Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens on May 3rd with some exciting new changes! The attraction closed in January of 2025, so fans are anxiously waiting to hop back on the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom

Disney Imagineers have been hard at work for the last five years to reimagine the roller coaster. An Imagineer working on the project just shared new plot details, and we’re even more impatiently waiting to hop on the ride!

Fox 35 Orlando reported that Dan Flynn, executive show manager with Walt Disney Imagineering, spoke about the new Big Thunder Mountain. Imagineers reworked the coaster’s plot to tie into the storyline of Barnabas T. Bullion, founder of the Big Thunder Mountain Mining Company. Bullion’s gold mining operation has faced so many problems as the forces of nature wreak havoc on the miners!

©Disney

The hunt for gold is first referenced in the queue and was added to the ride itself during a previous refurbishment. But now, that storyline will carry on through the end of the ride! As riders make their way up the final hill, the gold that the miners have been seeking will be revealed to them. “Guests will finally be able to crest one of our last hills and see that gold mother lode,” Flynn said. He added that the finale will include the train being pushed out of the mountain, with a warning for those who try to mine there.

Ride testing for Big Thunder Mountain

The Rainbow Caverns at the beginning of the ride have been updated to make the section more visually striking. The phosphorescent pools and the cave formations are now more illuminated and more colorful. “The Rainbow Caverns have always been a utopia of color,” Flynn said. “So we wanted to enhance that even further.”

©Disney

This scene now features more than 2,000 bats, another nod to the mountain’s menacing nature. Imagineers also added new sound effects that riders will hear as they make their way through the caverns. “You’ll start hearing a menacing rumble as it transforms into something more ominous to tell stories of things to come,” Flynn said.

©Disney

Flynn also said Imagineers took the opportunity to bring back elements that haven’t been used for a long time. One example he shared is the two smokestacks on the side of the mountain, an effect that has been dormant for years but is working once again! “We were able to bring back that lore and tie it to the fact that it’s a working mine,” Flynn said.

The smokestacks are up and running!

We’re so excited to ride the new Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more Disney World news!

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What detail are you most excited to see on the ride? Comment below!