Overview
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which reopens Sunday, May 3, returns after a 16‑month rebuild with new track, new trains, refreshed effects including Rainbow Caverns, and a lower 38‑inch height requirement.
- Disney has placed the coaster in Magic Kingdom’s Tier 1 Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which allows only one top‑tier advance pick per guest itinerary.
- Following Monday’s early ThrillData snapshots, Lightning Lane slots for Big Thunder on reopening day were shown as fully booked, signaling very high demand.
- Aerial images from bioreconstruct show tall wall sections with heavy steel supports going up around the ride to block views of active construction nearby.
- The barrier helps shield work on a multi‑year Frontierland expansion that will add a Cars‑themed Piston Peak area in the former Rivers of America/Tom Sawyer Island space and a separate Villains Land.