Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster Opening 2014??

[DisneyWorldMad]

Anything can be done quickly if they spend the money. Disney could pay for workers day and night if they wanted to and have the job done twice as quick but then it would cost a lot more in labour. it's the times we live in save save save. But then Two years is a long time as people say its not like it's a massive project like Everest

 

[TalkingHead]

Here's what I suspect the reviews will say when it opens.

Fun, short ride.
Not worth an hour wait.
Could've used more show scenes a la Everest.
It's fun but, "we waited three years for this?"
When will MK finally get a new groundbreaking E-ticket?

 

[Tom]

Here's what I suspect the reviews will say when it opens.

Fun, short ride.
Not worth an hour wait.
Could've used more show scenes a la Everest.
It's fun but, "we waited three years for this?"
When will MK finally get a new groundbreaking E-ticket?

Disney is always building kiddie and family rides! Why don't they build something that only I can ride?!?!?!?!?1111//1/?

 

[COProgressFan]

Disney is always building kiddie and family rides! Why don't they build something that only I can ride?!?!?!?!?1111//1/?

I don't think its a question of "things only I can ride" but the whole expansion is the "newest, best" offering of WDW, and it doesn't even include an E-ticket. Perhaps a D at best in Mermaid.

I think the comments about what this ride is going to be are valid.

 

[Magenta Panther]

2014? Bummer. Still, I'd rather they took their time and got it right than rush it and give us another yeti disaster. In the meantime, I'll have Disneyland and Buena Vista Street to tide me over.

 

[Sorcerer Mickey]

Haven't really kept up with this project but I could have sworn they initially announced that all of the new Fantasyland would be open by 2013.

 

[flynnibus]

Please do not jump down my throat if I'm wrong... but, hasn't Disney been loosing business in the last few years?

No, the concern is it hasn't been growing at the rates it needs to be and Disney has relied on too much discounting to prop up it's numbers. The bottom line has still be positive, and the attendance has generally been flat to positive. The problem is it has not been growing as fast and as 'at full price' like many would like it to be.

 

[PlaneJane]

In reading Walt and the Promise of Progress City, one fact sprung to mind with today's protracted schedules.

Disneylands original monorail system (including cars) was designed, constructed, installed, tested and opened in less than a year.

Food for thought.

Two words, one man Bob f'n Gurr

 

[Rob562]

I'm pretty sure you're right. I mean, this coaster has probably seen its day in Blue Sky for a while, but what we officially know is that its current location was going to be a bunch of princess stuff, until the feedback said, "NO! We're full up on princesses!"

So they scrapped the village and put in a coaster. And yes, it's well behind the 8 ball. I too agree that 2014 seems a bit excessive, but there are a lot of obstacles and nuances about the construction of this ride that others don't - as discussed previously.

I thought I'd read somewhere (one of our insiders, perhaps?) that the Mine Train actually pre-dated the Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty Meet & Greets in the overall progression of the Expansion project. But at some point it was removed and replaced with those M&G's, which is what was in place when the Expansion was first publicly announced.

And then when they finally realized that it was princess-overload, they dusted off the old ideas for the Mine Train and continued working on them. But even then, nothing had been finalized, coaster track hadn't been designed and ordered, etc.

-Rob

 

[The Duck]

I'm pretty sure you're right. I mean, this coaster has probably seen its day in Blue Sky for a while, but what we officially know is that its current location was going to be a bunch of princess stuff, until the feedback said, "NO! We're full up on princesses!"

So they scrapped the village and put in a coaster. And yes, it's well behind the 8 ball. I too agree that 2014 seems a bit excessive, but there are a lot of obstacles and nuances about the construction of this ride that others don't - as discussed previously.

A former CM friend was showing me around the MK back in January, 2006. While on our way to MTTF, he pointed towards the old 20K site and told me that the area was rumored to be an expansion of Fantasyland and a 7 Dwarfs roller coaster was being talked about. So the Dwarves were being tossed about (forgive the pun) at least as far back as 2006.

