Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a Waste of Space
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- I saw the comment made the other day, that Tron Lightcycle Power Run is one of the best themed coasters ever created. I then thought to myself… is it? It certainly looks like a fun attraction, but its strength, like Space Mountain, seems to be its sense of atmosphere and the fun comes from the actual coaster layout itself. As far as theming goes, there’s not really much to see. It’s mostly lighting effects and a single distinct scene that has riders dueling a couple of other lightcycles. While the attraction itself looks cool, I wouldn’t call it well themed because it really does offer little in the way of content. This got me thinking though. Magic Kingdom’s most undeniably popular attraction is Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train, and is often cited as having really excellent theming. And… no. It’s quite literally almost just all rock work and some trees. I wouldn’t call that theming. This attraction pales in comparison to it’s closest relative, Big Thunder Mountain, which really did take theming to the next level when it premiered. Today’s video is going to be a shorter one, but I am really interested in pointing out why Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train is actually pretty poorly themed. It’s also an attraction with a lot of other short-comings, so let’s take a dive into why this attraction is, to be blunt, quite the waste of space.
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things they should've done for this ride:
1. taken guests through a large wooded area in the queue to simulate the woods from the film
2. created a larger dark ride room to help make the mine seem bigger, kinda like the big room on Indy where you can see the decayed Idol of Mara and several crisscrossing passages
3. made the cottage a larger scene that we spend more time with instead of briefly passing by it before unload, maybe even had the cottage at the beginning and the end to show the dwarves coming to and returning from work
4. locate the ride further away from everything else so that the queue has more space instead of awkwardly being shoved in between several things
I’d actually make the cottage part of the queue, so the first part of the ride could represent the more upbeat Heigh Ho area, while the second part would be more of a climax involving the Old Hag. As for the forest in the queue, I’d start in a wishing well area with the evil Queen over looking the guests, we could then go inside a castle area and see the magic mirror, and then go into the dungeon to see the skeletons, potions, and the poison apple, we then escape into a scary woods with watching eyes and then it transitions into a peaceful setting, signifying our arrival to the dwarfs cottage. I’d also have a Duel Load station to increase capacity by a small bit. This is just something g that comes to my mind at least lol
What do you want this to be, snow white's scary adventures? This ride is meant to be different. It isn't a dark ride.
@@sealy1 and your right, seven dwarfs mine train isn’t, but it lack some of the elements that makes a ride entertaining and thrilling for families, same as how splash mountain can have light and dark moments as well. Snow whites scary adventure focused more on the dark elements, so I’d consider what I’d like would be a nice balance of both approaches, as if, similar to the other attractions in fantasyland, we’re being retold the story of Snow White, while still being a roller coaster.
@@machomachoduck2096 it’s supposed to be a coaster.
@@machomachoduck2096 I have to agree on that, while I think seven dwarfs mine train was meant to be a coaster, it doesn’t have the elements that make the attraction , I think, entertaining and worth waiting in that line
I was an engineer for part of this ride. And yes, I think for the space they did a good job on track layout, however, yes, they could have added a few more themeing elements to keep it interesting....
That's super cool! Are you involved with Imagineering or Vekoma?
for sure, I think if some of the old scenes from scary adventures were added in, like making it a Snow White’s Scary Adventure the Coaster or just a Snow White coaster from the dwarves perspective a la Lion king 1 1/2 would make the ride a bit more interesting
I think a lot of it too is the topic, Snow White. One of the most iconic classic Disney properties. Combine that with the massive marketing push Disney had when the ride came out people's expectations were set a bit high for a fairly low budget ride.
@@JetHawk remember our audience... I think Disney is more about a younger age group... when I started there people told me that Disney had you twice... the first time was when you were young, then when you got older and wanted more thrills you went to universal, then when you had your own fam you came back to Disney....
@@daviderdmann3510 this. its the emotional child years permanent stain on your brain from DISNEY being introduced to you at an early age. So you go and believe the magic..and the rest of your life..unless you know..you travel to OTHER PLACES in the world..you think..oh disney..why do i think of it as such an incredible place of joy and love? Because you were indoctrinated early on that , that is what it was/is.
I agree with the video title, but for a fairly different reason. The problem with the ride is that Disney has artificially inflated (both in size and budget) a simple junior coaster into a competitor for Big Thunder Mountain. SDMT’s problem is that it’s a solid Junior coaster. It’s perfect for small kids (as in 5-10) and old folks, as the mild ride experience caters perfectly to those groups. They created the issue by taking a low capacity kids ride and blew it up in size without making the theming, throughput, or intensity match the scope. If SDMT kept the current theme and intensity but was built on a far smaller piece of land and wasn’t advertised as a flagship attraction, it would fit perfectly. As it stands though, Seven Dwarves Mine Train really is a waste of space.
I think it is for toddlers.
I’m a little shocked that anyone would consider the seven dwarves mine ride as the best themed ride in Magic Kingdom. Surely that would go to Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Carribbean with the Splash, Thunder, and Space mountains following behind those two aforementioned rides in terms of theme. Never have I thought that the Dwarves Mine ride was on par with them, in terms of theme or genuine fun. I’m assuming it’s raved about so much because it’s one of the newest rides at the park so people are just kind of enamored with the novelty of it. Give it a few more years and I bet it’ll fall down lower in the lists in terms of both best theming and general best rides at the park.
Honestly, I wonder if it's partially due to the unique ride vehicles actually making the ride feel like you're in a tip-unloading minecart (or at least _would_ feel like that if they didn't crank the friction dampers up so high).
This ride is the biggest "tourist trap" in all of Disney. It looks like there could be some promise, but it squanders it thanks to it's forgettable scenes, lack of thrill, and a very short run-time.
Definitely agreed.
SDMT being a "tourist trap" is the ride's greatest achievement. It pulls a good number of people away from other, better attractions in MK!
@@fxeditor1138 At least some of the better rides get less wait times because of SDMT. That's one good thing I can say about it.
