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Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopens With Smoother Track, New Scenes and a Lower Height Bar

The overhaul opens the coaster to more families by dropping the minimum height to 38 inches.

Overview

  • The Magic Kingdom mine train returned after a 16-month refurbishment with brand-new steel track and refreshed trains that deliver a noticeably smoother ride.
  • Imagineering added a colorful Rainbow Caverns sequence and a shimmering gold-mine finale, and expanded the story around mining magnate Barnabas T. Bullion.
  • Disney lowered the minimum rider height to 38 inches, two inches below the previous limit, following safety reviews that cleared the change.
  • From the queue and portions of the ride, guests now see early work on Frontierland’s expansions, including a large concrete retaining wall for Piston Peak National Park and land shaping for Villains Land.
  • Park materials and coverage reflect the update, with the May 2026 guidemap tagging the attraction “REFRESHED!” and new side-by-side videos showing what changed.