We now know that the structure near Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom is a new vehicle barn for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment
The old maintenance barn was removed in February, soon after Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed for refurbishment. The new barn is in the same area, visible behind the bathrooms near Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It has been under construction for several weeks, with metal siding installed in May.
The barn has four train-sized openings, now with track sticking out of them. More track will be installed to connect the barn to the actual attraction, so that vehicles can be transferred for storage and maintenance.
Meanwhile, crew members are working in the queue of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We could see them from the Walt Disney World Railroad station.
We soon won’t be able to see Big Thunder refurbishment work from the train, as the Frontierland station will temporarily close and the railroad will operate in “shuttle mode” due to construction of the new “Cars” area and Disney Villains land. The Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and Liberty Square Riverboat will also close permanently.
The town of Tumbleweed remains covered in scaffolding. Crews have repainted the buildings but continue to touch them up. The lift hill behind the town now has a complete railing.
When we last checked, the railing only had vertical posts. There are now diagonal wood beams and mesh connecting them. The vertical and diagonal wood aren’t the same color, so they may be stained or painted to match later.
We could see more crew members at the back of the mountain, where there has been envelope testing. There’s a small blue tent set up to provide crew members with shade while working.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad received all new track, so the testing ensures the track runs smoothly and that guests won’t run into anything on the ride. Although the complete track may make it seem like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen soon, it will remain closed until at least 2026. Disney said it will reopen with “a little bit of new magic.”
Watch our 4K multicam POV of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad below.
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