Why is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed until 2026 at Disney?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom is now closed for a major refurbishment; the Disney roller coaster is set to reopen in 2026.

Construction crane, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closing — _{Photo by bioreconstruct}

_{Updated Jan. 6, 2025; original version published Dec. 30, 2024.}

When will Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopen?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom near Orlando, Fla. closed for refurbishment on Jan. 6, 2025. The roller coaster will be closed until sometime in 2026; its exact reopening date has not been announced.

Why is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed?

Walt Disney World management has not mentioned what will specifically change about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad during the roller coaster’s downtime.

The area surrounding Big Thunder will see major infrastructure developments in the coming years as Disney builds Villains Land “beyond Big Thunder” and “Cars” attractions in place of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America. (Disney has not announced closing dates for Tom Sawyer Island or the Rivers of America at this time.)

Cars rides, Magic Kingdom Frontierland — _{Concept art for the “Cars” attractions that will replace Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom.}^{_{Artwork courtesy of Disney}}

Cars rides Big Thunder concept art — _{Concept art for the “Cars” attractions that will replace Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom.}^{_{Artwork courtesy of Disney}}

_{Concept art for Villains Land, opening “beyond Big Thunder” in the future.
^{Artwork courtesy of Disney}}

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad construction photos before it closed

bioreconstruct captured aerial photos of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the greater Frontierland area during the roller coaster’s final week of operation (for now).

A large crane is onsite, ready to begin Big Thunder’s refurbishment.

During its final operating week, the ride remained popular, with its queue spilling into the adjacent plaza.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s ride path crests along the banks of the Rivers of America, but the view from onboard the coaster will look different in a few years.

It’s too early in the construction process to know if any of Big Thunder’s surrounding operations — namely the guest flow and pathways connecting it with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the Walt Disney World Railroad station — will change to accommodate access to the “Cars” attractions or Villains Land, as we don’t yet know where the entrances to those attractions will be located.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Tiana's Bayou Adventure

Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama closing

While we’re discussing Big Thunder (temporarily) closing, it’s worth reminding fans of Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom of its imminent (permanent) closure. Unlike Big Thunder, Dino-Rama will be gone for good. Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama! in DinoLand, U.S.A. at Animal Kingdom will close Jan. 13, 2025. Its final day of operation will be Jan. 12. This includes the TriceraTop Spin ride, the Fossil Fun Games midway activities, and the Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures store.

Note: Dinosaur, The Boneyard, Restaurantosaurus, Dino-Bite Snacks, and Trilo-Bites will remain open beyond Jan. 13 for now, but will permanently close at a later date. DinoLand will be replaced with a Tropical Americas land featuring “Encanto” and Indiana Jones rides.

For a deep dive into the creation of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to hold you over during the ride’s closing, enjoy this video discussion with former Imagineer Tony Baxter: