Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FP+ Opening

[Winnowill]

I asked a CM today who was manning the shoot, and he said early-mid May for soft openings. I realize that CMs don't always have correct info, but, given that the construction walls are still up, I don't doubt him. I'm bummed that that means I won't get to ride it this trip, but that's nothing new to us. We've had terrible luck with coasters over our trips.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Seriously? No one else doesn't see the posturing going on between the two big players in Orlando right now? The Diagon softs will more than likely take place in May. This will be Disney's attempt to "try" to steal some of the thunder from Universal. It's like a poker game, and someone is going to lose (or use their new attraction as a boost in attendance report regardless of the other one....I think we will know who will be telling the truth).

Universal is about to use the Expelliarmus spell, otherwise known as the Discharming Charm...

"The Disarming Charm lies at the heart of a good dueling technique. It allows the duelist to rebound an opponent's spell in the hope that the rebounded spell will strike the opponent and leave him or her vulnerable to further attack."

Disney was beyond stupid to try this. Or not. I am positive that Orlando will be extremely crowded sometime in the not so distant future. They can report that it's because of the Mine Train that their attendance is up. Regardless of the Universal crowds...

 

[LBIJim]

Yikes!!! So that's what the line was like to enter IOA when Harry Potter opened? Stretching all the way past HardRockCafe to the USO entrance and then toward CityWalk?

 

[wendy3]

Seriously? No one else doesn't see the posturing going on between the two big players in Orlando right now? The Diagon softs will more than likely take place in May. This will be Disney's attempt to "try" to steal some of the thunder from Universal. It's like a poker game, and someone is going to lose (or use their new attraction as a boost in attendance report regardless of the other one....I think we will know who will be telling the truth).

I don't see either park rushing to finish their respective projects just so they can beat the other one. Both parks want their newest attractions open as soon as possible to capitalize on the summer crowds, obviously. I've read several posts on different websites trying to turn these new attractions into a race between the parks. I just don't see it. I doubt very much if the Suits at either park are glued to their windows with binoculars.

Disney doesn't have to "try to steal the thunder" from anyone. Attendance is up, profits are up, stock prices are up, and shareholders are happy. What Disney is doing works, and I don't see them reacting out of fear to anything another theme park does.

 

[mickeyplanner]

Preschoolers will probly love this... My DS2 is 38" so he'll make the cut at age 2! I'd say ages 3-9 would be the sweet spot for this ride. My 11 will surely find it tame as far as coasters go, but still fun in the way riding POTC is fun.

Our 3 year old son is only 37", I keep hoping he grows another inch in the next three weeks.

 

[MrInfinity]

I don't agree. When Universal opens Diagon Alley and Orlando is flooded with tourists, Disney will be , because a large majority will also spend $$ at WDW. When Disney expanded Fantasyland and brought more tourists to Orlando, Universal was , because that meant more tourists also worked in a visit to Universal. They might not be working together, but they obviously profit from each other's successes (as does all of Florida). Attendance is up at Universal due to the hugely popular Wizarding World, but not at Disney's expense. Attendance is up at Disney also.

I don't see either park rushing to finish their respective projects just so they can beat the other one. Both parks want their newest attractions open as soon as possible to capitalize on the summer crowds, obviously. I've read several posts on different websites trying to turn these new attractions into a race between the parks. I just don't see it. I doubt very much if the Heads of either park are glued to their windows with binoculars.

Disney doesn't have to "try to steal the thunder" from anyone. Attendance is up, profits are up, stock prices are up, and shareholders are happy. What Disney is doing works, and I don't see them reacting out of fear to anything another theme park does.

I concur, Wendy. The rides are not in a competition. They are after very different crowds, and Universal is still a parasite park that exists because Disney World brings the people. That is many families go to Disney World... while some will "also do Universal". I'd bet the % of families Uni gets from over 1000 miles away that are not also doing Disney World is incredibly small.

The result of Diagon will be that ppl who used to only do Disney might think it's finally time to take a day to go see Uni. Like us. We'll visit them on our next Disney trip. But almost nobody that would do a 10-day Disney vacation is saying instead "let's do a 10-day Universal vacation" because they have Diagon.

