1
Credit: Disney Disneyland Resort guests say Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has changed since a deadly derailment that killed one person and injured ten others.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a western-inspired rollercoaster in Frontierland at Disneyland Park. The attraction is so popular that Walt Disney Imagineers replicated it in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris Resort, and Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort.
“Streak through a haunted gold mine aboard a speeding train on this thrilling coaster-style ride,” Disneyland Resort writes. “Legend has it that after gold was discovered in the 1850s, eerie incidents took place in the mine. Trains would take off and race through tunnels… by themselves.”
“As you enter the cursed cavern, your train speeds up along the rickety track. Shoot under a booming waterfall and dodge a falling boulder from an unexpected landslide as you swoop around sharp turns and drop into desolate canyons. On this rip-roaring adventure, you may learn that some legends turn out to be true…”
Deadly Accident
In September 2003, a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad train derailed from its tracks on the ride’s first tunnel/hill. Riders were trapped for nearly an hour before firefighters and paramedics rescued them.
Marcelo Torres, 22, had to be extracted from the rollercoaster vehicle and died on the scene, according to The Los Angeles Times. Ten other passengers, aged 9 to 47, were treated at the hospital.
In the wake of the accident, Disneyland Resort revealed that two bolts from the locomotive’s left guide wheel assembly came loose, causing the front of the locomotive to detach from the rest.
Did Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Change?
Two decades after the accident, some Disneyland Resort guests feel Big Thunder Mountain Railroad feels different.
“Was the portion of track that’s in the tunnel right before the 2nd lift hill adjusted to be more tame after the 2003 accident?” Reddit user u/evz3000 asked this week. “I can’t tell if it’s from rose tinted glasses or not, but that portion of the ride used to feel really intense and whip you around, and now it’s almost a mellow straight portion of track before the turn.”
“The track is the same but they did reduce the speed out of the final lift hill after the accident,” u/Mylifeforhire89 replied.
“They didn’t change the tunnel,” u/wazziwoozi echoed. “And basically the only piece of track that could fit in that tunnel is the one that’s there now, which is straight with that turn at the end. Otherwise they’d probably have to build a new tunnel because of like guest reach and stuff.”
But others argued that the ride remains the same.
“The track hasn’t changed,” said u/adammerkley. “If you ride at the front that last bit feels slow. If you ride at the back it’s fast.”
Do you believe Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has changed since its 2003 derailment? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on personal Disney Parks Guest experiences. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.