The PROBLEM with the Year-Long Closure of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom

Major changes are about to hit Disney World.

Magic Kingdom

It was announced that Disney World would be getting eight new rides, which is super exciting, but in order to enjoy these rides, we have to deal with construction. You can expect to see construction in all four parks starting in 2025. Not only does construction mean walls around the parks, but it also means that we can expect lengthy closures, like Big Thunder Mountain’s year-long closure in Magic Kingdom.

At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, we finally learned what would lie “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain.” Fans have been calling for it for years, and now it is finally coming to fruition. A Disney Villains Land is coming to Magic Kingdom, and Disney just shared a look at some of the villains who will be part of this expansion!

The new Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom will feature fan-favorite Disney Villains from popular Walt Disney Animation Studios films and two new attractions.

This new land would go right behind Big Thunder Mountain, and we have already seen some scrims around the attraction.

We’ve already spotted some construction

Disney announced that the wildest ride in the wilderness would close to undergo a lengthy refurbishment. The attraction will close on January 6th, 2025, and won’t reopen until 2026! No exact date has been given, so this refurbishment has the potential to last over a year!

Big Thunder

It was not confirmed that the attraction is closing to accommodate Villains land construction, but we have a feeling that it is part of the reason why the attraction will be closed for so long. On the refurbishment calendar for Big Thunder Mountain, it says that the ride will reopen “with a little bit of new magic.”

©Disney

This closure could have a considerable impact on crowds and wait times throughout Magic Kingdom. Currently, to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, you have to obtain a boarding group through Virtual Queue or purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass to enter the attraction through Lightning Lane. This makes Tiana’s Bayou Adventure not accessible to everyone.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom

With limited options to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the closure of Big Thunder Mountain, two major attractions on both sides of the park could affect waits all around the rest of the park.

In order to ride you need to have a Lightning Lane or Virtual Queue

While no date has been given, it was confirmed that construction would start on the new Cars expansion, which would mean that Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America would close, meaning even fewer options would be available in Frontierland.

The endangered Tom Sawyer Island

The closures at Disney World will challenge the upcoming years, so make sure to plan ahead and continue to follow along with Disney Food Blog, as we are always on the lookout for the latest Disney news!

FULL LIST of What’s OPENING in Disney World in 2025

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