Why am I not that excited about 7 Dwarfs ride?

[disneypharm]

I don't want to create a negative thread. I was just wondering what people think of the new rides recently created in Orlando (not just Disney).

Am I the only one not that excited about the seven dwarfs mine train ride?
To me, it looks like another version of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad train ride. Even Radio Springs Racers at Disneyland looks like another version of Test Track with different theme.

It seems that Disney is spending their money on theming rather than a new technology. When Star Tours opened back in 1987, it was a unique and innovative ride. Indiana Jones in Disneyland was unique. Mission Space was a new idea. Even Everest was somewhat more unique than a typical roller coaster. The most unique ride I have been on recently is Forbidden Journey at IOA. I love that ride.

I recently read an article about Disney:
"Most remembered for the theme parks that bear his name, Walter Disney’s imagination was truly stunning. Though his beginnings as a cartoonist were fairly humble, he soon revolutionized the animation industry, contributing far more than just a familiar happy-go-lucky mouse. He went on to influence countless fields throughout his life including robotics and transportation. In a true culmination of all his talents, Walt even managed to design a fully functional “city of the future” before his death in 1966."

So, what do you REALLY think about the seven Dwarf ride and do you think you would like a new unique ride at Disney?

 

[DisneyFoodieFan]

I will withhold judgment until I ride it, but I sort of agree honestly...my first thought was it will be mostly like Thunder Mountain. I am only a little excited because the ride height is 38inches so my daughter can actually ride and she loves coasters.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Keep in mind that Disney is more focused on the story rather than the thrill.

 

[EMode]

After seeing the video I'm not excited by it at all. I know the details will be what I expect from a WDW attraction, and it will be a fun ride, but to me its just the same old same old in terms of kind of attraction. It has some kind of new rocking cars but that doesn't really up the wow factor for me. I was hoping for something we've never seen before, not something we've already seen but themed differently.

It would also be nice to see an attraction done in the theme of current Disney characters and hit movies.

 

[WEDWDW]

Also the ride vehicle IS unique.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I'm pretty stoked to ride it.

 

[disneypharm]

After seeing the video I'm not excited by it at all. I know the details will be what I expect from a WDW attraction, and it will be a fun ride, but to me its just the same old same old in terms of kind of attraction. It has some kind of new rocking cars but that doesn't really up the wow factor for me. I was hoping for something we've never seen before, not something we've already seen but themed differently.

It would also be nice to see an attraction done in the theme of current Disney characters and hit movies.

Exactly. This is what I was trying to say. If Disney is spending the money, what don't they make the ride more unique, more a 2014 ride rather than another version of a ride from 1970s. Don't get me wrong, I will probably have fun riding this new ride in June, but I wouldn't feel the same way as when I rode the Forbidden Journey or Indiana Jones ride at DL. I am surprised that Disney Imagineers can't come up with something more unique.

 

[Murron]

I hope to ride it on our next time in WDW...that being said, what bothers me is how Disney repeats their successes. Nemo and Little Mermaid are different stories, but from a technology point of view, they really didn't stretch their brains. Haunted Mansion, Nemo, Little Mermaid...all the same ride seat mechanisms. So I guess I must agree with a prior poster that the story is what Disney is all about. And that's ok. I still love, love the story no matter what.

Someone mentioned Star Wars which really was just a repeat of Body Wars.

Still like to see them innovate once and make the next one different.

 

[nugov2]

I have to agree. I think that WDW has some great themed rides, but it is really the same 'ol same 'ol with everything they do. I also think that with Uni/IOA doing the amazing things they have makes the Mine Train just eh or cute vs the wow factor you get there. I've been to WDW/DL many times and love it, but after our first trip to IOA/Uni last year I was blown away. Those parks really have it all. Experience, story, thrill and the Character interactions were top notch! If they had room to expand and have the same amount of parks as WDW, I think they'd blow them away.

 

[sheetz]

If you compare it to other marquee attractions built in recent years: Radiator Springs Racers at DCA, Mystic Manor at Hong Kong, Gringott's and Forbidden Journey at Uni, Ratatouille at Paris, then it *does* sound underwhelming.

