What have your ridden during a "soft opening"?

[msmileyface]

Just adding to the 7DMT speculation.. I'm wondering when they may start doing "soft openings" of the ride, given the end of May dates we've been hearing. I'm wondering what anyone has ridden during a soft opening, and how in advance of the official opening it was.

My friend rode the Little Mermaid ride during the first week of November 2012, during soft opening for DVC members. The ride ultimately opened Dec. 6.

Anyone have soft opening experiences?

 

[Chuckers]

Just adding to the 7DMT speculation.. I'm wondering when they may start doing "soft openings" of the ride, given the end of May dates we've been hearing. I'm wondering what anyone has ridden during a soft opening, and how in advance of the official opening it was.

My friend rode the Little Mermaid ride during the first week of November 2012, during soft opening for DVC members. The ride ultimately opened Dec. 6.

Anyone have soft opening experiences?

I rode Finding Nemo in Disneyland and the re-opening of Star Tours in HS during it's soft opening.

 

[agavegirl1]

We received free "dress rehearsal tickets for Animal Kingdom in late February when it "officially" opened in April. Most things except some eating options were open.

 

[WEDWDW]

Just adding to the 7DMT speculation.. I'm wondering when they may start doing "soft openings"

April 20 or 21 looks like the day.


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3252855

 

[aVASTGrl]

I rode the Little Mermaid several times during the last week of October last year. All of New Fantasy Land was in soft opening at that point, except the Mine Train, of course.

I'm really hoping the Mine Train will be in soft open by the last week of April!! But I'm not counting on it

 

[PaulaVonSchweetz]

I rode the Little Mermaid several times during the last week of October last year. All of New Fantasy Land was in soft opening at that point, except the Mine Train, of course.

I'm really hoping the Mine Train will be in soft open by the last week of April!! But I'm not counting on it

That's cool. I'll be arriving on the 27th so I'm hoping for SO!

 

[hammie59]

In 2008 we were bummed when we found out Star Tours was undergoing a refurb. It was a week or two before Star Wars weekends. One day while at DHS, they just started sporadically letting ppl on. I remember I was at Little Mermaid with the kids and got a frantic call from dh to get my butt over there pronto before they closed it down again. We rode it at least 4 times that day. Then a few days later we went back and it was closed again. We felt like we had definitely been pixie dusted.

Edit-just like to add that the official reopening was scheduled for Star Wars weekends.

 

[skysmom99]

We rode the Under the Sea ride in mid-November 2012 during the soft opening. It was nice since we walked right on.

 

[aVASTGrl]

That's cool. I'll be arriving on the 27th so I'm hoping for SO!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for the both of us!

 

[Tink575]

We had lunch at BOG twice when there was a soft opening and rode the Little Mermaid ride.

 

[staylor]

We rode Toy Story Mania the first day they opened it for Cast Members (they were allowed to bring 5 people along with them). A friend took us with his family. So dang awesome!!

 

[chrismb22]

I rode Spaceship Earth when it was technically closed for refurbishment -- I think they were opening it for a couple hours at a time.

 

[darkwing818]

EPCOT's Mission Space a week before the Official Opening.

 

[JubileenaBingBing]

We rode the new LM ride in NEw Fantasyland on the first day they ever had it running!

 

[wendybeth75]

We were there during the "dress rehearsal" (what they called it) for New Fantasy Land and I rode the Ariel ride. It was kind of cool because they were filming commercials and what not that day.

 

[ParrotBill]

Got to ride Test Track more than a month before it opened during CM previews (with a friend who was a CM)... can't remember if it was for the first opening or the second opening after the fixing!

 

[gratefulfred]

Expedition Everest about one week before it opened. Probably the only time I'll ever see the yeti moving.

 

[stitch'sgirl]

How about this?! We were offered to ride a new "e-ticket" ride without using up any of our e-tickets!

Those were the days before all of the sneak previews and hype. Disney sure knew how to provide just enough of a teaser without giving much away. We had NO idea it was a roller coaster until we got near the ride queue and could see it flying over head. As I was terrified, my Dad convinced me that I was just seeing a projection on the ceiling, but the screams told me otherwise. I have NO clue how much time that was before the official opening and it really doesn't matter because the way things are done are so different now!

I also got to ride EE as a DVC member, but also don't know the timeframe.

 

[Amberleefuta]

I road malestom before official opening.

Amber

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Magpie]

Spaceship Earth, during its makeover!

We were just walking past, when a castmember pushed open one of the walls and began waving people in. It wasn't even finished - no interactive video, and wires still hanging down from the ceiling.

SO cool!