Credit: Tokyo Disney ResortDisney Park attractions play a big part in a Guest’s vacation, but one iconic coaster will soon be closed for four months, or 3072 hours… or 128 days.
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Across the world, there are six Disney Parks. There are Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort on opposite coasts of the United States of America, Disneyland Paris in Europe, and Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort in Asia.
Each Park hosts millions of Guests each year, with visitors meeting characters like Mickey Mouse and Ice Queen Elsa and riding famed attractions like Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain. Of course, while each Disney Park shares some of the same classic rides, each one also has unique attractions only found in that location, like Disney World’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Crush’s Coaster at Disneyland Paris.
A staple, though, that can be found in four Disney theme parks (Disneyland Park in California, Magic Kingdom in Disney World, Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort) is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or simply Big Thunder Mountain, as it is named in some destinations.
Big Thunder Mountain is one of the most popular Disney Park attractions. Guests board a mine-train-style vehicle and head off for the “wildest ride in the wilderness” on the roller coaster. It is a fan-favorite with many Guests, and even proved to be an aide for medical problems in the past.
But for one location, Guests will soon be unable to ride the attraction for 128 days.
On the official Tokyo Disney Resort website, it can be seen that Big Thunder Mountain will be out of action from February 7, 2024, through June 13, 2024. This 128-day closure is sure to be felt across the Disney Resort as Guests flock to other attractions to experience instead.
“It’s a few decades after the big gold rush. The rush now is from the mine trains that careen at high speed through the old gold mine,” the official description reads. “You’re headed straight for the rocky side of the mountain or going down fast at a tilt … You’ll be screaming with the thrills!” Big Thunder Mountain is found in Westernland at Tokyo Disneyland.
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At present, Tokyo Disney Resort is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. Guests visiting Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea can enjoy the Tokyo Dream-Go-Round events and can even hop on attractions via the Premier Access lane completely free using the Tokyo Disney Resort 40th Anniversary Priority Pass. The Pass can be accessed via the Disney Park app and is on a first-come-first-served basis.
This free “FastPass” offering is a far cry from Disneyland and Disney World, where the now-variably priced Disney Genie+ can cost families hundreds of dollars just to ride 1-2 attractions per day.
Tokyo Disney Resort’s two theme parks are joined by the retail area Ikspiari. Soon, Tokyo DisneySea will welcome Guests to Fantasy Springs — a new land featuring areas themed to characters and places from Peter Pan (1953), Tangled (2010), and Frozen (2013)/Frozen II (2019).
Are you shocked to hear that one of the most popular Disney Park attractions is closing for so long? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!