As Walt Disney World continues to target a 2026 opening timeframe for the rebuilt Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction at Magic Kingdom, push/pull testing of the trains has begun. While visiting Magic Kingdom recently, we noticed that the ride vehicle that we spotted last month has made its way onto the tracks for the next phase of refurbishment.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Vehicle Push-Pull Testing
After we spotted the ride vehicle staged near the Frontierland railroad station, we came back a couple of days later to find that Disney had added an envelope test device to the train. This would allow Disney to not only test the vehicle, but also the anticipated reach of guests out of the vehicle to ensure a safe operation. More than a month ago, we saw a standalone envelope test device fail a reach test, but I’m sure Disney has remedied that issue by now, or that they will shortly.
Going back to our recent visit to Magic Kingdom, we spotted the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride vehicle in a low point of the track, near the final 20% of the ride experience. If Disney pulled the vehicle through the track in the normal direction of travel, the envelope test should be concluded soon.
While that may sound like good news on the surface, there still appears to be plenty of work for Disney to do before the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness can resume operations. That said, this project has appeared to move at a wonderful pace, basically from the beginning. I’m not privy to internal timelines, but the track removal and replacement appeared to have been carried out expertly and in a timely manner. A push-pull test before the end of the summer should bode well for an early 2026 return to operations.
Here’s a look!
As a reminder, Walt Disney World has removed and replaced all of the roller coaster track as part of this lengthy refurbishment. Disney has also announced that they are adding “new magic” to the ride when it reopens in 2026.
For more on the track replacement project, check out our dedicated project page below!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
