In November 1980, TV and film star John Davidson (The Happiest Millionaire; The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band) presided over opening ceremonies for the next thrilling addition to the Magic Kingdom, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
For two years, Walt Disney World Guests watched the mountain growing on the western shore of the Rivers of America in Frontierland. Inspired by the buttes and mesas of Monument Valley in Utah, Big Thunder's rockwork slowly took form as "cages" of shaped rebar and chicken wire were affixed to a steel superstructure. The cages were covered in cement and sculpted into the familiar forms we know today. Imagineering Character Paint Artists then worked from the top down, giving the mountain its realistic look.
Covering nearly 2 1/2 acres, the rockwork for Big Thunder was carefully designed to create the impression that railroad track had been laid down to conform to an existing landscape, as opposed to a phony landscape having been built up around a roller coaster ride. The following image provides an excellent overview of the site. Look closely, and you can even see rockwork in every stage of the process, from superstructure to cages to cement to primer and finished paint. (All photos are ©Disney, of course, except one. Can you guess which one?)
Today, Big Thunder Mountain rises 197 feet 6 inches (above sea level, that is... the main spire actually only reaches about 100 feet from the ground). The attraction closes for refurbishment periodically for regular maintenance and to get repainted. Take a look at the difference between the photos above and below.
The Florida sun works overtime to fade those colors. To compensate, every time the mountain is painted, it's done about six months "hot," meaning the initial coloring is a bit more vibrant than intended. This way, it can go a while longer before needing another coat.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of the true masterpieces of Imagineering. For all the development, construction and artistry involved in its creation, Big Thunder's Guests find themselves immersed in a completely believable natural environment, spirited away on a Gold Rush adventure aboard a runaway train.
The "wildest ride in the wilderness" also happens to be a personal favorite. Maybe it has something to do with the time I spent working down in that mine a couple decades back...
One of my favorite theme-park attractions in the world - I never get tired of this one. Great post and photos.
ReplyDeleteWe lucked out and got to rider Big Thunder Mountain during the Wishes fireworks a few weeks back, and it was just unreal. If you can time your ride just right, it's a heck of a view.