BTMRR refurb

csm

Well-Known Member
Is it actually confirmed that the ride is getting new track? While there definitely needs to have been a good reason to remove all the railroad ties to prepare for this refurbishment, logic would dictate that in a matter of less than six months, if you are going to remove all or even most of the track and replace it, there would at least need to be new track already waiting on property -of which there have been no reports. It's not like this downtime is long enough to wait for track to be fabricated and shipped - a process that on its own can take many months depending on factory schedules.

Anyone know?
 

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
It seems to me like the track at Thunder isn't in as rough a shape as Space was during it's refurbishment. Having said that, I'm basing this largely on smoothness of the ride and Space Mountain is at a decided disadvantage when trying to gauge that.
 

javy2004

Active Member
btmrr definately needs some enhancements to the queue. that was pretty boring to deal with in mid july with a 6 year old with you. we didnt even get to ride cuz rain clouds were above and we didnt wanna wait in line for it to reopen. i got to ride it eventually at DL in nov. great ride.

i wonder why people hate on the 'next-gen' queue in haunted mansion of space mountain? i rode both in DL with queue's that have practically nothing and i really wasnt quite feeling it. i think a haunted cemetery or space mini games set the mood for the ride a lot more than nothing while you wait in line. i'm a relative noob when it comes to the parks and rides, but the more theming or stuff to get you in the mood for a ride, the better.

i worked at a six flags and the ride with the best theming was a road runner themed family coaster. while it being the most tame coaster in the park, the theming in the queue made it fun for me. there's an amazing superman coaster there, but NO THEMING! there could have been so much done in the queue to pump you up for the crazy coaster you're about to ride, but thats the difference between six flags and disney and even universal.

i look forward to the finished product of the btmrr refurb.... hell yeah
 

Mickey_777

Well-Known Member
The queue will be worked on. There will be different mining-themed rooms to walk through (an office and two other rooms I believe). And yes, expect some interactive elements to be thrown in. Maybe we will be able to set off a geyser or two. :wave:

This would be awesome but it makes me think. The building right now has an open air feel to it. In order for rooms to be built inside of there, a major remodel would be necessary and I'd imagine the building/top level of the queue would have to be walled up and closed. That may also facilitate the air conditioning everybody wants in there. Can all of this really be done during the timeframe they gave us (when you consider the track work being done also)? The idea sounds much bigger than what they did at haunted mansion.
 

kimmy1213

New Member
One thing no one has brought up yet. Almost every “major” ride has a gift shop and / or a ride photo right? So why would they not put one in at the exit to make a little extra money. I have never seen a Big Thunder Mountain t-shirt or merchandise other than a pin here and there.

The queue, I can see them making it a next gen but for the A/C I would not get your hopes up for the upstairs. For the rocks I think they will change it to something different to avoid the same issue from happening again. I think the trains could use some touch up work and painting. If anyone can see any of the work being done or pictures from the Liberty Bell boat you can see most of the mountain and the one part from the train please post them.
 

Rum Pirate

Active Member
No major track re-placement, the addition of variable speed motors on the lifts so that they can run 6 that's right 6 trains, in theory so we will see
 

The Duck

Well-Known Member
No major track re-placement, the addition of variable speed motors on the lifts so that they can run 6 that's right 6 trains, in theory so we will see

SIX trains? Well, that should keep the line moving. Let's hope they know what they're doing cuz that sounds potentially dangerous.
 

HDS

Well-Known Member
This week I took the train around and saw ALOT of work being done at key locations. Workers all over it. One work was even waiting to cross the track of the WD railroad from out a side door by the Btmr track switch leading back stage, he waves as we go by, that was funny. :)
 

DrummerAlly

Well-Known Member
I am going to preface this comment with the fact that I am a 5'2", average weight woman. The lines for that queue are the narrowest anywhere - I've seen some above average sized people very uncomfortable trying to make their way around that line when the line is moving quickly. I myself have bumped into those wooden rails a whole lot. One thing I'm hoping for is slightly wider queue lanes out of this refurb.

