In 2014, Disney unveiled the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. At that point, the ride system was one of the most creative in the industry and and even to this day, it remains an incredibly forward thinking ride vehicle that truly immerses guests in a theming element that many of us have desired to experience for many years, a true swinging mine car experience. While the project took many years to fully develop into what it is today, the current attraction shuttles guests through a roller coaster style platform at a brisk 30+ mph while retaining a height requirement that can accompany guests of nearly all ages at just 38 inches.
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Believe it or not, up until that debut, Fantasyland never truly had a height requirement for any attractions. It was a piece of Magic Kingdom designed to be the pinnacle of places where kids and adults could have fun together. There was nothing to worry about and truly no disappointment on the faces of young guests who couldn’t “measure up.” Of course, that practice had to come to an end due to obvious safety reasons, but nonetheless the attraction requirement remains rather short at just over 3 foot.
In the realm of theming there’s nothing that truly compares to the mine train experience. The level of detail in the rock work, greenery, and even down to the wood grain is near perfect and sets the stage for a picture perfect icon of New Fantasyland. With all of that being said, the attraction set a precedent in many other ways and aspects as well, so we’ll dive right into that with today’s post!
The steps taken here in the realm of theming have truly set the pace for interactive queues in each and every new attraction coming to the parks. Of course, it wasn’t the first interactive queue developed, especially considering it was predated by Soarin’s simple original interaction and The Many Adventure’s of Winnie the Pooh’s queue redesign, but it also led the way for fully integrated lines to create a way for guests to be entertained as they journey through the queue. In doing so, Disney achieves a few things. First and foremost, it’s a guest satisfier. It turns a two hour wait into one that seems far less tedious if your mind is occupied and you’re entertained along the way. Second, it allows Disney the opportunity to test new ideas in the realm of wait times. In the future, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see continued tests to expand the use of technologies similar to what is currently offered at Dumbo the Flying Elephant. It may not be that exact utilization or design concept, but inevitably Disney is going to have to find new ways to manage wait times as crowds continue to build. If you’re looking to overcome crowds this spring/summer, check out our How To Beat the Walt Disney World Spring and Summer Crowds in 2018 article.
An Unexpected Nighttime Opportunity
From A Motion Sickness Perspective
If you’ve read the site for a while you may be aware of another article I shared detailing Flight of Passage From A Motion Sickness Perspective. In that particular post I shared a few thoughts of the experience as someone who gets horribly motion sick. I have to drive most places to avoid carsickness, and avoid most simulator style attractions at all costs. With that being said, I do ride Space Mountain from time to time, enjoy Thunder Mountain, and have ridden Expedition Everest, but draw the line at Rock N Roller Coaster and Mission Space. Without a doubt, basically anyone in good health should be able to enjoy this attraction. It’s short and the ride system is incredibly smooth. If you have hesitations, try it once and you’ll probably love it!
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The Subtle Details
Additionally, Disney put a certain level of time and effort into making the on-ride experience so incredibly realistic that you’ll likely never notice the wood grain on the buildings, the vast shrubbery and foliage throughout the ride, or even the dense man made elevation variations that allow the ride vehicle to whip around objects and in and out of small valley’s as you go about you journey into the mine and beyond. It’s the little things that often go largely unnoticed but set the tone for the experience and are integrated so incredibly well that it just feels right and truly authentic to the intended representation.
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