Seven Dwarves So Close...

[damo]

they have had a rumored third gate for a while now. But to expand where there existing two parks are they are pretty much land locked.

Comcast has dedicated a lot of money to making Universal a force to be reckoned with. There are many options for putting in a third gate that don't mean expanding where their two parks now exist.

 

[tcherjen]

Getting excited!! It is getting closer.

 

[AthenaBolina]

Ooooh I hope it's open when we go in late may!!

 

[ses1230]

Inside the Magic is reporting that the media preview day is April 30!

 

[rteetz]

Inside the Magic is reporting that the media preview day is April 30!

now that I would agree with I don't see anything this month or next April would make sense.

 

[Sweettears]

Whether they will build them is another issue. The thrill rides they do have are some of the most popular at the parks (Rock n Roller Coaster, Everest, Space Mtn, etc.).

While I will agree that the thrill rides attract a crowd particularly with the younger set, line rides are also a product of load capacity and Disney has done a good job with this which reduces the lines and wait time. Two examples would be HM and PotC.

 

[mefordis]

What struck me when I was there in November was how small the footprint of the ride seems. To call it a roller coaster seems like a stretch. I am also betting the ride is very short. My expectations are very low after seeing the new Fantasyland.

 

[rteetz]

http://twitter.com/INTERCOT/status/434113942151913472/photo/1

Official release of media opening April 30-may 2

 

[BrittyRo]

Oh man guess I'll just miss it going end of March

 

[rastuso]

[i can't believe the expectations of some people of this ride. You folks realize there is ONE mine section, right? This ride is well less than half the size of BTMRR in track length, ride time, ride height, and MUCH less inside sexton. I believe the ridethrough showed WELL less than 30 seconds of inside portion. It's not a coincidence that you see all the dwarves in the one show room picture.

As I've said before, Anyone mentioning BTMRR in the same breath as the dwarf coaster, and not including "is in a totally different league than" are going to be really disappointed. Especially spending one of your only 3 FP+ for a heavily theme version of Goofys Barnstormer. You'll be done in 2 minutes, and have two more rides that day, then long waits.

Jason

 

[SPAM]

Oh man guess I'll just miss it going end of March

Me too

 

[tcherjen]

[i can't believe the expectations of some people of this ride. You folks realize there is ONE mine section, right? This ride is well less than half the size of BTMRR in track length, ride time, ride height, and MUCH less inside sexton. I believe the ridethrough showed WELL less than 30 seconds of inside portion. It's not a coincidence that you see all the dwarves in the one show room picture.

As I've said before, Anyone mentioning BTMRR in the same breath as the dwarf coaster, and not including "is in a totally different league than" are going to be really disappointed. Especially spending one of your only 3 FP+ for a heavily theme version of Goofys Barnstormer. You'll be done in 2 minutes, and have two more rides that day, then long waits.

Jason

I have a 7 year old... I think she is going to love it! I agree it probably won't be up there with BTMRR, but then again she loves the Goofy coaster too.

 

[tcherjen]

Me too

Me three I was hoping for end of March opening.....

 

[rastuso]

I'm sure your 7 year old will love it. Im talking about the adults on here thinking this is going to be as good as BTMRR. Of course, a lot of 7 year olds are going to want to ride again, and will start hearing NO a lot more than they are used to at WDW.

Disney has gone insanely over the top with the theming,but it's still a ride specifically for little kids.

Jason

 

[johde]

You do realize Universal is a thrill ride park, right? My local Six Flags changes up a thrill ride every year. If they don't, they won't sell tickets to the local teens they're trying to get to visit. If Universal did not keep adding rides, they will quickly become stale rides... and stale rides -- are boring.

WDW is a totally different entity. Attractions at the MK, like say POTC or Haunted Mansion - have been there for 30 years - they were never thrilling, yet, ppl are willing to travel the world over to come spend a week and experience them. To meet Cinderella. To see the castle. To be there in Disney World.

HP land is great! I am not dissing Universal at all. Just a different style of park. Universal is going to thrive on the teen crowd. Go to Disney with teens? Yes take a few days and go see HP land. Then come back to Disney and finish your vacation. That's the difference... VACATION vs THEME PARK. Tho WDW includes 4 theme parks of its own, it is a vacation destination. It is the biggest tourist destination in the world. Universal is just a park you go to cuz you live there or cuz you're taking 2 days off from Disney.

AKA. You would plan a 2-week trip to Disney to see DW and a few other local attractions which may or may not include Universal. But you wouldn't plan a 2-week vacation to come see Universal or Busch Gardens.

It's okay to love Universal and accept that it's different from Disney. Universal is about the rides. Disney World is about the vacation.

Universal is trying to be like Disney... i.e. they're adding resorts... they're trying to get you to stay on property, cuz that's how you make the money (which Disney pioneered first). But Universal's deal is buy 2 get 3rd free. Disney's is Buy 4 get 5th free, with many guests staying a week or more!

Huge difference. You have to grasp the difference between a Vacation Destination... and Universal... which benefits from being near the vacation destination that is Disney World.

