September 2, 1979 – The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Attraction Opens in Disneyland’s Frontierland
Image credit: Official Disneyland website
“Folklore tells of mysterious rumblings and strange noises emanating from the depths of the 104-foot-tall Big Thunder Mountain.”
On September 2, 1979, the Frontierland attraction Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened. The attraction was designed by Disney designer Tony Baxter, who was interested in the scenery at Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park. The mountain of the attraction is completely man-made by Disney Imagineers, built with cement and paint. To create the authenticity of the attraction, Imagineers studied ghost towns in the West, and built carts, buckets, and mining equipment. The attraction replaced the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland attraction, which had replaced the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train attraction that closed in 1959. Many of the set pieces from both attractions are still in use.
The legend of the ride goes back many years, with Native American tales claiming that supernatural forces will be unleashed upon those who try to take gold from the mountain. The Big Thunder Mining Company was not swayed by these claims, and continued to build a mine shaft within the mountain; however, reports claim that many carts begin to move into the mountain without their engineers, driven by these supernatural forces.
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