A recent rumor suggests that even more big changes are on the way for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
When Big Thunder Mountain Railroad first opened at Disneyland in 1979, it quickly became a fan favorite. Designed by legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter, the runaway mine train through red rock spires and ghost towns represented a new era of immersive storytelling in roller coaster design.
The ride’s popularity led Disney to replicate it across the globe. Magic Kingdom’s version debuted in 1980 with a larger layout wrapped around Tom Sawyer Island (remember when that existed in Florida?), while Tokyo Disneyland’s followed in 1987, offering a slightly different track layout and scenery tailored to Japanese audiences.
Disneyland Paris brought its own twist in 1992, placing the coaster on an island in the middle of the Rivers of the Far West. This iteration has often been praised as the most ambitious (having experienced every version, we’ll attest to the fact that it’s the best), with guests boarding on the mainland before diving under the river to reach the towering buttes.
The latter recently opened after a lengthy refurbishment. Disneyland Paris closed Thunder Mountain in January for a renovation that wrapped up in June. This followed recurrent issues with the attraction, leading to repeated evacuations.
However, guests claim that these issues haven’t improved since the attraction reopened, with some suggesting that it’s set to close yet again for round two of its renovations.
Will Disney Close Thunder Mountain For Even More Updates?
“It surprised me last week that BTM still broke down a couple of times a day,” said one recent guest on Reddit. “I saw people getting evacuated multiple times.”
Another guest shared similar complaints. “We’ve just had an announcement that we are having to wait an extra 30 mins in the line,” they wrote. “They keep sending empty carts round…..”
Some claimed that this is because Walt Disney Imagineering only replaced half of the roller coaster’s track, and has plans to replace the rest at a later date. “They closed it down to replace half of the track,” one user said. “Rumor has it that they’re doing it again for the other half in the near future, which would mean the refurbishment isn’t actually finished yet.”
If this is true, the question is why Disneyland Paris didn’t shutter the ride for one long refurbishment, similar to the one unfolding at Magic Kingdom.
The latter’s version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is out of action as Disney replaces the track and adds “new magic,” including an underground scene in a dazzlingly mysterious cavern. Inspired by the Rainbow Caverns of Disneyland’s early Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland attraction, this will feature phosphorescent pools and iridescent stalactites and stalagmites.
One explanation is that Disneyland Paris simply has less to do than Disney World. Not only does it have two parks versus Disney World’s four, but one of these parks is under heavy construction (and notoriously light on attractions), while the other hasn’t had a new ride in nearly 20 years. With Thunder Mountain closed, the resort would simply have less to offer guests during the buzzy summer season than the average Disney resort.
Obviously, nothing is confirmed by Disney – for now, at least. However, if Thunder Mountain continues to experience issues, we wouldn’t be surprised to see another renovation hit Disney’s closures calendar.
What’s your favorite version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?
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