Walt Disney Imagineering filed a new permit for construction at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom, which has been closed for refurbishment since January. The permit comes as testing of the coaster gets underway.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Construction Permit
The Notice of Commencement was filed on the morning of November 17, 2025, and expires in one year. It contracts Coastal Steel Inc. for “General Construction.”
That’s not much of a description but Coastal Steel specializes in ride systems and facility maintenance, working on various types of attractions. They installed track for TRON Lightcycle / Run but also worked on Cinderella Castle for its 50th anniversary overlay. They were involved in early construction at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The ride’s entire track was replaced, which may have been Coastal Steel’s work. The new permit could indicate some updates to the track that were found to be necessary during testing.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed on January 6, 2025, and will reopen sometime in 2026. A reopening date has not been announced. In addition to a new track, it will get updated scenes, like the opening scene featuring a transformation of Rainbow Caverns.
Watch our full ride POV of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad from before it closed:
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