Is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad worth the wait?
Over the last 30 days, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's posted standby wait averaged 29 min, from 9 min around 11 PM to 38 min around 5 PM. It's worth the wait if you go around 8 AM, when it averages 12 min. The ride lasts about 4 min, so on average that's about 7 minutes in line for every minute of ride.
On a quiet day vs a busy day
| Day | Average posted wait |
|---|---|
| Quiet day (lowest quarter of days) | 21 min |
| Typical day (middle) | 28 min |
| Busy day (highest quarter of days) | 34 min |
Each day's average posted standby wait over the last 90 days (90 days with data). Pick quiet dates on the crowd calendar.
Lightning Lane
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad offers Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Is Lightning Lane worth it for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?
Questions
How long is the wait for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad on a busy day?
Over the last 90 days (90 days with data), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad averaged about 21 min on a quiet day, 28 min on a typical day and 34 min on a busy day (the lowest quarter, middle and highest quarter of daily averages).
What is the best time in the morning to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?
In the morning, 8 AM has been the shortest, averaging 12 min over the last 30 days. The lowest hour overall was 11 PM (9 min).
Does Big Thunder Mountain Railroad have Lightning Lane?
Yes: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad offers Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Posted standby waits logged by RopeDrop from Oct 8 to Nov 7, 2026 (4,162 readings). Park-local hours. The verdict is a fixed rule over these numbers: under 20 min average = yes; a morning or other hour at 60% of the average or less (and 35 min or less) = yes, at that time; otherwise long all day.