The Live Chat about Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with Imagineer Dave Minichiello just ended and here is what Dave said about the ride: "Pretty much every day is a milestone and some major ones that I’d like to mention are the Dwarfs Cottage, which is going quickly and looking amazing. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train being a part of the forest - we’re starting to see it as a part of the forest with the tree planting... We’re finally starting to see it all come together.
The top of the mountain is being planted with trees, the final rockwork is being completed as well as thematic painting of the rockwork. Ride testing continues daily. Now what’s really nice is the propping the attraction both inside and outside.
Asked about "why a ride about the Seven Dwarfs" Dave answered: "we were looking at New Fantasyland and trying to create a mix of attractions that would offer a broad variety of experiences for our guests, we were looking for a family coaster type of experience. That led us to Snow White and a Mine Train type of vehicle. As a centerpiece of the New Fantasyland expansion, we also thought that this type of experience would create kinetic energy throughout the land. The Dwarfs are really fun and lovable characters and I think that after seeing the classic film of Snow White, how many of our guests wouldn’t want to go into the film? This attraction gave us an opportunity to go in depth with other story lines in the movie".
To the question : "Will all major characters make an appearance in the ride? The Prince, Evil Queen, Snow White, etc.?" Dave Minichiello answered "You’ll be able to experience many of your favorite characters from the film."
To the question : "how it will compare - speed and dropwise - to other coasters such as Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain’?" Dave answered "It’s a family coaster and it’s a unique experience unlike anything else in our parks. This attraction is more innovative in its ride system and vehicle. It is for the entire family. It gives the guests a new sensation they’ve never had before. And we felt that uniqueness was the best way to tell our story. Also, what’s special about Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the journey. You travel through the forest and explore the mine where the dwarfs are working, but we’re seeing the mine in a grander scale in a way we’ve never told the story before."
About the video you will discover below Dave Minichiello said: "What’s interesting about the video is that there’s a CGI model, which was the first concept model that we developed for this show. What’s amazing is seeing how accurate it was to our initial concept and vision. What’s amazing is how accurate the sight lines are, the staging, the scaling, the variable speeds. We’re fortunate to use innovative technologies during the development of our attraction".
Above and below: the reality and the CGI rendering of the scene.
"It's an attraction that has as many amazing views on board as off. From the very beginning, we wanted to showcase those sightlines and see Storybook Circus, a little bit of Mermaid, then we head inside the mine to see the Dwarfs, you come out and see Prince Eric’s Castle, and an amazing view of Cinderella Castle. At our highest lift, you see Prince Eric’s Castle, Beast Castle and Cinderella Castle, so the views are spectacular."
Dave added: "Based on the type of vehicle we wanted to use to tell the story, we started looking at a mine vehicle and thought that it would be a fun guest experience to sit in a mine car". And about the new ride train system: "It has proven to be pretty amazing and a very smooth attraction. It’s a completely new experience - not only having the sensation of pivoting back and forth and it varies throughout the attraction. You feel differences in the various terrain around the mountain.
"Each mine train is very unique and we wanted to make them look like they were used in different times. When you see the vehicles themselves, there’s a lot of layering to them. While you go to the mine and there’s a lot of rustic wood and wood graining throughout the attraction, some of the wood carving is something you seen in the film and we’ve picked that up. The scale and the character of everything around you starts to go into the dwarfs’ world".
To the question: "the train seems to slow when it hits that “dark ride” point - anything specific we should look for in there?" Dave answered "The reason the train slows is to allow the guests to enjoy the details of the scene. We wanted to let our guests discover their favorite dwarf. All seven are hard at work in the mine scene - and we do have some hidden stuff in there."
Dave also revealed that "The queue has a surprise song in it that was originally written for the film called ‘Music In Your Soup,’ which we’ve recorded in instrumental version and added to our queue area. All of the music in the queue area is all instrumental, and we wanted to give it a feel that it was played by the Seven Dwarfs".
Asked about interactive queue elements, dave answered : "Yes, we do have some interactive elements in the queue. Part of the “scene one” in the queue area helps us start to tell the story. We have an area where guests can sort and wash jewels, and for the first time, we’re taking guests into the vault as seen in the classic film ‘Snow White.' The ride height restriction is 38 inches and Imagineers are on schedule for an opening on Spring!
Dave also revealed that "The queue has a surprise song in it that was originally written for the film called ‘Music In Your Soup,’ which we’ve recorded in instrumental version and added to our queue area. All of the music in the queue area is all instrumental, and we wanted to give it a feel that it was played by the Seven Dwarfs".
Asked about interactive queue elements, dave answered : "Yes, we do have some interactive elements in the queue. Part of the “scene one” in the queue area helps us start to tell the story. We have an area where guests can sort and wash jewels, and for the first time, we’re taking guests into the vault as seen in the classic film ‘Snow White.' The ride height restriction is 38 inches and Imagineers are on schedule for an opening on Spring!
I was wondering why they call this and Grizzly Mountain a train ride? In the Dwarfs day they would have no engine to push or pull the cars, and no mules are used,leaving the 7 Dwarfs and gravity to push the Mine cars around the track. Seven Dwarfs Mine Car Ride or (the engine-less) Grizzly Mountain Mine Car Ride might be more realistic names. Steven Spielberg used Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain for his research in the Indy Mine Car chase scene where the mine cars are speeding along the tracks engine-less and moving by gravity along and sparks flying from wheel to steel friction. Just a thought from an Old Miner Train Guy.
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