Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Major Refurbishment Confirmed: Closure Begins January 2025

3 hours ago in "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad"

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Big Thunder Mountain Railroad overview

Posted: Monday October 14, 2024 3:05pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, one of the Magic Kingdom's most iconic attractions, is scheduled to close for a major refurbishment beginning January 6, 2025.

Disney has confirmed that the fan-favorite Frontierland roller coaster will be shut down for over a year, with plans to reopen it in 2026, promising that the ride will return with "a little bit of new magic."

This refurbishment has been long in the works. Disney previously filed a permit for the project, assigned to their trusted construction partner Coastal Steel Inc. The permit, which broadly mentions "General Construction," expires in August 2025. While initial speculation hinted at a September 2024 closure, Disney's confirmation of a January 2025 start marks a firm timeline for this major refurbishment.

Extensive Ride System Overhaul

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is set to undergo substantial renovations, with significant work planned for the ride system to enhance its longevity and ensure smooth operations for years to come. Sources familiar with the project have emphasized that this will be the most extensive refurbishment in the ride's history, much larger in scope than the 2012 renovation, which saw the ride closed for four months.

The 2025 project is expected to follow the footsteps of Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad renovation in 2012, which brought new ride vehicles, track replacements, and freshened mountain scenery to the Disneyland version of the ride. Magic Kingdom's version will likely see similar updates.

The Longest Closure in the Ride's History

This refurbishment marks the longest closure in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's history. The attraction, which opened at Magic Kingdom in 1980, has seen numerous short-term closures over the years for maintenance and minor updates.

Stay tuned for more updates as Disney shares additional details about what changes are in store for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

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Disney Dad 300030 minutes ago

I don't disagree, definitely a PIA if visiting next year into '26, but probably a combination of a couple of things. Most of what's happening (and a multitude of other maintenance things that need to happen) are long past due and it's come to a head where they don't have much of a choice at this point, coupled with '25 being a big year down the street. Imagine it will be a common choice to avoid next year because of the closures, prices you mentioned, etc. (which has become common for us the last 2 years after 7-8 years of doing 10-14 days a year down there). Bright side, the construction at MK will all bit in a back corner (until ROA gets started), so you won't see much of the walls.

bmr15911 hour ago

I highly doubt this. Sawyer and Riverboat will be down by April, if not earlier. Them being down won’t affect park capacity by any measurable means.

Sallie1 hour ago

My opinion……it’s insane the amount of closures happening all at one time. Makes the parks seem more crowded than they are. Not to mention the price hikes that seem to keep popping up. I get things need worked on or upgraded but to do it all at once is insane to me. 🤷🏼‍♀️

NormC1 hour ago

Space Mountain needs to be done more than BT but I am glad it is getting done as well. The stop at the bottom of the lift hill is very jarring. BT has one or two spots but SM beats you up the whole ride. We were there last week. Great weather LOL.

Quietmouse1 hour ago

I’m guessing this will go where the play pavilion was slated to be ? It makes too much sense.

Starship8241 hour ago

I think the name of the thread from Rumor to News.

Steamboat712 hours ago

I thought the plan was to permanently close ROA the same time as Big Thunder went down for it's refurb.

GhostHost10002 hours ago

Well this should definitely drop the price of MK multi-pass lightning lane in 2025 right? 👀

OptimusPrime2 hours ago

Get ready. Soon you’re going to hate hearing the name Figment because everyone will be begging for info about it.

JohnD2 hours ago

You lost me on this.

arich352 hours ago

Thank god they listened to me lol My daughter will be happy she gets to ride it again in December!

Moth2 hours ago

No way. Urgh. Just when I thought I was safe from a rumor tracker update. Are they seriously doing a WoL update!?

TheCoasterNerd2 hours ago

Anyways yall, be on the lookout if you like Inside Out. You know, the movie about controlling the body from inside the cranium

Moth2 hours ago

I think Sawyer and Riverboat will go down once BTMRR gets closer to reopening. They're trying to avoid a situation where the island, boat, Tiana and BTM are all down at once.