Tiggerific Tuesday Trivia: Big Thunder Mountain

 

I was playing funtrivia.com last week and decided to test my Walt Disney World knowledge.  One of the questions asked was:

According to cast members (employees) why should you ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad around noon?

The lines are shorter  The grease on the tracks is thinner and you go faster  The employees speed up the cars  There are no FastPasses set for noon

I had no idea what the answer was since I had never heard this before!  If the trivia game was right, the correct answer is #2: "The grease on the tracks is thinner and you go faster."  But, I did question if the was right, so I did some googling of my own!

According to Lou Mongello at WDW Radio, it's correct!  He writes, "The sun, which is at it’s highest and hottest point at noon, heats and melts the grease on the tracks of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to its thinnest point as the day wears on, and thus the train goes faster in the afternoon. The ride’s average speed it about 30 MPH, but can reach speeds of up to 33 MPH, which is faster than Space Mountain! Be sure to sit in the back of the train if you want the ride to feel even faster!"

So, there ya have it!  On your next trip, plan to ride BTMR in the afternoon on a really hot, sunny day! :)