The opossums are back at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Walt Disney Imagineering has reinstalled mom and dad opossum in their tree along the ride at Magic Kingdom, and Disney says the rest of the opossum family is returning soon.
The opossums were removed during Big Thunder Mountain’s long refurbishment, which closed the ride in January 2025 for a full track replacement and the updated story and new Rainbow Caverns scene we covered last year. When the coaster reopened on May 3, 2026, fans quickly noticed the opossum family was missing from its tree, and Disney promised they would be back.
Now they are. Photos shared by Disney show Imagineers working on the tree at night, and the finished scene has one opossum perched high on a branch and another climbing down the trunk, with the canyon’s red rock behind them. “Imagineers are happy to welcome some old friends home to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad,” Disney said.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is open in Frontierland. Keep an eye on the tree on your next ride, since Disney has not said exactly when the rest of the family will move back in.
