Have you ever built your whole Magic Kingdom morning around one ride, only to find out the one fact that would have changed your plan came too late? That's happening right now with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It reopened May 3, 2026 after a 16-month closure, with a smoother ride, a lower 38-inch height requirement, and a new underground scene — and it is NOT part of Early Entry.
That single fact matters more than almost anything else about this reopening. Guests who assume a headline attraction like this must be included in the 30-minute Early Entry window walk over first thing, find it isn't open yet, and lose the head start they were counting on — while everyone using Early Entry correctly is already riding something else.
It's not your fault for not knowing. Disney doesn't publish a simple list of "here's exactly what's on Early Entry and what isn't" anywhere obvious. You'd have to already know to go looking for it, ride by ride.
That's exactly the gap the Walt Disney World First-Timer's Complete Planning Guide fills. It's a continually updated system that tells you which rides are actually covered by Early Entry, which are worth a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and how to sequence a real Magic Kingdom morning so a detail like this doesn't derail your whole day. It's built to reflect what's true right now — not what was true when you first started researching your trip months ago.
Here's what that looks like in practice: instead of losing your Early Entry window to a ride that isn't part of it, you already know to use those 30 minutes on Peter Pan's Flight or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, then walk straight to Big Thunder Mountain the second regular park hours begin — before the standby line has time to build. No wasted morning. No Lightning Lane scramble at 9am.
It's just $37, and it covers your entire trip, not just one ride.
Grab the Walt Disney World First-Timer's Complete Planning Guide at payhip.com/b/xSRbZ, or start with the free 7 Disney World Money Hacks guide at eepurl.com/sWs3ANT4ta if you want a taste of the planning approach first.