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Is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Scary?
Not really. It is a runaway mine train with small drops and quick turns, a classic first big coaster with no inversions.
The short answer
Not really. Not really. It is a runaway mine train with small drops and quick turns, a classic first big coaster with no inversions.
The fastest turns near the end, when the train leans hard and the rockwork rushes past close, but nothing here drops far.
What it does to you
- No drops, launches, or inversions
The numbers
- Height to ride
- 38 in (97 cm)
- Ride length
- About 3.5 minutes
- Inversions
- None
How it scares you, broken down
Scary is not one thing. These four bars are our editorial read of where the fear comes from, zero to ten.
The moment people brace for
The fastest turns near the end, when the train leans hard and the rockwork rushes past close, but nothing here drops far.
The fun is the rattle and the sharp turns that lean you side to side, not any single big fall.
Is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad scary for kids?
The 40 inch gate makes this one of the best first real coasters at Disney World. Small drops, no darkness to speak of, and a lot of theming to look at.
Height to ride. You must be at least 38 in (97 cm).
How to make it less scary
This is the ride you use to test a nervous rider before the headliners. If a small dip pulls a laugh out of them, the bigger coasters are open.
Where it sits on the scale
Every ride below is scored on the same fear index. Yours is highlighted. Tap another to read it.
- Rise of the Resistance 58
- Flight of Passage 48
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad you are here 45
- Test Track 42
- Slinky Dog Dash 40
See the full ranked list of the scariest rides at Disney World
Questions people ask before they get in line
Is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad scary?
Not really. It is a runaway mine train with small drops and quick turns, a classic first big coaster with no inversions. The fastest turns near the end, when the train leans hard and the rockwork rushes past close, but nothing here drops far.
Is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad scary for kids?
The 40 inch gate makes this one of the best first real coasters at Disney World. Small drops, no darkness to speak of, and a lot of theming to look at.
Does Big Thunder Mountain Railroad go upside down?
No. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has no inversions and never turns you upside down.
Is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the dark?
No, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad runs in daylight or a lit setting, so you can see what is coming.
How tall do you have to be to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?
You must be at least 38 in (97 cm) to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Did Big Thunder Mountain change its height requirement?
Yes. When the ride reopened in 2026 after its refurbishment, Disney lowered the requirement from forty inches to thirty eight inches. If your child was just shy of riding before, it is worth measuring again.
How many drops does Big Thunder Mountain have, and how big?
It has several small drops, commonly counted as about five, along with lots of quick dips and turns. None are the steep, stomach-dropping kind. The fun comes from the speed and the tight curves through the canyon, not from any single big plunge.
The four fear scores are Rope Drop News's own read of what frightens riders, never a measured stat. Every speed, height, and drop figure is a published Disney or attraction number.