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Progress on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Walt Disney World: Disney releases a photo of the first track section put in place.

From Robert Niles
Posted September 25, 2012 at 4:12 PM
We've got some visible progress on the final stage in the Fantasyland Expansion at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The first piece of roller coaster track has been put in place.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Construction

Disney released this photo of the construction today.


Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond.

From Dominick D
Posted September 25, 2012 at 5:04 PM
When I went to MNSSHP on 9/14, the track was already there. I can't wait until the ride is finished!

From Phil B.
Posted September 25, 2012 at 6:52 PM
Should be a nice, fun little bit of excitement in a section of the park that has always been short on thrills. Good call adding this to the plans in the 11th hour.

From Daniel Etcheberry
Posted September 25, 2012 at 7:04 PM
I hope they do a better ride than the Little Mermaid which is so-so.

From Andrew Dougherty
Posted September 25, 2012 at 8:11 PM
Ehhhhhhh. This coaster seems really tame a pretty boring. It Wil REALLY need to have some interesting dark ride segments.

From Tom Cunningham
Posted September 26, 2012 at 5:57 AM
Imagineers Meeting to plan Seven Dwarfs Coaster

Imagineer One : "Ok guys any ideas we need to do something totally origional here"

Imagineer two : "Your right it needs to be mind blowing, good enough to take the attention away from He that shall not be named at IOA"

Imagineer three: "What about a coaster ?"

Imagineer One: "Yea thats a great idea !! But we need to Theme it for the Magic !!!"

Imagineer two:"Origional theme hmmmm. What about a mountain ?"

Imagineer 4: "Am guys what about Big Thunder mountain thats kinda the same idea ?"

Imagineer one: "A mountain yeah thats new weve never themed a coaster and a moutain before, Its fresh, we could have have the coaster going through caves in the mountain an back out"

Imagineer 4: "Guys we have Expedition Everest as well its kinda the same idea ?"

Imagineer 3: "Hey I think we are really onto something here but it needs something else what about a ride vehicle that sways side to side ?"

Imagineer 4: "Space mountain ? Coaster mountain concept again guys ? anyone !!!"

Imagineer one: "Wow thats it a totally origional concept for Disney !! A coaster that goes in and out of a mountain and sways side to side. Its just so new we just have noting like it"

Imagineer 4: "God damnnit I should have taken that job at Universal Creative"

From Skipper Adam
Posted September 26, 2012 at 8:29 AM
Since I work at Storybook Circus, I've watched this thing being built every day, plus a few backstage peeks. It's not as small or tame as people are thinking. The general muse of a mine train coaster isn't wholly original, true. Keep in mind though, this isn't considered a mountain. In fact, most of it is below "ground" level ( or in CM terms, it is "tunnel" level"). The drops are higher than Space Mountain's, so the coaster element won't be nearly as lame as the Barnstormer, and the dark ride elements, according to the Imagineers on the bus, won't be as tacky as Mermaid's.

From Dominick D
Posted September 26, 2012 at 7:35 AM
I've seen a leaked CM video (wont post a link, but it's on You Tube), and Adam's right. This thing looks HUGE!

From Kelly Muggleton
Posted September 26, 2012 at 8:17 AM
I am going to sound like a total grinch but I see this I think...
Ugh another ride we'll have to wait 3 hours for, unless we stay in a deluxe onsite resort and book a time slot to ride a year in advance.... (getting cynical?)

From Sean Huckel
Posted September 26, 2012 at 9:10 AM
I've seen the video...this thing is gonna be SLOW.

Still should be a decent amount of fun though. Best thing in the expansion.

From Dominick D
Posted September 26, 2012 at 9:19 AM
Sean, do you mean construction or the ride itself? Disney said that the ride will be faster then the mock up video.

From James Rao
Posted September 26, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Can't wait to visit this new coaster/dark ride experience during my 2014 visit. Should be another great, whole-family offering (something in short supply at most theme and amusement parks these days).

From Skipper Adam
Posted September 26, 2012 at 10:58 AM
For sure the video, like most concept videos of any ride, never portray the speed or real exact movements. Don't judge on the video.

From Mark Hollamon
Posted September 27, 2012 at 3:54 AM
Folks, this is not going to be a neck wrenching coaster. It is in Fantasyland at the MK! Its target audience is the younger set.

If you want to be shot out of a cannon we still have the Hulk! :)

That leads me to my next point: Why would Disney not think an adult park with some high end "E" ticket coasters not be a good thing? It doesn't have to rival Magic Mountain or Cedar Point, but they could really knock one out of the park here if they really wanted to!

From Dominick D
Posted September 27, 2012 at 5:40 AM
Mark, this will be an E Ticket.

From Sean Huckel
Posted September 27, 2012 at 7:33 AM
No Dom. In no way, shape, or form is this an E-ticket attraction.

Everest, Mansion, Pirates, Tower of Terror, and Spaceship Earth are E-tickets. Dwarfs isn't even close to that level. It's a D-ticket attraction at BEST. I'd classify it as a C.

From James Rao
Posted September 27, 2012 at 7:51 AM
For the target audience, families, this new coaster/dark ride hybrid will be a huge hit.

