Credit: Lee Bailey / Flickr With the latest developments, an entire land at Magic Kingdom will no longer have a major attraction.
When visiting the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, it’s easy for Disney fans to picture the sights and sounds of the different lands as they enjoy their favorite attractions. From Haunted Mansion over in Liberty Square to Peter Pan’s Flight and “it’s a small world” in Fantasyland to Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in Tomorrowland, there’s so much to see and do at the Disney World theme park.
However, guests visiting Walt Disney World Resort this week have had to navigate the theme park a little differently. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed down on January 16 and will remain closed until January 21, 2024. With the attraction closed down and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure still under construction, Frontierland has been without a major attraction all week.
As you can imagine, many guests visiting Magic Kingdom haven’t even visited Frontierland– other than to use the tunnel over to Adventureland– because there’s not a lot to do in the land. Though Country Bear Jamboree remains open for another week before it closes down to be reimagined, the attraction has not seen any major increase in crowds despite the Big Thunder Mountain closure.
Disney World understands that not shutting down all major attractions in an entire land is not ideal, but Big Thunder always undergoes annual maintenance, and luckily, the roller coaster attraction is set to reopen soon. What this also means is that when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be fully prepared.
If you’re visiting Walt Disney World Resort in the coming week, you should keep your eyes on the My Disney Experience app. Though the attraction is scheduled to open on January 21, closures are subject to change.
The official story for Big Thunder Mountain is that soon after gold was discovered at the location in the 1850s, eerie things began to happen. Trains would take off and race through tunnels– by themselves. After you arrive at the legendary Big Thunder Mining Company, descend into an abandoned mine shaft and board your train. As you enter the cursed cavern, the engine speeds up along the rickety track. Dodge exploding dynamite and falling boulders as you swoop around turns, drop into canyons and dart through the mysterious ghost town of Tumbleweed.
One of the biggest rumors surrounding Frontierland is that it could soon be split into two different lands. There would still be Frontierland, which would include Big Thunder Mountain, but there would also be New Orleans Square, which would include Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. However, this is just a rumor and hasn’t been confirmed by Disney.
What do you think the future holds for Frontierland at Magic Kingdom? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!