 

[lentesta]

Sometimes I honestly wonder if they stagger the openings for new things so there's more reason for people (like me) to want to visit each year. If Ariel, B&B and 7 Dwarfs all had attractions opening by say Dec 2012 then I could say - well I'll go in April 2013 and see everything but now I want to go every year.

I swear they do this to me on purpose :lookaroun

This.

 

[Lee]

I thought I'd read somewhere (one of our insiders, perhaps?) that the Mine Train actually pre-dated the Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty Meet & Greets in the overall progression of the Expansion project. But at some point it was removed and replaced with those M&G's, which is what was in place when the Expansion was first publicly announced.

Yep.
The coaster was present in the earliest versions of the expansion ideas.

 

[PhilharMagician]

Yep.
The coaster was present in the earliest versions of the expansion ideas.

Surprising that somewhere someone is finally understanding that M&G's are important to help disperse crowds, but it is the rides that bring the crowds in.

 

[scottnj1966]

I also agree that 2014 is worse case scenario.
I would expect it to be testing by mid 2013 and opening soon after.

I know I am looking forward to the whole ares to open. It's going to be a very nice addition.

 

[mickey2008.1]

I'm surprised it will take that long. I can't believe WDW would start a new coaster without already having proved it's capabilities. If they did, poor decision. And how is going to look when everything else is open and they have this big project going on in the middle of everything else that just opened. I have seen alot of coasters built here in ohio, cedar point mainly, and they never took more than a year, and I get the theming aspect, but come on.

 

[jcldtrek]

That for me is one of the big things that gets me is the fact that it's gonna literally be in the middle of everything else that will be open. It'll stick out like a sore thumb. Unless they get the mine built over the track by the end of the year, but it'll still have the boarded up fence around it. I was wondering if it was gonna be done on time also by looking at the earlier pics of thevsitevand they mainly focused on mermaid and beast and didn't start doing anything to the mine coaster area till well after those other buildings were up and almost finished. It does look like it was planned this way, or they had issues with something.

 

[devoy1701]

No, the concern is it hasn't been growing at the rates it needs to be and Disney has relied on too much discounting to prop up it's numbers. The bottom line has still be positive, and the attendance has generally been flat to positive. The problem is it has not been growing as fast and as 'at full price' like many would like it to be.

Hotel capacity has been down over the past few years. But I have a feeling that is mostly (if not all) economy and share-shift with some of the newer DVC resorts (particularly AKL Villas and BLT over the past 3-4 years). Not looking at the numbers but I believe they are down roughly 10% from their highs.

 

[PhilharMagician]

I'm surprised it will take that long. I can't believe WDW would start a new coaster without already having proved it's capabilities. If they did, poor decision. And how is going to look when everything else is open and they have this big project going on in the middle of everything else that just opened. I have seen alot of coasters built here in ohio, cedar point mainly, and they never took more than a year, and I get the theming aspect, but come on.

Building the coaster iteslf is the easy part. It is all of the details and theming that takes the massive amount of time to complete these projects. Cedar Point is a nice park, but you are compairing apples to oranges here.

 

[njDizFan]

Of course if they wanted to finish this project sooner they would...from what Lee has been saying fiscal quarter 2014 is the target date. The budgets get allocated quarter to quarter and having this open in the first couple months of the new year of 2014 gives a nice little attendence boost during a typical down part of the year.

This is the economic reasoning, they could care less that us fanboys are upset that this is getting dragged out.

 

[Gregoryp73]

Of course if they wanted to finish this project sooner they would...from what Lee has been saying fiscal quarter 2014 is the target date. The budgets get allocated quarter to quarter and having this open in the first couple months of the new year of 2014 gives a nice little attendence boost during a typical down part of the year.

This is the economic reasoning, they could care less that us fanboys are upset that this is getting dragged out.

Since the first 3 months of the year is technically Q2 for disney, wouldn't it make more sense then economically to open it Q1 (last 3 months of 2013) with calculated leaks of soft openings prior to that?? That way they get an attendance boost from locals wanting to ride first...and instant reservations for the first 6 months of it being actually open?

I guess the other aspect is CYA for the slow season...But to me, If they could push it to October with soft openings in late Sept it would help their books in 2013 and 2014...as well as open up resources for starting on other projects.