With a large-scale refurbishment originally planned for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary on October 1st, 2021, it seems some recently-filed permits may indicate the start of work on the project.
So far, two separate permits have been filed, each listing the address of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction, plus the following description: “Provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction.” The attraction was initially scheduled for a May refurbishment, but with the theme park shutdown, it’s unlikely any work was actually carried out.
As we reported on last year, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was set for a large-scale refurbishment this year, to be completed by the summer of 2020. However, it seems plans may have been delayed.
You’ll recall that the last time this ride saw any major changes was back in 2013 for the installation of the updated, interactive queue. Despite that, BTMR’s queue is still one of the hottest and most tortuous experiences in Walt Disney World.
The planned refurbishment should finally bring the explosive finale sequence that was installed at the attraction in 2014 at Disneyland and in 2016 over in Disneyland Paris. In the sequence, projection mapping effects show dynamite exploding throughout the cavern, leading to one massive fog filled explosion as you head into the final drop. You can check out the effect in the video below:
We’ve seen this addition go on and off the refurbishment schedule for years now, but with these new permits filed, it’s possible the project may be back on.
Are you looking forward to updates and changes for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? Let us know in the comments below!