Countdown - 80 Days to Go!

Big Thunder Mountain - Photo Credit JillianWallin

🐐 80 Days to Go: A Mountain and a Goat

If there’s one Walt Disney fun fact that’s practically common knowledge—at least in the right circles—it’s this: Walt loved trains. Like, really loved trains. So much so that he had one running through his own backyard!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was born from that passion, but with a twist. Disney execs wanted something more thrilling for teens, so Walt’s charming train ride evolved into a full-blown roller coaster… I mean, thrill ride! 😉

And while the swoops and dips are fantastic, one of my favorite parts? The goat. If you know, you know. There’s just something about that little guy that makes me laugh every single time.

Mix of Disneyland ride and the view from the top at Walt Disney World.

🏜️ A Ride with Roots

Before Big Thunder became the wildest ride in the wilderness, it had a slower-paced origin:

One of the coolest photos I've seen of this ride! Disneyland - Big Thunder Mountain - Photo Credit: disneyland.com

• 🌄 Rainbow Ridge was once a quaint frontier town featuring the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train.

• 🚂 That evolved into the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, a scenic, educational journey through Frontierland.

• 🎢 Plans for Big Thunder at Walt Disney World were delayed when funds were redirected to build Pirates of the Caribbean (which wasn’t originally planned for Florida—oops!).

• 🏰 Eventually, Disneyland needed a thrill ride to balance out Adventureland, and Big Thunder Mountain was born, though this time, imagineers learned from their sunken ship and made sure that the newest thrill ride was going up in both parks within a year of each other!

  
  

🌍 Park Timeline: Where You Can Ride It

🌍 Park	📅 Opening Date	✨ Notes
Disneyland (CA)	September 2, 1979	My gasp-worthy coaster! I honestly can’t pick a favorite between this and Magic Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom (FL)	November 15, 1980	See above! 😉
Tokyo Disneyland	July 4, 1987	Very similar to the U.S. versions, with subtle nods to its predecessors.
Hong Kong Disneyland	2012	Not technically Big Thunder—this one's called Big Grizzly Runaway Mine Cars.
Disneyland Paris	April 12, 1992	Opened with the park! You travel under a river to reach the ride—how cool is that?
Shanghai Disneyland	—	No Big Thunder here… yet!

🎢 Fun Facts You Might Not Know

• Big Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom was the first major ride Walt Disney wasn't personally involved with.

• The spire of Big Thunder Mountain is 14 feet taller than Cinderella Castle. Yep, really!

• The tracks at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom are mirror images—one goes left, the other right. That’s probably why I can’t pick a favorite!

• The goat’s name? Billy. Real original, but I love him.

  

  Billy the Goat - Photo Credit: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki

• The ride hits 30 mph, but on hot days, the grease can melt… and that makes it go even faster. Slightly terrifying? Maybe.

• In Paris, Big Thunder and Phantom Manor share a storyline—making Frontierland extra rich with lore.

  
  

💭 Final Thoughts

As long as Big Thunder Mountain is open, I’ll be there—laughing with Billy and soaking in the wild ride. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be heading to Disneyland Paris in 2027, and I cannot wait to hop aboard and see how the adventure unfolds on the other side of the river.