The day is finally here. Today, January 5th, marks the last day that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is open before its extended temporary closure for refurbishment.
The ride is expected to be closed for a year or longer, opening sometime in 2026 with a “little bit of new magic.” While we don’t know what the new magic will include, we do know that this will be a very long closure for one of the most popular Magic Kingdom rides. So, as January 6th and the closure nears, we stopped by for one last ride and to check out the crowds at the “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness.”
We headed to Magic Kingdom right away in the morning on January 5th, the last day Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was open before its extended closure. We got to the ride around 9 AM, and the posted wait time was already at 45 minutes, with a line extending out of the queue.
Big Thunder Mountain is closing for AT LEAST a year starting tomorrow! Right now, the wait is at 45 minutes. We’ll see how long it gets throughout the day! pic.twitter.com/Yy5TnYc78w
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) January 5, 2025
We jumped into the line, and ended up only waiting around 30 minutes before being boarded.
When we got off the ride, the wait was posted at 50 minutes, but we jumped back into it because we couldn’t settle with just one ride knowing we won’t ride it again for over a year! This time, we waited 52 minutes.
Breedlove is bringing us all of the Big Thunder wait time updates today! pic.twitter.com/95TVLhIVzy
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) January 5, 2025
After our second ride, the wait was up to 60 minutes around 11:40 AM. We have seen the wait time jumping up and down a bit, and we expect that to continue throughout the day.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for any big updates at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad today as fans enjoy it for the last time for at least a year.
Be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney news!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Is CLOSING for a Year in Disney World — Here’s What Could Change
Join the AllEars.net Newsletter to get the free list of our ranking for Magic Kingdom rides! Click here to get started!
Did you get a final ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before its extended closure? Let us know in the comments!
Trending Now
TSA just banned an essential travel item from checked luggage!
Believe it or not, it is possible to make a day at EPCOT even better!
Don't forget about this change coming up for Disney World hotel guests!
Six Flags has just announced that they're CLOSING on of their theme parks entirely this...
If you adore Butterbeer from Harry Potter as much as we do, these TWO new...
These Disneyland attractions will be closed for part of or all of May.
Each week, we search high and low for the best Disney deals on Amazon. Wanna...
We're sharing the hottest deals on LEGO sets on Amazon!
Need a new Disney tee? Get to Amazon NOW!
Only true Disney adults are packing these items for their Disney World trips!
By unanimous vote, the proposed Sunshine Corridor study is now fully funded.
The best upgrades available for Disney Cruise Line Passengers.
Epic Universe is amazing…but it does have a couple of flaws.
Here are a couple of things you'll want to get yourself because every Disney Adult...
We spotted three brand-new Disney Loungefly bags online, and one of them is already selling...
Every Disney adult is going to Amazon to buy their Disney park day shoes!
Let's talk about why every Disney Adult is buying an Oura Ring from Target right...
Many Disney guests don't realize they're breaking these rules.
These might be weird buys, but we aren't kidding when we say you'll need them...
A Universal x Minecraft experience is HERE!