Disney World finally reopened one of Magic Kingdom’s most iconic rides earlier this month. Still, the celebration quickly turned into one of the funniest theme park rivalry moments of the year. Universal Orlando Resort appeared to take a playful swipe at Disney almost immediately after the attraction reopened, and fans online noticed the joke right away.
The timing felt far too perfect to ignore.
Social media exploded with reactions, especially from longtime Orlando theme park fans who have watched the Disney-Universal rivalry grow over the years.
Even some Disney fans admitted the joke was pretty funny.
Orlando’s Theme Park War Keeps Getting More Competitive
The competition between Disney World and Universal Orlando has always been intense, but 2026 feels different.
Universal continues to ride the momentum of Epic Universe, which brought major new attractions, highly themed lands, and several massive thrill rides to the Orlando market. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and Dark Universe immediately became huge talking points, while Stardust Racers quickly earned praise from coaster fans.
At the same time, Disney continues investing heavily in its own parks.
Magic Kingdom is preparing for huge future additions, EPCOT continues evolving, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is preparing to launch Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets later this month. Disney has also spent years updating classic attractions across the resort.
One of the biggest projects recently wrapped up at Magic Kingdom.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad officially reopened on May 3 after a lengthy 16-month closure, and Disney fans were excited to finally ride it again.
That same day, Universal decided to have a little fun online.
Fans Immediately Understood The Big Thunder Reference
Universal Orlando Resort posted pictures of the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride in Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure on Facebook.
The caption said:
“This here’s the wildest ride in Seuss Landing!”
Fans instantly connected the wording to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s famous slogan about being “the wildest ride in the wilderness.”
The fact that Universal posted it on the same day Big Thunder reopened only made the joke feel more obvious.
Universal never directly mentioned Disney. The company also avoided naming Big Thunder Mountain Railroad specifically. Still, theme park fans immediately understood what Universal was doing.
The reactions poured in quickly.
“Wait… Universal said WHAT now?”
“I see what you did there.”
“Disney living rent-free 24/7 in Universal’s brain.”
Others debated which Universal coaster truly deserves the title of the resort’s “wildest” attraction.
Universal Clearly Feels Confident About Its Thrill Rides
Let’s be honest here.
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride is not actually competing against Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in terms of thrills. They are completely different attractions aimed at very different audiences.
But Universal’s post still felt like a flex.
The company has built one of the strongest coaster collections in Orlando over the last several years. VelociCoaster remains a favorite among thrill seekers. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure still pulls massive waits thanks to its launches and storytelling. Stardust Racers instantly became one of the biggest additions at Epic Universe.
Disney takes a different approach with coasters.
The company leans much harder into family accessibility and immersive storytelling rather than extreme thrills. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad represents that style perfectly, which is why generations of guests still love it.
Still, compared to Universal’s larger thrill rides, Big Thunder definitely falls into the family coaster category.
And honestly, that is not a bad thing.
Disney Made Major Improvements To Big Thunder Mountain
Even with Universal joking around online, Disney fans returning to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad have noticed major improvements throughout the attraction.
Disney replaced the entire coaster track during the refurbishment, giving the ride a much smoother feel while still keeping its classic character. The company also updated the trains, seating, and lap bars to improve riders' comfort.
Several scenes inside the attraction also received visual upgrades.
The opening cave now features enhanced lighting, improved sound effects, glowing gold details, and animated bats hidden throughout the scene. The town of Tumbleweed also looks refreshed thanks to updated paint and cleaner environmental details.
The finale received major upgrades, too.
Disney added a large glowing gold “mother lode” effect near the attraction’s ending while also reworking portions of the final lift hill scene. Altogether, the attraction now feels fresher without losing the personality fans already loved.
Fans Win Either Way
At the end of the day, Universal’s social media post was clearly meant to be playful more than anything serious.
Still, moments like this show just how competitive Orlando’s theme park industry has become.
Disney and Universal constantly watch each other, react to each other, and try to one-up each other whenever possible. That competition pushes both companies to improve attractions, invest in new experiences, and keep fans engaged.
And honestly, that is great news for everyone visiting Orlando.
Universal may have mocked Disney a little this month, but plenty of fans still happily climbed aboard the newly upgraded Big Thunder Mountain Railroad right afterward.
