When you visit The Magic Kingdom, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a ride not to be missed.

It sits in Frontierland at the back, left of the park and is most quickly found by hanging a left at the park hub and walking through Adventureland.

Considered a roller coaster or thrill ride the kids need to be 40″ to ride, but the coaster has no inversions or super steep drops.

There are three things that make this a great ride and an absolutely must-do attraction.

It’s an approachable thrill ride

Future roller coaster aficionados have to start somewhere.   This is a great ride to start off a love affair with thrill rides.  It is also enjoyable if you like a fast moving ride, but don’t want something that will have you trying to keep down your Dole Whip.   This ride is fast moving with some short drops and great banks.

Bonus tip:  The ride feels faster at night, so try taking a spin after the sun goes down.

The theming is great

This ride is billed as the wildest ride in the wilderness and the queue and ride theming live up to that.  The story goes that sometime in the late 1800s gold was discovered in the American southwest on Big Thunder Mountain.  To move the gold around, a network of trains and mine cars were set up – and now we can enjoy the fun.  There is a lot to take in as you work through the line and even more once the ride starts.  The mountain theming and mining motifs ring true and it provides a great view of the park from its highest point.

The ride is just plain fun.

The ride is an absolute ball to ride and you’ll find its fun for the whole family.   Sometimes its hard to find a ride the whole family will love, but this does the trick.  It is also a great value for the wait.  Even on fairly busy days, the wait stays reasonable (although remember that during peak attendance that can change).  The ride clocks in at about 3 1/2 minutes, so it feels like a reasonably long duration.   There are also a few misters on the ride, which help you cool down on a hot day.  Finally, there is a good amount of shade once you get into the main part of the queue.

The other great part about this ride is that it isn’t a lot of visitor’s first choice – so while the crowds are racing to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Space Mountain, take advantage of a short wait to ride this great family ride

During non peak periods you can sometimes ride this ride several times with short waits just as the park opens.

Of course, during peak times of year everything has a 2 hour wait.

So don’t skip this gem just because there are newer rides on property. Even as new rides come on line, this one will remain a classic.

Have a magical day.

Tony

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