We are nearing the closing date of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for its extended refurbishment closure at Magic Kingdom!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the massive construction crane

The popular roller coaster will close on January 6th and is set to reopen again in 2026. Disney hasn’t provided an official opening date but has only stated, “The attraction will reopen with a little bit of new magic in 2026.” However, we may have found a clue about a more concrete timeline.

Disney filed a new Notice of Commencement on January 3rd, 2025, for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The document is for general construction to be done by Coast Steel Inc. of Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

What we found most interesting is that the expiration date on the Notice of Commencement is March 13th, 2026. Usually, these permits expire one year after they are recorded unless a different date is specified. In this case, the date of March 13th, 2026, was specified, leading us to believe this closure may last until the spring of 2026.

A crane has already shown up behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

As far as the updates and changes coming to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, we’re not sure what to expect yet. Disney has said it will “reopen with a little of new magic,” and we’re excited to see what that may be!

It is also possible that this ride is being closed for so long due to other construction taking place around it. Disney’s new Villains Land is getting constructed beyond Big Thunder, while the two new Cars attractions will be taking the place of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. These two large constructions may have an impact on Big Thunder in the same way that TRON Lightcycle / Run kept the Walt Disney World Railroad closed for four years while it was being built.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

There’s only a short amount of time left to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before it closes for its extended refurbishment. You don’t want to miss out on your last chance to ride the “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!”

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Are you ready for the long closure coming to Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!