I go during the dead of summer time, and I've never seen that line fill the two upstairs rooms on the left. My guess is that they have room to widen the queue lanes a little bit while not killing queue capacity.

Yay for more theming in the queue! :sohappy: (Boo.... if its very interactive.)
 

Thrill Seeker

Well-Known Member
One thing no one has brought up yet. Almost every “major” ride has a gift shop and / or a ride photo right? So why would they not put one in at the exit to make a little extra money. I have never seen a Big Thunder Mountain t-shirt or merchandise other than a pin here and there.

The queue, I can see them making it a next gen but for the A/C I would not get your hopes up for the upstairs. For the rocks I think they will change it to something different to avoid the same issue from happening again. I think the trains could use some touch up work and painting. If anyone can see any of the work being done or pictures from the Liberty Bell boat you can see most of the mountain and the one part from the train please post them.

I've heard rumors that a Photo Op is coming, but nothing on a gift shop. Maybe a kart outside, but that's probably it.
 

Fantasmic

Well-Known Member
I am going to preface this comment with the fact that I am a 5'2", average weight woman. The lines for that queue are the narrowest anywhere - I've seen some above average sized people very uncomfortable trying to make their way around that line when the line is moving quickly. I myself have bumped into those wooden rails a whole lot. One thing I'm hoping for is slightly wider queue lanes out of this refurb.

I go during the dead of summer time, and I've never seen that line fill the two upstairs rooms on the left. My guess is that they have room to widen the queue lanes a little bit while not killing queue capacity.

Yay for more theming in the queue! :sohappy: (Boo.... if its very interactive.)

Really, I'm 5ft6 and a size 10 and never had any problems!!!
 

stitch2008

Member
No major track re-placement, the addition of variable speed motors on the lifts so that they can run 6 that's right 6 trains, in theory so we will see

Its very hard to run 6 trains on any roller coaster. Variable speed motors have no effect on the ability to run trains. Blocks and proxys do.

Each lift hill is usually a block section. The station is always a block section. The purpose of the block sections are to make sure the trains are far enough apart to prevent accidents. By my own quick guess, and I dont know for sure, but I think there are only 5 block sections on BTMRR. And even if you have six blocks, you still wouldnt wanna run 6 trains at once. Stacking would be terrible and guest would wait even longer then they do now. Cedar Point figured that out. Top Thrill Dragster and Maverick have the ability to run 6 trains, but they dont because of train stacking. So its highly unlikely that they would do 6 on BTMRR.

To the poster above said what they did with the rock was the cheap way out. How about saying it was the safe way out? I work on big roller coaster in the US(not at Disney or CP) and really work hard with the team to keep her running right. If they got rid of the rock for saftey reasons, then they did their job right. Ive learned this in working on my ride. Saftey > Show. You can correct bad show. You cannot correct injury or death. Go with saftey every time.
 

DrummerAlly

Well-Known Member
Really, I'm 5ft6 and a size 10 and never had any problems!!!

Well I've never had any real problems either, but I've noticed that people who are larger (and I'm not talking way obese here, just larger) have an uncomfortable time moving through that line when the line is moving quickly. When the line is packed and crawling through, there's less of an issue. The constant switch backs make it a little harder than the typical queue.

I like the fact that its only narrow enough to let through one person at a time to stop the impatient line jumpers. There's nothing more irritating to me than a family who thinks the fact that the queue in pirates of the caribbean is wide enough for two families at a time means that they can walk to the front of the line to make a more efficient use of space.
 

stitch2008

Member
Really? Because Maverick runs all six nearly every time I am there....

Ive seen it both ways. But when they run six trains on Maverick I do notice more stacking. I think Maverick is different though cause its trains arent as long as the normal coaster train. Dragster I think I saw with 6 trains once. I know thats a nightmare with 6 trains.
 

kylewr86

Active Member
I have only seen 2 trains on Top Thrill.That was a very busy time and the park was very busy but still only two trains.
 

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