November 8, 1980 – The Attraction Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Officially Opens in Walt Disney World
“Dash in and out of desert caverns and rumble through a haunted mine aboard a speeding train.”
On November 8, 1980, the attraction Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had its official opening at Walt Disney World’s Frontierland. The attraction had already been in operation since September, and was based on the original attraction in Disneyland. Imagineer Tony Baxter, who designed the original attraction, based it on the scenery he observed in Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park; the Walt Disney World version was based on Monument Valley, and is 25% larger than the original version. The attraction has become highly popular with guests, and has since been replicated in Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
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