Mine train opening

[beaprn]

Is it just me or is this attraction taking a very long time to be build? At this rate, the HP extension over at Universal will have a soft opening before this one and this one was started first if I am not mistaken. Has any date been put out for the opening? If they wait too much longer they will be battling for guests when HP opens and I am afraid they will lose. Just my two cents worth!

 

[JimmyV]

If they wait too much longer they will be battling for guests when HP opens and I am afraid they will lose. Just my two cents worth!

I seriously doubt that WDW's attendance is going to be materially affected by a mid-level coaster which will have more in common with BTMRR than with something from Cedar Point. It will be fun to ride when it opens, but anyone holding back their vacation until it does is living in a fantasy land. Literally.

 

[ougrad86]

I have heard two newpapers report that it was opening in March, but for all I know they are reporting from the same erroneous source. But it is possible, if the interior is finished and they just need to fix up the outside. It would probably be best to have it done for Spring Break crowds. But I have also heard as far out as summer .

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

Is it just me or is this attraction taking a very long time to be build? At this rate, the HP extension over at Universal will have a soft opening before this one and this one was started first if I am not mistaken. Has any date been put out for the opening? If they wait too much longer they will be battling for guests when HP opens and I am afraid they will lose. Just my two cents worth!

~No, it's not just you. Rumor has it that Disney had to redesign the track due to safety concerns. Also, it is rumored that the swinging motion of the cars can not be controlled in the docking stations -- so if this is true Disney would have to reconfigure all of the cars with some kind of locking mechanism. The Seven Dwarf Mine Train looks fabulous and after viewing the most recent pics -- I think it's going to be well worth the wait. Hang in there!

 

[NYDisneyKid]

Whats all the talk about when its opening? I rode it yesterday. AWESOME!!!!

 

[beaprn]

Whats all the talk about when its opening? I rode it yesterday. AWESOME!!!!

Are you kidding?

 

[mesaboy2]

Are you kidding?

Clearly.

 

[3happydancers]

Is this coaster similar to Big Thunder in overall experience?

 

[mesaboy2]

Is this coaster similar to Big Thunder in overall experience?

It is commonly predicted to be between Big Thunder and Barnstormer in terms of thrill factor.

 

[beaprn]

I seriously doubt that WDW's attendance is going to be materially affected by a mid-level coaster which will have more in common with BTMRR than with something from Cedar Point. It will be fun to ride when it opens, but anyone holding back their vacation until it does is living in a fantasy land. Literally.

May I remind you of the pictures of crowds trying to get in when the original HP area opened? And it is not just a coaster but a extension of a hugely popular franchise! With the train between the two parks that is an attraction in itself along with the shops and dinning, yes I believe it will make a dent. Do not forget the opening of a new onsite hotel. Do not get me wrong, I am a huge Disney fan. I have been coming to Disney for years, it is my favorite place in the world. But Disney has become complacence in the last few years and this fast pass + looks to be a huge mess so far with lines backing up even for attractions that never have lines. hopefully when all the tickets get online and the fast passes are available to everyone ahead of time the lines will get better. The new Fantasy land is nice but the other properties have not seen many additions in years. Yes , I know the new Avatar area is going up but that is a couple of years in the future. and do not even get me started on DHS. Just saying......

 

[3happydancers]

It is commonly predicted to be between Big Thunder and Barnstormer in terms of thrill factor.

Thanks. Trying to decide if it would be worth a fast pass (provided it is up and running during our visit). DD loves coasters but this may be a little mild for her.

 

[1000HappyWishes]

I don't think Disney will suffer a huge loss. I adore Harry Potter but ultimately if I visit Universal, it will be a maybe one or two day trip tacked on to my Disney trip just to visit WWoHP. Disney will still get the majority of my time and I imagine that same scenario occurs a lot.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I don't think Disney will suffer a huge loss. I adore Harry Potter but ultimately if I visit Universal, it will be a maybe one or two day trip tacked on to my Disney trip just to visit WWoHP. Disney will still get the majority of my time and I imagine that same scenario occurs a lot.

