Big Thunder Refurbishment - Early 2012

[BJCool]

Orlando Theme Park News has a new photo update: http://orlandoparksnews.blogspot.com/2012/02/magic-kingdom-big-thunder-mountain.html

 

[wdwbiged]

More Twitter photos

They've painted the Big Thunder track a very dark brown

 

[Voidfish]

Really happy to see it get such an extensive refurb, but Joey (U-Phone) and I are missing its reopening by a few days since we'll be there May freaking 5th for our newspaper states. Wonderful.

 

[Tbad556]

Here's a photo from today, courtesy of @Kryptonlogic:

(http://pic.twitter.com/d6TAGOFV)

 

[BJCool]

Head over to AmusementPics for pics from all around BTM.

 

[The_Bled]

I love how they posed for the picture.

 

[BJCool]

Da Mouse has an extensive photo report of the progress being made on the coaster.

 

[kingeric]

So all these photos really point out the horrible state they allowed this ride to decay to.

 

[Splatter]

exactly Kingeric. I can't really applaud this move so much as be happy they are finally doing it. It was easier to count the effects that did work rather than count the ones that did not. Very few things worked right or looked great on the ride anymore. 40 years is a long time for a themed outdoor coaster to never really get this kind of attention. Before this I don't think the ride was ever down for more than two months and that only came very rarely.

Just hope by doing this its neighbors are not going to get neglected. It has now been a good while since some other big tickets at Magic Kingdom have gotten a lengthy loving refurb and enhancing.

 

[Teebin]

^ The ride has had to have been painted a few times in the last 40 years... hasn't it? I really don't know! I think it would look like a Chinese themepark otherwise. I must say that this is a near unprecedented tear-down in that the ride won't really be 'changed'. I don't have the know-how of why the tracks have been torn down and re-welded etc. so much. (that is a queue for someone with real knowledge to tell us why)

 

[Splatter]

Eventually steel takes the kind of abuse where this kind of attention is needed if they want to keep it in safe operation. This is not really anything new either. Matterhorn and other coasters of age and older have been retracked before.

The mountain and track together as well as other elements have not gotten this sort of attention in at least a couple of decades.

 

[BJCool]

DaMouse takes a look at the progress of the BTM refurb.

 

[Teebin]

^ the last photo really shows off the new paint!

 

[BJCool]

DaMouse has a new set of photos up today.

 

[JungleSkip]

Wonder what's happening in the queue.

Guess we'll find out soon.

 

[Teebin]

So, what do some of you imagine this refurb costs? New track, new paint, refurbed anim characters, rebuilt set buildings. So what? 2 Million, 5, 10, 20?

 

[JungleSkip]

So, what do some of you imagine this refurb costs? New track, new paint, refurbed anim characters, rebuilt set buildings. So what? 2 Million, 5, 10, 20?

Knowing them? I'd say between 10-20 mill.

 

[Hatetofly]

Knowing them? I'd say between 10-20 mill.

9 million dollars is the contract amount Dynamic Structures was awarded for a major track work refurb project. Only problem is not sure if it's for Big Thunder or the Matterhorn at DLR.

 

[Teebin]

9 million dollars is the contract amount Dynamic Structures was awarded for a major track work refurb project. Only problem is not sure if it's for Big Thunder or the Matterhorn at DLR.

That certainly is perspective on how much it is costing, no matter which. The money it takes to spruce these pieces that entertain us vs. the number of us that will pay the bucks to be entertained. Big Thunder is, in hindsight, a classic and handsome piece of Disney entertainment!

 

[BJCool]

Water dummy testing:

From AmusementPics