Time’s up for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. New documents confirm that Walt Disney World Resort will close yet another Mountain attraction.
It’s been over a year since Splash Mountain closed at Magic Kingdom Park, but some guests are still in mourning. The water ride – which is loosely based on Song of the South (1946) – was first pegged for closure in June 2020, when Disney confirmed that it would scrub away the attraction’s controversial source material at both Disney World and Disneyland Resort and instead retheme it to The Princess and the Frog (2009).
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Fast-forward four years, and that dream is finally coming to fruition. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is currently undergoing Annual Passholder Previews (which aren’t going particularly well operations-wise) and has received mostly positive reviews – especially for its lifelike animatronics of characters such as Mama Odie and Tiana herself.
With Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom closed, the park now has just two “Mountain” attractions: Space Mountain in Tomorrowland and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland.
Unlike Tokyo Disneyland, which is about to demolish and rebuild its version of Space Mountain bigger and better than ever, Magic Kingdom’s version of the ride is still trundling along nearly 50 years after it first debuted.
Disney World’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, however, seems likely to undergo a total refurbishment. Earlier this year, it was rumored that Disney wanted to close the attraction for over a year to rip out and replace the entire track. Now, WDW Magic has unearthed a permit assigned to repeat Disney partner Coastal Steel Inc. that clarifies plans to carry out “General Construction” by August 8, 2025.
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With that date in mind, it seems likely that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad could close pretty soon. As we previously covered, the rumor was that Disney was waiting for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (which sits next door to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) to officially open before closing the attraction, presumably for capacity and traffic reasons.
With Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening on June 28, we expect official word on the wildest ride in the wilderness in the coming weeks.
It’s been 12 years since Big Thunder Mountain Railroad last underwent a major refurbishment. The ride was closed for four months in 2012, and its track has remained in place since it first opened 45 years ago.
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Ripping out and replacing a roller coaster’s tracks may sound extreme, but it’s not the first time Disney has undertaken this kind of work. Recently, it shocked Disneyland Resort guests by ripping out the track for the loop of The Incredicoaster at Disney’s California Adventure Park. This was the second time it had replaced this section of the roller coaster.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney World Resort’s biggest rival, Universal Orlando Resort, previously closed The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure for an extensive period in 2016 to do similar work.
Replacing a ride’s tracks is done more for practical reasons than aesthetic ones. With time and use, roller coasters can become a rough and unpleasant experience. Replacing the tracks also mitigates the risk of further damage, problems, or accidents.
Which other rides at Disney World do you think require a major refurbishment?
