There’s a mysterious crane past Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. We’ve gotten just a few questions from readers about this, and are positive to get extra as soon as work kicks into excessive gear in 2025. So, what’s it for…Vehicles or Villains Land? Changing curler coaster monitor in BTMRR? Eradicating buttes to put in high-powered mobile towers inside? Let’s dive in!
The very first thing to learn about this massive crane is that Walt Disney World introduced that Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad is Closing for Refurbishment at Magic Kingdom till 2026. It’s actually not a lot of a thriller–the crane virtually definitely pertains to that BTMRR venture. That closure had been rumored since earlier than the beginning of summer season, and have become an open secret as soon as the primary building allow was filed in June.
At the moment, work was anticipated to start in August or September. And actually, since round someday within the fall, there has been work occurring past Huge Thunder. In case you seemed left whereas on the primary elevate, you possibly can see an enormous bulldozer (sung like Mater) and different heavy equipment doing what seemed like land clearing and staging. Now we all know for what: this massive ole crane.
So far as the refurbishment goes, Walt Disney World has solely introduced that Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad will shut for refurbishment on January 6, 2025. The final day to expertise BTMRR in its present type is January 5, 2025. The wildest trip within the wilderness is deliberate to reopen someday in 2026 with a bit little bit of “new magic.”
That’s all the corporate has stated about this year-plus closure. Formally, there are not any particulars about what it’ll entail apart from the nebulous “new magic.” It’s our understanding that this closure is at first a refurbishment and not a reimagining.
Nevertheless, there’s no means Walt Disney World goes to shut Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad for between a 12 months and 18 months and never have something marketable to point out for it when the attraction returns. There’ll seemingly be new elevate hill results, nighttime lighting, redone present scenes with Easter eggs and different historic tributes–one thing, something.
Primarily based on rumors and building permits which were filed, it’s our understanding that Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad coaster wants a big refurbishment involving substantial work on the trip system and retracking. This long-planned venture is considered as preventative work that’s essential to increase the helpful lifetime of the curler coaster, guaranteeing the trip’s longevity and operational standing for many years to return.
This checks out. Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad opened in 1980, so it’s no spring hen. At the very least, by curler coaster requirements–each individual born within the Nineteen Eighties remains to be younger and vibrant. Whereas the trip has had quite a few multi-week winter closures within the final a number of years, the final prolonged closure was in 2016 when Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad was down for 4 months within the late summer season and early fall. It wasn’t re-tracked throughout any of these, although.
It’s additionally our understanding that Imagineering has tried to take BTMRR down for multi-month or year-long refurbishments just a few instances over the past a number of years, however park administration pushed again each time. Because of this, prolonged tasks that have been beforehand deliberate bought truncated into weeklong routine upkeep.
Anyway, it stands to cause that the large crane is for re-tracking of Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad.
You’ll be able to’t utterly inform from the images right here, and I didn’t wish to be taking photographs whereas whipping round on the curler coaster itself, however the crane is staged on a web site that’s behind Huge Thunder and is not a part of the Vehicles or Villains Land improvement areas.
This could make sense. For one factor, the water administration allowing course of isn’t completed for the Vehicles and Villains Land tasks. We expect that to be signed-off on quickly by the state, however work can’t start in earnest till that occurs. Additionally, it’s not on that web site as a result of it’s at the moment water, for probably the most half. The Rivers of America remains to be full of water and all of these points of interest stay open.
It additionally is smart that Walt Disney World would wish to get began on the re-tracking ASAP and have all the things able to roll earlier than the trip itself goes down.
The earlier rumors prompt that Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad would have to be down 18-24 months for re-tracking. That’s loads of misplaced capability, and for a very long time. It’s additionally occurring at a time when Magic Kingdom is about to lose extra capability…and as there’s a good quantity of deferred upkeep that must be finished on different points of interest.