In late October this year, we got to WDW at regular park opening & went directly to Fantasyland - Seven Dwarves already had an estimated 120 minute wait. Ridiculous!
@Michael Teti I feel like the short run-time and how paper-thin the experience is around the coaster is what brings the ride it down. If a ride is THAT short, then at least try to make it more exciting! Make the dark ride scene pop out a little bit more than just some projection-faced animatronics that look like night-lights.
They missed a simple opportunity to make the queue have amazing themeing: Start the Queue inside the Seven Dwarves Cottage. Not long after the Standby Line gates, put the cottage there for us to walk through.
We can see the little table, their chairs, and all their belongings. Perhaps this version could even start as the dirty grimy cottage.
Then as we exit the cottage, perhaps we see a Snow White Animationic with some animals peering through the window. (Or if you need to save some money, show us the inside Window they are looking through as we exit).
Then as we transition to the mine, we could have sculpted trees like the one Snow White saw when she was running from the Huntsman. The trees that scared here (there must have been near the cottage, since she didn't go that far from them when she found the cottage).
Now when we come back at the end of the ride, it makes sense that we are back near the cottage (since we went inside and saw it before) and we can see the clean version they have the sing and dance in.
I quite like the ride simply due to it being a ride that everyone can go on together. There isn’t anyone having to be left out (young or old) due to not liking coasters or thrill rides.
You can say that with almost any Disney attraction though...
@@deadmeme2615 Well… apart from Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Mission Space, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, yes.
My baby sister still can't go lol
It’s nice to have a milder coaster for the kids, but in my opinion, it doesn’t really excuse the lack of theming. I think what we should be afraid of is that Disneyland is slowly turning into a park for kids. Disneyland used to be a park for everyone, with kids as it’s target audience, but soon, it will only be aimed at kids, who don’t care much about the stunning theming and detail
You could say that about any ride that’s not scary a good children rides should entertain everyone for example with good theming
I agree. Ride length is the big one for me, Big Thunder always surprises me how long it actually is with each lift hill providing unique surprises and content. Seven Dwarves is a quick look at the mine and then I know it's practically over.
Fundamentally I think the space in fantasy land was just too small to put a coaster in. The best feature is the kinematics of the ride making the land look more active and alive.
they pushed back north and where the SDMT is now use to be a good part of the lagoon where 20,000 leagues under the sea was. and where Be our guest resturant and the little mermaaid is was expansion area. just below where Pinoccho's Village Huans resturant is the main castmember tunnel enterance. and the loop road would be about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile north of that (back in 1979) so there was and still is development land to use or was untill they built the other gates and hotels. (due to land use regulations and agreements that Disney has with the state of florida that they must preserve a portion of the total property as natural for conservation.)
If they didn't waste all that space on coaster tracks, there would have been plenty of room on the site for a new, expanded Snow White dark ride.
@@chrissygerwitz520 and content don’t forget the content
I personally hate BTMR since it doesn’t feature any big drops. I’d rather ride seven dwarfs larger drop than big thunder’s twist and turns and small bunny holes
It’s a fun ride, but I agree the line length isn’t worth the 30 second ride.
Having taken my kids on SDMT multiple times I disagree that it doesn’t have “thrilling elements”. It’s always seemed pretty thrilling to our kids, and they adore it.
In my opinion, the flaw of this attraction is its duration. If it was as long as Thunder Mtn. Railroad it would still be inferior (for many of the reasons you highlight), but it would be a pretty solid attraction. I also don’t think it’s a waste of space, but I do find it quite frustrating that rather than doing expansions, Disney seems content to tear things down and put new things in its place. The parks suffer from attraction capacity issues…one remedy would be more attractions.
Agreed! It's honestly a fun and cute ride but the short duration kills it for me
I take your point and I acknowledge that I've become desensitized to the thrill elements of attractions, so I suspect that leads to my bias. It seems to me that even Barnstormer is a significant step up in thrill level though, which I think is a testament to what kids are willing to tolerate.
"Disney seems content to read things down and put new things in it's place"
This is the problem with space Disneyland has.
Disney used to create attractions that handled capacity better. Think of the Omnimover. BTMRR does a better job with capacity even though it’s obviously not an Omnimover attraction. All the new attractions that are trackless can’t deal with capacity at all.
Heres a secret, Disney doesnt want you to ride the rides..it wants you to eat and shop instead. Solving capacity issues would mean less people shopping and eatting to pass the time thus a decrease in their reveue. I know its a nasty tactic but honestly Disney parks have become more about how much money they can suck out of guest and less about actual guest expireance/enjoyment.
I thought I was the only one who thought this ride sucked. The projection mapping in the mine show scene is piss poor. I actually laughed when I saw it the first time. I like the comparison to thunder mountain. This current batch of imagineers just doesn’t have what the Tony Baxter generation had. They don’t understand the art in visual story telling. They don’t convey the emotional connection with the attraction. Great attractions should have a distinct feel associated with them. The only recent deviation from this is Galaxy’s edge. While I don’t care for the chosen location the theming is some of the best. It manages to be completely immersive. I could still “ plus” it, but it comes close to being nearly perfect.
This is bs
True, but unfortunately Galaxy's Edge is well-themed around what is now a garbage IP, and isn't even themed around a planet that's actually present in that IP.
O that someone sane were making decisions at Disney!
@@Nethseaar bro wtf. You just said Star Wars is garbage. Smh
@@Nethseaar Yes, they have real issues. The plan to retcon the sequels is already in motion. I have a feeling being that chapek comes from the retail side a retheme into the mandalorian time period is coming. That is what sells merch.
I feel like SDMT is one of the earliest examples of Disney creating an underwhelming attraction that uses its IP as a means of drawing everyone in. Without recognizable characters in the attraction no one would want to ride it. I also don’t think SDMT is a bad attraction, but simply disappointing. Excruciatingly long wait times for an attraction that’s painfully mediocre in many ways might make it seem a lot worse than it is. But that’s just my opinion. Great video as always!
