Big Thunder Mountain Gets A Golden Backstory

Tom Corless

Big Thunder Mountain Gets A Golden Backstory

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Last week, we shared an image of a portrait that’s a part of a new project our Walt Disney Imagineers are currently working on – and today we’re happy to reveal the identity of that man and share details on the role he’ll play in the enhanced storyline of a certain Magic Kingdom Park attraction, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Barnabas T. Bullion, Founder and President of Big Thunder Mining Company

The fellow’s name is Barnabas T. Bullion, and he’s the gold magnate who rules the Big Thunder Mining Company with a golden fist. Imagineers have already begun working overnight in the park on the attraction’s new interactive queue, where you’ll be able to see this portrait, as well as an additional landscape portrait of the mountain itself.

Big Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom Park

According to the enhanced backstory: “Barnabas T. Bullion is the founder and president of the Big Thunder Mining Company. The longtime mining magnate comes from a powerful East Coast family and considers gold to be his very birthright by virtue of his oddly appropriate name; in fact, he considers the ultimate gold strike to be his destiny. And that is why he is having so much trouble with Big Thunder Mountain. According to superstitious locals, Big Thunder Mountain is very protective of the gold it holds within, and the unfortunate soul who attempts to mine its riches is destined to fail. And so far that prophecy is coming to pass. The mine has been plagued by mysterious forces and natural disasters ever since. And yet the Big Thunder Mining Co. is still in operation. In fact, Bullion is discovering new veins of gold and digging new shafts every day, offering a closer look at the Big Thunder mining operation than ever before. But a word to the wise for anyone attempting to visit the mountain: watch out for runaway trains.”

Look for these new additions and a number of additional interactive elements in the coming months at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the wildest ride in the wilderness!

It sounds like the new interactive queue that we have been talking about for Big Thunder Mountain will be ready for guests soon with an extra dose of a certain Imagineer. As we all know the Big Thunder Queue is one of the worst queues anywhere on property so I think we are all anxiously awaiting this change. What do you think of the enhanced back story?

23 thoughts on “Big Thunder Mountain Gets A Golden Backstory”

  1. I'm excited to see how this occurs!! I always thought the back story was not explained enough, I know it's more fun to use elements and make up your own but this sounds cool.

  2. I'm excited to see how this occurs!! I always thought the back story was not explained enough, I know it's more fun to use elements and make up your own but this sounds cool.

  3. I still like the original 1977 WED story that according to Indian Lore, it is the giant Thunderbird God who prevents the taking of Gold and other treasures from Big Thunder Mountain. The Thunderbird God can claps its wing and cause the Thunder within the mountain that causes it to shake and rocks to fall, often ceiling the robbers up within. Disneyland Paris has a different mine owner, who also has a manor nearby in the town of Thunder Mesa.

    • Not exactly. The backstory at Disneyland Paris is linked to the backstory of Phantom Manor (AKA Haunted Mansion). The story is that Henry Ravenswood, who is the owner of the Big Thunder Mining Co., has a daughter who is going to marry a man who wants to take her away from the town ofThunder Mesa so they can both travel arround the world together. When Henry knows about their plan, he doesn't like the idea. On Their wedding day her daughter's fiance misteriously dissapears forever. Nobody Knows why, some think that Henry Killed him. His daughter, falls into a depression and never takes her wedding dress off, because she's still waiting for him. Then, another day, Henry and his wife are in Big Thunder Mountain and the spirit of the Mountain kills them both in an earthquake. That's how Henry becomes the Phantom of Ravenswood Manor and the people of Thunder Mesa start calling it Phantom Manor and they think that the Phantom kept his daughter captive inside of the Manor, untill she died and became a ghost. The Big Thunder Mining Co. is closed after the Ravenswoods death and the once rich and prosperous town of Thunder Mesa becomes a peaceful farmer's town, but that's another backstory…
      All the attractions of Frontierland at Disneyland Paris have backstories and all of them are liked to the Big Thunder Mountain and Phantom Manor Backstory, creating a cohesive theme for the whole land.

    • Not exactly. The backstory at Disneyland Paris is linked to the backstory of Phantom Manor (AKA Haunted Mansion). The story is that Henry Ravenswood, who is the owner of the Big Thunder Mining Co., has a daughter who is going to marry a man who wants to take her away from the town ofThunder Mesa so they can both travel arround the world together. When Henry knows about their plan, he doesn’t like the idea. On Their wedding day her daughter’s fiance misteriously dissapears forever. Nobody Knows why, some think that Henry Killed him. His daughter, falls into a depression and never takes her wedding dress off, because she’s still waiting for him. Then, another day, Henry and his wife are in Big Thunder Mountain and the spirit of the Mountain kills them both in an earthquake. That’s how Henry becomes the Phantom of Ravenswood Manor and the people of Thunder Mesa start calling it Phantom Manor and they think that the Phantom kept his daughter captive inside of the Manor, untill she died and became a ghost. The Big Thunder Mining Co. is closed after the Ravenswoods death and the once rich and prosperous town of Thunder Mesa becomes a peaceful farmer’s town, but that’s another backstory…
      All the attractions of Frontierland at Disneyland Paris have backstories and all of them are liked to the Big Thunder Mountain and Phantom Manor Backstory, creating a cohesive theme for the whole land.

      • Yes that's exactly the Lore and Legend of Thunder Mesa at Disneyland Paris and part of how it's all connected. I wish they would use Henry Ravenswood at all the Big Thunders as they use Professor Indy Jones at all the Indy attractions.

      • Yes that’s exactly the Lore and Legend of Thunder Mesa at Disneyland Paris and part of how it’s all connected. I wish they would use Henry Ravenswood at all the Big Thunders as they use Professor Indy Jones at all the Indy attractions.

  4. I am very pleased with the attention BTM has been getting. I liked the original storyline, but it wasn't exactly obvious to most visitors, so this will hopefully do more to add to the immersion. Also crossing my fingers that it will make the long wait more tolerable.

  5. I am very pleased with the attention BTM has been getting. I liked the original storyline, but it wasn't exactly obvious to most visitors, so this will hopefully do more to add to the immersion. Also crossing my fingers that it will make the long wait more tolerable.

  6. I still like the original 1977 WED story that according to Indian Lore, it is the giant Thunderbird God who prevents the taking of Gold and other treasures from Big Thunder Mountain. The Thunderbird God can claps its wing and cause the Thunder within the mountain that causes it to shake and rocks to fall, often ceiling the robbers up within. Disneyland Paris has a different mine owner, who also has a manor nearby in the town of Thunder Mesa.

  7. I agree, the backstory was never very obvious. If they put more emphasis on the "natural disasters" portion of the backstory maybe they will get the rocks shaking/moving in the earthquake scene again! The last 3 times I've been there I don't believe they have.

  8. I agree, the backstory was never very obvious. If they put more emphasis on the "natural disasters" portion of the backstory maybe they will get the rocks shaking/moving in the earthquake scene again! The last 3 times I've been there I don't believe they have.

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