Mine Ride Construction Update

[danlb_2000]

I remember making the skyway cars really swing as a kid by shifting our weight around.

I guess for 7DMT you have to lean with the swaying motion, though this may be very hard to do given how fast the carts may sway, and the difficulty of shifting your weight on a moving ride.

4 passengers in a cart, and if you had 4 . . . heavy guests, you could be looking at +900 lbs. I doubt that the cart will weigh that much, but the center of gravity will be different with four football players, versus four small kids, due mostly due to the height difference.

If a guy with a 7,000 lbs pound head get on the cart, as the bottom of the cart pitch upward to the left, the guy's head will move to the right (assuming at axis of rotation about at the bottom of the rib cage), and the downward force of 7,000 lbs will accelerate the rotation of the cart upward and to the left, hence a more dramatic swing.

So, if you get guests who are "top" heavy, i.e. more apple shaped than pear shaped, you get more swinging, IMHO. Of course, more mass in the cart means more potential energy at the top of the lift hill, and more momentum when the cart swings, so also a bit more swinging.

A big question is how is the swinging of the cart restricted? You can't have the cart bang into a metal bar . . . eventually the stress would cause fractures. Two options:

1. No restrictions. No sure if this would be feasible, if the carts's center of gravity was below the axis of rotation, much less possibility of the cart doing a 360 . . . or even getting close. But you might be right that the carts are especially heavy to keep the center of gravity low, but the easiest thing to do would be to raise the axis of rotation up, than the center of gravity down. No need for heavy carts and the stress on the ride.
2. They are testing "gaskets" which provide friction, hence a dampening effect between the cart and the train.

I would think they would use some sort of gas spring. This would allow them to easily adjust the amount of swing the cards would have.

 

[danlb_2000]

That's an interesting idea, I had the exact same thought about Everest. Since you're building a gigantic mountain for a roller coaster, why not use some of that space, around the mountain, and perhaps some inside the mountain, to add a D ticket for younger kids who might shy away from EE. The Everest rock work looks good, would be a nice setting for D ticket.

There are going to be some little kids who take a lot at the swinging mine train carts and say, "no thank you." Or perhaps some adults who'd like to relive a bit more of the story than just what is in the ride.

My initial feelings were that 7DMT should have had a section of track which goes under a walkway (via a mine tunnel of course), to a show building with a decent number of show scenes. Perhaps it would have made more sense to put in a dark ride, with the mine train and have the mine train share some scenes with the dark ride.

Pretty cool idea.

Ironically, some guests complain about the witch in SWSA, and this ride was replaced with a mine train ride that probably would drive away smaller kids who would be afraid of the witch anyway, though I do believe that based on hints from imagineers that the witch will be in the ride, however briefly.

I always loved the original concept for Indiana Jones in Disneyland where the current Indiana Jones ride, a mine car ride, the jungle cruise and Walt Disney Railroad would all intersect in the same show space.

http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2006/02/06/749.aspx

 

[G00fyDad]

Depends on their body distribution as well, a 10 foot tall guy with a 7,000 lbs head would really raise the center of mass above the axis of rotation, and the cart might well, "tip over", during a rotation. Take that scenario and just work down from there, same principle.

One way you could increase the swinging motion, by a small amount, would be to raise your arms . . . or maybe smuggle 40 lbs. weights to raise over your head! Just kidding, but if everybody stood up on the ride (or better got up on the seats) when it was swinging, you could probably get a cart to do close to 180, assuming the swinging motion isn't restricted (dampened).

I get what you're saying, but you missed my point. The guests have no way to cause more swaying of the ride vehicles. I meant that there is no lever, handle, or button they can use to do this.

 

[danlb_2000]

Since we are talking about coaster construction, I ran across this cool video that shows how coasters are built and features Vekoma's factories. I have seen a lot of documentaries on how coasters are assembled on site but this is the first time I have seen how the track is actually manufactured. I was really surprised at how much manual work goes into the fabrication of the track sections.

This is part one, the other two parts are easy to find.

 

[wserratore1963]

Mine coaster is looking good- can't wait to ride

 

[DJMoore2011]

I just hope it's working when we go in 2015!

 

[wdwmagic]

PHOTO - Aerial view of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train construction site

 

[sshindel]

That looks like it's going to be a pretty fun ride. Not over-the-top-most-exciting-ride-in-the-world, but pretty fun.
The set of turns on the Storybook Circus side looks like it's going to be a good time.

 

[RandySavage]

PHOTO - Aerial view of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train construction site

Man, I've missed this brilliant aerial photographer's monthly updates. Huge thanks, Scott. Any other photos of WDW/Universal this outing? (Harambe Theater, completed Tangled area, Diagon Alley, Transformers, etc.)

Cheers,

 

[Timothy_Q]

By this new picture I think I finnally see the Mine Train for what it really is/will be. 2 Barnstormers with nice theming connected by a show scene, and with a cool new vehicle system

 

[Victor Kelly]

lookin good

 

[tl77]

At the top of the first lift hill, there's a mine entrance next to the track to the left of the cars in this pic, is this where people think the which is going to be?

they haven't fished this area in the actual construction yet

 

[Lee]

At the top of the first lift hill, there's a mine entrance next to the track to the left of the cars in this pic, is this where people think the which is going to be?

they haven't fished this area in the actual construction yet

Why would the witch be in the mine?
Did she go there in the movie?

 

[Bob]

Great aerial pic! They can finish up the rest of the attraction in less than 5 months, right? <sarcasm>

 

[wsmith1978]

Great to see it from above! It's surprising just how huge this thing is. I just can't believe how long it's taking... It looks like there is so much left to do. I wish they'd finish the darn thing already!

 

[tl77]

Why would the witch be in the mine?
Did she go there in the movie?

it looks like a good spot for a show scene, and people were posting about the witch

 

[Zipadeelady]

Great aerial pic! They can finish up the rest of the attraction in less than 5 months, right? <sarcasm>

Come on..I still have hope!

 

[WDWFanDave]

Why would the witch be in the mine?
Did she go there in the movie?

I'm not questioning that she won't be there...trust you completely. But, your question led me to a 'poetic license' thought...if the princesses now have 'pets' that we have NEVER seen before in their stories, then it's possible that the witch could be spotted in the mine.

I hope not (as the witch doesn't belong there), but, as a dad to a six year old that just saw a freaking commercial for the princess pets (or whatever they're calling them), I've just learned that anything is possible, and that I ought to have the words 'no, we aren't buying those' permanently affixed to my forehead.

 

[ctxak98]

I'm not questioning that she won't be there...trust you completely. But, your question led me to a 'poetic license' thought...if the princesses now have 'pets' that we have NEVER seen before in their stories, then it's possible that the witch could be spotted in the mine.

I hope not (as the witch doesn't belong there), but, as a dad to a six year old that just saw a freaking commercial for the princess pets (or whatever they're calling them), I've just learned that anything is possible, and that I ought to have the words 'no, we aren't buying those' permanently affixed to my forehead.

I am just thinking that some rides have inside show scenes that have nothing to do with the outside look. Take RSR for example. When you enter the canyon area its Radiator springs....even though we can walk through Radiator Springs on the way to RSR. You know what I mean!? Maybe they will do something like that!

 

[Bocabear]

in the WDW Original Snow Whit'es Scary Adventures, the Witch WAS in the mines...it was her that at the end dropped a gigantic gem on your car presumably causing your death....throughout the mine sequence you could hear her cackle...
So... not at all odd to think of her in the Mine...