Prior to the permanent closure of the Liberty Square Riverboat and the adjustments to the Walt Disney World Railroad, we took one more look at the ongoing Big Thunder Mountain Railroad construction progress.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Construction
On July 6, we took a final ride on both the Walt Disney World Railroad before it switched to shuttle mode and the Liberty Square Riverboat before its permanent closure. These were our last chances to get a close look at the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad construction progress, likely until the ride reopens sometime in 2026.
In Tumbleweed, we haven’t seen many changes for the past few weeks. The buildings were repainted recently, but remain surrounded by scaffolding. New rockwork located to the right hasn’t been painted the same reddish-brown color as the rest of the mountain yet. There were several dark brown planks stacked atop the rocks.
Gold Dust Saloon and the Dry Goods store don’t have new signs yet. The refurbished prop cart on the opposite side of the coaster tracks is covered in a tarp — maybe just to protect it from rain.
Scaffolding is down from the lift hill behind Tumbleweed. Brand new steel supports are visible beneath the wood-painted railings. The supports will likely be covered and/or painted to match the fake wood.
In the foreground, the bathtub set piece is covered by a tarp. The shower head peeks out over the tarp. The figure of a man is usually in the bathtub, which appears to float in the water when the ride is operating.
Possums were removed from this tree early during the construction process and have yet to return. Some branches were also removed. There is currently no scaffolding around the tree.
There is still. scaffolding next to a ledge in the distance. This is where a bighorn sheep figure used to stand. We expect the animals to return to the attraction, but they are likely being refurbished off-site or will be replaced entirely.
Scaffolding is also still wrapped around this sharp turn close to the Rivers of America. All of the new track pieces in this area were already installed, but it looks like this area isn’t quite finished yet.
Scaffolding and some orange cones still line the bridge on this side. Parts of the bridge were reconstructed as a part of the refurbishment.
This curve is also where we have previously seen a clearance envelope and small carts, though none of them appeared to be in the area.
Below the bridge, this prop wagon remains uncovered. The wagon is a dark teal color and filled with prop barrels.
This area by the water is being used to stage additional construction tools and supplies, such as the pile of wood planks on the left, some cones, and the additional planks on the far right.
Through the scaffolding, we can see where sections of the wooden support beams for this curve are being installed, while the right side is only partially complete.
We expect the rest of the curve will have the wood supports right up to the lower edge of the metal track, as seen on the lower left portion.
More props remain staged on a dock floating at the edge of the water. Unlike the props we saw in the barn, these have not been tagged for replacement or removal.
The tallest crate is used to store a security camera and what appears to be a light, with the other crates helping to continue the theme.
Overall, many of the small docks and floating platforms near the base of Big Thunder Mountain have remained largely untouched during the refurbishment so far. This one has some more crates and barrels, with a lantern hanging from a nearby post.
One more platform is located on the other side of the wooden fence. This one has some light signs of construction, such as the bright blue cable reel on the far right and some tools sitting between the crates.
Now that most of the work on the track itself is complete, we have seen signs that Disney is starting to test various vehicles. Following the initial envelope test, we got a glimpse of a refurbished train vehicle with its tarp removed. The updated cars appear to have a new color scheme compared to the old, more orange-tinted train cars.
If you want to see more of Frontierland, we also have a complete last look photo tour plus POV video for both the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island prior to their permanent closures.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen in 2026 with “a little bit of new magic,” Disney said. Watch our 4K multicam POV video of the ride taken before its January closure:
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