Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens at Disney's Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain has reopened after nearly 5 months out of action at the Magic Kingdom. Image: Brandon Wholey, Wikimedia Commons (license)

The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom has returned to action following a lengthy refurbishment period.

The coaster, one of the headline attractions at the world's most popular theme park, has been closed since January 9. During that time, large sections of the ride's track have been replaced, several of the scenes surrounding its circuit have been upgraded, and improvements have been made to its queue line.

While Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is now fully up-and-running, it is expected that further changes are still to be made to the queue area. Screamscape reports that this could include interactive elements, which have been added to both the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain at the park in recent years.

The Magic Kingdom is currently undergoing significant changes, with the majority of these taking place in the Fantasyland area. This is undergoing a major expansion that is due to be completed in 2014 with the opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster.

You can keep up-to-date with the latest confirmed and rumored temporary ride closures through Theme Park Tourist's "Rehab Watch", and by signing up for our weekly newsletter.