Best time to ride big thunder mountain?

[yeheyprincex2]

If we don't go straight there at RD when is the best time to ride? We should be fine to avoid a long wait as long as we do it before 11am? Right after I want to ride splash mountain. We will be there April 24. I have PP FP for 9:30-10:35.

 

[mrsladymontague]

We always ride it several times. Our favorite time to ride is actually during the fireworks. Last June the wait was under 5 minutes at night. We try to make sure we are at MK a few nights during our trips so we can see fireworks one night and ride the other nights.

 

[hakepb]

Based on last April 25, you should be OK
http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorized/looking-over-april-25-disney-world-waits-in-their-entirety/

 

[umichigan10]

You should be fine within the first few hours of RD as the line is usually tame. I personally love riding it late at night during/around Wishes and the parade. Line tends to be short and its a different (better IMO) ride at night

 

[kidd_freeper]

Best time?
During the Wishes fireworks.
A totally unique experience.

 

[richmo]

I haven't encountered too long a wait before, say, 10 AM. Also agree with above posters: try to ride at night. It's a different experience. Seems faster, although it isn't.

 

[DisneyFive]

I've seen the line get long, like 40 minutes, as early as 10ish, and that's September. My suggestion, either go at rope drop, or later during Wishes. Same goes for Splash right next door.

Dan

 

[dprincessmom]

Head to Frontierland while everyone else races to Fantasyland and you will get multiple rides. Also love it at night during fireworks.

 

[DisneyFive]

You could easily go to BTMRR right at rope drop, and probably get Splash in as well right after, and still make it to your PP FP+ by the end of the window, 10:30am. Can you move your PP FP+ a little later? No sense in having such an early FP+ when it's keeping you from taking advantage of the short standby waits right at park opening.

On our very first WDW visit, we rode BTMRR back to back four times in about 30 minutes right at park opening.

Dan

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

We love BTRR. Its fun during the day and a whole different ride at night.

AKK

 

[philschrek]

We always do Splash Mt right at rope drop, usually twice and then head to BTMRR and have little or no wait. That area of the park doesn't crowd in the mornings like the rest of it.

 

[philschrek]

I also agree with shifting Peter Pan later if possible. We're actually going over the same date as you (and always go late April/early May) with success riding Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain right at rope drop.

 

[Doug M]

Head there first thing when you arrive unless the MDE app shows a time longer than you wish to wait. Generally all times increase the closer you get to 11 am. And as others mentioned, night is the best for that ride, and all rides generally have short lines during electrical parade and wishes, then the later in the day the shorter as those with little ones exit the park after fireworks.

Personal experiences i had last summer on 7 to 9 park level days was after fireworks to 11 pm, and emh to 1am nights was that i could ride BTMRR with no wait at all, only wait was walking the line, then just the loading itself, or maybe wait on the incline to the tracks only.

 

[scrapquitler]

Our favorite time to ride BTMRR is during Wishes. You can see the fireworks while you ride, and the line is usually shorter.

 

[yeheyprincex2]

You could easily go to BTMRR right at rope drop, and probably get Splash in as well right after, and still make it to your PP FP+ by the end of the window, 10:30am. Can you move your PP FP+ a little later? No sense in having such an early FP+ when it's keeping you from taking advantage of the short standby waits right at park opening.

On our very first WDW visit, we rode BTMRR back to back four times in about 30 minutes right at park opening.

Dan

I have thought about moving out PP FP. I might go ahead and do it cause the 24th will be the only time we are able to ride BTM, it will be closed the rest of our trip and I want to make sure we ride it

 

[yeheyprincex2]

We love BTRR. Its fun during the day and a whole different ride at night.

AKK

I have been on it at night at DL but not MK I will try to ride it at night.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

In December, we rode BTMRR 4 times and Splash twice at RD. Granted, it was about 40 degrees at RD that day, so not too many people in line for Splash. ;-)

I think your Peter Pan window is fine, as long as you arrive at the end of the window. You should be able to do BTMRR multiple times and Splash at least once before 10:30 even in the summer.

 

[Catvondita]

I went last year in July and found the line was always longer than I was willing to wait until late at night. An hour or so before the park closed there was only a 15-20 minutes wait but we were way too tired and our feet were killing us so we didn't bother. If you go first thing in the morning as the park is opening you should be good to do Splash Mountain followed by BTMR

 

[TravelingTotMom]

Another fan of riding during the fireworks! The perfect way to end a MK day!

 

[lroger01]

Keep in mind that Splash is a 10 minute long ride (15 with walking through the line) and Big Thunder is about 3 minutes (5 with line). You can get two rides on Thunder for every ride on Splash. I do it first as many times as you want, then go to Splash.

I agree with the others in moving PP out a bit.