During the ongoing refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom Park, a guest spotted what they believed to be a lifeless body lying inside one of the ride’s tunnels.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been closed for a major overhaul since January, with plans to reopen in early 2026. The attraction has been undergoing a total track replacement, which was confirmed earlier this year when guests noticed large steel tracks arriving at the park. A crane has been used to lift and install the new tracks, and workers have been spotted repainting parts of the queue and the iconic “Tumbleweed” town.
The refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is part of a larger transformation throughout Frontierland. Recently, Splash Mountain was reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and the updated Country Bear Musical Jamboree debuted. The Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade has become a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) lounge.
On July 7, 2025, the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island will shut down to make way for two new Cars (2006) themed attractions in Frontierland. A Disney Villains-themed land is also in the works beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Opening dates haven’t been announced for the Cars rides or the Disney Villains land.
While the construction on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is mostly hidden behind walls, some guests have caught glimpses of the work from a few areas in the Magic Kingdom. This is where the TikTok video from @justkeepdreamingtravel caught attention. At first glance, the Walt Disney World Resort guest thought they had spotted a body lying on the ground, but it was simply a construction worker taking a break.
@justkeepdreamingtravel Big Thunder Mountain is looking good! #bigthundermountain #magickingdom #disneyworld #disneyparks #disneyrides #disneyfun #disneyvacation #disneyorlando #disneyfamily #disneytips #fyp #disneytok
“New animatronic?” the guest joked in the video, referencing what they thought was a lifeless figure in the tunnel. “This was taken during their lunch break,” they later clarified. “All the jobs were stopped at that moment and the workers were resting.”
Despite the brief scare, the worker was not injured, and everything seemed to be in order. The refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is expected to continue as planned, with Walt Disney World Resort not yet announcing an exact reopening date.
Do any other Walt Disney World Resort rides need a lengthy refurbishment? Share your thoughts with Disney Dining in the comments!
What a load of crap.