Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Subscribe Now: 1 Full Year of WDW For Only $24.97!

Get full access to the WDW Crowd Calendar, Lines Mobile App, Touring Plans and More!

"Our TouringPlans subscription was a lifesaver on our trip. One of the busiest days of the year, and we never waited longer than 20 minutes!"

- Smith Family, KY

Choose a Username:

Your Email Address:

Password:

Confirm Password

Subscription Type:

1 Year WDW Subscription ($24.97)

Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando?

Add Universal Orlando to your subscription for only $8.97! That's 18% off!

Payment Method:

Discounts:

Own a current Unofficial Guide?

Click here to close the subscription form

What It Is
Tame, western-mining-themed roller coaster
Our Rating

Current Wait Time
Standby	Find Out
Lightning Lane	4:15pm

View Full Forecast

Get wait times with Lines

Appeal By Age
Based our reader surveys. See our Ratings and Research page for details.
Preschool
Grade School
Teens
Young Adults
Over 30
Seniors

Touring Info
Loading speed	Moderate-fast
Wait per 100 people ahead	2.5 minutes
Assumes	5 trains operating
When to go Before 10 a.m., in the hour before closing.

General Info
Location	Frontierland
Opening Date	September 23, 1980
Duration	7 minutes
Scope and Scale	Headliner
Closures / Refurbishments

Inaccurate/stale data?
Let us know.

Description And Comments

Every age group, from grade-schoolers through adults, rates Big Thunder as the best roller coaster in the Magic Kingdom. The idea is that you’re on a runaway mine train careening through a gold rush frontier town. Big Thunder contains first-rate examples of Disney creativity: a realistic mining town, colorful caverns, and an earthquake, all humorously animated with swinging possums, smart-aleck buzzards, and the like. Ride it after dark if you can. Seats in the back offer the best experience.

In terms of intensity, we put this coaster at about a 5 on a scary scale of 10—it has tight turns rather than big hills or drops, and no loops or upside-down parts. Because it’s outdoors and kids can see most of the ride, it’s a better introduction to “real” roller coasters for young children than Space Mountain; we’d recommend trying it if your kids enjoyed Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Touring Tips

This attraction offers Lightning Lane via Genie+.
Open for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.

A Midwestern mom offers this tip to families with children who are too short to ride:

If you're switching off on Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain and have young kids to entertain, there's a fantastic little playground nearby where you can pass the time (and it's a great meeting place when the others get off the ride). It is completely covered and near the restrooms too! It's located next to Splash Mountain, under the train tracks.

Guests experience Disney attractions differently. Consider this letter from a lady in Brookline, Massachusetts:

Being senior citizens and having limited time, my friend and I confined our activities to attractions rated as four or five stars for seniors. Because of your recommendation, we waited an hour to board the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which you rated a 5 on a scary scale of 10. After living through 3 1/2 minutes of pure terror, I will rate that attraction a 15. We were so busy holding on and screaming and even praying for our safety that we didn't see any falling rocks, a mining town, or an earthquake. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad should not be recommended for seniors or preschool children.

A Vermont woman feels there’s more to consider about Big Thunder than being scared:

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was rated a 5 on the scary scale. I won't say it warranted a higher scare rating, but it was much higher on the lose-your-lunch meter. One more sharp turn and the kids in front of me would've needed a dip in Splash Mountain!

However, a reader from West Newton, Massachusetts, dubbed the ride "a roller coaster for people who don't like roller coasters."

Ride Through