The “World” According to Jack

Hang on to them hats and glasses cuz this here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness.

In reality, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad isn’t the most thrilling coaster in the world. In fact, it only reaches a top speed of somewhere between 24-30 miles per hour. By today’s standards, that’s pretty tame. Yet this ride is still a perennial favorite and hour-long waits are not uncommon during the busier times of the year. Why is this? Theming. The true love of this attraction comes from the overall experience, not just the thrills you encounter while racing over buttes and bluffs.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (BTMR) was not around on opening day. In the beginning, this area was just a grassy pasture you passed by while riding the Walt Disney World Railroad.

These next three photos were taken in January 1972. The first picture was shot from the Skyway in Fantasyland looking back toward the southern half of Tom Sawyer Island. The suspension bridge connecting the north and south islands will someday be anchored at this point. The majority of the empty land beyond the island is where Splash Mountain will reside, but to the right side of the picture you can see where the entrance to BTMR will someday stand.

This next picture was taken from the Walt Disney World Railroad looking over the future BTMR. You can see the Haunted Mansion in the background.

The final picture was taken from the of the Adm. Joe Fowler (now the Liberty Belle) looking back at this vacant land.

If you’d like to learn more about how the BTMR came into existence, check out Anita Answer’s article about the Western River Expedition.

The topography of Disney World’s Big Thunder Mountain was inspired by Monument Valley in Arizona. (The topography of Disneyland’s Thunder Mountain is based on Utah’s Bryce Canyon.)

There’s no missing Big Thunder Mountain. It can be seen from many vantage points within Frontierland. Its towering butte beckons.

The story of BTMR goes something like this. During the late 1800’s, gold was discovered deep within Big Thunder Mountain. Overnight, prospectors started mining the ore and soon the town of Tumbleweed sprang up on the mountain’s slope. Additionally, The Big Thunder Mining Company was formed and trains were built to haul the gold.

Everything was going well until a flash flood ravaged the mountain and town, ruining any future mining operations. Now it’s not certain if the flood was caused by Mother Nature, or brought on by Professor Cumulus Isobar, a rainmaker hired by the settlers a few days earlier.

The townsfolk took the flood in stride and headed over to the Gold Dust Saloon for one last belt before leaving Tumbleweed for good. A good ear can hear the shindig still going on as you pass by. By the way, the proprietors of the Dry Goods store next to the saloon are, D. Hydrate and U. Wither.

But one gentleman, Cousin Elrod, decided a cool bath is better than a cool drink.

To reach the BTMR you pass beneath an abandoned ore processing plant and proceed up a hill. Along the way you encounter a number of discarded pieces of mining equipment.

Eventually you enter the long vacant offices of the Big Thunder Mining Company.

After wandering around on the upper level, for what can seem like an eternity, you eventually descend below where the trains arrive and depart. It’s here that you board one of the following six trains.

U.B. Bold
U.R. Daring
U.R. Courageous
I.M. Brave
I.B. Hearty
I.M. Fearless

Your journey begins as you travel through a bat filled cave then alongside a cavern packed with stalactites and stalagmites. Up ahead you see a massive waterfall cascading to each side of the tracks.

Averting a wet encounter, the train bursts outside and starts its mad dash through the wilderness.

While your train is making hairpin turns and sudden drops, a number of sights can be seen along the way.

Eventually, you return to the Big Thunder Mining Company offices, shaken, but fine.

Guests exit the attraction along Nugget Way. This is the perfect spot for less adventurous souls to wait for their party. This area also offers great photo opportunities and you might even be able to snag a shot of your friends and family as they whisk by.

Here are some interesting facts about BTMR:

BTMR opened on September 23, 1980. The “official” Grand Opening was on November 15, 1980.

It cost $17M to build – the same amount it cost to construct Disneyland as of opening day.

The attraction area is approximately 2.5 acres.

The top of the butte is roughly 100 feet high from ground level. If you calculate from sea level, the way a real mountain would be measured, the pinnacle stands 197’6”.

The ride duration is about 3 minutes 25 seconds.

Each of the engines pulls five cars and can hold a total of 30 guests.

The track length is 2,780 feet.

There are about 20 Audio-Animatroncic figures scatters around the ride.

The mining equipment found around the attraction is genuine and was purchased at a number of auctions throughout the Southwest.

Construction materials included the following: 6,500 tons of steel beams, rods, and mesh, 4,675 tons of concrete, 90,000 gallons of water, and 4,000 gallons of paint.

The spiel, “Hang on to them hats and glasses cuz this here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness” was recorded by Dallas McKennon. This is the same gentleman who voices Ben Franklin in the American Adventure. Mr. McKennon passed away on July 14, 2009.

Here’s a little trick I use when visiting the Magic Kingdom. First, ARRIVE AT OPENING. Be at the Adventureland “rope drop” at 9am. Once the welcoming announcement finishes, hightail it (safely) to the Jungle Cruise and secure Fast Passes for everyone in your party.

As soon as you have these gems in hand, make haste (safely) to BTMR. The line shouldn’t be any more than 5 minutes in length. After riding, get in line and ride Splash Mountain, whose wait shouldn’t be anymore than 10 minutes.

I choose to ride BTRM first because its ride duration is shorter than Splash Mountain, allowing you to queue up for the second attraction sooner.

After you’ve completed these two adventures, mosey back toward Pirates of the Caribbean for some high seas high jinx with the buccaneers. If you survive their assault it will almost be time to ride the Jungle Cruise. This touring plan should allow you to complete four major attractions in just a little over an hour.

If arriving at the Magic Kingdom at opening just isn’t your cup of tea, but you can still be at the park by 10 or 11, then I would suggest getting a Fast Pass for either Splash Mountain or BTMR then wait in line and ride the other one. Hopefully, your Fast Pass return time will be nearing when you exit the first attraction.

If you arrive after noon on a busy day, I have no suggestions for you.

That’s all I have on BTMR. As I said at the beginning of this article, it’s a pretty tame coaster as coasters go. But it’s Disney’s meticulous attention to detail that makes this attraction so compelling.

Mind these warnings before you ride:

BTMR can also be found in:

Disneyland California's Frontierland

Tokyo Disneyland's Westernland

Disneyland Paris' Frontierland

Hang on to your hats!