Hang on to yer hats and glasses, because this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!
…Can you guess this week’s theme of my vintage finds selection? Hey HOWDY hey and welcome! I’ve recently mined up some [fool’s] gold from the caverns of eBay… that’s right, everything’s coming up Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! We’re missing our beloved Frontierland mountain a little extra nowadays, as it is currently closed for an extensive refurbishment through spring 2026. So, embrace your inner Barnabas T. Bullion and let’s get going on our prosperous ride through a shopping wonderland.
First up, it looks like Pooh bear is ready to rustle up some hot honey… This vintage McDonald’s Happy Meal toy from Disneyland’s 40th anniversary collection (1995) features a sweet little BTM photo inside the train-shaped viewfinder.
Available HERE | $6.00
We have an Adventureland cameo in this next deal: two vintage placemats from 1980s Disneyland. The Thunder Mountain image has it all: some of your favorite pals riding along Rainbow Ridge, a skunk (?!) and that thrilling, spinning turn around Billy the goat. You can use these for decor, or as actual placemats for those messier eaters at home – like myself. These are double-sided laminate vinyl mats, with a vintage map of Disneyland on the backside.
Available HERE | $16.99 (currently 15% off)
Okay, ya got me. This one isn’t exactly branded for Big Thunder Mountain, but this Frontierland-friendly leather wallet is too cute AND rare to not share with you! Yeehaw, cowboy Mick.
Available HERE | $39.99
Remember when Disney created their own currency for spending at their parks or souvenirs? What a time that was! I was a young collector of Disney dollars before their 2016 discontinuation, and hastily spent them on something at WDW (I just wish I could remember just what I bought with my last Disney dollar). I’d never seen this five dollar bill featuring our favorite Frontierland railroad! They’re pretty valuable now, I wouldn’t spend these at the parks today even though Disney must and will accept them as a form of payment.
Available HERE | $50.00
Last up for today is this vintage Kodak shot of ~my personal favorite detail~ from Big Thunder Mountain. Ya’ll know how I feel about dinosaurs, right? When creating BTM, the legendary Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter made sure to include dinosaur bones as a tribute to the original Rainbow Caverns Mine Train ride at Disneyland. I love that last little bend by the geysers as you ride through the bones of a very Dino Sue-looking T-rex.
Available HERE | $9.99
I hope you enjoyed this week’s selection of vintage Thunder Mountain and Frontierland treasures. Let me know what you’d like to see from my future digs through the trenches of eBay. Ya’ll come back!