 

[mesaboy2]

I concur, Wendy. The rides are not in a competition. They are after very different crowds, and Universal is still a parasite park that exists because Disney World brings the people. That is many families go to Disney World... while some will "also do Universal". I'd bet the % of families Uni gets from over 1000 miles away that are not also doing Disney World is incredibly small.

The result of Diagon will be that ppl who used to only do Disney might think it's finally time to take a day to go see Uni. Like us. We'll visit them on our next Disney trip. But almost nobody that would do a 10-day Disney vacation is saying instead "let's do a 10-day Universal vacation" because they have Diagon.

Though I understand your point, "parasite park" seems a bit harsh. It's a pretty fun place all on its own.

 

[db57me]

I concur, Wendy. The rides are not in a competition. They are after very different crowds, and Universal is still a parasite park that exists because Disney World brings the people. That is many families go to Disney World... while some will "also do Universal". I'd bet the % of families Uni gets from over 1000 miles away that are not also doing Disney World is incredibly small. The result of Diagon will be that ppl who used to only do Disney might think it's finally time to take a day to go see Uni. Like us. We'll visit them on our next Disney trip. But almost nobody that would do a 10-day Disney vacation is saying instead "let's do a 10-day Universal vacation" because they have Diagon.

The Harry Potter attractions are a huge draw for Universal, resulting in more people traveling to the Orlando area that may not have considered going before. They may consider taking a day or two to also visit WDW. Even with the 7DMT, and talk of Avatarland, nothing at WDW -except the entire complex as a whole - has that drawing power. IMHO. Don't misunderstand, I'm a Disney fan(actic). My wife and I are finally making our first trek to WDW in June. And, although I am a fan of the HP series, we are staying on site for the entire week. Maybe on our next visit we will take a day or two to go to Universal for HP alone. But there are many who would do anything to relive the HP experience, and WDW is only a second thought to them.

 

[FLchick415]

I hardly think Disney is trying to steal Universal's "thunder". The Mine Train is geared toward an entirely different set of people than Diagon Alley. The mine train is also just one ride vs. and entire "land". I'm really excited for both.

 

[tjmj9801]

Seriously? No one else doesn't see the posturing going on between the two big players in Orlando right now? The Diagon softs will more than likely take place in May. This will be Disney's attempt to "try" to steal some of the thunder from Universal

With all due respect, coming from a huge Disney fan and also a huge HP fan, there is no way that 7DMT opening can even come close to DA opening. Just not possible. It's an entire area opening connecting 2 parks compared to 1 ride. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to riding 7DMT but DA will be incredible. Disney has to know that. Now if you tried to compare NFL to DA had this timing been last year, I would agree with you.

 

[skateshome]

Rank Amusement park Location 2008[1] 2009[2] 2010[3] 2011[4] 2012[5]

1 Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 17,063,000 17,233,000 16,972,000 17,142,000 17,536,000

2 Disneyland at Disneyland Resort Anaheim, California, USA 14,721,000 15,900,000 15,980,000 16,140,000 15,963,000
3 Tokyo Disneyland Tokyo, Japan 14,293,000 13,646,000 14,452,000 13,996,000 14,847,000
4 Tokyo DisneySea Tokyo, Japan 12,498,000 12,004,000 12,663,000 11,930,000 12,656,000
5 Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris Marne-la-Vallée, France 12,688,000 12,740,000 10,500,000 10,990,000 11,200,000

6 Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 10,935,000 10,990,000 10,825,000 10,825,000 11,063,000
7 Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 9,540,000 9,590,000 9,686,000 9,783,000 9,998,000
8 Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 9,608,000 9,700,000 9,603,000 9,699,000 9,912,000

9 Universal Studios Japan Osaka, Japan 8,300,000 8,000,000 8,160,000 8,500,000 9,700,000

10 Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort Orlando, Florida, USA 5,297,000 4,627,000 5,949,000 7,674,000 7,981,000

