Attraction of the Day...Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

[Sansaarai]

Todays attraction.........

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Its a neat little coaster. When you first get on the ride and you hear the prospecters safety speil "Hold on to your hats and glasses, "cause this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness" it puts me in the mood for the ride. I always have trouble trying to catch some of the AA's on the ride. I never know where to look!


So What do you like about Big Thunder?
What do you dislike?
Have a funny or weird story?

Lets hear from you!


Eight more days until I hit WDW!!!!!!!

 

[maureen ashton]

This is my favorite MK ride and second favorite WDW ride after Test Track. I love the fact that you have height, banking, speed and turns all in one ride. I am unable to ride any coaster that goes upside down so I am assuming this is the next best thing. 2 weeks and I can ride it again.

 

[Sansaarai]

Big Thunder.....

 

[dwldzm9]

I like this ride very much. It has to be at least twice as fun in the dark as it is during the day. Like space mountain, they managed to make a very exciting and fun little coaster without making it 200 feet tall.

I guess the only cool thing that I have ever had happen on the ride was watching a chameleon ( i think) run accross the rocks and then into the queue, freaking out the people in line.

 

[Grim Grinner]

This Coaster has changed over the years...

Big Thunder used to be a whole lot faster than it is now. Last october we went with a couple down to WDW. We rode in both the front and back of the ride hoping for some kind of thrill like we used to have.

Instead, the ride was terribly slow. The Tomorrowland Transit moves faster than this thing was going. I remember as a kid just whizzing by the little mining town diorama- Now, we could see it clearly and hear the noises because we just coasted by.

Does anyone know why they've tamed this mountain down?

It was one of the biggest disappointments of our trip because we all loved that ride previously.

 

[dwldzm9]

Sansaarai,

Where was that picture taken? I would like to get that shot myself if there is a way for the public to access that spot.

 

[Sansaarai]

Seems just as fast to me. Maybe you caught the ride on a bad day? Did you ride it more than once and have the same experience?

 

[Sansaarai]

Originally posted by dwldzm9
Sansaarai,

Where was that picture taken? I would like to get that shot myself if there is a way for the public to access that spot.

It was taken From the Makr Twain riverboat. Its a great way to get great shots of Big Thunder and The Haunted mansion.

 

[dwldzm9]

Cool,

Thanks for the Tip!

Since I'm going for an entire week in Sept. instead of just 5 days like normal I'm planning to take an entire day to just take pictures. I think it will be easier that way - trying to "remember" to take pictures when you are geared up for the attractions just doesn't seem to work.:veryconfu

 

[Sansaarai]

On my last trip I took 300 pictures. Thank goodness for digital cameras!!

 

[DisJosh]

I pass up Big Thunder every time I'm there simply b/c the line is rediculous for such a boring ride. The last time I rode it seemed SLOW I went on it 2 maybe 3 times b/c lines were dead and it just didn't seem anything like it was years back when I was a kid.

The theming on the ride is great it just looks awsome but the ride needs speeding up. Is it possible that they slowed the ride down because of the trains constantly derailing??

 

[FutureCEO]

i liked the faster one better...last time i went in 2000 it was about 10-15 mph slower than a while ago. stinks

 

[FatBoy976]

Um, according to the physics of how a roller coaster works, it's pretty hard to 'slow it down' once you build the track. There is no engine driving a roller coaster, it works on gravity and momentum. Sorry guys, it hasn't gotten slower, it just seems that way after you ride it a few hundred times. The only way to slow it down is to add brake points along the track, which you can verify by seeing they aren't there, or altering the track, a long and costly process.

That being said, I love this roller coaster. It was my first one ever, and will always hold a special place in my heart. Riding in the back car is the best, as you get whipped around the most. The ride is great at night, and I love the attention to detail throughout, like the card table with cards and chips in the flooded town saloon. I can close my eyes and go through the whole ride in my head. Maybe I have been on it a few too many times...

 

[BigAL]

Big Thunder

I have not really notticed it being slower, but I have may not have ridden as much as you guys. There are several factors that effect speed though. On a hot afternoon a rollercoaster goes faster due to the grease being thinner. A roller coaster always is slower in the mornings due to this. You can slow a roller coaster down with trim breaks which a lot of parks seem to be doing these days.

 

[disneyman15]

I love this ride it is my second favorite ride in MK behind Splash Mountain. My favorite part of the ride is when you look like you are going to hit the rocks if you have your hands up but you don't. This is a great ride and one of my top ten rides at Disney.

 

[GGG1]

A great ride with a very detailed environment. I love to ride it at night, definitely a different atmosphere. My only beef is that the lines can get ridiculously long even in the off-seasons.

 

[Mr. Toad]

Another great Disney attraction. Definately in my top 10. I really have no complaints about this ride. It is just so much fun to ride, especially in the back car.

 

[WDWsmith2001]

btm

I too love this ride, I remember seeing it under construction from Tom Sawyers Island. I got to ride with a great CM the last time I was there in December (Hi Samilee), she made it twice as fun.

 

[jcmayid]

Re: This Coaster has changed over the years...

Originally posted by Grim Grinner
Big Thunder used to be a whole lot faster than it is now. Last october we went with a couple down to WDW. We rode in both the front and back of the ride hoping for some kind of thrill like we used to have.

Instead, the ride was terribly slow. The Tomorrowland Transit moves faster than this thing was going. I remember as a kid just whizzing by the little mining town diorama- Now, we could see it clearly and hear the noises because we just coasted by.

Does anyone know why they've tamed this mountain down?

It was one of the biggest disappointments of our trip because we all loved that ride previously.

HELLO:hammer:

Does anybody realize that when you become a grown up your perspective for things like speed and hieght change? Try going back to your elementary school again and see how damn small the place actually is. It never got any slower, it is always the same speed, it is a free coaster, basically meaning that once it goes down the first small drop it uses momentum to keep moving. So try enjoying it, it isn't the ride that changed, it was you!!!

It is a very cool coaster that kids can very much enjoy and some of us adults can too!!!

 

[agdbeanie]

"Howdy folks. Please keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle and remain seated at all times. Hang on to your personal belongings, especially your hats and glasses...'cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!!!"