Specific Type: Mine Train
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Situated near the center of the Anaheim Disneyland resort lies Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This very well themed railroad roller coaster, classified as a mine train style, has been in operation at the park since 1979. With Walter Disney being the designer of this popular attraction, thousands of guests enjoy it each day Disneyland is open, which is year round as the climate in California is relatively warm each season. Guests enter the park through the main gate, walk a ways up to where the midway ends up in a giant circle. Guests then will want to take a left at the circle, and not too far up on the right is the entrance to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. There is another Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Disney World Park, Magic Kingdom, located in Orlando, Florida.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad can really push riders through its queues with its roughly 2,400 rider capacity per hour. The dual loading station, where two trains can load at the same time side by side, is one of the main reasons for this high ride capacity. The ride operates with a total of five different trains at maximum capacity with each train having thirty riders when full. The maximum speed riders will get on the mine train coaster is about twenty-eight miles an hour, but it seems a lot faster to many due to the theming of the ride and the mountain that the ride travels throughout. Roughly 2,671 feet of track are traveled through from start to finish, going up and down many hills, helixes, tunnels, and three different lift hills. Once riders are safely secured in, the train exits the station and goes immediately into a tunnel, turns a bit to the left and right, and proceeds up the coaster's first lift hill. Going up the lift hill, riders can see the white light at the top (if riding during the day), indicating they are about to exit the interior of the mountain at the top and the ride will officially begin. Once at the top, two waterfalls on both sides of the track get rider's attention just before the train is going to speed up and start the first part of its main course. The train exits the mountain, and heads down a downward and rightward turn. The track is not very steep here, but just enough allows the train to get a sufficient speed to have riders scream and enjoy the thrill of the mountain. After going through a brief straight away and over a mini hill, the train turns to the left, around 180 degrees, and then takes a dip down, catching some riders off guard. A rightward turn follows, and the train then enters back into the mountain for a brief period of time. The train makes a right hand turn out of the mountain and them makes its way up the second lift hill of the ride. After about a thirty second ride to the top of this lift, riders are taken around a right turn and then pick up some good speed on a straight section where they go downhill quite a bit, but then head back up and enter a 360 degree rightward and downward helix. A couple of surprise hills and bumps follow the helix, and then a sharp turn to the left, which enters the mountain once again, takes the train into the third and final lift hill. After the lift, the train makes a slow start out of the mountain, and down a small hill. A rightward turn, straightaway, and another right hand turn are next. After the second right turn, the train slows a bit, takes a turn to the left, another turn to the right, and then slows down as it proceeds back into the dual loading station. |
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