Big news is happening at Disney. One of the most beloved rides at Magic Kingdom is finally ready for park guests once again. After being closed for quite some time, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has finally been reopened — or at least it's about to! Not only is it reopening, but this refurbished ride is shaking up park guests' Lighting Lane strategy.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Finally Reopens
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The beloved Disney ride shut down back in January of 2025. Typically, rides close for a short time for a bit of maintenance work. However, this closure lasted 16 months, leaving guests highly anticipating the ride's return. The reason for the delay was that this ride wasn't just receiving basic maintenance.
Inside the Magic shared that the refurbishments included "track work, scenic updates, and mechanical overhauls to ensure the runaway mine train continues to run smoothly for decades to come." This is perhaps the most extensive work this ride has ever received. However, now, it seems that it has finally come to an end.
Disney announced Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will officially be open for business on May 3, 2026. In other words, in just one short week, you can once again take a ride through the wild, wild west.
How This Disney Attraction Is Shaking Up The Lightning Lane Game
For those who don't know, Lighting Lane allows you to skip the lines and long wait times at Disney's popular attractions. At Magic Kingdom, the rides are broken up into 2 tiers. Tier 1 includes the park's most popular rides, while Tier 2 includes other beloved favorites but not the top contenders.
How it works is that if you book a Multipass Lightning Lane, you are able to select three attractions. One of them comes from the Tier 1 list, while the other 2 come from the Tier 2 list. Now that it is reopening, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is joining the Tier 1 list. Inside the Magic shared all of the current Tier 1 rides available for Lightning Lane. They are as follows:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan's Flight
- Space Mountain
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure
Some of the Tier 2 rides include fan favorites such as The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. While it is exciting to have the opportunity to skip the line at this highly anticipated ride, it presents a dilemma. Do you choose to use your Tier 1 Lightning Lane for the brand new opening of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or do you save it for another typically popular ride?
It all comes down to preference and how you want to spend your day. But, I will tell you this, if you choose not to select this newly opened Disney ride as your Lightning Lane, you may want to rope drop the park and head straight there. I have a feeling the lines will be looping around the mountains of the wild, wild west.
