the quietness of the train as it pulls into the load station. The second sign that the ride has received a substantial update is in the refreshed bat cave/Rainbow Caverns scene.
I’ll be honest, I wish we spent a little bit more time with the bats during the ride because there is a lot to take in. In fact, there are more than 2,000 bats in the updated scene. That said, we don’t hang around too long before we start to climb the first lift hill and the first updated scene on the attraction.
The Rainbow Caverns have received a vibrant update, glowing with greens, blues, and even pinks before transforming into something altogether more menacing.
As it turns out, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is alive and starting to fight back against miners who are trying to strip it bare. We soon hear a rumble from deep within the mountain (the sound here is deep and impressive), and the entire scene turns red. It’s very clear that the mountain isn’t happy that we’re here.
Before we can plead our case to the forces of Big Thunder Mountain that we’re simply passengers on what may be the world’s first driverless vehicle, we zip out of the cave, and we’re quickly tumbling through the buttes of the Big Thunder region. That won’t be the last time that we hear from the mountain…
#4. TUMBLEWEED LOVE
This may be a small improvement given that it actually amounts to what should be regular maintenance of a show scene, but the flooded town of Tumbleweed looks better than ever, save for a couple of possums who remain missing as of opening day.
The town has a rich backstory that we’ll soon get to, and it has a fresh coat of paint, among other work. Everything looks fresh and is working well. Like the bat scene, we zip right past this scene on our runaway train, but we’ll be able to appreciate the scene a lot more in some two to five years when the Walt Disney World Railroad returns.
As you can see on the far right side of our photo above, there are no railroad tracks for the Walt Disney World Railroad at the moment. That’s because the tracks have been removed to accommodate the construction of Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land. In the meantime, the Walt Disney World Railroad is operating in “Shuttle Mode”.
According to Walt Disney Imagineering, the town of Tumbleweed includes revamped effects, refurbished figures, and updated paint. A fun nod to an old Disneyland attraction can also be spotted. In our first photo below, there is a bobcat on top of the cactus. This bobcat was originally part of the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland attraction at Disneyland.
Professor Isobar is clearly working overtime as the rain bringer, and has flooded the town due to the hardened soil unable to absorb the water after a lengthy drought. Everything here is dynamic, with small movements from the simple-motion figures, including people and critters. Maybe too much to observe from the actual ride, but it should grab our attention when this segment of the Walt Disney World Railroad reopens.
#5. UPDATED BACKSTORY & GLIMMERING FINALE
With an updated attraction came an updated backstory. If you’d like to read the full backstory, check out our earlier article exploring the lore of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
According to Walt Disney Imagineering, the Walt Disney World version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is unique in the global landscape of different versions of the attraction. While the main story beats can be similar to other rides around the world, Magic Kingdom’s version of the ride is unique in that we actually find the long-rumored mother lode of gold.
Yes, we didn’t get the exploding finale like the Disneyland Resort has, but we knew that was off the table almost a year ago. Instead, we have our own unique show scene where we come face-to-face with the mother lode of gold. This is the jackpot that Barnabas T. Bullion had been seeking. Unfortunately for prospectors, it remains just out of reach.
I’ll say this – it’s understandable why Disney and Walt Disney Imagineering pushed the Rainbow Caverns scene so hard in pre-opening press materials and only recently revealed what the finale scene would look like. Simply put, it’s not as impressive. That said, I believe that it will work reliably for years to come. Do I wish there was something more here? Yes, but this refurbishment appeared to be more about the track replacement and less about changing or significantly updating show scenes.
Check out our video below for a full ride through POV of the refreshed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and let us know what you think!
Looking for more Big Thunder Mountain Railroad coverage? Check out our dedicated attraction webpage below!
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