Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World just made a major Lightning Lane change, which will impact how you should plan and strategize for upcoming trips. Huge changes are happening at Disney World in May, and this is one of the many changes you need to be on top of as you plan a trip this year. It directly impacts how you should use the skip-the-line service in planning your day.
Keep reading for details on this newest change to Lightning Lane at Disney World and how to plan effectively if you plan on going to Magic Kingdom this year. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a limited-time Disney gift card discount and two unexpected ride changes at Disneyland.
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Major Roller Coaster Reopened at Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened on May 3, 2026. This popular roller coaster at Magic Kingdom has been closed for over a year. There are direct impacts on how you should plan your day at the theme park.
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Now that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has reopened, it has rejoined the list of Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions available for Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom attractions eligible for Lightning Lane Multi Pass are sorted into two groups by Disney. Among the first group, guests can only select one attraction at a time. In the second group, guests can select up to three attractions at once.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is in the group of more limited attractions, which also includes Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Guests prioritizing experiencing Big Thunder Mountain Railroad should plan on trying to book this attraction for Lightning Lane.
Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels can select their Lightning Lane reservations seven days ahead of their check-in date. This covers the entire length of their stay, up to 14 days. For hard-to-get reservations, like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the best strategy is to plan for those rides later in the week. For example, I might pick my Magic Kingdom day as my fourth day at the theme parks, and then I will have more selection to get the best Lightning Lanes since it is further out in the week.
Once you redeem a Lightning Lane reservation in the park, you can immediately book another one, so another key strategy is to make at least one of your Lightning Lanes redeemable first thing in the morning. This way, you can start snatching your next one, making it easier to get those popular selections like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This is also helpful for guests who are not staying on-site and are limited to booking their Lightning Lanes only three days in advance.
Early Entry Not Available for Big Thunder
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is not one of the attractions included in Early Theme Park Entry since that access is only for Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels get to access those areas of the park 30 minutes early. This is a good opportunity to experience Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin with low waits since it also just opened from an extended refurbishment.
Guests at Magic Kingdom typically rope drop three rides during Early Theme Park Entry: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, and Peter Pan’s Flight. In particular, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the most popular, with wait times for this ride often spiking to over an hour in minutes because of the demand.
If your priority is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at rope drop, I would not join the crowd going to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train if you have Early Theme Park Entry. Instead, line up at the rope for Frontierland and be ready to walk briskly to that side of the park to get in line. The demand for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be high the next few months at rope drop, but the good news is that many crowds will still get stuck at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which consistently has a large pull in the mornings.
If your family can handle late nights, the best strategy for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is to keep an eye on the attraction’s wait times as the night winds down and hop in line before park closing. You will get a nighttime experience of the ride, but traditionally, wait times are lowest at the end of the day on that side of Magic Kingdom. Utilizing the Extended Evening Hours is also a great way to ride.
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In addition to the reopenings of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Magic Kingdom is under construction on two huge new areas, is currently repainting Cinderella Castle, and in the future will reimagine Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. Read about everything coming to Magic Kingdom here.
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