Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Refurbishment at Magic Kingdom Enters Set Installation Phase

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Big Thunder Mountain Refurbishment - February 5, 2025

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Posted: Friday February 28, 2025 1:20pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Another milestone in the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment has been reached, as Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) has filed a new Notice of Commencement for the Magic Kingdom attraction. The document, which lists the work as "Install set elements," is assigned to Icarus Exhibits, Inc., a company known for themed set fabrication and installation.

Walt Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain is undergoing a major renovation project

Set Installation Begins at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

This latest filing indicates that the refurbishment is now moving beyond track replacement and infrastructure updates to focus on theming and set elements within the ride. While details of the installation remain unclear, this could involve:

Restoring or replacing existing scenery inside and outside the mountain
Adding new themed elements to enhance the attraction
Upgrading show scenes with refreshed props, lighting, or effects

Icarus Exhibits, Inc. specializes in designing and installing immersive set pieces for themed attractions and has recently worked on TRON Lightcycle Run and Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

Big Thunder Mountain Refurbishment - February 5, 2025

What This Means for the Refurbishment Timeline

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed for its long-term refurbishment on January 6, 2025, with Disney confirming a reopening sometime in 2026. Recent permits have included track removal, electrical work, and rockwork demolition, with some valid through March 2026.

Stay tuned for further updates as the wildest ride in the wilderness continues its transformation.

Big Thunder Mountain Refurbishment - February 5, 2025

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EeyoreFan#241 hour ago

Interested to see if they have any design/tech changes for that uphill break section to assist with resets.

JoeCamel13 days ago

Once the rockwork/scene installation is complete after track install they will do a clearance pull through and install all the control devices then pull a car through and then cycle empty cars then load water dummies to start cycling the ride - usually.... It will be a minute or two

Delta-713 days ago

My question is how long it will take for them to start testing trains after the track installation is complete. I personally am eager to see what the new trains will look like.

mikeymouse14 days ago

The track through Tumbleweed looks a little less wonky than previous.

MouseEarsMom3314 days ago

I think that's why this seems like BTMRR is ahead of schedule. It's going to take longer as working on Rivers of River will likely require it to be closed as well

lazyboy97o15 days ago

It’s really a brand new coaster. They’re also going to need the maintenance facilities back online to really be able to do a full test and adjust with all of the trains. There are coasters without separate maintenance areas but they tend to be single train coasters and the station is designed to provide access for maintenance.

dmc49315 days ago

I'm curious how long they'll need to go thru testing, there's the safety aspect of testing after the retrack which I'm assuming will be extensive, and then another layer of testing which might include any show changes like the potential explosion scene. Anyone have a good idea how long testing has taken on other coasters that were retracked?

JoeCamel15 days ago

Or it just may be that this location is physically unsuitable to install a tower crane

TrippedUp15 days ago

I Suspect the open areas were seeing are going to be the easiest part. That being said, theyre clearly trying to move the crane parts as fast as possible. Using a mobile crane and prioritizing the lifts shows that. It never crossed my mind that they wouldn't use a tower. Getting that thing out of there as quickly as possible is to be applauded, for sure. If you look at active in park construction sites: astro orbiter, this, and dinoland, theyve been moving really fast. Lets not talk about Toy Story covered seating. That project appears to be financed with whatever's in the till at the end of the day.

DCBaker16 days ago

Here's a brief slow-motion look at new track from the train:

FigmentFan8216 days ago

I believe speculation is they are planning installation of updated show scenes as well. I do not know if this is true or not, but even thought the new track install may be completed fairly soon, the attraction may not come back online for quite some time.