Tumbleweed is a mining town and the headquarters of the Big Thunder Mining Company, run by Barnabas T. Bullion. It is the setting of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom.
Description[]
Features[]
- The Gold Dust Saloon is run by Mother Lode. They sell liquors of all kind, and are open day or night. A poster of the saloon appears in the queue.
- A Dry Goods general store is right next door. The mining offices can be visited before hopping onto the trains.
History[]
Tumbleweed was established in 1880, when the Big Thunder Mining Company moved into the area to mine in Big Thunder Mountain. As the mining in Big Thunder Mountain grew, the town was plagued by a terrible drought. The townsfolk began to move on, and the population shrunk to only a few people. Despite this, new veins of gold were discovered all of the time, and Barnabas T. Bullion did not slow down the business[1].
At one point, a snake oil salesman named Cumulus Isobar promised to bring back the rains for a cost. However, the weather turned to the opposite extreme, and rains flooded the town. Not that the townsfolk minded, of course.
Appearances and allusions[]
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad[]
Disneyland[]
Tumbleweed is referenced in a sign at Disneyland featuring the names of towns featured in various Frontierland incarnations, where it is listed as being 2496 miles away from Rainbow Ridge, based on the distance between Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom[]
Guests walk through the mining offices in Tumbleweed when they walk through the queue. It contains information for the miners, such as salaries posted by G. Willikers, schedules, and rules of conduct. Viewfinders look into the mines below, and canaries sit in cages that can be opened and closed. A letter from Jason Chandler to Barnabas T. Bullion is posted here, as well.
The trains pass through the town of Tumbleweed about halfway through the attraction. Isobar is dumping a pail of water out of his caravan and into the flooded creeks, while a pair of mules are standing next to it. Cousin Elrod is relaxing in a bathtub floating in the water[2]. Chickens and roosters are perched on beams and signs, and a goat sits on top of Dry Goods.
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe[]
Thunder Mesa Daily Messenger[]
Tumbleweed is referenced in an advertisement in the Thunder Mesa Daily Messenger. It can be visited on cruises on the riverboats along the Rivers of the Far West.
Connections[]
Pirates of the Caribbean[]
The mine passed through when exiting the town is called Dave V. Jones Mine, a reference to the nautical folklore figure of Davy Jones who notably appears in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The nature of this allusion is unknown.