Our reporter noticed work being finished on the pavement near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ahead of its scheduled spring reopening. The Magic Kingdom ride has been closed since January 2025 for a major refurbishment.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment
Our reporter spotted multiple construction workers at work on the attraction’s entrance, as they also did earlier in February. Scaffolding remains up around the entrance as it appears work is continuing throughout the day to ensure a Spring opening, although Disney has not announced a date yet. The ride has been testing on and off for a few months. The trains and the entire track have been replaced.
Next to the closed attraction, work can be seen on the former Rivers of America, as it is being turned into Piston Peak. Most notably, as can be viewed below, new concrete is now visible as some of the construction walls have receded back. The brown side of the pavement is the new concrete. For reference, the picture on the right is what it used to look like.
Another area is blocked off with a sign indicating strollers are not to be parked in the space.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad should reopen this spring. Changes include an updated opening scene with a transformation of the Rainbow Caverns, refreshed Audio-Animatronics, and gold props. Here is the concept art of the new Rainbow Caverns opening scene:
The trains will enter the Rainbow Caverns, full of hundreds of bats, phosphorescent pools, and shimmering stalagmites and stalactites.
Thunder will then rumble as the scene changes to something menacing as the mountain “fights back.”
Watch our POV of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad from before its closure below:
Are you counting down the days until you can ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad again? Let us know on social media.
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