Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Preview Thoughts

[dgp602]

So, I have a question hoping someone might be able to answer. The construction is complete, the media preview is over, cast members have been trained, promo commercials are done, and people have actually ridden on this ride. There are approximately 22 days until the "Grand Opening". Can someone tell me why the 22 day wait.....?? Any rational reason this ride is now standing idle???

 

[flynnibus]

So, I have a question hoping someone might be able to answer. The construction is complete, the media preview is over, cast members have been trained, promo commercials are done, and people have actually ridden on this ride. There are approximately 22 days until the "Grand Opening". Can someone tell me why the 22 day wait.....?? Any rational reason this ride is now standing idle???

Correction - cast members ARE being trained (not have been trained). And there isn't information yet showing they are actually running at full capacity yet.

Running 'some trains' does not mean they are fully ready yet. They must be able to run at full capacity and sustain it, both staff and ride system wise. And on top of that, they have to train not one crew of CMs, but all the CMs that will be working the attraction.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

So, I have a question hoping someone might be able to answer. The construction is complete, the media preview is over, cast members have been trained, promo commercials are done, and people have actually ridden on this ride. There are approximately 22 days until the "Grand Opening". Can someone tell me why the 22 day wait.....?? Any rational reason this ride is now standing idle???

Flynn is totally correct. In addition to just operational training, the Cm's are being trained in emergency procedures. hey will be testing the whole machine under stress situations, trying to make it stop or malfunction is various ways and how those situations are to be handled.

All this takes time.

AKK

 

[Tim Lohr]

BTW the light blue area on this map is the available space if the decided to do away with the Circus tents, it's about the same size as the Little Mermaid building, and the yellow is the current foot print of the Barnstormer

If it was up to me I'd say put a Frozen Dark ride, M&G, and Gift Shop where the circus tents are, Tinker Bell/Pixie Hollow where the Barnstormer is, and move Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Minnie to Main Street where Mickey is

 

[Gabe1]

I don't like Circus much. I do like the interactive queue for Dumbo. Barnstormer is fine if it's walk on. DGS7 still likes it alot. And other than that FL is rapidly becoming my last liked land at MK, and it use to be my favorite.

Circus like toon is meant for the small. Now it is so small it defeats the purpose. Nicer train station and better restroom and an upgrade to dumbo. And that's all folks

 

[Tim Lohr]

Circus like toon is meant for the small. Now it is so small it defeats the purpose. Nicer train station and better restroom and an upgrade to dumbo. And that's all folks

You mean that area of the park that used to be, The Grand Prix race track, Skyway turn station, Mickey's Birthday land, Mickey's Starland, Mickey's Toon Town Fair, is now Storybook Circus will never ever change again?

 

[dgp602]

Flynn is totally correct. In addition to just operational training, the Cm's are being trained in emergency procedures. hey will be testing the whole machine under stress situations, trying to make it stop or malfunction is various ways and how those situations are to be handled.

All this takes time.

AKK

Thank you! Always can count on someone here having the knowledge that I don't have! Love this site!

 

[MonorailMan]

It was never supposed to be a thrill ride. It's a family coaster. It fits that bill.

Even though SDMT is a family ride and not thrill ride, it is still going to be an awesome ride that now kids and adults can enjoy! But, with it being a family ride means that lots of kids can ride which will jack up the wait time for the ride... Regardless, this ride deserves credit as another job well done by Disney!

 

[Kman101]

Barnstomer looks like it BADLY needs a coat of paint.

Saw the mine train itself (just the mountain outside! no soft opening that I was aware of) in person today and it looked really well done. Pictures don't do the outside justice.

Everything in New Fantasyland LOOKS incredible. Mermaid remains awfully plastic (sorry, it's still a cute little ride though) but it was nice to get out of the heat and at 30 minutes it was worth it.

I will agree with those that have said it's like they just placed a bunch of different things without much thought. Although each new ride/restaurant/section visually looks gorgeous.

 

[MonorailMan]

You mean that area of the park that used to be, The Grand Prix race track, Skyway turn station, Mickey's Birthday land, Mickey's Starland, Mickey's Toon Town Fair, is now Storybook Circus will never ever change again?

Not all of that area is Storybook Circus, nor is anything to say that it will never change again (though unlikely to change again for many decades)... Through the transformation, we have seen as new version of Goofy's Barnstormer, a larger Dumbo, a new Fantasyland Station, a Splash 'n' Soak station, a character meet and greet, and a kids play area. Storybook Circus is essentially its own land though it is called Fantasyland. BUT, it also left room for a Fantasyland expansion to include the SDMT, Princess Meet and Greet, Be Our Guest, etc. And even though some people see the removing of Mickey's Toontown as a negative, it has led to so many great new additions that will keep all people entertained for years to come!

