Disneyland Park · Frontierland
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
A rickety mine train through red rock at 40 inches — Disneyland's most family-friendly thrill and the best ride in the park after dark.
Ride facts
- Type
- Roller coaster
- Height
- 40in (102cm)
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Motion sickness
- Moderate motion risk
- Getting wet
- Stay dry
- Indoor / outdoor
- Mixed
- Air conditioned
- No
- Rider Switch
- Available
Last verified July 2026
What it is
Big Thunder opened at Disneyland in 1979, the first of the Big Thunder mountains, and the rockwork is still the most convincing artificial landscape in the park. The premise is a runaway mine train through a played-out gold claim in Monument Valley, and the ride delivers exactly that: three lift hills, a series of banked turns taken faster than they look, and no drop taller than a two-story building.
Note that Disneyland's height requirement is 40 inches. Magic Kingdom lowered its version to 38 inches in May 2026 after a refurbishment; Disneyland's did not change. If you are travelling between resorts with a child in that two-inch band, this catches people out.
What makes it good is pacing rather than force. The layout uses the terrain — you weave through arches, past a rockslide, under a waterfall of dust, and through two tunnel sections that go genuinely dark. It is also the only major coaster at Disneyland with a real outdoor view, which is why the night ride is a different attraction from the day ride.
What riding it is actually like
The queue snakes through a mining-office building and out along the base of the mountain, mostly in the open. Once you board, the train climbs the first lift into a bat-filled cavern and drops into the canyon, and from there the ride alternates between climbs and fast, low, rattling turns with the rockwork close enough to reach for.
The back rows are noticeably wilder. Physics does the work: the front of the train is over the crest and pulling before the back cars follow, so the last row gets whipped over every drop. If you have a nervous first-timer, put them in the middle. If you want the ride to feel like a coaster rather than a scenic tour, ask for the back.
The finale runs through a section where the mountain appears to be collapsing around the train — dust effects, rumbling, rocks suspended overhead — and then brakes into the station. At night, with the mountain lit and the Rivers of America dark below, the third lift hill gives you the best view in Frontierland for about four seconds.
Is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad scary?
A mine train with three lift hills, quick turns, and short drops — no inversions and no big plunge. The dark tunnel sections with bats and the falling-rocks finale are the parts that unsettle first-timers. This is the coaster most families use to find out whether a kid likes coasters at all.
Scores are editorial, on a 1–5 scale, judged against what frightens a typical four- to seven-year-old rather than an adult.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair
- Must transfer to the ride vehicle
- Audio description
- Available
- Handheld captioning
- Not offered
- Assistive listening
- Not offered
- Sign language
- Not offered
- Service animals
- Must use a kennel or wait with a companion
Transfer into a mine car with a bench seat, a lap bar, and a fairly high side wall to step over. The ride shakes hard laterally, which rules it out for guests with neck or back issues. Much of the queue is outdoors on packed decomposed granite.
Tips that actually help
- Ride at night. The lighting on the rockwork and the view over the river make it a substantially better ride after dark, and the wait usually drops.
- Back row for the roughest, wildest version; row two or three if you are easing a child into coasters.
- It closes during the fireworks for pyrotechnic safety and reopens right after — the queue in the ten minutes after the show ends is often the shortest of the night.
- Hold your hat and empty your shirt pocket. The lateral shake here loses more sunglasses than any other Disneyland ride.
- Disneyland's requirement is 40 inches even though Magic Kingdom's is now 38. Do not assume a child who rode it in Florida clears it here.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- The last ninety minutes of the night, or immediately after the fireworks when it reopens.
- Typical wait
- 35 to 70 minutes through the middle of the day; 15 to 30 late at night.
- Lightning Lane
- Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: common questions
How tall do you have to be to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland?
40 inches. This differs from Magic Kingdom's version, which was reduced to 38 inches when it reopened in May 2026. Disneyland's stayed at 40, so a child who just rode it in Florida may not clear it in California.
Is Big Thunder Mountain scary?
It is the mildest of Disneyland's three mountains in terms of fear, but the roughest in terms of shaking. No inversions, no long drop, and nothing jumps out at you. The dark tunnels and the collapsing-mine finale are the moments that surprise first-time riders.
Which seat is best on Big Thunder?
The back row is meaningfully more intense because the train whips over each crest. The front gives you the clearest view of the rockwork and the smoothest ride. Middle rows are the right call for a child trying a coaster for the first time.
Does it get bumpy enough to hurt?
It is the shakiest ride at Disneyland and side-to-side jolts are constant, particularly in the back half of the train. Guests with neck or back problems should take that seriously. Sitting upright with your back against the seat helps more than bracing with your arms.