Overview
- Construction walls came down Friday with temporary planters at the entrance as the coaster readies for a Sunday, May 3 reopening after a 16‑month closure.
- Disney released an in‑character note from mine boss Barnabas T. Bullion that revives the Big Thunder Mining Company lore and tees up the expanded backstory.
- The refurbishment replaced the entire steel track and installed new trains, restored long‑dormant effects, and built a larger Rainbow Caverns with phosphorescent pools and thousands of animatronic bats.
- The finale now reveals the long‑sought mother lode before the mountain “pushes” riders out, a redesign that leaves out the old shaking‑rock gag retired for safety years ago.
- Disney lowered the height requirement from 40 inches to 38 inches and refreshed the queue, opening the smoother ride to more families and first‑time riders.