The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness will have to wait, as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has officially closed for a yearlong refurbishment at Magic Kingdom.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Closed for Refurbishment
After taking its final lap around the mountain for a long while, we stopped by on Monday, January 6 to find that construction walls are already up around the attraction.
Above, you can see walls blocking one section of the queue, with construction crew members already in the area wearing hi-vis vests.
At the attraction’s entrance, construction walls with themed signage block guests’ entry into the queue.
Walls are also present blocking the exit pathway where guests reenter Frontierland after unloading.
The signs on the construction walls read:
NOTICE
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD
CLOSED!
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
BY ORDER OF
BARNABUS T. BULLION
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF
BIG THUNDER MINING CO.QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED TO INTERIM FORMAN
U.B. PATIENT
Disney confirmed the rumor that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad would close in October 2024, revealing that the ride would not be available until 2026, when it will “reopen with a little bit of new magic.” A Disney Villains-themed land will be constructed beyond Big Thunder Mountain, so this lengthy refurb is likely part of getting that area ready for the new expansion. The new land will include two major attractions, dining, and shopping. Construction equipment has already arrived on-site.
Frontierland will also see the Rivers of America filled and replaced with a new “Cars”-themed area with two new rides. We previously reported this as a rumor, which included the now-confirmed permanent closure of Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island.
Disney submitted their updated plans for the transformation of Rivers of America to the South Florida Water Management District in mid-December following the district’s Request for Additional Information, which includes diagrams confirming that the waterway will be filled. Construction is expected to begin early this year.
Watch our 4K multi-cam full ride POV below from before the attraction closed:
Will you miss Big Thunder Mountain Railroad while it’s down for such a lengthy refurbishment? Let us know in the comments and on social media.
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