11 Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort Anaheim, California, USA 5,566,000 6,095,000 6,287,000 6,341,000 7,775,000
12 Ocean Park Hong Kong Hong Kong 5,030,000 4,800,000 5,404,000 6,955,000 7,436,000
13 Everland Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 6,600,000 6,169,000 6,884,000 6,570,000 6,853,000
14 Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong 4,500,000 4,600,000 5,200,000 5,900,000 6,700,000
15 Lotte World Seoul, South Korea 4,236,000 4,261,000 5,551,000 5,780,000 6,383,000

16 Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort Orlando, Florida, USA 6,231,000 5,530,000 5,925,000 6,044,000 6,195,000

 

[KatieCharlotte]

I concur, Wendy. The rides are not in a competition. They are after very different crowds, and Universal is still a parasite park that exists because Disney World brings the people. That is many families go to Disney World... while some will "also do Universal". I'd bet the % of families Uni gets from over 1000 miles away that are not also doing Disney World is incredibly small.

The result of Diagon will be that ppl who used to only do Disney might think it's finally time to take a day to go see Uni. Like us. We'll visit them on our next Disney trip. But almost nobody that would do a 10-day Disney vacation is saying instead "let's do a 10-day Universal vacation" because they have Diagon.

I WDW and only like Universal, but I really don't think they're a "parasite park," especially after WWoHP. I know many families who drive a long way for a vacation in Florida and only spend one to three days in theme parks. One such family recently went to Florida and only did Universal, because they like HP and wanted to experience something new. Plenty of families with older children who like Harry Potter and/or thrill rides think they have outgrown Disney and go to the area solely for Universal, not to mention young adults traveling on their own. It was also amazing to see how many British families were staying onsite at Universal.

Our family wants to go back to Orlando next June solely to see the Harry Potter expansion. We might try a Star Wars weekend at DHS or stop in at MK, but in that case WDW will be the parasite park. Mine Train is just our speed and I was disappointed not to ride it this month, but it doesn't feel like something we must race back to try.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Rank Amusement park Location 2008[1] 2009[2] 2010[3] 2011[4] 2012[5]

1 Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 17,063,000 17,233,000 16,972,000 17,142,000 17,536,000

2 Disneyland at Disneyland Resort Anaheim, California, USA 14,721,000 15,900,000 15,980,000 16,140,000 15,963,000
3 Tokyo Disneyland Tokyo, Japan 14,293,000 13,646,000 14,452,000 13,996,000 14,847,000
4 Tokyo DisneySea Tokyo, Japan 12,498,000 12,004,000 12,663,000 11,930,000 12,656,000
5 Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris Marne-la-Vallée, France 12,688,000 12,740,000 10,500,000 10,990,000 11,200,000

6 Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 10,935,000 10,990,000 10,825,000 10,825,000 11,063,000
7 Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 9,540,000 9,590,000 9,686,000 9,783,000 9,998,000
8 Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 9,608,000 9,700,000 9,603,000 9,699,000 9,912,000

9 Universal Studios Japan Osaka, Japan 8,300,000 8,000,000 8,160,000 8,500,000 9,700,000

10 Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort Orlando, Florida, USA 5,297,000 4,627,000 5,949,000 7,674,000 7,981,000

11 Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort Anaheim, California, USA 5,566,000 6,095,000 6,287,000 6,341,000 7,775,000
12 Ocean Park Hong Kong Hong Kong 5,030,000 4,800,000 5,404,000 6,955,000 7,436,000
13 Everland Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 6,600,000 6,169,000 6,884,000 6,570,000 6,853,000
14 Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong 4,500,000 4,600,000 5,200,000 5,900,000 6,700,000
15 Lotte World Seoul, South Korea 4,236,000 4,261,000 5,551,000 5,780,000 6,383,000

16 Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort Orlando, Florida, USA 6,231,000 5,530,000 5,925,000 6,044,000 6,195,000

Yeah, Sk8rboy - we are all fully aware of the attendance stats. Thanks for being the 23rd person to post it this year.

Interesting increases over that timeframe, though...

MK - 473,000
EP - 128,000
DAK - 458,000
DHS - 304,000

IOA - 2,684,000

What do think Universal's number is going to jump to this/next year?

It's obvious by the Disney attendance numbers that either people are entering MK multiple days or a lot of people are skipping EP and DHS all together. Maybe they are the reason for 2 million+ increase at IOA?