Yeah, I wouldn't say that the attraction is "bad". Instead, it just doesn't really deliver on anything. It's just "good enough".
It kind of reminded me of Gadgets Go Coaster in Disneyland, except that that one doesn't have any wait time to speak of.
The final scene with the cottage with the dwarfs and the witch represents everything wrong not only with this ride but with today’s Disney Imagineering: the most interesting part of the ride can only be seen for a brief blip out of the corner of your eye.
Excellent video! Finally someone telling it like it is. There is a crisis of creativity at Disney, Disney parks in particular.
Not to mention that the Snow White animatronic in the cottage has a weird-looking face. XD
@@eurobeatking That's funny. I never noticed her face being weird before because the whole scene goes by so fast I can't really pick out any detail! I so glad that my daughter has outgrown this ride and no longer has any interest in riding it.
@@fxeditor1138 It depends if the car(s) in-front of you are still in the station. If you're in that holding-pattern, you should be able to get a glimpse of Snow White's face as she passes.
I will say that I don't think creativity has been lacking, I just think the Disney higher ups won't let the imagineers use their creativity.
Every time I see the mine train at night, I’m just reminded how the lighting is just so minimal. Most of the mountain is just gone, there’s nothing lighting it up! The only lights you really see are flood lights where the coaster goes by. It’s a fun ride, but there’s so much that could be done
Every video you post you say everything I think about! I’m glad I’m not the only one! I wish we had a tangled ride instead!!!!
Hey god! Glad to see you on RUclips.
The gold standard usually comes from the budgets of attractions at Tokyo Disney properties. With all of the Disney resources they could design a coaster with triple the capacity .
Yes! Tangled was such a great Disney movie! My favorite Disney Princess!
Big Thunder Mountain and Splash mountain or two best theme rides in all of Disney World, borg deliver way more than you would expect as you walk into the queue. And both are old classic rides, everything new sanitized and honestly Disney is relying way too much on video screens nowadays, everything is just ride with a big TV.
Rise of the resistance is excellently themed and well done I just wish instead of the video screens they would have used more animatronics. I love Disney animatronics, even the new projector face ones
We should have kept snow whites scary adventures and make a tangled dark ride
Not only does this ride spend a huge majority outside the actual Mine but the ending is the worse. The fact they put the Seven Dwarfs cottage and animatronics off to the right side where you can barley see through the windows instead of letting the train pass through the cottage that would allow riders on both sides to see what's happening is just baffling to me.
SDMT is definitely not worth the wait, imo. Was definitely expecting more than it delivered, based on the hype.
I liked this ride, but honestly it does need a bit something more. Honestly, I just wish the cars rocked around more, it feels like it underutilized the ride vehicle's main feature.
right? ive never even felt them rock
Go look at Orphan Rocker (the backyard project in Australia that inspired Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) to see why they didnt make them rock more
@@squidward_tortelllini hmm, when I first went on it I did feel the rocking. I am not sure if over the years they changed how much it can without anyone noticing
A few years ago we visited MK and my parents waited for mine train while the rest of us did other attractions. In the two hours they were in line we rode Dumbo, Barnstormer, played in the Casey Jr splash area, rode the train to Frontierland, had lunch at pecos bills, and rode pirates. My parents were pissed and they both agreed it was the biggest waste of time. I’ve still never been on it 🤷♂️
We went on this ride for the first time at our first trip to WDW a few months ago. We waited in line for close to 2 hours. It felt like it was entirely too short for how long we waited, and it was overall quite disappointing.
As someone who isn’t into big thrills and rollercoasters, I really did enjoy this ride! I do agree on the lack of theming and that it’s not worth the overly long wait time, I do think most of that does stem from the overall length of the ride, it’s just way too short. Unfortunately that’s not something they can fix, perhaps they could throw in some more animatronics along the ride path or maybe even include in the queue area to up the storytelling and immersion. As light as the theming is though, I will say the landscaping is incredibly pretty and did place me in the world of the film, but a few extra characters would go a long way,
In terms of it being thrilling and for toddlers, I disagree, I do think Disney market this ride as a family attraction and I agree with that placement. While younger guests may be able to handle higher thrills, I think it’s important to remember that not everyone wants to. Not every guest wants to go on big rollercoasters or Mountain attractions, but they also seek something more exciting than a slow moving omni mover style attraction. Personally, I really enjoy both this ride and Big Thunder Mountain, and they’re about as thrilling as I can go whilst still enjoying the ride. I understand I’m in the minority, but I’m sure Disney still has a large amount of guests in the same boat, and so I don’t think the thrill level of the ride is a negative, as I’ve always seen it as a positive.
An interesting and illuminating take on things. I appreciate the input!
Yes, many of my friends are freaked out by the Yeti ride in Animal 🦒 Kingdom (!😂), and Seven Dwarfs is just their speed. 😊
I've been on Tron 6 times over 3 trips to Shanghai. It is the best roller coaster in the world right now - has been for the past 5 years since the park opened. It's theming is true to the Tron Legacy movie - starting from the outside queues that are underneath a giant laser, the being briefed by Gem (actress Beau Garrett), and rocking out in a rave to Daft Punk's masterpiece score to the movie. The ride launches you from a contained long hallway to the outside high up in the air. It gives me a thrilling feel of flying like Superman, then then back into the game grid. You are also going from cool blue lights and air conditioning to breezy humid air and then back into cool inside-the-computer themed competitive racing. It's so smooth all the way through.
Tron in Florida being plunked down right next to DisneyWorld's Space Mountain is a strange choice. Shanghai Disneyland has a huge futuristic and beautiful garden you walk through that makes you feel like you're entering the Tron world. When Tron opens in DisneyWorld, Space Mountain will feel old and outdated - I'm thinking of a Disney ghetto. -Frank
Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point is the best roller coaster in the world for me.
