Big Thunder Mountain Reopens March 17, 2014 with Explosive Surprises

Hold on to your hats and glasses! It’s the day many Disneyland fans have been looking forward to the past 14 months, the official date of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad grand reopening will take place on March 17 at the Disneyland Resort. The attraction was originally slated to only be down for 10 months and expected to have a Fall 2013 reopening, but due to recent updates in OSHA’s fall protection standards, it sent many WDI employees back to the drawing boards causing the ride to be delayed another 4 months.

But this wasn’t just a simple refurb, along with the new track, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens with an enhanced audio system that sharpens the sounds heard by guests on the trains and in the caverns and buildings. Even the wildlife at Big Thunder can be heard more distinctly. As well as a few new surprises found at the beginning and ending of the ride. Today, Disneyland released a partial POV to show off the fancy new track. It seems to be a slightly smoother ride than in years past.

But just what are the new surprises being added to the ride? Well, If you aren’t interested in hearing a few spoilers you may want to skip the next portion of the article. Towards the beginning of the ride all new lifelike UV Bat animatronics have been installed replacing the old cartoony looking bats and adding a bit more realism to the ride. Lots of brand new LED fixtures have been installed throughout the outdoor portion of the ride making it more colorful than it’s ever been before. During the final hill lift in the ride, a whole new projection mapping system has been installed creating a brand new dynamite explosion scene with projected fire and rocks cracking. The whole effect is very impressive.

We look forward to seeing Big Thunder Mountain ourselves when it reopens March 17 at Disneyland. Stay tuned for video and photos from upcoming previews.

For more information about Disneyland and purchasing tickets, you can visit their website at www.Disneyland.com