Disney Showdown: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Today we are launching a new series that looks at the same attraction at different Disney parks. Starting things off will be a look at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland in Anaheim and at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. 

The attraction in each park is located in Frontierland.  Both attractions take your hurdling through  and around Big Thunder Mountain on a mine train with the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island in the distance.  The attraction has been dubbed "The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness."  

And while both rides share the same characteristics, the attraction in Disneyland is the better version due in large part to the refurbishment that the ride underwent in 2016.  The California attraction features 🧨 projections on the lift, fog to give the effect of smoke and an explosion at the end.  The ride, while still twisty, also feels smoother compared to the Orlando version.  This is likely due to the new track and trains that were installed 8 years ago.  

While the backstory is essentially the same for both attractions, we do give Disney World the nod for a better queue.  Disneyland’s queue, like so many of their attractions, is outside.  Disney World wraps you around the mining office with tremendous views of both Thunder Mountain as well as Splash Mountain. 

At the end of the day, whether you’re in the west coast or the east, you’re gonna have a blast shooting around the old west.   But it’s fun to look at these shared attractions and see which park has bragging rights.  For Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the OG in Anaheim wins this round.