Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Location: Frontierland

All aboard the Magic Kingdom’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Christened into service November 15, 1980, and designed by Walt Disney himself after Utah’s Bryce Canyon, this is no timid, relaxing ride. It’s hard not to miss exactly where this ride is with its copper colored peaks of rock jutting up and beyond Frontierland’s landscape. This exciting roller coaster ride offers it’s passengers a thrilling ride through a deserted gold mine aboard a crickety, old runaway mine train.

Legend has it, that the unforgiving 2.5 acre mountain will thunder if you try to steal any of it’s precious gold! You will enter this daring attraction via the delapitated old miner’s shack, where you’re suddenly transported to the Old West. You’re 15-row train pulls up, grab a seat near the caboose for a more turbulent ride, and you hear the warning "hang onto your hats and glasses 'cause this here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness", and then away you go.

As you swerve and sway through the steep mountain passes, listening to your train on the rickety track, keep an eye out for all the authentic antique gold mining equipment on display throughout the mountain. As you continue your adventure and zig and zag through the treacherous mountain, through a cave of creepy bats, and past the not-yet flooded out saloon, don’t forget to keep a close eye for the washed up miners and that old bleating billy goat high atop a mountain peak!

More fun is in store as you continue on to rumble through, and splash down into, tumbleweed, a deserted, flooded mining town. The mountain, loaded with TNT, might even offer up a good old-fashioned earthquake while you are there. Finally, your train pulls back safely into the miner’s shack and you leave without any gold, but certainly a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting experience through the mountain named Big Thunder.

Please note that there is a height requirement of 40 inches on this thrilling roller coaster ride. And to the enjoyment of all railroad guests, this is a FastPass attraction.

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Last Updated: May 18, 2009