Frontierland Area Indefinitely Closed at Disneyland, Guests Locked Out as of September 2
As of Tuesday, September 2, 2025, one of the most popular Frontierland attractions at Disneyland Park is closed indefinitely for refurbishment. Guests are now blocked from the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster, with no word from Disneyland Resort on when the ride will reopen.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad first opened at Disneyland Park on September 2, 1979, exactly 46 years ago. The roller coaster features several homages to its predecessor, Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, including the fictional town of Rainbow Ridge. Walt Disney Imagineers later created versions of “The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness” for Magic Kingdom Park, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris.
Disneyland Resort first announced plans to refurbish Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in August, but didn’t share a reopening date for the attraction. As of September 2, Disneyland Resort’s website tells guests to “please check back here for updates.” The park’s official operational calendar only goes through October 14, 2025, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is listed as closed on that date.
Disneyland Park’s version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has undergone several standard refurbishments over the years, but its most recent major overhaul was over a decade ago. It was closed from January 2013 to March 2014, allowing crews to install new tracks, refresh special effects, and add new scenes to the Frontierland ride.
The current refurbishment at Disneyland Park isn’t expected to be quite as extensive as the 2013-2014 reimagining. However, on the other side of the United States, another version of the Frontierland roller coaster is undergoing a year-long overhaul.
Walt Disney World Resort closed its version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in January 2025. Magic Kingdom Park guests have watched as crews installed new tracks throughout the mine train ride, repainted the fictional town of Tumbleweed, and worked on unknown projects in the attraction’s queue. Disney promised the ride would reopen with “new magic” sometime in early 2026.
Which Disney park has the best version of “The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness?” Disney Dining would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