 

[Kman101]

Storybook Circus felt very cramped. They plopped Casey Jr. literally in the middle of everything. I wasn't that impressed except with the train station.

 

[MonorailMan]

Storybook Circus felt very cramped. They plopped Casey Jr. literally in the middle of everything. I wasn't that impressed except with the train station.

Your point of Storybook Circus being cramped is so true... I went there in January 2014 and though the park was generally not crowded, it seemed as though you had to push your way through SC. But the design/theme of the Fantasyland Station is excellent!

 

[Kman101]

The crowds were horrendous. Just hordes and hordes of people. But yet wait times were very managable.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

The best thing to come out of the circus redo IMO was by FINALLY giving the Dumbo spinners actual fountains, and further plussing it with color changing LED lighting. The train station is also themed well, but the rest of the mini land is kind of a downgrade from its previous form as far as i'm concerned. They even removed most of the theming from Barnstormer (an already sparsely themed kiddie coaster).

 

[Tim Lohr]

Not all of that area is Storybook Circus, nor is anything to say that it will never change again (though unlikely to change again for many decades)... Through the transformation, we have seen as new version of Goofy's Barnstormer, a larger Dumbo, a new Fantasyland Station, a Splash 'n' Soak station, a character meet and greet, and a kids play area. Storybook Circus is essentially its own land though it is called Fantasyland. BUT, it also left room for a Fantasyland expansion to include the SDMT, Princess Meet and Greet, Be Our Guest, etc. And even though some people see the removing of Mickey's Toontown as a negative, it has led to so many great new additions that will keep all people entertained for years to come!

I think Story Book Circus is what the folks at Imagineering call a "place holder", which some cheap and easy thing that is only there till they think up something better. They referred to Camp Mickey Minnie in Animal Kingdom that way, which was just torn out to make way for Avatarland... and the Mine Train seems like a better version of the Barnstormer to me

 

[Sandy Carroll]

It's looks great. I have 3 kids and the younger 2 will not ride thrill rides. This is something all of us can enjoy. I think it completes Fantasyland nicely. I can't wait to ride it this summer!

 

[danlb_2000]

I think Story Book Circus is what the folks at Imagineering call a "place holder", which some cheap and easy thing that is only there till they think up something better. They referred to Camp Mickey Minnie in Animal Kingdom that way, which was just torn out to make way for Avatarland... and the Mine Train seems like a better version of the Barnstormer to me

I agree with it being a placeholder, but I don't think it's because they can't think of anything better, but instead because TDO isn't willing to pay for anything better at the moment.

 

[Tim Lohr]

I agree with it being a placeholder, but I don't think it's because they can't think of anything better, but instead because TDO isn't willing to pay for anything better at the moment.

Ok, well I guess it's debatable just how many good ideas they have. That huge Pixie Hollow they had in the first model wasn't a bad idea, but it kind of seemed like over kill to me, and I think the main purpose of making so it big is the same purpose of the Storybook tents... to hide the Little Mermaid Building and backstage areas. The Storybook tents are a cheaper form of camouflage than all that Pixie rock work would have been, so I really can't fault them for saving money on "something big to hide the backstage area" until they think of something better.

Hypothetically speaking, a Frozen ride would be something better, at least given the 5 hour lines and rationing of merchandise, I think there's enough interest something like that to justify the expense of building it. Plus if they were to build a Frozen ride I'd rather see where those tents are than in Epcot... but the land know as Storybook Circus is a pretty big chuck or real estate, I can understand waiting to spend the time and money on something really popular and permanent, something along the same lines as Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Dumbo, Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs, ect...

 

[doctornick]

I agree with it being a placeholder, but I don't think it's because they can't think of anything better, but instead because TDO isn't willing to pay for anything better at the moment.

I still think that a circus theme is fine, but the execution is lacking. Instead of the tents (or within the tents, if they want to keep that look), they could have easily had some rides that fit well into the circus theme and not just a random M&G. Why not have a dark ride that featured the Fab Five characters in these "circus performer" costumes but had the AAs performing? Why not have a Pinocchio dark ride (the facade could be themed to Stromboli and watching a "puppet without strings")? Why not have the Casey ride from DLR instead of the splash area?

 

[Kman101]

Wasn't there once an idea for a Mickey's Mad House for one of the many parks? Or Mickey's Fun House? I know I saw that somewhere. It was fairly old.

There's a lot they could do. Heck, I'd take Pinocchio, or the flume/boat/raft? version where you drop out of Monstro's mouth.