Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

When to ride

Average wait by hour, from 5,498 of our own observations of this ride while it was open, over 17 days.

Evenings, or the first hour. The 38-inch requirement is new as of the May 2026 reopening — most sites and a lot of printed guides still say 40, so check your child against the current sign rather than an old article.

How the queue has changed

Its average posted wait was 39 minutes in 2017 and 32 in 2026 so far — down 18%. That is the 6th-longest average queue of the 31 attractions Queue-Times tracks at Magic Kingdom.

Open for 62% of park operating hours over Queue-Times' whole record, against a median of 83% for rides at Magic Kingdom; refurbishment closures count as closed. From Queue-Times’ published statistics, read 12 September 2026.

Is it accessible?

• You must transfer from a wheelchair or ECV to the ride vehicle.

What boarding is like

Transfer required. The ride is jerky throughout; anyone with back or neck problems should skip it.

Disney prints: Must Transfer to Wheelchair, Then to Ride Vehicle · Transfer Access Vehicle Available · Service Animals Not Permitted Checked Sep 10, 2026.

What it’s actually like

Fast, bumpy and noisy, with sharp turns and short dips, not real drops. Nothing inverts and nothing goes properly steep. The roughness is the sensation — it is a mine train and it is meant to feel like one. Children who manage Seven Dwarfs usually manage this.

Common questions

How tall do you have to be for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

38 inches since it reopened on 3 May 2026 — it was 40 before — which is lower than Space Mountain at 44, so Big Thunder is usually the first mountain a child rides at Magic Kingdom, not the second.

Is Big Thunder Mountain scary?

It is fast, bumpy and noisy with sharp turns and short dips rather than real drops, and it is almost entirely in daylight. For most children the visibility makes it far easier than Space Mountain despite the higher speed.

Is Big Thunder Mountain rough?

Jerky throughout, which matters if the reason you are asking is pain rather than nerve. Anyone with back or neck problems should treat it the same way they treat Space Mountain.

Is Big Thunder Mountain better at night?

Noticeably. The ride runs through a mining landscape that is lit after dark, and riding it twice — once in daylight and once at night — is one of the cheapest ways to get two different experiences from one queue.