While I agree that Seven Dwarfs lacks theming throughout most of the ride, I disagree with your blanket statement that all terrain work isn’t theming. While it isn’t theming on its own, terrain work compliments and elevates the theming of buildings and other thematic elements. For example, the Volcano of DisneySea complimenting the castle in the front and the various structures of Mysterious Island. I also think that terrain work should be appreciated as it takes incredible detail and effort to get it right such as the Volcano and Taron, and getting it wrong is painfully obvious such as Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain. Anyways, that’s just what I was thinking, love your videos! :)
Great video, thanks! Interestingly, this ride suffers a smilier issue as Tiana's Bayou Adventure -- which also combines a thrill ride with dark ride scenes -- in that it doesn't match up the emotional-thrills moments with supporting story moments for maximum impact. Tiana fails to locate an effective anticipatory story moment with the lift before the big drop, and Seven Dwarfs likewise fails to locate a dramatic moment like the storm and Evil Queen trying to pry the boulder to the lift hill and drop.
Matching story moments with the physicality and rider-emotions is as critical as matching up the score of a movie with it's story and action -- and it seems like a lost art at Imagineering. It doesn't help that WDI is currently so afraid of actual feelings of peril and fear (something Walt Disney knew was an essential part of story-telling and is the number-one "fix" that Bruce Vaughn needs to make at WDI to unlock a new era of success). This lack of genuine pathos in many of Disney's recent attractions is why audiences are not feeling as emotionally connected to the experiences, the parks, and ultimately the brand.
As an aside, I'm curious about the many comments by people who say "this is a roller coaster, it doesn't need scenes..." Why the doctrinaire approach to attraction categories, I wonder? This attraction is 3 minutes, and Scary Adventures (at Disneyland) is 2 minutes...why couldn't they combine the roller coaster aspect and all the story-telling of SWSA into a 4-5 minute attraction that delivers the whole story and some thrills, with a satisfying arc? It doesn't seem like this would have increased the budget that much as I'd expect the vast majority of the budget was on the overall mountain and ride infrastructure and technology and project management and overall project overhead....adding a bit more flat track and 2-3 classic Fantasyland dark ride scenes can't be that expensive. It could have made this a top-tier (child appropriate but whole-family satisfying) thrill + dark ride attraction, like how Splash Mountain was, or Indiana Jones at Disneyland, or Radiator Sprigs Racers.
The ride is so smooth that everyone I was with loved it. Yeah the story could be beefed up, and it needs something else at the end, but it's a delight to ride.
Tbh Big Thunder tends to be a bit too rickety for me so the smoothness of this one is very much appreciated.
I will admit the mine train has a substantial footprint but Disney is known for doing things grand. When I go to the Magic Kingdom at rope drop people are power walking to the monorail and ferry excitedly talking about running straight to the Mine Train. And once they enter the gates hundreds of families are almost running to fantasyland. The line fills up fast and stays wrapped around the ride all they way to the little mermaid ride the rest of the day. This is the single most sought after ride at the Magic Kingdom at the moment.
My adult daughter and I rode this a couple of months ago, and afterwards we wondered what all of the hype was about. This was definitely a “one and done” ride for us.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train may not be my favorite ride at MK or even my favorite of Fantasyland but I still like the ride alot. I wouldn't say the coaster is only aimed towards "toddlers" and more for the entire family. You may say Thunder Mountain is a family ride but to me it isn't. Not everyone in my family would ride Thunder Mountain due to the craziness of that coaster but they can all do Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, after all it's the only roller coaster with no warnings. People find it "boring" because there's nothing rough on the coaster or any huge drops or inversions,etc. But again, the ride isn't trying to be intense nor is it trying to be least intense one. Now comparing it to Barnstormer, that one is definitely aimed more to kids and toddlers or people who want to get started on a roller coaster. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is just a bit of a step up. I've sat in the back row and I felt the ride go pretty quick during the dispatch and the drop after the "Heigh Ho" lift hill. It caught me off guard but it was fun. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is also a really smooth coaster, it's rare (atleast for me) to find a smooth roller coaster and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the smoothest I've done. 7+ years and it still runs real smooth when you compare it to another coaster like Space Mountain where it feels pretty rough during some turns and going up hills. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train also has the best firework viewing in the entire park (my opinion) I was lucky enough to have ridden it during Happily Ever After and the fireworks were literally above me, it was beautiful. Swaying back and forth in the minecart is a feature in the coaster many people overlook. It's very fun to do and something you can't do in any other ride, especially a roller coaster. So yeah, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train may not be the best of the "big" MK rides but it's a great start for kids who reach the height restriction for them to get ready for what's to come and I think it's one of the best family thrill rides in Disney World. The fact that they mixed a dark ride with a roller coaster is different then any other at the resort. Yes, the line is ridiculously long everyday but again. More families (from young kids to the elderly) who go to the park would most likely pick to do Seven Dwarfs over the 3 mountains. Splash Mountain can scare people due to the drop, Thunder Mountain because of how wild it can get and Space Mountain because alot of people have a fear of darkness. It's hard to find anyone who would be scared to do Mine Train other then, they're scared to do a roller coaster but again, Seven Dwarfs isn't really that bad...
my partner and I really enjoyed this ride! we waited until the fireworks were going and even though the wait said 70+ minutes, it ended up being only 30. it was dark by then so we may have missed the “lack of theming” and when we emerged from the mine, the fireworks were setting off in the sky. it was actually quite magical! seeing it in the day, I might not feel the same way though!
Although I would agree that the ride has minimal theming, I would personally argue that it makes the atmosphere feel more real. It’s not made of plastic, cartoonesque trees, but real trees and woodwork that remind you of the original German/Scandinavian location the story is set in. When you finally meet the characters on the ride, their presence feels more welcome and you can really get a sense that they are reacting to the same environment you’re in, the same real life place you’re in, and it makes them feel more real. The gem cavern especially, because the whole place has been mostly real scenery, the gems feel so earned and magestic, like hey, just maybe they are real glowing gems, the rest of its been real. Idk maybe that’s just me, but I quite enjoy that the artificial elements are placed well within the natural and real elements and seem to make you feel as if the story is really happening around you.
