6
Credit: Video Screenshot, TikTok, @justkeepdreamingtravelA Walt Disney World Resort guest recently shared a video of something unusual they spotted amid the ongoing Big Thunder Mountain Railroad construction at the Magic Kingdom. The Frontierland roller coaster has been closed for a year-long refurbishment since January.
Last year, Walt Disney World Resort announced that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad would close temporarily beginning on January 6, 2025. Imagineering didn’t share many details about its plans for the attraction, but promised that it would open with some “new magic” sometime in early 2026.
Rumors of a complete track replacement were confirmed earlier this year when guests spotted steel tracks arriving at Magic Kingdom Park on flatbeds, and a crane was brought in to lift the tracks into place. Scaffolding is layered throughout the attraction, and crews have been spotted painting in the ride queue and the fictional town of “Tumbleweed.”
The lengthy Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment comes amid several significant changes in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Park. Splash Mountain and the Country Bear Jamboree have already been reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the Country Bear Musical Jamboree, and the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade became a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) lounge. And there’s more to come.
On July 7, 2025, the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island will close permanently to make way for two new Cars (2006) attractions in Frontierland. Much of the Rivers of America will be filled in for this transformation.
Walt Disney Imagineers are also working on a Disney Villains land “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.” Although Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced opening dates for either project, the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment is certainly preparing the ride for increased traffic during construction in the coming years.
Although much of the refurbishment is hidden behind construction walls, Magic Kingdom Park guests can spot some of the work on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad from the Walt Disney World Railroad and other parts of Frontierland. On Sunday, TikTok user @justkeepdreamingtravel shared this video of an initially-terrifying scene they spotted on the closed-down roller coaster:
@justkeepdreamingtravel Big Thunder Mountain is looking good! #bigthundermountain #magickingdom #disneyworld #disneyparks #disneyrides #disneyfun #disneyvacation #disneyorlando #disneyfamily #disneytips #fyp #disneytok
“New animatronic?” the guest joked, referring to a construction worker resting on the ground inside one of the attraction tunnels. Fortunately, the cast member was totally fine; he was just lying down during his break.
“This was taken during their lunch break,” the TikToker explained. “All the jobs were stopped at that moment and the workers were resting.”
Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced an exact reopening date for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but the attraction is expected to welcome guests again sometime in 2026.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!