It should be interesting to see what happens with Potter active in both parks and the increased use of multi park passes between the two.

 

[FLchick415]

I don't understand why it matters to some people. Disney's doing fine, UOR is doing great things, why does it have to be a "competition"?

 

[goofyluva9293]

I don't understand why it matters to some people. Disney's doing fine, UOR is doing great things, why does it have to be a "competition"?

I agree! I love Disney but I like a lot of things at Universal too! I don't know why we can't just like both!? They are very different places. I like the variety! My "kids" are 20 & 22 and we love Harry Potter but we are also huge Disney fans! They are both great places and I'm personally glad that they are both expanding and getting new attractions!

 

[disneygrandma]

Hopefully, this will get back on track concerning when SDMT opens up, and not be a debate about whether the opening is being delayed because of Universal, or whether or not Universal is better than Disney, or Disney is better than Universal. There are several other theme parks in the Orlando area, and plenty of other activities close by. Going to Florida doesn't have to be an all this, or an all that trip. Everyone has their preferences. Right now we're on this site to find out about SDMT opening up. When I want to know about Universal, I log in to that forum.

 

[Gillyrose779]

Well my family will be in MK on 4/29, 5/2, and 5/3. I plan on walking past the ride often- asking any CM in the area about it and when they will allow testing by guests. DH and I seem to have a way of getting info. out of people so lets hope our "charm" works.

If nothing is out by then I will def. post here if I find out anything.

 

[FLchick415]

Yep, I'll be in MK on Sunday afternoon/evening and Monday morning. I'll definitely be stopping by SDMT periodically to see what's up.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I concur, Wendy. The rides are not in a competition. They are after very different crowds, and Universal is still a parasite park that exists because Disney World brings the people. That is many families go to Disney World... while some will "also do Universal". I'd bet the % of families Uni gets from over 1000 miles away that are not also doing Disney World is incredibly small.

The result of Diagon will be that ppl who used to only do Disney might think it's finally time to take a day to go see Uni. Like us. We'll visit them on our next Disney trip. But almost nobody that would do a 10-day Disney vacation is saying instead "let's do a 10-day Universal vacation" because they have Diagon.

I am a Disney fan first, but I love Universal. DH is a Universal fan who tolerates Disney. We don't take 10 day trips to either place, but we do alternate years. This summer it will be Disney, and it has nothing to do with the SDMT. In fact, it has more to do with Diagon Alley opening - I don't want to fight the opening crowds, but I am more excited to see DA than SDMT.

Even before HP, Universal was a destination for our family, not a day trip from Disney. And as my kids get older, it is becoming their preference. I still love Disney more. But SDMT is not even a blip on the radar compared to DA, especially considering how well Universal did WWOHP.

With all due respect, coming from a huge Disney fan and also a huge HP fan, there is no way that 7DMT opening can even come close to DA opening. Just not possible. It's an entire area opening connecting 2 parks compared to 1 ride. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to riding 7DMT but DA will be incredible. Disney has to know that. Now if you tried to compare NFL to DA had this timing been last year, I would agree with you.

Right. The opening of SDMT is not even in the same league. Although I can't wait to be at Disney and will happily ride SDMT if it is open, the opening of DA is a huge event. I'm hoping DA opens while we are at Disney to take some of the crowds away from Disney.

I can't imagine Disney execs are naïve enough to the think that the long-delayed opening of a kiddie coaster would compete with the opening of DA. I think they just want it open for summer, as a PP said. I don't know of anyone planning their Disney trip around SDMT, but I know of several people (including our family) planning their next Universal trip to be after the opening of DA and the initial crowds.

 

[bdtracey]

Well my family will be in MK on 4/29, 5/2, and 5/3. I plan on walking past the ride often- asking any CM in the area about it and when they will allow testing by guests. DH and I seem to have a way of getting info. out of people so lets hope our "charm" works.

If nothing is out by then I will def. post here if I find out anything.

We're down from 4/26 to 5/10 so I'm really hoping to be able to get on as well. I was hoping my "charm" would work as well but the wife tells me that my "charm" comes off kinda creepy so maybe I'll just..."I dunno, fly casual" and see what happens.