Also the swinging cars are a 10/10, would ride again🤠
I have to disagree, but you definitely have an interesting take on things. I don’t feel that the scenery is necessarily bad, so much as it suffers because the ride lacks content and distinct show scenes. Your perspective is definitely something I haven’t encountered though.
Poseidon, someone else mentioned in a reply below that Walt was a model train lover & hobbyist. I firmly believe that the Walt Disney Company (or perhaps Imagineering) lacks the amount of people who are endeared by model train sets & sceneries, or just people who love scale models all together. You should look up WDW models on RUclips and see the attention to detail that Disney fans put into their cardboard or Lego park recreations. These are the type people the company is missing.
I agree that this ride is most always not worth the wait. However, the main aspect Imagineers seemed to be leaning on to produce thrill was the tilting vehicle carts. This is a fun, new idea for Magic Kingdom, and this aspect offers riders a little control of their ride experience, which is what many Magic Kingdom rides so obviously lean on (i.e. teacups, Dumbo, Aladdin's magic carpets). One thing I am confident to say Imagineers did well with this ride is making it a good fit for Magic Kingdom. Though, yes, the thrill is still lacking, and the tilt aspect does not compensate for other missing aspects.
Maybe it's loved b/c it's not another "small world" type of ride. Most rides were slow prior to space mountain, thunder mountain, etc. After the lack of ingenuity in the newer EPCOT "mousegear" store I'm convinced they've fired all the imagineers and they have CPAs or bus drivers or some other unrelated field throwing out theming ideas😕
Usually when a piece of art turns out poorly it's not due to the artists, but the higher ups forcing artists to make a product instead of a vision.
My biggest issue with this ride was the time. I expected the ride to go on longer than it did, and myself and a friend thought it was a trick and something would happen after we stopped, but no. Even if there were more slow sections with scenes or something, it would have helped. Or something to help feel the movement of the carts.
Bambis Mothers death also benefits from Juxtaposition. That film is so overwhelming pleasant and earnest that when his mother dies or when Faline is running from dogs through fire at the end, you really feel the weight. The Movie went from adorable to horrifying. The scene right before is Bambi, Thumper, and Flower falling in love and then suddenly their home is burning to the ground. It's an intense whiplash
The issue I see with new rides is the reliance on video components rather than the physical immersive aspects. I agree that the theming is not strong but it’s more than just theming. It’s about the little details you mentioned on Big Thunder. I see theme parks becoming more uniform rather than unique. It’s harder to tell the difference between Disney Magic and Universal which is sad.
I definitely agree. Rise of the Resistance and Runaway Railway appear to be chasing what Universal attractions had been doing, using screens as a cheaper alternative to attraction and maintenance costs. However, I see that Universal has clearly recognized this mistake. I'm not sure if Disney does.
@@PoseidonEntertainment totally agree! Don’t get me started. My first visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios was when it was Disney’s MGM Studios in 1990. I remember I felt like I was in another world and time. Who would have thought that the park would be hosting the same shows 30 years later??? And it still only has seven “attractions.” Mickey & Minnies Runaway Railway does not belong in the park and there is so much dead space in it. There literally is no connection for me with that attraction. As far as Galaxy’s Edge, I was completely underwhelmed and I really am disappointed that just like with Avatar, Disney doesn’t seem to no longer care about having the empty shells of attraction buildings visible to guests. Just think how much effort went into disguising Disenyland’s Haunted Mansion show building??? Or how Space Mountain is completely enclosed. This new crop of imagineers were raised on video so it’s not surprising.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Well sometimes, I guess, it isn't practical to have hundreds of space ship models flying around that need constant upkeep. What were they supposed to do? The utilization of screens in Rise is pretty good.
As Yankee great Yogi Berra might say;
"Nobody goes there anymore, the Lines are too Long..."
I loved it for being smooth and enjoyable. But at under 3 minutes, the payoff seems not worth the wait for me.
Mmm so smooth!!!! 😆😆😆
I like 7DMT (It's a cute blend between a kid coaster and a dark ride), but agree that it should not command the wait times it does. I don't understand what people are thinking there.
In addition to everything you pointed out, Seven Dwarf's Mine Train is ridiculously short. We rode it in 2018 and were completely underwhelmed. While I didn't realize at the time, that will very likely be our last visit to Disney. Universal on the other hand, never fails to entertain us. They seem to actually put a lot of effort into their parks and treat their guests as guests and not as "consumers".
I find it to be an enjoyable ride, but due to lengthy wait and it not being quite good enough to use a FastPass on, I tend to wait until just before park close to ride. At that point it is walk on, and the rollercoaster elements are much more thrilling because you don’t quite know what to expect in the dark
I will admit that I like it somewhat better at night, but I still think the overall experience doesn't really deliver. If you enjoy it though, all the power to you.
This ride is like Dr. Ego Spengler said "short but pointless"
The world doesn’t revolve around you, this coaster is available for everyone.
Big Thunder Mountain is at the same park but it's much better.
@@NocturneFexy for you but for my mum who doesn’t like big coasters or a small child who’s never been on a coaster before, this is better by far
@@harpy5677 Big Thunder Mountain is longer, has better theming, and is actually a fun ride. Sure your mum and small children may disagree, but even then not everything should be dumbed down just for children.
@@NocturneFexy you don’t have to go on it. That’s the point, in the same way that you don’t have to go on barnstormer or Alladins carpet.
I havn’t been on this ride but it surprises me that the story ends at about the halfway mark of the film before the movies climax. We couldve had something with the dark woods or even the cliff where the queen dies but idk I’m not an imagineer. They dont have the snow white scary adventure anymore so it’s not like it’d feel redundant
I like this ride. It's incredibly smooth. While Big Thunder IS more thrilling, it's also very rough.
Yep. I agree.
I feel like the reason the ride doesn't feel as thrilling is because the ride focuses more on lateral Gs (side to side) rather than positive Gs (more gravity) and negative Gs (airtime).
