On Tuesday, dozens of Disneyland Resort guests were evacuated from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. One guest shared their experience evacuating the Frontierland roller coaster on social media.
The latest Big Thunder Mountain Railroad breakdown occurred months after an incident in which a photo of a child and their mother was found tossed off the roller coaster. The lost picture captured hearts on social media, with many Disney Parks fans assuming it was a memorial to a lost loved one.
The incident also took place amid rumors of a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad shutdown at Walt Disney World Resort. Magic Kingdom Park allegedly plans to eliminate the ride indefinitely after Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the Country Bear Musical Jamboree open. The closure would make way for the “Beyond Big Thunder” theme park expansion, featuring areas inspired by Coco (2017) and more.
At Disneyland Park, multiple of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s neighbors are closed for renovation. Walt Disney Imagineers are working hard to reimagine the Haunted Mansion queue and transform Splash Mountain into Disneyland Resort’s version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
This made Tuesday’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closure all the more impactful for Disneyland Park guests. When a popular roller coaster unexpectedly ceases operations on top of scheduled refurbishment closures, wait times across the Disney parks skyrocket.
TikTok user @alexplatacz shared this video of her party evacuating the Frontierland roller coaster. Disney cast members helped guests exit their train cars and carefully walk on an emergency exit pathway to the loading station.
@alexplatacz we stay getting stuck on rides and having to walk off #disneyland #disney #foryou #bigthundermountain #slay #gotafastpasstho
It appeared that no one was injured during Tuesday’s roller coaster evacuation. The attraction reopened a few hours later and was operating normally at the time of this article’s publication.
Have you evacuated Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, or another Disney roller coaster? In the comments, share your experience with Inside the Magic.