On Saturday, there was a very quick “soft opening” for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom, but it lasted all of 35 minutes before “technical difficulties” shut it down for the night. Sunday, May 27, 2012 marked yet another “soft opening,” and this one seemed to be going off without a hitch. The true debut and reopening of the refurbished BTM is set for Memorial Day which is Monday, May 28, 2012.
50 images from the reopening of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Having now ridden the newly refurbished attraction, I can tell you that not much has changed. The ride seems to run smoother and everything has gotten a brand new coat of paint so it looks beautiful. The “falling rocks” scene has indeed been changed and they are now stationary when going through that particular tunnel. You’ll be able to see that in the video below.
Don’t forget to check out even more pics at the bottom of this article.
One of the biggest changes is the queue line which has been redone once entering the top floor of the BTM station. You will notice that the walkways are wider and it is much easier to get around. A really noticeable, and awesome, thing was that the wait time stated thirty minutes when I got in line. The line was all the way to the bottom of the hill outside and long-time Disney fans know that usually would have been a 45-60 minute wait.
Well, from the bottom to sitting on board the train, it took all of 12 minutes. That’s right…just 12 minutes. Looks like this was one refurbishment worth waiting for.
Now, if only they could finish up whatever they’re doing to the Main Street Bakery.
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