I so agree with this. The first time I rode I was beyond disappointed, especially having waited like 80 minutes in the heat. I did have the opportunity to ride last weekend during Boo Bash when it was dark and the wait was about 20-25 minutes, and I have to say it made the experience a lot more fun. All in all, not a must do for me at all.
So the reason I like it is the track system feels more fluid. My husband has a bad back and can’t go on most roller coasters, but he’s fine on this one. The fluid track system with no jolting like other coasters offers him a fun and comfortable experience, so it’s really the only coaster we can go on together as a family.
They designed this ride with computers that's why it's smoother. BTMRR and Space Mountain were designed by hand. Interestingly BTMRR and SDMT have the same manufacturer: Vekoma. Disney loved working with them for some reason, they also designed Rock N Rollercoaster, Cosmic Rewind, and Expedition Everest
I was intensely let down when I finally rode it. I used to only go once a year and I'm sure it was under construction for four years? And it took out 20,000 Leagues? For the outside emptiness in the two helixes, they could at least have come up with all the exterior operations the Dwarfs needed like old timey hammer mills water wheel powered gem working machines and maybe even a gold smelter or somesuch.
SDMT has great theming, wait in line mitigated by things to play with, gems, water tunes, spinning gem barrels. I agree the downfall of this ride in the short duration. 50-70 minutes in line for a 2+ minute ride…
The host is biased to universal…. So he is overly critical to Disney… SDMT is great..just needs to be longer
I enjoyed SDMT, we got to ride it a couple of times (once in the front), my 7yo daughter loved it my wife and I liked the smoothness of the experience. Now would I wait over 40 minutes to ride this, nope. I think that most of the dissatisfaction of this ride is length of time in cue versus length of time on ride.
your channel is unbelievably fire - the production value is so high and you’re so knowledgeable about the subject matter you discuss. Keep killing it!!
The touch based interactions are also a great way to share germs
Your point about the difference between modern and old Disney films is great, couldn’t agree more
I know that even the films of the Disney Renaissance were criticized for being a bit too emotionally safe, but come the era of Disney 3D animation, they look much better in retrospect.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Lion King didn't hold back much at all, can't say the same about Beauty and the Beast.
@@BigBossMan538 I think that Lion King and Hunchback might be the exceptions in this case. Not that I don't enjoy the renaissance films, but I see where the criticism comes from.
Although I agree that waiting so long for a ride that only lasts a minute makes it not fun to go to, I love the beautiful themeing. Sure it isn’t a lot but it’s so naturalistic and calming. No extravagant water pieces or rock formations, just a natural woodland which appeals at least to me, especially on the ride when even if it’s not that extreme it feels so great to see the woods while the wind blows through your hair. For sure not my favorite attraction, big thunder mountain is soooo much better, but not a waste of space in my opinion-yet with the rides becoming more unimaginative and the movies becoming less and less tense… I do agree. One of the reasons why I can’t watch new Disney or Pixar films because they don’t have the feeling they used to have.
I still cannot believe they would have disrespected Snow White like this 😭💔
Completely disagree. This is the type of ride I look for and plan my day with, it's not Space Mountain which is way too much for me, but it's not a Small World either. Different tastes for different folks.
I think it’s themed well, it’s classic Disney instead of Marvel or Star Wars which feels a little out of place. It compliments Fantasyland well and it’s a decent enough ride for a wide age range to enjoy
I think that this is an excellent ride because as a little kid even up to age 13 i had anxiety attacks every time i would ride anything even a little bit thrilling, but i loved the motion of going up and down. I know that if i had the chance to ride this ride as a child, it would have been very special to me. Then assumption that all kids seek thrilling rides is honestly pretty inconsiderate and even now that i am more comrortable on more intense rides, i find the seven dwarfs mine train to be a very fun ride to start off my vacation with. Not every track has to be thrilling.
My assumption is that it’s popular not because of “toddlers” but because it’s considered “new” compared to other rides.
I rode this yesterday. The interactive sorting was broken. There was no projection on the ceiling with spinning barrels. Ride was barely functional. This past weekend space mountain, buzz lightyear and rise of resistance broke down a lot.
I find it so interesting to contrast this review with what you said about the yoshi omnimover in the super mario park. That had no thrills, but didn't market itself as having any, and you loved the scenes and stuff to look at. And I agree... I did this one at a halloween party so I didn't wait for too long, but I was very let down having expected. You know. A coaster. Even the Barnstormer (which I didn't really know was a kid ride at the time I rode it) was more fun for me as an adult person.
I still can't believe they took away Snow White's Scary Adventures at MK and gave us this. The Florida version was the best version of the ride imo and it's such a shame it's gone. I always said that this ride made no sense to add to MK because it was too similar to big thunder (mine coaster thru a mountain) and gave us nothing besides the scene with the dwarves in the mine and then the cottage at the end. Glad I'm not alone.
Why do we need the same version of an unpopular dark ride in Florida as we have in california, this is a much better way to represent Snow White especially cause it contrasts the Disney dark ride perfectly. Disney knows that they don’t need duplicates of unpopular rides on each coast hence why they closed mr toad in Florida and country bears in california
Expedition Everest, Hagrid's Motor Bike Adventure, and Velocicoaster. I would say are some of the top themed coasters
Agreed. They're also quite intense rides. I know that the Harris ride is faster than it seems, while Everest and Velocicoaster is just as fast as it seems.
Thank you someone finally agrees with me
The simple fact that it’s the most popular ride at MK as you say surely indicates that it’s not a failure.
This is a classically themed scaled down version of big thunder mountain railroad and it's a good thing because they are trying to get more children to ride roller coasters the problem being they're knowingly hazardous
This is something adults and kids can enjoy and it is relatively safe
Awaiting a killer video on genie + and lightning lane. I'm pretty sure whatever you put out on it will be deserved.
I'm thinking of rolling it into a larger video and talking about how Universal will come in and take a lot of Disney's market share. I think Genie will be a large factor in that.