I think that WDW is losing days to Universal because of HP. Folks heading down for a week aren't staying for an extra 2 days to hit Universal - they are taking a few days out of the time that they would otherwise have spent in WDW to visit Universal. That is costing them some money, to be sure.

Also, families tended to wait until their kids were pre-teens to hit Universal. HP is now pulling families over at a much younger age.

But Disney, and WDW, have such a strong brand that they really don't feel threatened by Universal. They have plans that they think will solidify that brand. We just have to wait and see whether or not they are right.

 

[crostorfer]

Is it just me or is this attraction taking a very long time to be build? At this rate, the HP extension over at Universal will have a soft opening before this one and this one was started first if I am not mistaken. Has any date been put out for the opening? If they wait too much longer they will be battling for guests when HP opens and I am afraid they will lose. Just my two cents worth!

On the contrary, I would expect the two to almost open simultaneously. If the WWoHP opening in 2010 is any indication of the crowd that will descend upon Orlando during that time frame, WDW will want something that they can jump up and down and yell "Hey! Look at us, we're opening something new too!"

Disney also benefits from public stupidity. Hundreds of people showed up at DHS the day the WWoHP opened, wanting to know where "Harry Potter Land" was, and were bitterly disappointed when they realized they were in the wrong place. I suspect that it's possible that will happen again. I still hear from people in random conversations that think the Wizarding World is part of Disney.

 

[ChrisFL]

Disney also benefits from public stupidity. Hundreds of people showed up at DHS the day the WWoHP opened, wanting to know where "Harry Potter Land" was, and were bitterly disappointed when they realized they were in the wrong place. I suspect that it's possible that will happen again. I still hear from people in random conversations that think the Wizarding World is part of Disney.

I never heard that before! Though I'm not surprised.

Even cbs.com had a headline saying "Disney's" when WWOHP opened

 

[delmar411]

Is it just me or is this attraction taking a very long time to be build? At this rate, the HP extension over at Universal will have a soft opening before this one and this one was started first if I am not mistaken. Has any date been put out for the opening? If they wait too much longer they will be battling for guests when HP opens and I am afraid they will lose. Just my two cents worth!

I don't know when it is opening it they only just started hiring for the positions. The applications are open for like 2 weeks so it might be possible for a March opening if they can get it fully staffed and people trained on it by then.

 

[crostorfer]

I never heard that before! Though I'm not surprised.

Even cbs.com had a headline saying "Disney's" when WWOHP opened

There are a lot of people who have never been that don't understand that Disney World and Universal Studios are two completely different parks, owned by different people, in different parts of Orlando.

 

[mesaboy2]

Thanks. Trying to decide if it would be worth a fast pass (provided it is up and running during our visit). DD loves coasters but this may be a little mild for her.

To that question, I say with almost 100% certainty: yes. There will be no hotter attraction at WDW.

 

[mom2rtk]

To that question, I say with almost 100% certainty: yes. There will be no hotter attraction at WDW.

It's going to make the pursuit to get a TSMM FP look like child's play.

 

[sonofanarchy]

I don't think Disney will suffer a huge loss. I adore Harry Potter but ultimately if I visit Universal, it will be a maybe one or two day trip tacked on to my Disney trip just to visit WWoHP. Disney will still get the majority of my time and I imagine that same scenario occurs a lot.

Sorry, but that's not true. Disney hasn't necessarily lost attendance, but Universal has gained at a large rate. What the means is, people are still coming to WDW, but they aren't spending all their time there, I.E., Disney is losing money to Universal.

No one can predict the future, but Islands of Adventure has been gaining around on both Animal Kingdom and DHS in recent years. When the expansion of Harry Potter opens at Universal, it is quite likely attendance at IoA will surpass both. If that happens, it will be a HUGE embarrassment for Disney.