 

[RAPstar]

I'm in the same boat, more due to all the hype than anything. I may even just skip it when I'm there if its open and wait till next trip.

 

[ShannonMB]

I almost feel like I've ridden the thing already before it even opens - it's that predictable. That being said, I LOVE Big Thunder Mountain, and who wouldn't want a Big Thunder Mountain with a 7 Dwarves theme?!!

When BOG opened, now THAT was something I HAD to do. This new ride - if it's ridiculous when it opens, I'll wait till the next trip.

 

[jsh1975]

I almost feel like I've ridden the thing already before it even opens - it's that predictable. That being said, I LOVE Big Thunder Mountain, and who wouldn't want a Big Thunder Mountain with a 7 Dwarves theme?!!

When BOG opened, now THAT was something I HAD to do. This new ride - if it's ridiculous when it opens, I'll wait till the next trip.

The vehicle you ride in is a mine cart that rocks side to side. Not sure if you can rock it yourself as ride goes along but on turns it rocks side to side.

 

[SashaFarce]

Because it's a lot of build up for something so minor.

 

[luisov]

They are using their most recent and innovative technology for Disneyland Shanghai and Disneyland Tokyo because apparently Imagineers are getting a higher budget from Asian companies than what they have in the US.

In regards of Universal being more innovative, I disagree. They are recycling their attractions as well. Forbidden Journey has a very similar technology to that of The Simpsons ride. Transformers has a pretty similar system than the one used at the Spider Man ride and so on. Not to mention the repeated use of screen based rides. It's more about the fact that they have fresh and recent rides. We all know Disney rides already, so it feels like there's not much going on.

Disney has lots of innovetions that have never been used before in the US. Just see Winnie the Pooh attraction at Tokyo Disneyland. The problem is that they are not aplying such technologies in America.

 

[Networth]

I get what your saying about the "wow look what they can do with rides now" factor. I remember riding Spider-Man for the first time in 99', than Mission: Space, than Forbidden Journey. Each one of those rides had me thinking what they have done with technology and engineering is amazing. The 7DMT is not cutting edge by any means. I do wish Disney would push the envelope more, they built the theme park industry after all. They are the "gold" standard. But I feel current management seems to love the ROI on princess meet & greets vs technology on a ground breaking ride at least in domestic parks. Maybe one day Disney will be at the forefront again with a shift in the board.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I refuse to look at anything other than pics of the outside. I haven't watched one ride simulation video or looked at any overviews of the ride at all. With all this hype, I want to be totally surprised when I go on it for the first time and the only way to do that is to go on an information embargo.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think it's going to be perfect for what it is....a kiddie coaster. I also think it's going to be a huge hit. I think there will also be a lot of people on the internet saying, "That's it?" And I might be one of them, we'll see.

On a side note, I think reusing ride systems is ok when it's done well...I could ride 100 dark rides like Nemo and Mermaid if they told different stories and they told them well. Unfortunately, I don't think they did a good job on the actual Mermaid ride, or as good as it could have been. The outside is better looking than the actual ride.

 

[morethananyonex]

I think the biggest problem with 7DMT is that it's THE new ride in a pretty long dry spell at WDW and it's taken so long to build. It's had way too much time for hype to build among the fan community. When did the last headliner type attraction open?

I think the ride itself will be fun and cute, but I'll be surprised if it's got that wow factor. I am very glad they scraped what was basically New Princessland and gave us this instead, but I am by no means expecting it to live up to the expectations so many people have for it.

 

[FLSarah]

I have noticed it is similar to BTMRR, which is one of the reasons I'm excited for it to open. My son's favorite ride in all of WDW is BTMRR.

I refuse to look at anything other than pics of the outside. I haven't watched one ride simulation video or looked at any overviews of the ride at all. With all this hype, I want to be totally surprised when I go on it for the first time and the only way to do that is to go on an information embargo.

I am taking a similar approach. I tried to do a quick overview to make sure there was nothing to scary for my son, but I don't want the all the details. I watched every ride video before we went to WDW for the first time to see if any of the rides were too scary, and I feel like I would have enjoyed the rides even more had I not known what to expect.