Work continues on the refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the latest construction has expanded to include queue buildings on the front of the mountain.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment
Usually, our tour of the latest Big Thunder Mountain Railroad construction starts on the Liberty Square Riverboat. Today, however, our first photos are taken from the ground, because construction has now expanded to the front of the attraction.
As we passed by the attraction’s entrance, we could see construction crews wearing safety gear walking on the path of the ride’s queue.
Two crew members were standing at the top of the ramp leading to the covered section of the queue.
A plastic tarp has been hung from the ceiling of the queue building with the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad sign, blocking any views to the inside.
A post near the covered room has now been adorned with a white warning sign. The sign was attached using some red duct tape.
Our next view comes from the upper level of the Liberty Square Riverboat. From this angle, you can get a side view of the new plastic tarp hanging from the roof down to the rocks below the building.
On the right side of the mountain, several construction crew members were hard at work. The large crane was positioned backstage today. Nothing was hanging from its cable when we passed, so no flying dumpsters today.
In the area where several pieces of track were previously removed, there are several large piles of what look to be wood and steel beams. The beams are stacked together on the left edge of the ride path. The area is still lined with a few orange cones and metal scaffolds.
In one of the mountain’s caves, plywood still sits over several of the holes to keep crew members from accidentally stepping in them. Between the holes, we can see gaps where more of the curved track was removed.
This cavern is where we saw the first new piece of track being lowered into place by a crane during our previous construction update. Several crew members were sitting or standing just inside the opening, along with more metal scaffolding. A few of them waved as we passed by.
Additional crew members were standing together on the upper curve of the track, though no changes were visible through the metal walkways.
Finally, we took a ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad. The backstage maintenance barn still looks pretty clean, although a few crew members were walking in and out.
Always take a second to wave at the construction crew members! They are always kind and will often say hello.
Moving back into the town of Tumbleweed, metal scaffolding still surrounds most of the area. The scaffolds behind the Dry Goods store look taller than we remember them.
These grey possums hanging from the dead tree are some of the last remaining animals in the construction zone. Most of the other props and animals have already been covered with plastic or completely removed.
Inside one last cave, metal walkways have been added leading down into the cavern.
The walkway is lined with orange construction cones, and the dirt underneath the walkway looks pretty torn-up.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed for a lengthy refurbishment on January 6. No exact reopening date for the attraction has been announced yet, but Disney has confirmed it will not be until sometime in 2026. There is some speculation that the refurbishment was timed to match the construction of the new Villains land going behind Thunder Mountain and the new “Cars” land replacing the Rivers of America. Disney has also hinted that when Big Thunder Mountain returns, it will have a “hint of new magic.”
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