Big Thunder Mountain’s opossums are back at Disney World, mostly

Mom and dad opossum returned to their tree six months to the day after Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened without them. The babies are still on the way.

The opossums of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad are home. Well, the grown-ups are.

Walt Disney Imagineering shared a first look Tuesday, Nov. 3, at two adult opossums, a mom and a dad, back on their gnarled tree in Tumbleweed, the little mining town along the ride at Magic Kingdom. “Mom and dad opossum are back, with the rest of the family returning soon,” Imagineering said.

The timing is tidy. Big Thunder reopened May 3 after a 16-month refurbishment, minus the opossums. Tuesday was exactly six months later. Counting the refurbishment, riders haven’t seen the critters since early 2025.

We reported Oct. 11 that the opossums might finally be coming back, after a tarp went up on their tree and Imagineering filed a construction permit. Turns out the tarp meant exactly what fans hoped it meant.

Here’s a look at the returning opossums:

Where are the opossums on Big Thunder Mountain?

In Tumbleweed, on the twisted tree next to the track. BlogMickey described where each one sits now:

• One opossum perches high on a branch near the top of the trunk, with its long pink tail hanging down the bark.

• The other climbs headfirst down the trunk toward the base.

The track curves past the bottom of the tree, so you should get a decent look. Both have blue-gray fur, pale faces and pink noses, in case you need to pick them out of a lineup.

Here’s what’s different. Before the refurbishment, two baby opossums swung by their tails from a branch with one parent, while the other parent sat on a separate branch, WDW News Today said. Right now, neither adult hangs over the track.

Why were the Big Thunder opossums missing?

A clearance problem. Disney replaced the ride’s track during the refurbishment. When crews tested the ride envelope, the opossums poked into the safety zone around the trains and riders, WDWNT reported, and there wasn’t time to fix it before reopening.

Disney said in May that the opossums would return. Then things went quiet until fall:

• Oct. 3: A tarp appeared on the tree where the opossum branch used to be.

• Oct. 8: Imagineering filed a permit for Icarus Exhibits Inc. to “install set elements” at the ride. Icarus has worked on other Big Thunder set pieces.

• Nov. 3: Mom and dad made their comeback.

Imagineers did the work overnight so the ride could keep running during park hours. A behind-the-scenes photo shows two of them in safety vests on scaffolding around the trunk, with work lights on the tree.

When will the baby opossums come back?

Imagineering hasn’t said. “Returning soon” is all we’ve got.

It’s also unclear whether the babies will hang over the track like before, or whether that clearance issue means they’ll get a new spot. The tarp is still up over the tree’s upper branches, BlogMickey noted, so it looks like the work isn’t done up there.

What else changed on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Quite a bit. The ride closed in early 2025 for one of the biggest overhauls in its history. Crews pulled out and replaced the track, tore out and rebuilt some of the rockwork, and even cut open the opossum tree itself.

Riders got a smoother trip and refreshed scenes when it reopened in May. The opossums were the most noticeable thing missing, and fans noticed fast. BlogMickey flagged the empty branches the day after reopening.

The mountain also has a big new neighbor coming. Disney’s planned Villains Land will sit behind Big Thunder, in Magic Kingdom’s northwest corner. So Tumbleweed’s quietest residents are about to live next door to Maleficent.

For now, if you ride Big Thunder this week, look up at that tree. Somebody’s parents finally made it home.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• BlogMickey (Nov. 3, 2026), the opossums’ new positions, the Imagineering statement, the tarp and permit timeline, the overnight install and reopening date

• WDW News Today (Nov. 3, 2026), the original opossum setup, the clearance issue, the Icarus Exhibits permit and the video

• WDW News Today (May 29, 2026), Disney’s promise that the opossums would return

• WDW News Today (Feb. 21, 2025), the opossums’ removal, the tree and track work during the refurbishment

• BlogMickey (Aug. 15, 2026), Villains Land’s location

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