Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Roller Coaster
Ride Length: 3 Minutes
Height Requirement: 40"
Great for Older Kids and Up
Open since November 15, 1980
Location: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom
All aboard the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!
About
Get ready for a fast, twisting, and turning ride through a gold mine in the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This runaway mine-cart rollercoaster has thrills in its sharp turns and drops, but it remains a fairly mild ride with a maximum speed of only 30 MPH. As it is a less intense ride than something like Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is an attractive coaster for younger guests (and older guests as well) who want a thrill but aren't quite up for the bigger rides.
As Disney World visitor Lorie says: ""My favorite roller coaster. I don't like big drops and this one has just enough to make it fun, but not enough to make it uncomfortable."
Tips and Trivia
- Is it hot and the line is long? The wait area doesn't give much relief from the Orlando sun, so a FastPass might be a very cool idea.
Review
When our family first started going to Disney World, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad way my favorite ride by far. With the confident bossiness only an 8-year-old can have, I would demand that we would ride it at least 3 times everytime we would go to the Magic Kingdom. I was intimidated by most rollercoasters, especially ones with loops, but this ride seemed to be the perfect combination of thrilling, but not too thrilling. Plus, it has all the scenery of the Old West, dark tunnels, a simulated earthquake, and bats. Yes, bats. I loved that ride.
Now that I'm older, my tastes in rollercoasters have evolved. I've become a bit more of a thrill seeker, and I find it hard to be as enamoured or excited by Big Thunder Mountain. It's been downgraded in my agenda from "Must Ride Multiple Times" to "Can Ride if There's A Short Line And Nothing Else To Do." Still, when I do find myself in the mine carts again, that pang of nostalgia can be enough to still have a great time.
