Disney has filed a new permit for “General Construction” at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Construction
The Notice of Commencement doesn’t reveal any plans but contracts DPR Construction. The company has been listed on previous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad permits.
The new permit expires in one year on April 15, 2026. The one-year expiration date is standard, but it also lends Disney a little bit of extra time for the refurbishment project. Previous permits, including those contracting DPR, were filed in January but had extended expiration dates in March 2026. A permit for sets will expire in February 2026. Another permit was originally set to expire in August of this year.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed in January of this year and will “reopen with a little bit of new magic” in 2026. Disney has not announced an exact timeframe.
Check out our most recent Big Thunder Mountain Railroad construction update. The coaster’s track has been removed and replaced. Sets and props are also being replaced or updated.
The original Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened at Disneyland in 1979. The Magic Kingdom version opened in 1980. Two more versions, simply dubbed Big Thunder Mountain, opened at Tokyo Disneyland in 1987 and Disneyland Paris in 1992. The backstories vary slightly but involve settlers establishing a mining town and desecrating a mountain sacred to Native Americans, triggering a curse and subsequently a natural disaster. The mine trains continued running on their own, however.
The ride’s concept originates from Imagineer Marc Davis’ unbuilt Western River Expedition pavilion. The pavilion would have included multiple rides, including a runaway mine train. Imagineer Tony Baxter adapted the train ride into the standalone Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
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