LIVE Look at Disney World Crowds on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s LAST Day Before Lengthy Closure

A lot of BIG things are happening in Disney World in 2025.

Frontierland sign

Dinoland, U.S.A. in Animal Kingdom will begin its phased closure to make way for a NEW land, Pueblo Esperanza. We expect to see construction start SOON at the Muppets Courtyard in Hollywood Studios, which will be converted into a Monsters, Inc. land. In Magic Kingdom, To m Sawyer Island and Rivers of America will soon be under construction for a new Cars expansion in Frontierland. However, something BIG is happening TOMORROW in Magic Kingdom, too: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closing for at least a year. So we’re checking it out today to see what crowds are like.

We arrived in Magic Kingdom this morning and headed straight to Frontierland. Things were already looking like they were HOPPING in that land, with a lot of people heading in the direction of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Looking busy

When we got to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the wait was 45 minutes. However, that wait has continued to increase and has been as long as 70 minutes. We expect this ride to be pretty busy all day.

45 minutes

We decided to get in line and waited to ride it. Yep, it’s a long line.

Waiting

Here we go!

We’re next!

We’re kinda sad that this is the last day we’ll get to ride this classic Disney ride. It’s going to be closed for at least a year and will return “with a little bit of new magic.” Okay, so we’re not sure what that means, but it looks like The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness is getting a lot of TLC and maybe even some new features.

Whee!

As a reminder, a brand-new Villains Land is going “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain,” so we expect this area to look VERY different when Big Thunder reopens. We can’t wait to see what changes!

©Disney

We’ll be keeping an eye out for updates in and around the ride (and we’ve already spotted some construction behind it), so stay tuned to DFB for more.

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

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

What do you think of this long closure? What would you like to see added to the ride? Let us know in the comments!