Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a long-time guest favorite at Disneyland Park. When it closed in January of 2013 for its major overhaul and update, guests speculated if the ride would experience any major changes and I’m happy to report that as of its opening in March of this year, guests have been pleased with the seemless addition of several new effects and the new, smoother track. 

I recently had the opportunity to experience the attraction with one of the imagineers behind this major upgrade. Climb aboard the wildest ride in the wilderness with us in this video:

Fun Facts For Families & Fans About Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

1.There is a 40 inch height requirement to ride this attraction. Families who wish to ride this attraction and have children who do not yet meet the height requirement can utilize the Rider Switch Pass. Click here to learn more about attraction height requirements and the Rider Switch Pass system.
2. Big Thunder Mountain is set in a 19th century gold-mining territory.   
3. The rock spires of Big Thunder Mountain were inspired by the “hoodoos” of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. The tallest spire is 104 feet tall.  
4. Many of the artifacts found in and around the attraction are authentic and include a century-old stamp mill, hand-driven drill press, gears, picks, shovels and other objects that were found in abandoned mines in Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota and Wyoming, as well as museums and swap meets.
5. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad originally opened in September 1979 and is the “third peak” in the Disneyland Park “mountain range of thrill rides.”
6. Since 1979, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has carried more than 225 million guests.
7. There are three other versions of Big Thunder Mountain: Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World, Florida in 1980; Tokyo Disneyland Park in 1987 and Disneyland Paris in 1992.
8. Disneyland imagineers love nodding to the past while building the future. The miniature town of Big Thunder, seen at the end of the attraction, first appeared in 1956 as part of the Rainbow Cavern Mine Train and Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland attractions. Many Disneyland fans still call it by its original name: Rainbow Ridge. The town is said to have been a favorite of Walt Disney, who built miniatures himself as a hobby. Other items from the Nature’s Wonderland days include the caves of Rainbow Caverns, the rockwork buttes at the entry to Balancing Rock Canyon, and some of the animals – the dynamite-devouring goat, coyotes, possums, snakes, turtles, vultures – who appear among the rocky cliffs surrounding the mine tunnels.

9. During the refurbishment, the entire track was replaced, resulting in a much smoother ride. The old track was recycled.
10. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the first major design project for famed Walt Disney Imagineer and Disney Legend Tony Baxter, whose Disneyland projects also included the new Fantasyland of 1983, Star Tours, Splash Mountain and the Indiana Jones Adventure.

Lisa Robertson is the publisher of Babes In Disneyland and author of the Babes In Disneyland travel guide now available for iPad on iTunes. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. The Babes In Disneyland Facebook page is a great place to ask questions about the Resort or meet other fans.