Mark, I agree that if Disney cared about record setting roller coasters, they could easily and quickly build the tallest and fastest coaster in North America. The $25 million it would cost to build such a beast is pennies to this company. But why would Disney focus on the thrill market when there is no money to be made? Teenagers have zero cash. Better to offer whole-family experiences and rake in the dough hand over fist as Disney has been doing for decades.

From Dominick D
Posted September 27, 2012 at 8:49 AM
If EE is an E Ticket then Seven Dwarfs is.

From Mark Hollamon
Posted September 27, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Let me clarify Dominick: Adult E ticket coaster. This thing is not going to be a rocket which is absolutely fine in my book for where it is going.

I would like to see WDW create a park with some "big kid" coasters. Again, not saying anything is wrong with a single coaster they already have.....

Also, I get what you are saying James, but doesn't Disney already sink a ton of cash into a park that for the most part is for adults in Epcot? I think it might bring more families because Mom and Dad very well may be attracted to the idea that there is a park geared toward them. That may make spending the $$$$ for a vacation more appealing.

There are a LOT of newlyweds coming to Disney that look for more excitement. My wife and I have no kids and we do everything Disney, and over time have sunk a pretty penny on vacations. I know we aren't the only ones doing that.

Correct me if I am wrong here, but wasn't there talk about WDW building an adventure park for adults about two years ago on this site? This would be my idea of at least part of that park.

From Bryce McGibeny
Posted September 27, 2012 at 12:54 PM
I'd say it is most definitely an E-ticket.

From Sean Huckel
Posted September 27, 2012 at 12:58 PM
It's not an E, people. The track is simple and short, the dark ride scene is nothing special.

It's not an E-ticket.

An E-ticket are the big, exciting, special rides in the park. This is a nice ride. It's not an E-ticket.

From Dominick D
Posted September 27, 2012 at 1:22 PM
This is what it looks like behind walls:

Uploaded from the Photobucket iPad App

Like Adam said, most of this will be on the first floor of MK.

From James Rao
Posted September 27, 2012 at 3:08 PM
Mark, what I think we would both like to see is a huge coaster combined with traditional immersive Disney storytelling. Along the lines of RnRC, but bigger, and more intense. I get you - it would be awesome. I mean, just imagine what Disney could do with something like Apollo's Chariot or Bizarro....

However, Disney does try (more than their competition, anyway) to build parks that appeal to the entire family. I just don't see them building a whole park for a thrill seeking demographic.

And fwiw, my pre teen kids love Epcot. You don't have to be "grown up" to appreciate such a distinctive park.

As for the new Seven Dwarves coaster/dark ride, when it opens it will be a major headliner, E-Ticket or not.

From David L.
Posted September 27, 2012 at 4:41 PM
Guys, I don't think we can say whether the ride will be an E-ticket or not, but i'm going to remain optimistic about it. The Little Mermaid (about $100 million)was thought to be an E ticket, but turned out as a D-ticket. The Mine train (at least $100 million due to the massive jump in the total cost after Iger announced the addition to the expansion) might be an E-ticket with the ride's family thrills, AA scenes (whose grandeur is unknown at this point), and well themed area, but if the roller coaster section provides poor thrills and the AA scenes are nothing, then I'm afraid we'll be stuck with a D-ticket.

Sean, you can't judge the dark ride scenes yet nor can you judge the quality of the coaster parts because the model has not revealed enough.

From James Rao
Posted September 27, 2012 at 5:05 PM
Disney always pitched Little Mermaid as a D-Ticket. The over hype was fan generated. Even so, reviews have been more positive than negative, and the WDW crowd will eat it up. They are generally not as picky as those who frequent DLR.

From Daniel Etcheberry
Posted September 27, 2012 at 5:31 PM
If the Seven Dwarfes sing their song, then it's going to be good.

From Dominick D
Posted September 27, 2012 at 6:19 PM
It would be cool if during the big lift they sing Heigh Ho.

From David L.
Posted September 27, 2012 at 7:42 PM
James, when Disney compared it to the Haunted Mansion, they threw out the D-ticket name. But yes, as soon as the comparison occurred, fans took it literally.

From Sean Huckel
Posted September 28, 2012 at 7:18 AM
James, that is NOT the case. At the D23 Expo in 2009 Jay Rasulo and John Lasseter both called the Mermaid ride an E-ticket.

David, I know enough about the ride to say with confidence it's a D-ticket at best. A friend of mine has worked on the FLE project in an engineering capacity. I knew about the coaster before it was announced to the public. It's a D. And to be honest, there's nothing wrong with that.

From Dominick D
Posted September 28, 2012 at 8:09 AM
Again, this is an E Ticket. New ride system? Check. Dark Ride? Check. Coaster? Check. Those three things alone will make this an E Ticket.

From Thomas Caselli
Posted September 28, 2012 at 8:19 AM
It is amazing to me how much people can complain about a ride while it is under construction. The ride will be what the ride will be. Some people will never be satisfied no matter what.

From Mike Gallagher
Posted September 28, 2012 at 8:28 AM
Dom, on a decidedly non-Disney note, Dark Knight meets two of those three qualifications..and that's barely a Z-Ticket.

