Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed for refurbishment earlier this week and work is well underway on the attraction, with portions of the track already moved and props tagged.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment
We boarded the Liberty Belle Riverboat for a trip around the Rivers of America to view the ongoing refurbishment. A massive crane can be seen jutting into the sky high above Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
A construction wall has been set up on the pathway leading to the ride. Black tarps covering items are stationed behind the wall along with a ladder, broom, and bucket that are visible.
One construction crew worker pulls a rolling scaffold behind him and the other pushes a pallet jack up the ramp.
Crew members are walking the track up a lift hill while another worker can be seen on the track just outside the tunnel. The large yellow crane is still present in the back behind a rock structure.
Just yesterday, this large section of track was removed. Ride mechanics and foliage can now be seen underneath where the piece of track once sat. An orange Home Depot bucket sits off to the side of the track.
A crew member is standing off to the side of the track near a control box.
Crew members are walking the curved track with others in the background. A Tom Sawyer Island log raft is docked on the water.
Crew members are seen working around yellow caution tape attached to blue poles marking a hole in the ground. A blue wheelbarrow and a large red safety cone are near the site as well.
Props from the attraction including lanterns, a ladder, rope, and a wooden sawhorse have been tagged in a covered portion of the ride, likely for temporary removal and relocation.
We hopped on board the Walt Disney World Railroad to get a different angle of the refurbishment, and found construction crews on this side of the mountain as well.
Crew members in orange vests holding backpacks and bags waved to us as we passed by. Scaffolding has been erected along the track as work continues.
More tagged props can also be partially seen here inside the Big Thunder Mountain Mining Co. structure.
Big Thunder Mountain will remain closed until sometime in 2026. Disney has said that the attraction will reopen with a “little bit of new magic.” A new Disney Villains-themed land will be constructed beyond Big Thunder Mountain, so it’s likely that this lengthy refurbishment is part of preparing the overall area for that expansion. The new land will include two major attractions, shopping, and dining. However, no projected opening date has been set.
Frontierland will also see the Rivers of America filled with gravel and replaced with a new “Cars”-themed area featuring two new attractions. This means that the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island will eventually, permanently close.
Watch our 4K multi-cam POV of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad prior to its extended closure below:
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