It’s the wiilllddeessttt ride in the wiillddeerrnnesss! (If you read that with a slight twang, we should be best friends.)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a rootin’ tootin’ good time of a roller coaster over in Frontierland, and for that exact reason, it tends to be a bit popular. You can experience some LONG lines over here, but there are also a few key times of the day when you can more or less walk right on — or have a very short wait. We’re here to tell you ALL you need to know about riding Big Thunder with the SHORTEST wait possible. Let’s go!
As mentioned, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is located in Frontierland in Magic Kingdom. The ride covers over two acres of land and requires riders to be at least 40 inches tall to ride. It reaches speeds of around 30 miles per hour and has lots of fun dips and turns.
You get to travel through the mines, caverns, mountains, and more during your trip to the Old West in converted ore cars. While this ride doesn’t have any big drops, there is still plenty of fun to be had while you are visiting Big Thunder Mining Co.
When is the perfect time to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, though? A great question, and a question we are glad you asked! We think there are two great times to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad depending on what you want to accomplish.
The first option is if you are hoping to ride Big Thunder Mountain with the shortest wait time. If this is your goal, we recommend heading over to Big Thunder Mountain as soon as Magic Kingdom opens. We have found that this attraction tends to have the shortest wait before 10am. Most days the wait time is under 15 minutes prior to 10am, however you may find it slightly higher during peak times.
The second option is if you are looking for a magical experience while riding. For this option, we recommend trying to time your ride to be during the Happily Ever After Fireworks. Generally, you will find a shorter wait around this time as others will be claiming spots to see the fireworks. Plus, riding Big Thunder Mountain is truly an amazing experience during the fireworks. You get to enjoy the ride, while seeing the fireworks going off over Cinderella Castle. It is a pretty spectacular view.
If you haven’t had a chance to ride Big Thunder Moutain during the fireworks, we highly recommend giving it a try, because it truly is something special. For us, that is the perfect time to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. However, you will still have lots of fun riding no matter what time of day you decide to ride.
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When do you like to ride Big Thunder Mountain? Let us know in the comments!
I was at Disneyland when it was open for something like 40 hours straight due to the opening of a new attraction. While there, I rode Big Thunder Mountain . . . at sunrise! The beautiful natural light was awesome. At that time of day, the only big line was at the new attraction.
It’s beautiful after dark, even if the fireworks aren’t happening at that moment!
Agree. Back in the day it was easy to time it with the fireworks because everyone was watching those. But now, Big Thunder and Splash are busier now. But if you can, it’s a great way to experience the rides and the fireworks.