Big Thunder Mountain in Disneyland Paris

The Disneyland Paris version of Big Thunder Mountain railroad is the only version of this popular ride to be largely located on an island within the Rivers of the Far West. The Big Thunder Mountain ride format is in every one of the Disneyland parks and despite the fact that the first Big Thunder Mountain ride opened at Disneyland on September 2, 1979 these rides continue to be extremely popular and queues are often one of the longest in the park.

As is the Disney way the themeing of Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Paris is second to none. Although the ride itself would probably not be classed as a big thrill rollercoaster as it contains no loops, rolls or inversions, the themeing and attention to detail create a ride experience that a huge variety of people can enjoy. The ride itself is interesting and visually pleasing enough to entertain big ride enthusiasts whilst still being tame enough for younger kids or people who are experiencing a rollercoaster for the first time.

Props and objects contained within the ride, station and queuing area were collected from around the world with a large number of them being genuine articles rather than props specially made for the ride. Although the bulk of the ride is situated on an island the station and queuing area are on the banks of the Rivers of the Far West this means that the first and last section of the ride are through twisting tunnels beneath the lake, this feature being exclusive to Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Paris.

Interesting Fact

22,700 Litres of paint were used to give the Big Thunder Mountain its American West, sun scorched, appearance.

Geeky Stuff

Grand opening at Disneyland Paris: April 12, 1992
Type: Steel Mine Train
Designers: Walt Disney Imagineering
Manufacturer: Vekoma
Track Length: 4921' 3"
Height: 72' 2"
Speed: 40.4mph
Drop: 39ft
Ride Duration: 3:56
Trains / Capacity: 6 trains with 5 cars per train, 2424 riders per hour