And for someone who admittedly is not a big coaster fan, you're spending a lot of time defending this ride.

From Dominick D
Posted September 28, 2012 at 8:40 AM
Yes Mike, Im not a big coaster fan. I'll ride anything that isn't big (IE most of Six Flags coasters)

From Sean Huckel
Posted September 28, 2012 at 9:31 AM
The ride system is far from "new". It's new for Disney, yes, but has existed for years from Mack rides.

And a coaster makes it an E-ticket? I guess Barnstormer was an E-ticket then!

And it's not a dark ride. It has one dark ride scene in it.

An E-ticket is classified as the biggest and best ride the parks have to offer. This is not. It will be a very good ride. I'm not saying it won't be. But being a kiddy coaster with a dark ride scene doesn't make it an E-ticket.

Big Thunder Mountain is an E-ticket coaster. This thing isn't on Big Thunder's level.

From Dominick D
Posted September 28, 2012 at 9:37 AM
There will be several dark ride scenes.

From Sean Huckel
Posted September 28, 2012 at 9:49 AM
Unless things have changed, it's just the one in the mine.

From Dominick D
Posted September 28, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Nope, the short mock up showed several.

From James Rao
Posted September 28, 2012 at 9:57 AM
Hi Sean, I don't know about Jay Rasulo (that guy will say anything), but the only Lasseter quote I can find that pertains to our discussion on the Little Mermaid is when he said, "An awesome dark ride with animatronics--a classic thing." That does not sound like an E-Ticket to me. Most of the classic dark rides are what I consider C or D ticket experiences. Very few (Haunted Mansion, DLR's Pirates, and Spaceship Earth) omnimover dark rides transcend that rating. But again, I did not do a lot of digging on the quotes.

At WDW, both LM and the Mine Train have E-Ticket costs, E-Ticket expectations, and will draw E-Ticket crowds, but over the years will probably settle down to be pleasant, D-Ticket attractions. Great for the whole family and perfect for the Magic Kingdom. I cannot imagine anyone outside of uber fan boys and uber thrill seekers being disappointed with either addition.

Besides, they are both better than what is there today! =)

From Sean Huckel
Posted September 28, 2012 at 10:04 AM
James, I think both are/will be decent additions to the attraction lineup. I just think someone going into either with E-ticket expectations is going to be disappointed.

What mock up, Dom? the one on youtube? Because I only see the mine scene.

From James Trexen
Posted September 28, 2012 at 10:36 PM
I don't see what the argument is here. Anyway you put a spin on this, it's going to be a positive direction for Disney and guests. Whether it be D-Ticket or E-Ticket (or C, or B or A) be happy that a new ride is coming. Or would we rather Disney go back to the original plans of a Pixie Hollow meet and greet, a Sleeping Beauty meet and greet and a Cinderella meet and greet?

From Daniel Etcheberry
Posted September 29, 2012 at 1:42 PM
I wonder if Snow White and the witch will be included on this ride.

From Dominick D
Posted September 29, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Snow White will be in the ride, but probably not the witch.

From Mike Gallagher
Posted September 29, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Dom knows EVERYTHING!!! ;)

From Dominick D
Posted September 29, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Well, here she is, fresh in concept art form!

Uploaded from the Photobucket iPad App

From Andy Milito
Posted September 30, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Concept art =/= actual ride... just sayin'

From Phil B.
Posted September 30, 2012 at 5:38 PM
There's a lot to take into account when labeling a ride at a certain level. For all intents and purposes, I would place this ride as a very strong "D-Ticket", due to the level of theming, animatronics, uniqueness of the ride cars and the mild thrill factor. That being said, taking into account that it will be the only ride of it's kind at any Disney park, will feature a new ride car not seen in any of the 4 WDW parks, and the fact that it is one of the more thrilling rides that will appeal to little boys in a predominently girl orientated section of MK, coupled with the fact that being something new, alone creates insane lines regardless of the presumed level of attraction, this ride will easily see the kind of popularity normally associated with "E-Ticket" attractions in its first year of operation. Who knows, if it is executed well enough, it may just become one of those attractions that always stay busy and see long lines just because it's that much of an enjoyable experience that just seems to catch on with guests and the more hardcore Disney community. Toy Story Midway Mania and Peter Pan are examples of this, with both having long constant lines, yet neither can really be considered True "E-Tickets". Some of those long lines are attributed to the ride systems, but even though that's a factor, there's no denying how popular both of these rides really are. Sometimes an attraction just taps into something with the public, whether it's intended to be a "C", "D", or "E-Ticket", and performs well beyond what the designers may have ever intended. I think the Seven Dwarves Mine Train could very well be the next ride of this ilk to be added to that list.

From James Rao
Posted September 30, 2012 at 5:05 PM
^Exactly. Well stated.

From Skipper Adam
Posted September 30, 2012 at 6:29 PM
^ I too agree.

From Dominick D
Posted September 30, 2012 at 7:30 PM
I agree with Phil.

From Albino Pygmy
Posted September 30, 2012 at 9:13 PM
I agree with Skipper Adam, who also agree's with the above :)

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