A Walt Disney World Resort guest recently shared a video on TikTok showing something unusual amid the ongoing construction on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom Park. The ride, which has been undergoing a year-long refurbishment, was closed in January 2025 and is expected to reopen with some new enhancements in early 2026.
Construction on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad began after the attraction closed on January 6. Although Walt Disney World Resort didn’t share many details about the refurbishment, a rumored track replacement was confirmed earlier this year. Several guests noticed steel tracks being delivered to the park, and a crane appeared to place the new tracks. Scaffolding has been spotted around the attraction alongside work on the queue and the fictional town of “Tumbleweed.”
The overhaul of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is part of a broader series of changes taking place in Magic Kingdom Park’s Frontierland. Splash Mountain was reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and the Country Bear Jamboree was transformed into the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree. Even the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade has transformed into a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) lounge.
And more changes are on the way. On July 7, 2025, the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island will close permanently to make room for two new Cars (2006) attractions in Frontierland. Additionally, Walt Disney Imagineers are working on a Disney Villains land beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, though no opening dates for either project have been announced.
While much of the refurbishment work is hidden behind construction walls, some guests have been able to spot bits of the action from areas such as the Walt Disney World Railroad. On July 7, 2025, TikTok user @justkeepdreamingtravel shared a video showing what initially appeared to be a disturbing scene at the construction site. The footage revealed a construction worker lying on the ground inside one of the attraction’s tunnels.
@justkeepdreamingtravel Big Thunder Mountain is looking good! #bigthundermountain #magickingdom #disneyworld #disneyparks #disneyrides #disneyfun #disneyvacation #disneyorlando #disneyfamily #disneytips #fyp #disneytok
“New animatronic?” the guest jokingly asked, referring to the construction worker who appeared to be resting in the roller coaster tunnel. Fortunately, the cast member was fine and was simply taking a break.
“This was taken during their lunch break,” the Disney Park guest explained. “All the jobs were stopped at that moment and the workers were resting.”
Walt Disney World Resort has not yet announced a precise reopening date for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but the attraction is expected to welcome guests again sometime in 2026.
What “new magic” would you like to see on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad when it reopens? Share your ideas with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
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Possible dead body that You Knew Ended up being a sleeping worker is really irresponsible.