10 Fun Facts About Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

1. Thunder Mesa

When the Magic Kingdom opened on October 1, 1971, Frontierland looked much different than it does today. The areas where the headliner attractions Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad now reside were vacant lots. Disney’s plan was to fill this space with a monumental project known as Thunder Mesa, the brainchild of Imagineer Marc Davis. Plans for Thunder Mesa called for two headliner attractions, along with numerous smaller offerings set inside, around, and on top of a massive mountainous landscape. However, as costs for the Magic Kingdom soared, Disney executives decided to place Thunder Mesa on the “Phase One” project list, which were experiences that would be completed within the first five years after the Magic Kingdom opened. As such, the large crop of land dedicated for Thunder Mesa lay empty in Frontierland when the Magic Kingdom first opened.

2. Resurrecting a Dream

With construction of Pirates of the Caribbean complete, and Marc Davis’ hopes of salvaging some portion of Thunder Mesa quickly dwindling, another legendary Disney Imagineer, Tony Baxter (above), started developing plans for a mine train style attraction in Disneyland that was almost identical to the runaway railroad concept for Thunder Mesa. The Baxter project was green-lit, including a version of the attraction for Walt Disney World.

3. A Mountain Comes to Florida

Groundbreaking for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Walt Disney World took place in 1979 while the Disneyland version was still under construction. The massive project took 22 months to complete and cost approximately $17 million dollars.

4. Now That’s BIG!

The main spire of Big Thunder Mountain stands 197 feet tall (taller than Cinderella Castle!), towering over the landscape of Frontierland on a 2.5-acre plot of land.

5. Naming the Trains

The coaster track itself is 2,780 feet long (longer than the Disneyland version), with six trains named U.B. Bold, U.R. Darling, U.R. Courageous, I.M. Brave, I.B. Hearty, and I.M. Fearless.

6. Racing Through the Mountains

The maximum speed of the attraction is approximately 30 miles per hour. As temperatures rise throughout the day and the grease on the tracks melts, the speed of the attraction gradually increases.

7. A New Backstory…

In 2012, Disney announced an entirely new backstory for Big Thunder Mountain: “Barnabas T. Bullion is the founder and president of the Big Thunder Mining Company. The longtime mining magnate comes from a very powerful East Coast family and considers gold to be his very birthright by virtue of his oddly appropriate name; in fact, he considers the ultimate gold strike to be his destiny. And that is why he is having so much trouble with Big Thunder Mountain. According to superstitious locals, Big Thunder Mountain is very protective of the gold it holds within, and the unfortunate soul who attempts to mine its riches is destined to fail. And so far that prophecy is coming to pass. The mine has been plagued by mysterious forces and natural disasters ever since. And yet the Big Thunder Mountain Co. is still in operation. In fact, Bullion is discovering new veins of gold and digging new shafts every day, offering a closer look at the Big Thunder mining operation than ever before. But a word to the wise from anyone attempting to visit the mountain: watch out for the runaway trains.”

8. …And a New Queue

A substantial renovation in 2013 brought with it a completely reimagined interior queue. The building is constructed of worn and aged timbers reflecting the frontier time period, with rafters housing a variety of barrels, crates, and boxes. The periodic flickering of lamps helps to emphasize the idea that this is a working mine operation.

9. Hidden Secrets

There are lots of fun finds in the indoor portion of the queue, including a sign informing Guests and workers that there will be “No Drinking, Fighting or Whistling. No Kidding!”

10. Southwest Realism

Look around the ghost town to find an ore crusher, a mining flume, and an ore-hauling wagon. These are no mere props; they’re actual artifacts that were acquired on trips by Disney Imagineers through the American Southwest at a cost of more than $300,000. (Photo courtesy Tim Devine)

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