Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Review – We’re Dig, Dig, Digging This Ride!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride Review During Cast Preview

Today, May 12, 2014, one of us got to experience the brand new, not-yet-open-to-the-public Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and it wasn’t me (Leah)!

By special invitation, Andy was granted the opportunity to preview the attraction said by Tom Staggs to be the “crowning jewel” of New Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom park at the Walt Disney World Resort. During the late afternoon today, Andy and some colleagues boarded a mine car and took it out for a spin with a few dozen other invited cast members.

During the excitement of the opportunity, and not wanting to have elbows in the personal space of his mine car companion, Andy committed the cardinal sin of iPhone video — vertical video. See, he’s usually behind his mega DSLR, a Canon 5D Mark II, so iPhone video is not his strong suit. It’s ok though; it still gives us a quick look at this fun new addition to the original Walt Disney World theme park. Check it out here…

When I asked Andy for his initial impressions, here’s what he said:

• This ride is described as a combination family coaster and a dark ride, and that’s exactly what it is! It’s a perfect marriage of the two concepts. And he loved it!
• It’s smooooooth. Really smooth! The movement of the mine cars is very fluid on the tracks, which gives a very comfortable ride. It doesn’t jostle you around like other coasters. It’s also really quiet, almost silent. Even the lap bar operation is smooth and silent.
• The swinging motion of the cars is FUN! It doesn’t feel like anything he’d ever experienced before. It’s exciting, but not too wild. You feel the most swinging after the “big drop” once you have crossed the bridge on Beast’s Castle side of the mine. This area is pictured below.

• Because of the gentleness of the swinging motion and overall fluidity of the ride, all ages can enjoy this ride without fear of it being “too much” for older or younger folks to handle. It’s definitely a ride the whole family will enjoy. Note: The height requirement is 38 inches.
• The dark ride portion is fantastic! Not only is it incredibly cool that Walt’s original animated motion picture has been given new life, but the original dark ride concept is back and better than ever! Though he’d seen photos and videos of the animatronic figures already, he says they are even more amazing in person. The dwarfs are lifelike in a way that makes them seem like they just stepped off the movie screen and into the mine. He tells me “you have to see it for yourself to understand.”
• He was surprised to see the interactive queue appears only shortly before your wait is over. There is a large and beautifully detailed outdoor queue with no interactive elements at all. Yet, once you are closer to boarding, there are activities to appease and entertain guests who will have undoubtedly spent significant time waiting for this attraction once it’s officially open.

Andy’s Tips:

• Play with the interactive queue! Follow the posted instructions for extra special treats too.

• If you’ve watched the video above, you know there is a little surprise at the end of the ride. Riders seated in last few rows of the Mine Train get better look at the final scene — the only scene in which Snow White appears. But the surprise cameo of the old hag is shortened as the mine car moves back into the station. Riders seated in the first few rows will have a longer look at the old hag.
• Riders seated in the last few rows will have a faster, more exciting overall ride due to the general laws of physics and their effect on the mine cars.
• Look at the details! From the queue to the individual ride cars, to the cottage, to the incredible Hidden Mickeys, you are going to be missing out if you aren’t taking a close look at the details surrounding you.

While we hope and expect to see some soft openings before the official May 28th Grand Opening, we are happy to have secured FP+ reservations for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for 9am (park opening) May 28th and 9pm on May 29th for the nighttime experience.

We are also looking forward to a ride during Wishes sometime too. It’s sure to be a blast (pun intended).