It is insane to think that people will accept paying for something that had always been free! Fast Passes should not cost more money than the already extremely high cost of a ticket!
I don’t think a good argument against this ride is to say it’s theming is only rock work and then compare it to big thunder mountain. Big thunder mountain was designed after places like monument valley( rocks) and the American west. Seven Dwarves Mine Train literally takes you through the mine of the seven dwarves from Walt Disney’s first feature length film. It’s an iconic scene with an iconic piece of music and it actually features animatronics for each dwarf, albeit with projected faces, (that’s the rides only downfall to me.) the vehicles sway as the coaster moves, and the ride provides you with some pretty spectacular views of New Fantasyland. The micro animations of each dwarf is also pretty great. Dopey’s eyes in the crystals, doc hearing the bell saying Hi Ho. Then climbing that hill with the shadows of the dwarfs literally is right out of the film. It’s a very strong attraction even though it’s a very tame coaster. It’s good for people of all ages too. So there’s that. Big thunder mountains theming is actually more observable outside of the attraction, especially at Disney World. You can see the whole town model from the train, but not on the ride. So no, seven dwarves mine train is not a waste of space, but more an attraction that truly honors Disney’s creative past.
I love your videos! They're so informative and I agree with all of your points! I'm so happy to have found a you tuber with a same track mind! Thank you!
Thanks, I'm glad that you enjoy!
......as a fledgling dark ride engineer, I thank you very sincerely for the amount of thoughtful content you've put out. And the more I watch, the more angry I get....... all the wasted budgets, the lack of talent driving the decision-making processes, the enormous opportunity costs, and I could go on.......... but I've got more of your videos to binge watch..........
As a Monday morning theme park designer - it looks a bit memoryless. What I mean it, yes there is terrain, some mine scenes and a cottage scene, but there lacks a story that is told in sync with track layout. As a replacement for Snow White's Scary Adventure ... this could have told the story through the eyes of the dwarfs. Perhaps this even a story that most of the riders are unaware of at this point. But the ride could lean more into the story and build as the story comes to the climax.
Not enough animatronics or visual references other that the terrain and landscape. But this attraction could definitely use twice or 4x the amount of flare. With the closer of Scary Adventure, were the animatronics recycled for this attraction?
I think Revenge of the Mummy is easily the best themed coaster.
Hagrids? I really love Mummy but Hagrids has so much more to offer in terms of theming
hahahahaha. No
100% agree with the "Thrill" statement. Look at something like the Frozen ride and compare it to Snow White's Scary Adventures. The Frozen ride is literally just an even dumber version of the film that offers no sense of danger or even challenging moments. You are literally sitting in a boat surrounded by happy characters for like 4 minutes. Now when you look at the snow white ride, there is a clear sense of danger as you are supposed to be experiencing the story firsthand.
This is one thing I've noticed in the newer dark rides like Frozen and the Little Mermaid. Yeah, Mermaid had an Ursula scene, but it still didn't give off that emotion of danger, because the Ursula scene had no consequence. The ride literally rewrote the story to the film. Though these are rides intended for children (and I feel like a maniac complaining about them at 12:00 at night) I think it should be essential for a child to have to experience some sort of dangerous or challenging element in order to develop. What's the point of going on a ride based on a story if there is no lesson to the story. The Snow White ride, along with Pinocchio, Alice in wonderland, and Peter pan all had at least some sort of challenge the characters had to overcome. Even the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has the huffelumps and woosels part (which I might add terrified me as a child).
I literally cried out "THAT'S IT?!!!" when the ride vehicle went from the "Hi Ho!" hill climb to the cottage section and ended. This ride routinely has hours-long wait times, and all for NOTHING. It even has the gall to end right as it seems to be starting.
I agree. My kids and I vastly prefer Thunder Mtn over 7DMT. My three complaints with 7DMT are:
1. Since it's a mine train, more of the ride needs to actually be in a mine. Too much of the ride is outside. This would also give it more differentiation to Thunder Mtn. Also, having it inside would protect the animatronics from the elements.
2. Yes, more theming is needed. Animatronics showing the dwarves working, mining, pushing carts, etc.
3. The ride needs to be longer. I understand they’re working with a limited footprint, but I feel like they could have expanded the ride on the west side and encroached into the space of Enchanted Tales with Belle and Be Our Guest Restaurant.
I agree that an indoor version with controlled lighting would be better, with money saved from structural concrete rock work could be spent instead on more characters and scenes. This could be done at Disney California Adventure in Hollywood Land with an entry queue through a replica of Disney's 1930s Hyperion Studio (where Snow White was made) as an homage to classic Disney Animation. (The whole point of Buena Vista St. and Hollywood Land is because of the early Disney company but there's no attraction that makes that purpose clear.) This indoor version would have happy daylight scenes as well as a climax with wind, rain storm effects, and scene of Evil Queen with boulder.
If they added the few scenes taken from Snow White's Scary Adventure, they could replace that attraction in Disneyland with a dark ride for Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, which surprisingly don't exist!
Also keep in mind that the reason Seven Swarfs Mine Train came to being is because of the criticisms towards the original plans of the Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland expansion being too lenient on the Disney Princess brand (as well as the Disney Fairies brand) and not enough offerings for the male demographic. Where the attraction lays now was suppose to be a Snow White Meet 'n' Greet experience. So I guess you could say the attraction's existence was a mere byproduct of systemic misogyny in entertainment.
I’m a sucker for nature elements so I enjoy the trees and rock work. It becomes a semantical argument but I count that as theming. My main critique of this ride comes down to length and feel a longer ride with an extra set piece would do a lot address the concerns here.
If you think Bob Iger led the way to the fall of Disney parks, I invite you to spend some time with one Paul Pressler.
