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Hold onto your hats folks! I'm about to break down the facts and review the beloved Big Thunder Mountain, cause this here is the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!
Once you enter Frontierland at Disneyland Paris, it is nearly impossible to ignore the massive mountain structure on an island in the middle of Rivers of the Far West, with mine trains a plenty whizzing around. For some, this may look like a daunting attraction, but I have found it to be a great first time roller coaster for those who meet the height requirements. For this review, I will be breaking down some background and history on the ride, what to expect and my Mouse Meter assessment!
Background
Big Thunder Mountain opened on the 12 April 1992 by Vekoma- a Dutch amusement ride manufacturer. It quickly became the star attraction for Frontierland at the time. Having been created in the US parks, the imagineers decided to create a ride for Paris which would have a more advanced story to build up the theming of the area…. and it is not something you would expect….
The History of Big Thunder Mountain
Everyone loves a good ghost story right? The ride is based off a fictional character called Henry Ravenwood, who set up the Big Thunder Mining Company. Ravenwood was born in 1795, a father to Melainé and a husband to Martha (some say he was unfaithful to her). He was an extremely greedy man and became very rich from mining the mountain. However, he did not heed caution from the ghosts, who in turn placed a curse on the town- which later resulted in an earthquake, killing Henry and his wife. Martha and Henry’s grave can be found in Boot Hill Cemetery with the inscription; “Quarrelled and Fought as Man and Wife. Now Silent Together Beyond This Life.” Creepy… As of 2019, Henry now haunts the Phantom Manor, which overlooks Big Thunder Mountain (a review on that coming soon!)
The ride had a year long refurbishment from 2015-2016 in order to repaint some scenes, and add additional effects like new mapping in the explosion scene, the rainbow pools of light and the sound on the chain hills.
The height requirement on this ride is 1.02m as of this publication.
What to Expect:
Maybe you are a little anxious about going on this ride. Maybe you have a little one in your party who will be experiencing this ride for the first time. I’m going to do my best in giving you a step by step of what to expect from the ride.
The overall running time of the ride is approximately 4 Minutes. There are three lift hills (where the runaway train is on an incline.) There are three things that stand out to me when explaining what this ride is like; Loud, Fast and Dark.
There are a number of dark scenes used in this ride. Once you take off from the station you go into a dark underwater tunnel, which you build up speed (maybe warn your little one before it takes off). After this you enter a dark scene in a cave with some stalactites and stalagmites hanging from the roof and floor. Bats can be heard overhead. There are a number of drops which are quite fast. The final scene consists of all three elements, with a lift hill going through the mountain with TNT and an earthquake, you explode through the tunnel into a number of sharp turns and enter a dark tunnel at some speed.
It can be quite loud in some of the scenes, especially when they are inside the tunnels. If you have a person in your party who would be nervous of the loud noises, protective gear might be a good option or showing them a video before hand; I will have a POV below!
My Opinion:
This is by far my favourite ride at Disneyland Paris. The theming, the effects, the fastness and the ride-ability makes this ride the top of my list. Here’s some of the tips I learned from our last trip.
Fireworks: Yes, you can see the fireworks at the castle from the ride, and it is amazing! When we were there last, the fireworks took place at 10PM. We got a fast pass for the ride from 9:45-9.55PM. Enter the fast pass line at 9.54. Wait in the queue until the fireworks start (10:02 as the start of the fireworks don’t really include fireworks… they are more projections) and enjoy the spectacle.
Front or Back: If you have a little one who might be a bit scared, or you want a slower ride, sit near the front. If you want a thrill, request the back. The cast members at Disney are very accommodating if you ask nicely and say “Merci!”
Somethings to look out for: Keep an eye out for the goat having a lovely linen lunch. Keep your eyes out for The Hollywood Tower of Terror in the distance! Watch the windows upstairs of the Phantom Manor as you fly past, you might see Henry watching you!
So the Mouse Meter? I would give this a 10 Mice out of 10. This ride is the perfect example of how a ride should be immersive and fun for all the family.
🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭
Links:
P.O.V of the Ride: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMEnvpo2Ebs
Disney’s Official Site: https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-ie/attractions/disneyland-park/big-thunder-mountain/
Some other blogs about BTM: https://disneyparks.fandom.com/wiki/Big_Thunder_Mountain_(Disneyland_Paris)
The Wildest ride in the WEST !
ReplyDeleteGotta love that Mouse Meter!
ReplyDeleteHahaha Glad you like it Patrick!
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