I think you are giving WDW a little too much credit and selling Universal a little bit short. People are not traveling from all over the world to go to WDW. They are traveling from all over the world to visit the Magic Kingdom. Everything else at WDW is about filling out a vacation. Looking at your attendance data Disneyland/Magic Kingdom is head and shoulders dominate over everything else in the market except for Tokyo Disney Seas. It is the only Disney 2nd gate that comes anywhere close to the original. Everything you mentioned that people come to see is in the MK. The other parks have great rides but I can't think of 1 timeless classic. The only thing I can think of that may come close is Spaceship Earth.

Universal, is much more than an amusement park like Six Flags or Cedar Point. It is a park that is a hybrid and attempting to bridge the gap between traditional amusement park and Disney style theme park. By most accounts, the new Gringotts Coaster is going to be very family friendly similar to BTMRR and as times has gone be the Hogwarts Express is shaping up to be the real gem of the project and it shouldn't have any height restrictions.

The absolute data is not what's interesting it's the relative data. If you compare North American data from 2009 to 2012 you get the following table.
2009 Vs 2012 U.S Rankings
MAGIC KINGDOM…………………………. 2009 (1) 17,233,000 – 2012 (1) 17,536,000
DISNEYLAND………………………………… 2009 (2)15,900,000 - 2012 (2) 15,963,000
EPCOT …………………………………………..2009 (3) 10,990,000 – 2012 (3) 11,063,000
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM ………. 2009 (5) 9,590,000 – 2012 (4) 9,998,000
DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS …. 2009 (4) 9,700,000 – 2012 (5) 9,912,000
ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE……………… 2009 (9) 4,500,000 2012 (6) 7,981,000
DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE 2009 (6) 6,095,000 – 2012 (7) 7,775,000
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS Florida ……….. 2009 (8) 5,400,000 2012 (8) 6,195,000
SEAWORLD FLORIDA ……………………. 2009 (7) 5,800,000 - 2012 (10) 5,358,000
BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY ……... 2009 (12) 4,100,000 2012 (12) 4,348,000

IOA attendance grew by over 3 million visitors a year. Thats more growth than all 6 U.S. Disney Themeparks combined. I'm sure Universal is hoping the HP expansion with bring USF attendance in line with IOA attendance.

I have no doubt that the MK will retain top spot for the foreseeable future. Like you said, HM, POC, SplM are classics that have stood the test of time. But you are starting to see a week's vacation at WDW become a WDW vacation if a day or 2 at Universal. I'm not sure it would take all that much to tip things to a MK + Universal.

 

[Tribe]

[i can't believe the expectations of some people of this ride. You folks realize there is ONE mine section, right? This ride is well less than half the size of BTMRR in track length, ride time, ride height, and MUCH less inside sexton. I believe the ridethrough showed WELL less than 30 seconds of inside portion. It's not a coincidence that you see all the dwarves in the one show room picture.

As I've said before, Anyone mentioning BTMRR in the same breath as the dwarf coaster, and not including "is in a totally different league than" are going to be really disappointed. Especially spending one of your only 3 FP+ for a heavily theme version of Goofys Barnstormer. You'll be done in 2 minutes, and have two more rides that day, then long waits.

Jason

Is this speculation or fact?
What "ride through" are you referring to, the little animated snippet that has been around for a while? I don't think that is the entirety.
I agree it will be no BTMRR in terms of thrill but I expected the duration to be similar and more dark ride sections than what you are mentioning.

 

[livinlife25]

We will be there during the Media Event. I was soo hoping we would be able to ride it. My son absolutely loves Snow White.

 

[rastuso]

Is this speculation or fact?
What "ride through" are you referring to, the little animated snippet that has been around for a while? I don't think that is the entirety.
I agree it will be no BTMRR in terms of thrill but I expected the duration to be similar and more dark ride sections than what you are mentioning.

It's pretty factual, even satisfactual.

Hopefully it's OK to link to that site, can't see a way to attach a photo.

Here's an overhead pic with the track drawn on it. The scene in that video is pretty much it. It does look like one short scene was removed before the lift (the right turn before the lift).

Most of the mountain covers the maintenance shop and load/unload. This is a VERY short ride with VERY little dark ride section. Rumor has it you'll see Ms. Whites cottage from a distance, and that's it.

If you ever want to ride this ride with little wait on a normal day, in the next few years, you will be spending one of 3 FP+ On this short, 2 minute ride. It really is just a highly themed, slightly longer, Barnstormer.

Oh, but the trains rock Side To SIDE1!!!1!1

-Jason

 

[damo]

These videos shows the speed and rocking motion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cl43rLWxKyE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V_3O7SocJZ0

 

[WDW1979]

This is a VERY short ride with VERY little dark ride section. Rumor has it you'll see Ms. Whites cottage from a distance, and that's it.

If you ever want to ride this ride with little wait on a normal day, in the next few years, you will be spending one of 3 FP+ On this short, 2 minute ride. It really is just a highly themed, slightly longer, Barnstormer.

Oh, but the trains rock Side To SIDE1!!!1!1

-Jason

Man, I will be disappointed if the Mine Train does not have a couple of audio-animatronic scenes, or something like that, inside the mines. I was expecting to see the Seven Dwarfs swinging their pick-axes and singing songs...that kind of thing...maybe a beautiful forest scene with Snow White (I know it would be a little odd to see a forest scene inside a mine but it is Fantasyland)...maybe an interesting scene with the Queen/witch.

The second lift hill (green arrow) in your photo looks like it may provide an area for a beautiful, interesting scene.

Come on Disney...be Disney. I can still hope!