Do You Know Big Thunder Mountain Railroad At Magic Kingdom?

Nicki
Apr 22
6 min read

How well do you know the wildest ride in the wilderness?

We all have our favorite Disney Mountain, and mine is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad takes passengers on a runaway mine-train themed ride through the wild west. This Frontierland feature is well 'Imagineered' and has some great facts peppered throughout its history. So, how well do you know Big Thunder Mountain Railroad? Keep your arms and legs inside the train and remain seated at all times as we delve deep into "The Wildest Ride In The Wilderness!"

A roller coaster with orange cars moves through red rock formations under a blue sky with scattered clouds, set in a lush, green landscape. Enjoy a ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom — Tackle The Wildest Ride In the Wildness at Magic Kingdom

One Of The First Rollercoasters To Be Designed With A Computer.
It's wild to think about rollercoasters being designed from a hand-drawn sketch - so much hand-calculated math! Prior to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, very few coasters were rendered using a computer. While Disneyland's Matterhorn and the original Splash Mountain utilized computers during their design, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was one of the first fully rendered coasters on a computer. Imagineers tackled the design and concept with CAD (Computer Aided Design) and the rest is history.
There May Not Be A Movie, But There Is A Movie Cameo. While a Big Thunder television series never came to fruition, a 2013 television pilot based on the ride title "Big Thunder Mountain" was ordered by ABC as a "supernatural adventure drama". Sadly, the pilot was canceled, but the ride had previously made it onto the silver screen. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas used the sounds of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad trains in their 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' mine cart sequence.
Inspired By Monument Park, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Is A Stunning View At Magic Kingdom
Whether It's In Frontierland or Westernland, This Runaway Train Is Always An Adventure Big Thunder Mountain Railroad runs wild at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. In Disneyland and Walt Disney World, you'll find this attraction in Frontierland. While they are both located in the same land at Magic Kingdom, the Florida attraction is larger as there was more space to construct the ride. The Bryce Canyon inspired Disneyland attraction is 25% smaller than its Florida park equivalent. Located in Westernland at Tokyo Disney, Big Thunder Mountain takes the best features from the Florida and California attractions to make up its own unique experience. The Disneyland Paris version of Big Thunder Mountain is the one I am most excited to ride! It provides what might be considered the most unique version of this Magic Kingdom attraction. The Rivers of the Far West at Disneyland Paris does not have a Tom Sawyer's Island. Instead, Big Thunder Mountain has taken over the entire location! The train races through a tunnel under the Rivers of the Far West - think Walt Disney World Rivers of America. It then pops out on the other side of the river as it races around the Island. Guests load on one side of the river and experience the twists and turns on the opposite side before returning back to the loading area.
What Ever Happened To Rosita? In the Enchanted Tiki-Room, Jose questions "What Ever Happened to Rosita?" In Disneyland, she became the coal point at the Tropical Hideaway Restaurant. However, at Walt Disney World, she may have become the canary in the coal mine. One of the birdcages in the ventilation room of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has the name Rosita on it. You'll see her golden cage hanging above the three burlap sacks, just to the left of the Auto Canary Air Quality Analyzers. Could she have left one Magic Kingdom attraction for another?
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Entrance At Magic Kingdom
Stands Above The Rest.
Many of us already know that Cinderella's Castle stands under 200 ft to avoid having a flashing red light on top of it to comply with state laws. The iconic park symbol stands at 189 ft and is the second tallest structure at the Magic Kingdom. Inspired in part by Monument Valley in Utah, the tallest spires and features of Big Thunder Mountain reach a height of 197 ft, making it the tallest attraction at the Magic Kingdom.
Sounds Familiar? John Ratzenberger has lent his voice and talents to almost every Pixar film. I personally think his best role was as P.T. Flea in the movie 'A Bug's Life'. He's not the only voice on repeat voice-artist for Disney. Telling you to, "Hold on to your hats and glasses" as you take off on your runaway mine train is Dallas McKennon. He's credited with voice roles for '101 Dalmatians', 'Lady and the Tramp', and 'Sleeping Beauty'. As you journey through Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, you'll hear his voice again as Zeke from The Country Bear Jamboree. World Travelers will hear Dallas again in The American Adventure as Ben Franklin.
The Twists And Turns Of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad At Magic Kingdom
Remembering Walt Disney - The Engineer. Walt loved locomotives. He even built the Carolwood Pacific Railroad in the backyard of his Holmby Hills home in Los Angeles, California. If you make your way to the loading area of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, you'll find references to Thunder Mesa, Rainbow Ridge, and Rainbow Mountain Stagecoach Ride, all attractions built on the land now occupied by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland. Along with these nods, there is also an advertising sign referring to Carolwood Pacific Railroad Company, the backyard railroad that Walt engineered.
Nods To More Than Just The Imagineers. Many Walt Disney World attractions pay homage to the Imagineers that worked on the ride experience. For Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a portrait of Big Thunder Mining Co. President, Barnabas T. Bullion, portrays the chief designer of the attraction - Imagineer Tony Baxter. Many of the props around the attraction are from real companies, such as Joshua Hendy Machine Works in San Francisco. This company later became the leading supplier of engines for U.S. ships during World War II. Among the crates used to set the scene, there is a Reliance Hose Co. crate. This is a nod to Fire Chief Richard LePere Jr, the then head of the Reedy Creek Improvement District Fire Department.
Experience The Thrills Of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad At Magic Kingdom
Can A Trip On Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Really Have Medical Benefits? I don't have personal experience with this one, but appreciate the research that suggests that the twists and turns of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad can lead to the easy passage of kidney stones. The Journal of American Osteopathic Association proposed that jerky, high-speed movements of rollercoasters can in fact facilitate the dislodging of small kidney stones. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom has specifically been called out for its medical benefits when it comes to kidney stones. Here, I thought the wildest ride in the wildness just helped to readjust my spine!
Marvel Is More Than Just Super Heroes Many Disney rides have been inspired by successful motion pictures - 'Peter Pan', 'Dumbo' and 'The Great Movie Ride' to name but a few. Conversely, some, movies have been inspired by the great story telling of rides, such as 'The Pirates of The Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl'. I could not be more excited for the forthcoming 'Monster's, Inc.' rollercoaster as I've always thought the door chase sequence looked like a great ride opportunity. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has no film based on it, but what it does have is a comic book inspired by the ride. In 2015, Marvel published five issues centered around Abigail Bullion, the teenage daughter of the mining company owner. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was one of the six stories published by Marvel Comics as part of their Disney Kingdoms series.
Marvel's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Comic Cover