The Western Face of the Mountain	The Big Thunder Moutain Railroad Station

vital stats

personal preference

stars: 4.5 (out of 5)
The best-themed and most-detailed Disney thrill ride. Maybe it's not the most thrilling and the ending has always been a little weak but it's probably the most fun.

free association

. . . My first roller coaster experience was Big Thunder. Being a young coward, I was terrified of anything that moved faster than I could walk but my mom tricked me onto it. When we got in the line she didn't tell me what ride it was until we were too far into the queue to turn back. I was quite nervous but I remember my mom and brother, along with other guests in line around me, assuring me that there was nothing to worry about. They promised that it wouldn't be scary and I would do just fine. . .

. . . After we rode, I wanted to go again. . .

. . . I still rate this as my favorite Disneyland roller coaster, perhaps because of nostalgia but also becuase it has great theming. There are so many things to see while you're riding: rattlesnakes, opossums, the goat chewing dynamite, the colorful pools, the stalagtites and stalagmites, etc. Of course, since the mine car is moving so quickly there are probably many other missed details that are waiting for you the next time you ride. . .

. . . I like the way that they have improved the last chain lift: the collapsing mine scene. Those old, slowly moving plastic rocks at the top of the tunnel (with the visible arm anchoring them to the wall) were, well, frankly cheesy. Imagineers replaced them with a much more realistic-looking effect where you only see the shadowy silhouettes of the falling boulders. And, if you look closely, you may also notice a nice, little gold dust effect. . .

pointless trivia

• "Set pieces" for the ride were scoured from abandoned mines in Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, California, and Wyoming. (Disney News, Fall 1979)
• Imagineer Tony Baxter modelled the attraction after the scenery of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. The latter three versions of Big Thunder in Florida, Japan, and France, were all based on Utah's more familiar national park, Monument Valley. (Disney A to Z)
• It cost $16 million to build in 1979. (Disneyland, Dreams, Traditions, and Transitions) - search for it on amazon.com
• Big Thunder Mountain replaced another locomotive-themed attraction, Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland, which took guests through the Frontierland wilderness from 1960 to 1977. (Ibid)
• Some of the authentic mining equipment incorporated into the attraction are a 1,200 pound cogwheel that was used to break down ore, a hand-powered drill press, and a 10-foot-tall 1880 mill stamp. (Disneyland - Memories of a Lifetime) - search for it on amazon.com
• TEST: What is the name of the town that lies at the base of Big Thunder Mountain? Answer Below

Answer: Rainbow Ridge

		mark twain riverboat