Disappointing News for Disney’s Big Thunder Mountain Closure

Hold onto your hats and glasses because the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closure may be even longer than anticipated. Check out the newest timeline for this closure.

Big Thunder Mountain Closure

This attraction first opened in Walt Disney World in 1980 and has quite a big fan following. Over the years, short refurbishments have been completed, but now a lengthy refurbishment is well underway.

A year-long refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad began on January 6, 2025. Work will include moving the tower and replacing some or all of the tracks. The final scene may also be upgraded.

Much work can be seen and heard from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. There is also a large crane for this construction that can be seen on the horizon all around most of the Magic Kingdom.

Big Thunder Refurbishment

The massive rework continues at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. When Disney first announced this closure, a reopening date was not set, but simply stated that it would reopen in 2026.

Now it appears this closure may extend further into 2026 than any of us hoped. A new permit filed for this attraction has us worried.

Earlier permits filed by DPR Construction, leading this project, had expiration dates of March 13, 2026. The newest permits filed now expire on April 16, 2026.

When will Big Thunder Reopen?

As with other permits filed for Walt Disney World, expiration dates are often set for a full year. This may be the case with this most recent permit. However, Disney may anticipate a later reopening in 2026 than we hoped for.

New Big Thunder Mountain Railroad permits now extend into April 2026.

We will continue to share updates for this extended closure.

What do you think of this new permit filed? When do you think Big Thunder will reopen? Share your thoughts with us and share this news with your Disney pals.