Any chance it will soft open? I’m there until the 24th 
I’d take an AP preview!
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I feel the same!
For you with the AP at least!
I think that I may have made too many assumptions with previews though because I feel like they would have been announced by now.
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It’s testing with real people today! Per TP Instagram!
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Hopefully they can get it soft opened early.
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Your mouth to Josh’s ears. Or Mickey’s ears which are bigger.
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April 22nd please 
I know that’s wishful thinking, but I’m going to MK that day.
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I’ll theoretically be at Epcot on the 22nd but would be more than happy to hope on the monorail and ride with you on that day!
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The BTMRR cast members started riding more than a week ago? @FindMeAFishingSpot reported it on chat ( her niece is a CM). I wonder if they moved on to all CMs?
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I will ask!
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She rode on 3/27
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This is so great to see!
One thing I was interested in when I heard they lowered the height requirement to 38" was whether they changed the seating or restraints. This doesn’t look meaningfully different from this distance, anyway. I have always been concerned about the way kids just flail about in the current bar seating. It’s fine for kids who are big enough to ride – it would be very difficult to escape the restraints – but reducing the requirement concerns me a little without knowing what changes they made specifically. I guess we’ll see when up-close video is available!
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Wow, over two weeks ago!
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I also can’t help but wonder if whatever they did made it more tame, and therefore less thrilling or fun? Or did they just make it smoother/less bumpy?
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Since they didn’t change the route, they can’t significantly change the speed because it’s a free-riding chain-lift coaster – its propulsion is only the force of gravity.
But it is possible they made it smoother / less bumpy. However, I think the changes that allowed the lower height requirement were directly with the train. Here’s the original verbiage from the Disney Parks Blog:
A key part of the refurbishment was installing a new track and refreshed passenger trains. These updates were carefully planned to preserve the attraction’s classic storytelling and trademark hootin’ an’ hollerin’ energy, while adding new life, movement, and detail to the experience guests know so well.
With all the improvements made to the attraction, along with a comprehensive review from our safety teams, Big Thunder Mountain will reopen with a lowered height requirement of 38”. Climb aboard, lil prospectors!
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Sounds promising. I’ll be there May 6th so I can’t wait to ride and find out!
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Height is already just so arbitrary though. I would be curious what the factors are in the first place. I imagine there is a pretty wide difference in seated height among kids given various leg lengths. I wonder if it’s even possible that there have been new discoveries about the science behind height requirements between the 70s and 2026? Like Guardians is only 42” which has always surprised me.
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So it’s still just the BTMRR CMs. Not sure why the big announcement today. She said they are all taking turns today - her limit is 2 times in a row!
I did ask her if they smoothed the track and she said ‘I would say maybe’ so it doesn’t sound like it is a huge difference.
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I think it was just TP making an “announcement” not Disney! Anything that gets them closer to letting real people on it gets me excited!
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Thanks! Today is the 13th and they would need to at least expand the CM groups before any soft openings?
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