That is exactly why Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, and different Magic Kingdom points of interest have acquired refurbishments this 12 months–earlier than Huge Thunder. And why all of this occurring after Tiana’s Bayou Journey opened. Magic Kingdom administration doesn’t need too many main points of interest to be down concurrently. They’ll additionally need the BTMRR closure to be as brief as potential.
This Huge Thunder multi-year closure can be notable as a result of it’ll overlap, not less than partially, with work to fill within the Rivers of America and start Vehicles building. Amongst different issues, this can embrace connecting BTMRR and Villains Land with Liberty Sq. and Fantasyland.
With that stated, one necessary factor to notice is that we don’t anticipate the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, or the Liberty Sq. Riverboat to shut in early 2025. Primarily based on the general public allowing course of and what we’ve heard, these closures are a number of months behind BTMRR, on the earliest. (For an intensive dialogue of once we anticipate to see these points of interest and areas to completely shut, see When Will Rivers of America & Tom Sawyer Island Shut at Magic Kingdom?)
Regardless, early work on Vehicles Land is more likely to begin sooner or later earlier than 2026. Having Huge Thunder closed whereas filling within the Rivers of America will surely expedite the method and make building simpler. Not solely that, however there will probably be a path that connects Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad and Frontierland with Liberty Sq. and Villains Land, so work on this will start in the course of the refurbishment.
Simply take a look at the idea artwork above–the principle thoroughfare on the far proper runs between Huge Thunder and Haunted Mansion, and there’s a smaller pathway veering off the artwork that leads into what is going to turn into Villains Land. This improvement doesn’t actually change something with the anticipated closure of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad’s closure was inevitable and already (kind of) a recognized amount.
It’s additionally potential that the Rivers of America, or a portion thereof, will want to shut to finish the re-tracking of Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad. The crane is on the far left facet of the attraction, and it’s unclear whether or not it has sufficient attain to swing over to the far different facet and substitute monitor that swoops over the (present) waterfront. But when that’s drained, it turns into an entire lot simpler to maneuver the crane (or use a special one) and re-track that part.
I don’t purport to be an professional on any of these items, however it appears potential that Disney might set up a coffer dam enable this BTMRR re-tracking work to be finished whereas additionally preserving entry to Tom Sawyer Island and the view of the Rivers of America for the entirety of 2025. They’ve finished this sort of factor earlier than–it’d appear like this picture from 2018, however in reverse:
That method would really make loads of sense for establishing the usable gravel laydown yards, starting work on the pathway connecting this Frontierland dead-end to Haunted Mansion, and re-tracking BTMRR. Like Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, all of this work isn’t going to take the identical period of time…so no want to begin it on the identical time.
Anyway, should you see an enormous crane towering over Magic Kingdom, re-tracking of Huge Thunder Mountain is nearly definitely its objective. These images don’t even do it justice as a result of they’re all taken from Frontierland, nearer to the crane, and with out it being absolutely prolonged. When it’s in use, you’ll be capable to see it exterior the park (from the ferry or monorail) in addition to areas of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland which have clearer views.
On the one hand, it’ll add a little bit of blight to the skyline. On the opposite, it’ll be cool to see curler coaster monitor moved into place! Truthfully, I’m trying ahead to watching the items put into place…and the entire building on the horizon at Magic Kingdom. It must be enjoyable to see take form, and most is at sufficient of a distance that it gained’t impression the visitor expertise. But when excellent sightlines are paramount on your thematic immersion…you would possibly wish to keep away from Magic Kingdom for the subsequent ~5 years. That is simply the primary of many cranes which can be going to pop up on this facet of the park and be seen all through!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the mysterious massive crane past Huge Thunder? Do you agree or disagree that it’s for curler coaster re-tracking? Are you trying ahead to seeing the crane in motion, or disillusioned by all of the blight and building beginning quickly? What do you concentrate on the prolonged trip refurbishment/reimagining of Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad? Hope these classics are up to date to make sure their longevity for many years to return? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
