Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a rollercoaster, located in the Frontierland areas of Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris, and in the Westernland of Tokyo Disneyland. Designed by Tony Baxter and Bill Watkins, the first version of the ride premiered at the Disneyland park in 1979. While the details of the story of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad differ between the parks, they each generally follow the same premise; gold has been discovered on Big Thunder Mountain, and prospectors have rushed to mine the mountain, which according to legend, will release the power of thunder. Nevertheless, the Big Thunder Mountain Mining Company was established, and the 104-foot mountain mined.http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/big-thunder-mountain-railroad/The Disneyland Big Thunder Mountain bases the ride around the story of mysterious happenings occurring in the mines, and the mining company abandoning the site. Riders travel at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour, through the abandoned mines, in old mining trains that are driven by unseen forces.http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/big-thunder-mountain-railroad/ While the Walt Disney World Big Thunder Mountain is set in the wake of a flash flood, that has wiped out the town and mining operations. The mining trains left behind have developed a mind of their own, and travel through the abandoned mines on their own.http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/big-thunder-mountain-railroad/

At Disneyland, riders board the mining train, with a seating capacity of 45 guests, at a loading station. The train makes a series of turns before embarking on the first climb. It then goes through a number of turns and small drops, before making a second climb. At this lift, riders see signs warnings of blasts up ahead. When the train reaches the top of the climb, it is greeted by an animatronic goat, holding a stick of dynamite in its mouth. The train begins to slow before dropping, turning in a helix, and going over a smaller hill. It then begins to ascend the third lift. While on this third lift, riders find themselves in the midst of an earthquake, and boulders begin to shake. The train slows as it exits the third lift, before dropping to the right, passing through a tunnel, and dropping again to the left, past the fossilized skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex. The train then passes by what remains of the mining town, before returning to the station.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdZ-09AawkI

The Walt Disney World version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in nearly identical to that of Disneyland, with the exception of a few ride details and the queue and loading areas, with Disneyland’s being outdoors and Disney World’s being indoors.http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/big-thunder-mountain-railroad/