Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened at the Magic Kingdom in 1980, and has proven to be an enduring favorite. For many young visitors to the park, it will be their first experience of riding a large-scale roller coaster, albeit one that is relatively mild in terms of thrills. Originally conceived as part of a major expansion to the Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland that would also have included a boat ride and other attractions, Big Thunder Mountain was actually built at Disneyland first (opening in 1979). The larger version at the Magic Kingdom followed a year later, as a standalone ride rather than as part of the originally-planned Western River Expedition area. The storyline revolves around Big Thunder Mountain itself, where miners discovered gold back in the late 1800s. This caused the town of Tumbleweed to boom, with mine trains being installed to transport the ore. Superstitious locals claim that the mine is protective of the gold it holds within, and that anyone attempting to mine its riches will fail. And indeed, the mine has been plagued by natural disasters. Yet the Big Thunder Mining Co. continues to operate – but runaway trains are a major hazard. The next time you take “the wildest ride in the wilderness”, look out for these 20 hidden secrets!
20. The fire chief
In front of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad sits a drinking fountain. A crate sat next to this is marked to be shipped to Fire Chief W. Ray Colburn. Colburn was the actual fire chief of the Reedy Creek Fire Department, which serves Walt Disney World.
19. Not just rock
Despite its appearance, Big Thunder Mountain is not made entirely of rock. It was created using 6,500 tons of steel, 4,675 tons of specially-formulated “mud”, 90,000 gallons of water and 4,000 gallonsof paint.
18. A sprawling mountain
The attraction sits on a 2.5 acre site, and reaches a height of around 104 feet. It is not the tallest structure in the Magic Kingdom, though – it is shorter than Cinderella Castle.
17. Antiques
Look out for some real antique mining equipment strewn around the Big Thunder Mountain site. This includes an old ball mill used to extract gold from ore, an ore-hauling wagon and an ore crusher.
16. The ride that never was
The Magic Kingdom originally opened in 1971, with a large space being left next to Frontierland for future expansion. This was to be occupied by the Western River Expedition, designed by Imagineering legend Marc Davis. This was designed to occupy a new sub-land in Frontierland, Thunder Mesa, along with a mine train-themed roller coaster (sound familiar?). The attraction would have been hosted in an enormous Thunder Mesa show building, with guests entering a nighttime scene in a giant canyon. They would then board Pirates of the Caribbean-style boats before going on a cruise around recreated scenes of the Wild West. The Western River Expedition was due to be added to the Magic Kingdom as its first expansion project. However, when the park opened, guests demanded a version of Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean. This was built instead, although Big Thunder Mountain Railroad did eventually emerge as the mine train roller coaster featured in the Thunder Mesa plans. Look for tributes to the Western River Expedition in the queue line. Crates of explosives, for example, are labeled as “Western River Explosives”.
15. The boss
Look out for a portrait of Barnabas T. Bullion, founder and president of the Big Thunder Mining Company. This is actually an image of Imagineer Tony Baxter, the driving force behing the creation of Big Thunder Mountain. 
Look out for an impressive portrait of Big Thunder Mountain, too, as you pass through the queue line
14. The paymaster
Take a look at the payscale posted in the Mining Office. Notice that it was posted by the foreman, G. Willikers.
13. A mirror image
The track layout of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom is virtually a mirror image of the Disneyland original. However, the Magic Kingdom’s mountain is actually 25 percent larger than Disneyland’s.
12. The Mining Office
As you pass through the Mining Office, taking a look at the miners’ schedules.
11. High explosives
The queue passes through the Explosives Magazine Room. Follow the instructions for the cranks and plungers to trigger some explosions on the mountain itself.
10. The Performance Post
As you reach the Performance Post, look down into the mine itself to see what the miners are up to.
9. The Ventilation Room
Canaries have long been used to check for toxic gases in mines. Disney’s own mine is equipped with “AutoCanary” machines, which can be cranked to display an animation of the colorful birds – and you can also smellwhat the canaries are smelling.
8. A familiar name
During the Enchanted Tiki Room show, lead character José asks what happened to Rosita. One of the canary cages in the Ventilation Room is labeled “Rosita”.
7. Animated creatures
Another crank system can be used to turn fan wheels, on which animations of creatures and miners can be seen.
6. Signals
Look at the bottom of the Signals sign, where you’ll find the name Dane Jerris (read it out loud).
5. The trains
There are six trains on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Their names are: U.B. Bold, U.R. Daring, U.R. Courageous, I.M. Brave, I.B. Hearty and I.M. Fearless.
4. A familiar voice
The late actor Dallas McKennon voiced the classic safety announcements that play before the trains pull of out of the station. He also voiced Benjamin Franklin the American Adventure over at Epcot.
3. A tribute to a lost ride
Opened in 1956, the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train trundled gently through Disneyland’s “Living Desert” area, which also housed a stagecoach ride and the infamous Pack Mules. The caverns that lent the ride its name boasted pools and waterfalls of glowing water. In 1960, the ride was updated, becoming the Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland. As well as wilderness environments, it now featured animatronic animals. It was closed in 1979 to make room for Big Thunder Mountain, but the colorful caverns at the start of the roller coaster are a nod to Disneyland’s original mine train. The same caverns feature in the Magic Kingdom’s version, and a diagram of the mine in the queue line lists the name of the cave as “Rainbow Caverns”. On the same diagram, you’ll find mine shaft #71 – a reference to the year the Magic Kingdom opened, 1971.
2. Time for a bath
Look out for a miner relaxing in a bath tub as you race around the track.
1. A “Hidden Mickey”
As you near the end of the ride, you can spot a “Hidden Mickey”. Just past some dinosaur bones on the right of the track are some sets of gears – one of which is arranged in a familiar formation.
