A new permit points to Big Thunder Mountain's missing opossums coming back to Magic Kingdom
A construction permit to install set elements at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad names Icarus Exhibits, the contractor behind the ride's other sets. Disney had said the opossum family, pulled after failing ride envelope testing, would return once adjustments were made.
The opossums that once hung by their tails over Big Thunder Mountain Railroad look set to return to Magic Kingdom. A new construction permit lists Icarus Exhibits, a regular Imagineering set builder, to "install set elements" at the ride's address.
Key Details
- Ride: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland, Magic Kingdom
- Missing since: The ride reopened in May 2026 without them
- Return date: Not announced
The Buzz
The opossums were the one piece of Big Thunder's long refurbishment that longtime fans said they missed, so a permit for new set work is the first concrete sign that Disney's promise to bring them back is moving.
Why Big Thunder's opossums disappeared
The opossum family failed modern ride envelope testing after Big Thunder's top-to-bottom refurbishment and was left out when the ride reopened.
- Where they hung. The opossums hung by their tails from a tree outside the town of Tumbleweed, along one of the ride's straightaways.
- Envelope testing. That safety check confirms riders with the widest reach cannot touch anything around the track, and Disney confirmed the opossums failed it.
- Disney's promise. Walt Disney World representatives said the opossums are returning once adjustments, which could not be finished before reopening, are made.
- Who discussed it. Imagineering portfolio executive Michael Hundgen and Magic Kingdom vice president Sarah Riles addressed the opossums in a presentation on the refurbishment.
What the new Big Thunder permit says
The filing names a contractor with a long Big Thunder history and a scope that fits the missing figures.
- The filing. A construction permit on record with the Orange County Comptroller lists Icarus Exhibits, Inc. to "Install set elements" at Big Thunder's address.
- Icarus Exhibits. The contractor has worked with Imagineering on Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Zootopia: Better Zoogether and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure.
- Big Thunder history. Icarus also built other Big Thunder set pieces; those permits have expired, which explains a fresh filing.
- Activity at Tumbleweed. Work has been spotted recently around the Tumbleweed tree the opossums called home.
Nothing else is known to be missing from the ride, which is why the permit reads as the opossum fix rather than new additions. Disney has not confirmed what the set elements are.
No return date yet for the Big Thunder opossums
Disney has not announced when the opossums will be back on the ride.
- The refurbishment. Big Thunder closed in January 2025 for more than a year of work, including complete re-tracking, new trains, refreshed sets and figures, and new effects.
- Lower height requirement. The smoother new track allowed Disney to lower the ride's height requirement.
- New scenes. The refurbishment added an enhanced Rainbow Caverns scene and a Gold Rush finale.
Our take. The opossums are a quick detail on the straightaway past Tumbleweed, so do not hold a trip for them; if you ride after the set work, look up at the tree on that stretch.