Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Refurbishment Watch

**Elias1901** · 05-03-2013, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Yungbuck73

The day Mel asked me was our day off from the parks but it had been there on Monday. Glad it won't be there for you. And that's what we do for each other. Anytime.

Again, thank you for the report.

I was just worried mostly that it would get in the way of our photo-taking and also be an eyesore as far as keeping the "theme" goes... also, I can't imagine it would make Fantasmic! any more "fantastic".

**Elias1901** · 05-29-2013, 03:16 PM

I was speaking with a Cast Member friend a little while back and they mentioned that the tracks are still missing from the coaster. Can anyone confirm this? Is it possible to peek at the progress or is it all walled-off by tall work walls?

**Disney4us2** · 05-29-2013, 06:04 PM

We were there on Friday (24th). The walls are up. They are tall walls done in wood to look like the frontier. You may be able to peek in between the boards. I didn't try. The crane was gone though.

**Elias1901** · 05-30-2013, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Disney4us2

We were there on Friday (24th). The walls are up. They are tall walls done in wood to look like the frontier. You may be able to peek in between the boards. I didn't try. The crane was gone though.

Yes, but when you are walking around the side of the mountain (heading towards the Big Thunder BBQ area) there is a truss over the water with a banked turn. That can't be walled-off too, can it? If not, are there any tracks on it?

What about the tracks that lead in and out of the mine tunnel "shacks" on the same side of the mountain? There must at least some vantage points you can peek at around the water.

**tinkwest** · 05-30-2013, 07:22 PM

The walls cover the views from the Rancho del Zocalo restaurant tables and follow the walkways from the restaurant, around the attraction entrance, and up behind the mountain all the way to Fantasyland.

**Elias1901** · 05-31-2013, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by tinkwest

The walls cover the views from the Rancho del Zocalo restaurant tables and follow the walkways from the restaurant, around the attraction entrance, and up behind the mountain all the way to Fantasyland.

Thanks tink! Just the info I needed.

**tinkwest** · 08-06-2013, 02:56 PM

Here's a peek behind the walls of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

**seanyred** · 08-21-2013, 09:13 AM

I have read on several other sites that BTMRR refurb has been delayed and won't open till February. Anyone know if this is true or just a rumor.

If it is closed I till February then I hope the December refurb of Space Mtn is pushed back. I just don't want both mountains to be down for our December trip.

**Carol** · 08-21-2013, 04:15 PM

Nothing has been announced officially. I will be very mad if it is since it was down in January during my last visit.

BadBoyBill · 08-24-2013, 05:34 PM

They just announced Big Thunder is now closed till 2/15/2014 :-(

**seanyred** · 10-01-2013, 09:52 PM

The Disney Blog posted yesterday that BTMRR is expected to open in Winter 2014 meaning anytime between January and March 2014. This stinks for my family since we are making our trip in December 2013. I was really hoping it would be up by December. Oh well...we will still have fun anyway.

**tinkwest** · 10-01-2013, 10:26 PM

The signage at Disneyland (around the Big Thunder Mountain area) has changed as well. Disappointing on one hand yet on the other hand better that things are getting done right the first time rather than opening and then closing again soon after to "fix" things. Will keep updating with more specific dates in the Refurbishment thread as they are officially announced by Disney.

**Gator** · 10-18-2013, 03:46 PM

Seems like it takes longer to refurb it than to originally build it! My son won't be too happy next month.

**Elias1901** · 01-13-2014, 05:28 PM

I'm jumping back into my old thread again.

I can't believe that Disneyland has pushed BTMRR's return from the 31st of last October to early this year... this is getting to be quite an extensive length of time for an attraction refurb. I just finished booking our next vacation to Disneyland. We are visiting from February 27th through March 3rd.
Big Thunder must be up and operational by then, right? Right? RIGHT!? ... my God... I hope so!!

**tinkwest** · 01-13-2014, 06:56 PM

Currently scheduled for a February 1st reopening.

**Elias1901** · 01-14-2014, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by tinkwest

Currently scheduled for a February 1st reopening.

Then we theoretically should be safe.

**Elias1901** · 01-21-2014, 11:53 AM

I have heard that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's opening may be delayed until sometime in March.*

My response:

This had better not be the case. February 1st must be the re-opening. We have already went on two "wasted" (as far as riding BTMRR is concerned) trips... and if this happens again, Disney is going to have no mister nice guy to deal with, they will be getting an earful from me. We went in August of last year when it was down. And okay, I'll give them that. It was fully announced at the beginning of the year and made known to everyone. So, while dissapointed, we were okay with this.

The spectacular and triumphant return of Big Thunder was to be Halloween night, October 31st. "Oh great! Let's book another trip then!", we said. Oh, what's that? Big Thunder isn't ready? We were very bitter about that but managed to work our blood pressures down after much dissapointment in our travel party. Even for myself, Thunder is one of my, if not my favourite attraction! Then after chatting with a CM... AT LENGTH... on the phone, she says that it is "almost gauranteed" that it will make it's new deadline of February 1st... and then they officially announce it. After some debating after what happened to us the last couple times, we hesitantly booked a trip for the very end of February and very early in March.

Yes, I get it. Attractions are complex things... but the attraction operated fine before the rehab, so what's the issue when you're supposed to be IMPROVING things??? As I mentioned, we've already booked a trip for February 27th - March 3rd to celebrate Big Thunder's return on the first of February... if this is not going to be the case... god... I am going to be furious! Stark raving mad, I tells ya!

And Disney... if you're reading this... I don't care what you have to do to get this done, just get it done by the 2nd deadline you've made, breaking the original was bad enough. I don't care if you have to beg and plead and re-hire Imagineering legend, Tony Baxter back onto your team full-time to get his attraction back and running. JUST DO IT. You are not Darth Vader! You cannot alter the deal further and get away with it every time you do! You keep sucking money away from other guests and myself included, when we make arrangements based on your re-opening dates. We are all eagerly awaiting the return of Thunder. Remember us?

This all better be untrue for Disney's sake. Somehow, I doubt they would have it up by exactly March 1st if this all goes down the way it is rumored. Perhaps a week or two in. But I doubt the very start of the month the way this is trending. Currently, the Disneyland Resort operations calendar still has it set to re-open after January 31st. I really hope all of this nonsense is false. Geez, get someone on this project that knows what they're doing! NO MORE WAITING!

*This portion edited by moderator.

**Elias1901** · 01-23-2014, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by Disney Connoisseur

I have heard that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's opening may be delayed until sometime in March.

Yep. Looks like things have pretty much all went according to what hear-say suggested. As of this afternoon, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is listed as being under refurbishment from now through March 6th, 2015... which is the last date available on the Disneyland Resort calendar... it actually could potentially be down for longer, much longer. This is really getting crazy! Well, there goes our 3rd trip attempt to try and make it on this ride when they said they'd be opening...