Big Thunder Mountain Facts and Figures from 1980
With the news of the closure of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad on January 6, 2025, for a year-long refurbishment, I wanted to take a look back at this iconic mine train coaster.
The November 14, 1980 edition of the Eyes & Ears castmember newsletter has a font page article on the newest mountain in Florida.
WELCOME ABOARD!
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD GRAND OPENING THIS WEEKEND
When mountains were being passed out around the world, Florida got the short end of the hill. But Walt Disney World Co. has almost corrected the oversight by first building Space Mountain and again with the opening of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, elevation 200 feet.
It took ten years of planning, hundreds of hardy rock makers, tons of steel, concrete, paint and lumber to build the redrock buttes and windswept mine buildings. In fact, to be exact, it took:
- 1,300,000 pounds of steel beams, rods and mesh
- 9,350,000 pounds of cement and sand
- 560,000 pints of water
- 64,000 cups of desert paint in assorted colors
- 2, 780 feet of railroad tracks
- 6 gold rush trains
- on a 2-acre site
to make Big Thunder Mountain Railroad a reality.
And this weekend marks the Official Grand Opening of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Many of you may have already experienced the thrill of boarding the rumbling, runaway mine train and flying along at speeds up to 24 mph as it plunges into a bat-filled cave, races through the ribs of a giant dinosaur and rushes through a thundering waterfall. And now that the Grand Opening is at hand, thousands of guests will have an opportunity to experience this same thrill.
It’s an exciting addition to our Magic Kingdom, the 46th attraction. Welcome Aboard!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad POV
I recorded a POV of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in 2019. Enjoy this look back at the previous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad while the Magic Kingdom attraction is down for refurbishment.