If you’re into roller coasters this may be boring but if you are not and sit in the back, the gravity portions will likely be thrilling. Not necessarily just for “toddlers”
It's a ride based on committee. While something like Thunder Mountain had a singular force behind it. Eisner gets shit sometimes but he knew when to let creative people take over, but Eisner was a creative guy. Same with Splash Mountain
Personally this ride was rlly fun to me, however I still am in disbelief that most of the time big thunder has a shorter wait time
I honestly wish we didn’t have Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! First, Mr Toad’s Wild Ride, then Snow White’s Scary Adventures, then Splash Mountain, and now the Rivers of America! This shows how bad of a corporation Disney is with its IP!
I was wondering why I remember feeling disappointment with this ride when I was younger and this video explains it all. Glad I didn't think it was worth riding when I came back as an adult.
It would be interesting to see your comparisons of classic Disney films vs modern Disney films be elaborated on in a separate video.
As for the dwarf mine train itself, I never been on it. I’m almost always never a fan of roller coasters and when I first saw it, I was rather discouraged to go on. Now that I know that even the thrills were underwhelming it seems kinda embarrassing looking back.
I eventually want to do film/tv analysis on the channel, but my one video didn't do very well: ruclips.net/video/5VNd0auQJeQ/видео.html
However, when the channel gets bigger, I'll consider branching out. That's definitely a good idea for a video.
By far this ride is the smoothest coaster I have ever rode. I thought the ride and the theming were fabulous. FYI I have been on a whole bunch of roller coasters big and small in the United States. Which I use as a comparison. Probably over 80.
As much as Big Thunder Mountain doesn’t have any dynamite effects, its still executes better than what Seven Dwarfs Mine Train does plus there’s going to be a Snow White Live Action Remake!
I've always looked at the attractions at Disneyland as different from the rides of other parks in that the Disney attractions are, at their condition, simulations of the dreaming process, where other parks only think about thrills and themes. Walt had a target (dreams) where the others don't
You know what, I distinctly remember how big of a marketing push the swinging ride vehicles was for Disney. Like I couldn't get that anywhere else.
Seven dwarfs ride is literally a 2 hr wait and it’s a 30 second ride.
One thing about your videos I love is that you have a difference of opinion than me. That being said, I kinda agree because when I went to Disney World a few years back I decided not to get on it because I saw the videos and i wasn’t impressed enough for a 2 hour wait. Most Disney rides seem kiddie but I know that’s so the whole family will feel comfortable riding together. Love your channel. Love your videos. I look forward to the next.
I'm not sure that I agree. I personally see the parks as moving away from family entertainment and more towards the youngest of kids. I thought that Disney's line-up of interesting dark rides was great family entertainment. For example, Scary Adventures might have been "scary", but it wasn't so intense that it still wasn't a family attraction. I'm sure that a number of kids find Spaceship Earth to be "boring", but who cares? For every one of them, there are plenty of people who appreciate it for what it is and what it's trying to do. Heck, even Toontown is marketed towards kids but still manages to entertain because it has a great attraction and the land itself is incredibly interesting. I don't perceive 7DMT or Slinky Dog Dash as being family attractions. Their target demographic appears to be the smallest of kids, as even Barnstormer manages to provide more thrill.
I enjoy this ride, mainly due to the mine scene with the dwarfs. I also don’t mind that the coaster isn’t as thrilling. It’s just an overall good vibe for me. When I was on it last November, everyone was singing Heigh Ho as we started going up the hill, including my friend and I. Good times.
Yet, I definitely wouldn’t say this is the best themed attraction. Far from it. Way more could’ve been done to immerse guests into the world of Snow White. Also, the projected faces on the dwarf animatronics are….odd, to say the least.
You mean to say "it raises the question," not "begs the question." Begging the question means something else entirely, and everyone but everyone gets it wrong.
Yeah it is a nice looking woodsy atmosphere with the rocks, trees and water, but you can literally find that same look at any nice mini golf course during the summer.
I think that's an interesting comparison and I now wish I had thought to make the point that most Orlando mini-golf locations have more theming than this ride.
A video like this makes me think you just have it out for disney at this point. SDMT is a very fun ride
i loveeee thunder mountain. as someone who is fascinated by the old American west, its theming is what makes it my favorite
It is great that a queue like that is considered generic and that a ride like that has "no theming". I recall riding the Matterhorn Bobsleds as a kid and being able to see the entire steel mountain structure inside with gondola cars (sky buckets) going through the mountain. Today's theming is so far from what we got in the past that I'm really happy to not see steel beams inside the fake rocks (that look quite nice). But I do get your points and compared to other modern rides, this would certainly fall short.
I've been on Tron 6 times over 3 trips to Shanghai. It is the best roller coaster in the world right now - has been for the past 5 years since the park opened - with Hagrids coming in close second. It's theming is true to the Tron Legacy movie - starting from the outside queues that are underneath a giant laser, then being briefed by Gem (actress Beau Garrett), and rocking out in a rave in the giant loading room to Daft Punk's masterpiece score to the movie. Plus the approach to the Tomorrowland has three dimensional paths on multiple levels that take you past giant gardens planted to show agrarian solutions to our climate change, and the story line is consistent through the 3 rides and 2 restaurants in the land. The ride launches you from a contained long hallway to the outside high up in the air. It gives me a thrilling feel of flying like Superman, then then back into the game grid. You are also going from cool blue lights and air conditioning to breezy humid air and then back into cool inside-the-computer themed competitive racing. It's so smooth all the way through.
Listen I’m not hating on other Disney RUclipsrs but I feel like a lot of other Disney RUclipsrs are just too scared to voice their opinion on things. I don’t agree with ALL your opinions but I certainly respect them and how you don’t just be a play it safe kind of channel
I think a lot of them are itching to get media passes or something. I love Disney and what the company has traditionally stood for, but so many poor decisions are being made that I think it's only fair to call them out on it. Change starts from the smallest of sentiments, so I don't see why it shouldn't start here.
BTM was built in a different era thus the higher attention to detail. As you have pointed out in other videos, the main goal of current management is to spend as little as possible, provide as little as possible and charge as much as possible.