Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Frontierland
Magic Kingdom

Introduction | Attraction | Touring Tips | Kids and Characters | Dining | Shopping | Interesting Facts

INTRODUCTION

"Hang onto your hats and glasses, folks, cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!" And with that, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened on September 23, 1980 and celebrated its Grand Opening on November 15, 1980.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is situated at the far end of Frontierland, past Splash Mountain.

 

ATTRACTION

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a wonderfully themed roller-coaster with turns and dips through caverns, mountains, avalanches and floods reminiscent of the Old West.

The queue area takes you into the headquarters of the Big Thunder Mining Co. You enter converted ore cars for your journey... but wait, there is NO conductor! Too late, you are off for a 3 1/2-minute ride into the wilderness!

The theming is a Southwestern landscape, reminiscent of the wind swept features found in Arizona's Monument Valley. Caves, grottos, a waterfall, big horned sheep, a spiral butte, dinosaur bones and sulfur pools are just part of the scenery you will encounter on your ride.

Speeds can reach 24-30 miles per hour so the centrifugal force as you round the turns will pull you from one side to the next.

There are no serious drops on this ride (nothing like Splash Mountain) but there are 3 good dips that can put some air between you and your seat.

The main butte is 197.6 feet above sea level and 100 feet above ground.

Enjoy the music of the old west with songs like: Big Rock Candy Mountain (1885), Blue Tail Fly, (1846), Red River Valley (1896), Oh My Darling Clementine (1884) and more.

TOURING TIPS

Loose articles, hats, and glasses should be removed and secured.

Each of the 6 trains has an engine and 5 cars. For the "wildest ride" request a seat in the back rows. For tamer rides, request a seat in the front of the train.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is beautiful at night; be sure and ride after dark if you have the chance.

Persons in wheelchairs should continue past the entrance and go into the exit of the attraction, look for a Cast Member for boarding instructions. You will need to transfer from your wheelchair to a train car.

See whether Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain have the shorter stand by line. Get a FassPass for the one with the longest wait times and then ride the other one.

If you look closely at the second story room of the saloon, you'll see a party going on.

Hidden Mickey Alert - Three rusty gears laying on the grass as you reenter the station.

Hidden Character Alert - "In the Magic Kingdom, walk to the exit from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Behind the fence (on the left side as you exit the ride), between two metal carts and behind a cactus is a cutout in the reddish rock that resembles a side profile of Tinker Bell. (Thanks to Jamie Holz, for directions to this Hidden Character)." Click on photo for more detail.

KIDS - CHARACTERS

Children must be at least 40" tall to ride.

Magic Kingdom Characters At A Glance 
Character Meet and Greet FAQ!

DINING

Pecos Bill's is located nearby and has very good counter service food!

Magic Kingdom Restaurants At A Glance
Menus From Around the World
Vegetarian and Other Special Diets

SHOPPING

You can find limited Big Thunder Mountain merchandise at the Briar Patch near Splash Mountain.

Shopping in Walt Disney World

INTERESTING FACTS

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad debuted at Disneyland on September 2, 1979. It opened at in the Magic Kingdom on September 23, 1980. Opened in Toyko Disneyland July 4, 1987 and in Disneyland Paris on April 12, 1992.

The names of the six trains are: U.B. Bold, U.R. Daring, U.R. Courageous, I.M. Brave, I.B. Hearty and I.M. Fearless.

There are 20 Audio-animatronics throughout the attraction including chickens, donkeys, possums, a goat, a longjohn-clad resident spinning through the flood in a bathtub, and a rainmaker whose name is Professor Cumulus Isobar.

Genuine antique mining equipment can be found around the 2.5 acre attraction. These pieces were purchased at various auctions throughout the Southwest and include a double-stamp ore crusher, an ore-hauling wagon, and an old ball mill used to extract gold from ore.

During constructions, workers used 6,500 tons of steel beams, rods and mesh, 4,675 tons of concrete, 90,000 gallons of water and 4,000 gallons of desert paint.

Dallas McKennon recorded the "Hang onto Your Hats and Glasses" announcement that is played just before you leave the station. Dallas also provided the voice for Benjamin Franklin in Epcot's American Adventure.

The attractino covers over two acres and rises almost 200 feet above sea level. It was inspired by Monument Valley, Arizona.

Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter led the team for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had a minor rehab in October 2007. Sound systems were enhanced along with minor painting and minor upgrades.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had a lengthy rehab in 2012.