Changes
| duration=3:25
| audio-animatronics=20
| opened= November 815, 1980(some sources state November 8)
| height_requirement=40
|custom_label_2= FastPass +
{{Quotation|So 9 times I did a new design that I thought would solve the problem and the computer would say no. So we built 9 tiny models to check the look until the computer said, "OK, I will accept this. This one is OK." That was the one we ended up building. But it took 9 designs before the computer approved!<ref> http://www.onlywdworld.com/2010/03/big-thunder-mountain-railroad-beyond.html </ref>}}
Thunder Mountain eventually opened to the public on September 23, 1980, although its Grand Opening was officially on November 8 <ref> https://d23.com/this-day/big-thunder-mountain-railroad-officially-opens-in-the-magic-kingdom-at-walt-disney-world/ </ref> (some websites mistakenly sources list the date as November 15)
On January 9, 2012, Big Thunder Mountain was closed for a major refurbishment <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/big-thunder-mountain-railroad/news/06oct2011-big-thunder-mountain-railroad-set-for-lengthy-refurbishment-in-early-2012.htm </ref>. During the refurbishment, every single piece of track was redone and the entire attraction was repainted. Furthermore, many of the attraction’s special effects that had become non-operational were fixed <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/big-thunder-mountain-railroad/news/26may2012-video---take-a-walk-through-the-queue-and-onboard-ride-at-the-newly-refurbished-big-thunder-mountain-railroad.htm </ref>. In March 2013 Thunder Mountain received a new “interactive” queue <ref> http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/02/first-look-an-imagineer-tour-through-the-big-thunder-mountain-railroad-interactive-queue-at-magic-kingdom-park/ </ref>. At this time, the attraction also received a new backstory.
