New Notice of Commencement for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Suggests Refurbishment Timeline

Jan 03, 2025 in "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad"

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Crane Deployed at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - December 17, 2024

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Posted: Friday January 3, 2025 4:21pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

A new Notice of Commencement has been filed for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, marking another step in the extensive refurbishment project scheduled to begin in early 2025.

The notice lists Coastal Steel Inc. as the contractor, with the work described as "General Construction." The document carries an expiration date of March 13, 2026, reinforcing the expectation that the major overhaul could stretch well into the spring of 2026.

Crane Deployed at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - December 17, 2024

This latest filing aligns with a previous permit issued to DPR Construction, which also carries an expiration date of March 13, 2026. DPR Construction is known for handling complex structural projects, indicating that the timeline for refurbishment phases may be coordinated between Disney's major contractors.

Interestingly, a prior permit involving Coastal Steel Inc. had a much earlier expiration date of August 8, 2025. The new March 2026 date extends the expected timeline for Coastal Steel's involvement, reinforcing the notion that the project may be more extensive than initially anticipated.

Crane Deployed at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - December 17, 2024

Project Timeline at a Glance

Closure Date: January 6, 2025
Previous Coastal Steel Permit Expiration: August 8, 2025
Current Coastal Steel Notice Expiration: March 13, 2026
DPR Construction Permit Expiration: March 13, 2026
Expected Reopening: 2026 (likely Spring or later)

This refurbishment is shaping up to be the most comprehensive update to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad since it opened.

Disney has yet to release details on what "a little bit of new magic" entails, but the multitude of permits and extended timelines suggest substantial work ahead.

Crane Deployed at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - December 17, 2024

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JoeCamel4 days ago

212%?

JD805 days ago

Anyone have a guess on the percentage of new track installed?

splah6 days ago

I wanted to set the line on the number of planks ha like guess the jellybeans in the jar

trainplane37 days ago

Considering there's already mounting points built under the main rail, yes.

Raineman7 days ago

Just one can?

FrontierSpirit8 days ago

Disappointed this won’t be open in December. Oh well, next visit.

lazyboy97o8 days ago

Wood is cheap, especially if it just needs to sit there out of reach.

MisterPenguin8 days ago

Cardboard and a can of Scotch Guard. Done.

DisneyCane8 days ago

I'm surprised they used wood and not just plastic or another composite made to look like wood to eliminate rotting. They don't have any structural purpose so they could be made out of cardboard if it would hold up outdoors.

MerlinTheGoat9 days ago

The new track looks like it has the correct size spaces to fit two wood ties between each pair of metal support beams, same as the old track. That will come much later though, it'll be after they fill back in the rockwork they had to tear out. I'm not sure whether these beams are bolted into the track structure or the rockwork, possibly the latter or both depending on the area. They have actually removed and replaced quite a lot of these wood ties over the years, presumably as they've rotted out. I know it went without some of them when the ride was being neglected heavily (even moreso than recently) in the early 2010s. Pretty sure replacements can even be done overnight. As for the track color, I also wonder what they intend to do. I believe it's actually possible to paint coaster track even on site after it has been installed. So I suppose that's plausible. That said, it's possible they intend to just let it age naturally and develop a bit of surface grime and rust on its own. Most of the track structure below the rails and connecting crossbeams is going to be covered by the themed elements such as the rockwork. And the supporting crossbeams will also be somewhat offset and obscured by the wooden ties. They could also add some paint and fake weathering on these beams too without issue. We'll see. Things do weather on their own pretty fast in Orlando.

DisneyFanatic129 days ago

I’m really hoping they do. I know they have to install similar track, but the track definitely looks like it’s made to have wooden ties in it. The bars that the wood sits on even look to have holes for the screws maybe.

Disnutz3119 days ago

I think we all look at the progress on the track and get excited. But there is still a lot to go. While the track is 97% the same it looks like it sits higher than the previous track in some areas and in others causing the rock work to be edited all over. There is a lot of rock work repair that has to happen as in big holes and huge runs of chipped away areas to repair. Do the fake wooden tracks come back? I assume they would paint the mountain as well during this time. Have to build a maintenance track and shed. New Effects. Then a lot of testing. I don't think this thing is opening too early if at all.

splah9 days ago

What's the over/under on the number of railroad ties they install under the tracks also, still a curious choice they went with black track instead of brown