Overview
- Walt Disney Imagineering filed a Notice of Commencement on November 17 naming Coastal Steel Inc. for general construction at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, with the permit valid for one year.
- Refurbished trains are now cycling the rebuilt track, with early tests using water-filled containers to simulate rider weight and dispatches observed roughly every 5–10 minutes.
- The year-long overhaul includes a full track replacement, refreshed theming, an underground Rainbow Caverns scene with phosphorescent pools and illuminated formations, and an updated backstory featuring Barnabas T. Bullion.
- Disney has not announced a reopening date, and official guidance continues to indicate 2026, with the attraction still listed as closed on the park calendar through mid-January.
- Earlier 2025 validation steps included push-pull and envelope tests, and an observed envelope-clearance issue in the summer preceded ongoing corrective work and continued testing.