Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Preview Thoughts

Tim Lohr

Well-Known Member
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.

Yeah they had Mickey's Mad House as part of a D23 calendar a few years ago

D23+Calendar+Mickey_s+Madhouse.jpg
 

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
I wonder, if Storybook Circus is the placeholder it seems to be (and I do hope it is, though I appreciate it in the short term) what that will mean for Dumbo if and when they go to make a change. I can't picture them wanting to get rid of it, even if the numbers are down since the move. If the Circus Tents went away there would not me bunch circus left to speak of in the area.

I think I wouldn't be too surprised if one day Barnstormer went the way of the Dodo in light of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (although much is left to be seen about how they affect each other) and was replaced by some other, smaller Circus representation, keeping the feel in the area to justify Dumbo's continued presence while allowing the northern area to be redeveloped.

It would be silly if they built, say, a Frozen ride where the tents are now, only to have Dumbo and Barnstormer sitting randomly across the way. I'd hope for them to take any new development in that area seriously, rather than just plopping something in.
 

Tim Lohr

Well-Known Member
Guess I don't understand all the hate for Storybook Circus. I find it very cute And charming for what it is. Much better themed than what it replaced.

Storybook Circus isn't bad, but it was done in part because it was cheaper to build than Wonderland and Pixie Hollow which were 2 of the other options

wdwalice3.jpg


Imagineering-Disney-Blog_-fantasyland-model_LG.jpg
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
Storybook Circus isn't bad, but it was done in part because it was cheaper to build than Wonderland and Pixie Hollow which were 2 of the other options

Eh. Regardless of how nice the concept art is, I prefer a more conceptual land than one tied to a specific IP. A circus themed area is actually a kinda cool idea, but it just needs to be more developed.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
Man I get a little sad every time I see the Wonderland concept art. It would have fit better in Fantasyland. I don't totally hate the circus area, it's just cramped and for me, gives me nothing to do there with Dumbo, a splash pad and the Barnstormer.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
I believe this is the other one (the entrance):

wdwalice2.jpg


Monstro/Pinocchio flume ride concept art (both seem a little different from each other though):
d23_2010_28.jpg


0825.Surf_2D00_City_2D00_10.jpg


And getting further off-topic (sorry! last one!), it's too bad Disneyland didn't do the Pooh flume ride:

DisneylandPoohConceptArt.jpg
 
Last edited:

Kungaloosh1937

Active Member
Eh. Regardless of how nice the concept art is, I prefer a more conceptual land than one tied to a specific IP. A circus themed area is actually a kinda cool idea, but it just needs to be more developed.

Um... it wouldn't have been an entire land. It would have been PART of one. Otherwise do you hate all of Fantasyland as it's all built on individual IP's?
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
A circus themed area is actually a kinda cool idea, but it just needs to be more developed.

Walt Disney tried a circus in Disneyland in December, 1955, six months after he opened his park. He went to great expense decorating the area and hired the best performers he could find, then got the Mousketeers to do commercials for it and called it the Mickey Mouse Club Circus. Every day there was a circus parade up Main Street USA to the circus grounds behind Fantasyland. It was a massive failure and Walt vowed never to try a circus inside Disneyland again. He was quoted repeatedly that circuses exist in the real world, and people don't come to Disneyland to see stuff they can see in the real world.

!3.jpg


“We went out on a limb and put in a circus for Christmas season. Although it was a great circus ... It is something that can be seen without coming to Disneyland. We need things that are unique -- things that are ‘Disneylandish'" - Walt Disney, January 25th, 1956

I think TDO should have listened to Walt and gone with the Pixie Hollow or Wonderland concepts to pair with the 7DMT.
 

Tim Lohr

Well-Known Member
Eh. Regardless of how nice the concept art is, I prefer a more conceptual land than one tied to a specific IP. A circus themed area is actually a kinda cool idea, but it just needs to be more developed.

I can tell like the circus idea you keep posting about it... but my main problem is they have a "conceptual land" it's Fantasyland, and Alice, or Pixie Hollow, or Frozen, or any number of things fit within the already established Fantasyland concept. I think it's better to just have Dumbo themed to the circus because it makes it a more unique attraction. The Dwarfs have a mine, Alice has tea cups, Pete Pan has flying boats... I prefer everything was different and unique

...and getting back on topic, people are complaining that the Mine Train isn't an E ticket, but they have room for one big ride where the temporary circus tents are
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
I can tell like the circus idea you keep posting about it... but my main problem is they have a "conceptual land" it's Fantasyland, and Alice, or Pixie Hollow, or Frozen, or any number of things fit within the already established Fantasyland concept.

Well, personally, I think it's dumb that Storybook Circus is considered a "subland" of Fantasyland. The Castle Courtyard and Fantasyland Forest fit together; Storybook Circus does not. IMHO the circus just should have been it's own separate land in the MK, just like Toontown was. That's the easy solution to the contrasting theme between the circus and the rest of Fantasyland.

Honestly, I wouldn't have chosen a circus theme if I were in charge, but I like that it's a well executed cohesive land. But much like the rest of the FLE, it's too much effort spend on theming and looking good and not enough on substance (attractions). It would have been a big difference if the tents were replaced with 2 smaller attractions -- but TDO continues to be inefficient with their use of space. What a waste in that back corner.
 
Last edited:

Scuttle

Well-Known Member
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?
All because of those merch sales and big top treats. I've always been against them building a land around one ride like they did with Dumbo. I thought it was a poor decision on all parts. I really don't get TDO's fascination with Dumbo. Am I the only one that thinks Dumbo wouldn't be missed as much as people think?
 

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
All because of those merch sales and big top treats. I've always been against them building a land around one ride like they did with Dumbo. I thought it was a poor decision on all parts. I really don't get TDO's fascination with Dumbo. Am I the only one that thinks Dumbo wouldn't be missed as much as people think?
I think their fascination came from the enormous lines it used to produce, but since moving it from it's prime location it's lost a bit of it's magic. The view isn't as enchanting anymore without the proximity to the castle, and people seem to have a harder time finding it. To suggest removing it six years ago would be unthinkable. Now, perhaps that's changed. It's something that I would like to share with my kids one day, but it's not the same as before.
 

AndyMagic

Well-Known Member
That concept art for the Alice section makes me so sad. It feels like the missing piece of the New Fantasyland puzzle that would have really made everything cohesive. I'd like to think the Circus subland is just a placeholder but pretty much all resent additions that seemed temporary have survived indefinitely. A lot of people felt Chester and Hester was a placeholder for capacity reasons but we all know how that turned out. At least Disney finally got around to developing Camp Minnie Mickey into a legitimate land. It only took them 20 years.
 

Tonka's Skipper

Well-Known Member
Dumbo is indeed a Disney classic and treasure...............The lines were always a long wait because its a story that appeals to young and old.

AKK
 

AndyMagic

Well-Known Member
Dumbo is indeed a Disney classic and treasure...............The lines were always a long wait because its a story that appeals to young and old.

AKK
The lines were always long because it had the worst capacity of any ride in the park and because it was smack dab in the middle of Fantasyland. It is indeed a classic in the sense that it's a Disney original that opened with the park but the long waits have little to do with that.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom