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Small Fire, Evacuations Mark Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s First Day Back

Joshua
Written by Joshua Posted
Small Fire, Evacuations Mark Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s First Day Back

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened at Magic Kingdom this morning, 482 days after closing for a major refurbishment. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. The ride closed after a small fire broke out earlier this evening. A Cast Member acted quickly, extinguishing the flames near the tracks in the loading and unloading area.

Luckily, there was no significant damage. After about four hours offline, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened at 10:18 PM.

The fire was the second issue of the day for the revamped ride. Mariann Bell and her family were evacuated earlier in the afternoon for unknown reasons.

Before that, things were going well. Wait times spiked to 145 minutes shortly after Magic Kingdom opened, then settled into an 80-minute average. Thanks to Thrill Data for those numbers.

As of now, it’s unclear what caused the evacuation or the fire. But opening day issues aren’t unusual, which makes Disney’s decision to go with a hard open a bit puzzling. Nearly two years ago, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure had Cast Member, Annual Passholder, and DVC previews. That ride absolutely needed them.

A Big Thunder Mountain Railroad train crests a hill during ride testing

With Big Thunder’s complete track replacement, new trains, and updated show scenes, it’s surprising Disney didn’t follow a similar rollout. When no previews were announced, I figured a soft opening was coming last week. I would’ve gladly taken part since it lined up with our trip. Instead, I stood outside the queue looking sad for over an hour yesterday. Cast Members were unmoved, but they blew some bubbles so I could grab this shot.

Bubbles floating in front of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad entrance

Sure, that’s me being selfish. But objectively, Big Thunder needed a dress rehearsal. Guests paying for Lightning Lanes expect things to work. Soft openings and previews come with a little more grace.

Case in point: we were evacuated from Tiana’s during an AP preview in 2024. It was disappointing, but not altogether unexpected. Today’s Magic Kingdom guests shouldn’t have had to anticipate that, especially those who paid for Lightning Lanes. And neither should anyone waiting in line for nearly two and a half hours.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's Lightning Lane sign includes a clock and sticks of dynamite

Mariann will share more about her evacuation in a future article, especially as it relates to Big Thunder’s accessibility.

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