Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Disneyland

Last Updated on: June 1st, 2023

Here is everything you need to know about the amazing Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction at Disneyland including history, reviews, fun facts, photos and more. I hope you find this listing informative and helpful!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Disneyland Description

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad disneyland

Photo by HarshLight

Streak through a legendary gold-mining town aboard a rollicking runaway mine train on Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Amid rugged bedrock and desert cactus, venture inside a barren mountain to the Big Thunder Mining Company, established in the early days of America’s Gold Rush. Traipse down and discover a mysterious 5-car locomotive waiting to take you on a journey inside an abandoned mine shaft.

Hang Onto Your Hats
Hurl forward into the darkness of a tunnel as the train’s wheels chug back and forth across a winding track. Swoop around sharp turns and dip and drop into canyons and caves, darting through the ghost town of Big Thunder.

Peel under a booming waterfall, past rock formations, and dodge a rumbling boulder from an unexpected landslide. Glimpse the remnants of an earthquake and behold a bevy of local critters—including bats, opossum and a goat with a stick of dynamite in his mouth—before hastily making your way back to the safety of the railroad station.


Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Disneyland Fun Facts

  • The footprint of the Disney World version of Big Thunder Mountain is 25% bigger than Disneyland’s.
  • The highest point of the ride environment is nearly 200 feet tall
  • Guests must be 40 inches tall to ride.
  • The ghost town you venture through in the ride is named Tumbleweed.
  • The ride tops off at 36 mph (14 mph slower than Expedition Everest and 24 mph slower than Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster)
  • The ride includes 20 audio-animatronics Disney Legend Tony Baxter designed Big Thunder Mountain in the early 1970’s.


Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Disneyland Details

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Disneyland Experience:





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Craig Smith
I am founder and editor of DisneyNews.us. My passion for all things Disney goes pretty far back to my first trip to Walt Disney World in the mid-80's. I have since returned to the magical place more than 20 times. I started this site when I came to the realization that I spent a significant portion of my day reading articles about Disney and watching Disney content with my 8-year old, so it made sense that I would start sharing some of what I read and see and building a little community around it. Other interests include 80's nostalgia, vintage toys, video games, LEGO, Star Wars and tech gadgets. Other sites include DMR and VideoGamesStats.com.