Category: Other

One of these days, we’re going to be able to return to Disneyland, and when we do, we’re going to want to hit some attractions. To keep you in the mood until then, let’s take a deep dive into Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in this week’s “Better Know an Attraction” series. Read on for more!

What is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is an E-Ticket roller coaster attraction set in a mining town in the Old West.

Where is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is in Frontierland, and will be on your right-hand side after you pass Rancho Del Zocalo.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad History

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was designed by Imagineer Tony Baxter and opened at Disneyland on September 2, 1979, replacing Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. It includes numerous nods to the space it once occupied, which was also a mine train ride through scenes of the old west. For example, the western town at the end of the attraction is Rainbow Ridge, in roughly the same form as it existed when it was Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. The attraction received a major renovation in 2014, during which the entire track was replaced, as were the ride vehicles, and several scenes were upgraded with new effects. The attraction is extremely detailed and includes several references to Disney history.

What You Need to Know About the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Queue

The queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a two-lane winding path surrounded by rockwork and the conclusion of the attraction itself. The queue is shaded in parts, but it’s entirely outdoors and there is no serious protection from the rain.  It cannot accommodate wheelchairs or ECVs, so guests using them will be directed to enter through the exit for boarding.

What is the Ride Experience Like for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Big Thunder Mountain is a heavily themed, fast, thrilling roller coaster ride that has three lift hills and will take you through caves, tunnels, banked turns, humps, and drops. The ride is generally fairly smooth (far smoother than Matterhorn, for example), but it will mildly shake you side to side on occasion (intentionally), so it’s not as fast or smooth as Space Mountain or Incredicoaster. There are no inversions and the ride, while a lot of fun, is not overly intense, making it a great coaster for someone looking to upgrade to a “real” roller coaster but that doesn’t feel ready for the other E-Ticket roller coasters. The ride does contain darkness, loud noises, and unexpected movements that may frighten some children. 

What are the Ride Vehicles Like for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad features mine train vehicles that accommodate up to two guests per row. There are no inversions, so the only restraint is a lap bar that you’ll pull down yourself.

What You Need to Know About Accessibility for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Guests do need to be able to transfer into the ride vehicle to be able to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Guests in wheelchairs and ECVs should enter through the exit where you will be directed by a cast member for further boarding instructions. 

What You Need to Know About Health and Safety Warnings for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Disneyland warns guests that, “[f]or safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.” 

What are the Height Restrictions for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Guests need to be 40″ or taller to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Guests under 7 must be accompanied by someone 14 or older.

Does Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Offer FastPass?

Yes.

Does Weather Affect Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is outdoors, so extreme weather can shut it down. It will generally continue to run in the rain, but lightning or heavy rain can result in it being closed until the weather passes.

What’s the Best Time of Day to Experience Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a headliner attraction, and should be experienced before 10:30 or after 6:30 if you don’t use FastPass. It is traditionally a fairly easy FastPass to get without a serious wait even in the middle of the day, however, so target other headliner attractions first. Expected wait times on a crowd-level basis are noted here, but be sure to check out the expected wait time for the date you intend to be there. One final note: if you can time your ride to coincide with the fireworks when they are running, it’s a pretty amazing experience!

 

Is Big Thunder your favorite of the Disney Mountains? Is it on your short list, or your skip list? Let us know in the comments!

The post Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad– Better Know An Attraction appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Attractions, Disneyland (CA), Disneyland Park, attractions, Disneyland, Disneyland Attractions

The latest Disney Loungefly Backpack is a pretty spectacular tribute to the entire Star Wars film legacy. Images and promotional art from all nine Star Wars movies are included in the pattern on the backpack. Admittedly, I had to squint my eyes and tilt my head a little to see a tiny image of one of the prequels when looking at these photos from our field team, but still the entire Star Wars Skywalker Legacy film is represented.

The pattern of images is accompanied by blue straps and accepts. It is $75.00 and so far does not appear to be on shopDisney online. We spotted this backpack inside Main Street Emporium.

Will you jump into hyperspace for this Star Wars Loungefly backpack?

The post New Star Wars Loungefly Backpack Covers the Entire Legacy appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Magic Kingdom, Merchandise, Star Wars, disney loungefly, disney star wars

There’s never been a more important time for Disney’s PhotoPass service. As my husband, toddler, and I visited EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom this weekend it hit me: we won’t have any pictures of the three of us unless we utilize Disney’s PhotoPass.

Sure, we could do selfies. And if I really wanted to I could set up the phone on something stationary and set the timer, but I’d prefer not to. We certainly were not going to hand a phone to someone in this time of physical distancing. And, for the first time I can ever recall, Disney Cast Members are discouraged from taking photos for guests with the guests’ phones or cameras. It’s completely understandable. Not only does physical distancing become difficult when handing over a device, but then you’ve got the concerns about touching someone else’s stuff.

When we arrived at EPCOT there was one PhotoPass Cast Member stationed at the traditional spot right at the entrance, framing up Spaceship Earth in the center. With one other family ahead of us we physically distanced ourselves from the photographer and waited. When it was our turn they scanned our MagicBand before directing us to a piece of masking tape on the ground.

We then decided to use the Future World West walkway. There were far less guests on that side and the walkway is much wider. To our surprise a PhotoPass Cast Member was stationed there too, I assume because of the good angle of Spaceship Earth they can capture. You can see how few people there are using that entrance. I much prefer using Future World West, compared to feeling closed in by the walls of Future World East.

The next day we ventured to my favorite park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We spotted a PhotoPass Cast Member at the front gate facing the ticketing windows. She took a moment with each family to get a few photos of the kids by themselves. It is nice to have a quick photo session of your child. Somehow they pose better for the professionals than they do for their own parents. There was also a photographer in front of the Tree of Life, of course.

Overall, it did feel like there were slightly less photographers than normal stationed throughout the park. This makes sense with less guests in the park and no formal character meet and greets. So, if you see a PhotoPass Photographer I say “go for it” and seize the moment to get a family photo.

Masks are required to stay on at all times, even when taking photos, unless you are actively eating and drinking while stationary. Disney only wants to publish photos of guests with their masks on. This falls in line with policy that’s been in place well before COVID-19. The policy is essentially to suppress any photos taken by Disney that show unsafe behavior.

If you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World anytime soon I would recommend making sure you have unlimited PhotoPass downloads included in your trip. We’re fortunate to have it included in our annual passes and this weekend it proved incredibly valuable. Yes, it feels very weird to have masks on in our photos, especially our little toddler. But, it is truly an interesting moment in time, captured in a way that only PhotoPass Photographers can provide.

The post Why Disney’s PhotoPass is Now More Important Than Ever appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Dos and Don’ts, Epcot, In the Parks, Trip Planning, Disney PhotoPass, disney reopening, Disney’s Animal Kingdom