Big Thunder Mountain Railroad — Attraction in Anaheim

I can't believe how old these rides are now that I'm reviewing them. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened in 1979!

EXPERIENCE: What makes this ride appealing is first and foremost the visual effect. Rising from the park's well-manicured gardens is a butte, the kind you find in the American southwest desert. Add in a catchy name and you've got the total ride package. While far from being a thrill coaster, it's the authentic décor and props throughout that make it fun for all ages. Steel wheels on a steel track make for the authentic train ride feel. It's true Disney Imagineering magic!

Going up the first lift hill, you're travel through a cave of stalactites before gently ascending through the twists and hills through mountains. Lift hill number two takes you through a mine-blasting area with similar banks and humps, nothing jarring but does provide for a few moments of weightlessness. Lastly, a cool dynamite-themed lift hill complete with sparking fuses overhead brings you to the final run, though it's not the big bang-ending that you'd hope for as track time is short and you can unfortunately see the station coming up. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am, you're done.

FUN FACTS: Recordings of California's Big Thunder Railroad trains were used as sound effects for the movie 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'.

A Dr. Wartinger conducted a study with some of his patients that suffered from kidney stones would pass them, 70% of the time after riding the coaster's version at Walt Disney World depending on the row they sat in. Wow! How's that for advice?!

TRAGEDY: In California, 2003, a man was killed as the locomotive derailed, went airborne, hit one of the tunnel's ceilings and landed on the first passenger car. Yikes.

OVERALL: No big drops but probably too fast and rough for little ones and good, mild fun for...

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is the only wooden coaster I can remember riding during my entire Disneyland, CA adventure trip. Built on the site of the original mine train scenic ride that used to be here, they have incorporated a lot of the scenes into the rooten tooten high speed coaster ride to hit the wild west.

This was another ride I had lightning laned but they were closed when my arrival time took place. Fortunately a couple of hours later I was able to return and ride it. Your train car is led by an engine. You race throw the old west town but it isn't as fast as to be that aggressive. Although I couldn't see much without my glasses it was still a lot of fun

The ride is patterned after real life formations in Bryce canyon national park in Utah. It is based off of an old mining town that had suffered a curse. Hence the "trains" operated without the benefit of the engineer. It is truly a fun and...

This Has always been my favorite attraction, unfortunately a discrepancy in Disneylands height requirements has ruined that. My daughter is right at 40" tall, measured that on various rides at DL but the measurement device on this ride is NOT set correctly. My daughter showed as about 1/2" shorter on this ride so we were told she couldn't ride, therefore I couldn't ride either. I drove 19 hours to be here and I cant enjoy my favorite ride because your measurement device is wrong. Here is a brilliant idea... measure people at the gate and digitally put that information on the pass. It will cut down on measurement discrepancies and angry patrons. My experience here made DL the most miserable...