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REVIEW: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland in the Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

REVIEW:  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland in the Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

My kids and I noticed that Walt Disney World had unexpectedly offered Fastpass+ for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train early Sunday morning.  I quickly booked some FP+ so we could ride with no waiting.  We arrived to find the sign still announcing the May 28th opening date.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Signage

The Exterior

Here’s the entrance area.  The ride is located across from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and offers a Fastpass+ entrance on the left and a Stand By entrance on the right.  The queue line spills out along the fence.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Entrance

If you are using the DAS card or require a child swap because you little one isn’t 38″, the Cast Member at the Fastpass Entrance can assist you as well as those tapping their armbands for entry.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Fastpass+

Rules!  There’s always rules.  Sit down, keep those dangling objects hanging from your torso in the ride and be sure you’re taller than Dopey to be able to ride.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Rules

Before we walk the queue line, lets take a walk around the ride.  I know, I know, you want to ride.  Just hold on there a few minutes.  I have a bunch of high quality photos to post before they get buried in yet another memory card.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Exterior

The closer trees are real, the far ones are Disney magic.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Extterior

The should offer a special tour that allows one to walk the ride path, it’s really well done!Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Exterior

Another outside shot.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Exterior

The track is really curvy and wavy to take advantage of it’s special cars.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

There’s many details that point to a working mine.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This is the biggest drop of the ride, which really isn’t much, but still a lot of fun.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

 The Queue Line

We rode the Mine Train by using Fastpass+ first.  The queue area for Fastpass+ users is really short and you’ll only see the Dwarfs House, but you could see that as you exit as well.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train queue

There’s a number of immature trees that will eventually grow to become nice shade areas.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This is the Dwarf’s House, not to be confused with the Dwarf House which serves Chick-fil-a sandwiches.  This one only serves a nice photographic moment.  Don’t bother taking the photo as you enter with people passing.  You’ll get a better shot as you exit.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Dwarfs House

After passing the Dwarf’s House, you’ll enter the cave for the final area of the queue.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This part is kind of confusing. There’s two little holding areas for what reason?  They tell you to go to 1 or 2 and then the grouper goes back and forth choosing people.  Seems kind of silly to me and more work than the grouper really needs to do.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train queue

You then step up the the boarding area.  The cave is really well done.  They spend a LOT of money on the look of the experience.  Most theme parks would just plop down a roller coaster like Barnstormer or Primeval Whirl with little or no actual theming, but they went all out for this attraction.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

In case you need to dig your way out in the event of a mine collapse…Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Looking back at all the folks who didn’t schedule that FP+  :-PSeven Dwarfs Mine Train Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

I know you want to ride this thing, but just hold your horses there fine reader!  We have a second side of the queue to explore.  They call this Stand By.  This is where all the theme park guests go that don’t know that Disney offers a free ride queueing service that one can actually book from home!
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

We followed someone named Big Red.  Seemed wise to follow her because she has a tough name.  We had lined up for the ride right before it came back online.  It’s common that rides go down a lot during Test and Adjust which is also commonly known as a “Soft opening.”Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainThere are a good number of large fans in the queueSeven Dwarfs Mine Train

After zig zagging through the beautifully appointed forest and whistling while birds land on your shoulder, you find this gem sorting area and a great deal of shade!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Interactive gameSeven Dwarfs Mine Train Interactive Game

On our first time through the line we barely played with the interactive games, but the second time around we waited to see how long the queue would actually take when it was spilling out into Fantasyland.  We played each game.  Here’s the gem sorting.  You just pull the gem into the right spot and it goes, “Bling.”

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train gem sortingChildren really seemed to enjoy this game.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Only a few steps away is a second Interactive area.  This one allows you to waive your hand under the water to create music.  I told my son that a lot of people will stick their heads in their to cool off and a guy did it minutes later.  Clairvoyance is a gift that I learned from years of using my Magic 8 Ball.  There’s a water fountain in the queue just after the game to keep kids from wanting to drink this water.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Music Game

The third and final game is the barrel spin. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

The goal is to spin these things as fast as possible to see if they will come flying off and smack the guy storing his trash in the wall in the head.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Jordyn seemed to enjoy this little amusement.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Sorry, but you can’t take these gems into Mickey’s Philharmagic.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

When you spin the barrels the dwarfs appear and disappear from the ceiling.  They are like angel dwarfs looking over your shoulder.  Every time a child spins a barrel a dwarf gets his wings!Seven Dwarfs Mine Train gem gameSeven Dwarfs Mine Train

The dwarfs have left their supplies inside the wall.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

The tourists thought they should leave their treasures too.Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainThe details are prevalent even on the queue line floor.

Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainIt’s time to board!  Are you ready?Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainThe Ride

Can you tell he’s happy to finally board the ride?   I’d like to make a not about the seats before we leave the station.  The seats are contoured for smaller dimensions.  If you are a larger person, you might find the seats a bit painful.  If you are a taller person, you’ll find that the leg room may be a bit tight as well.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

And we’re off.  The cars for this ride are very unique.  They actually swing back and forth in the curves, which gives the ride a little added thrill for little ones.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

There’s a lot of debate on the old interweb as to whether or not this is an “E-Ticket” attraction. It seems that many guests were expecting another Expedition Everest or Rock N Roller Coaster.  I don’t think it was ever Disney’s desire to build a huge thrill ride here.  It’s intended to be a fun little coaster that parents can enjoy with their young child and it really hits a home run in that department.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

You get some nice views of Fantasyland from the ride.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

I’ve ridden the coaster 6 times already and I’ve always heard people squealing with excitement.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

The curves and the zig zags are the best part of the experience.Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine Train

 

After some time with a drop and a few curves we’re given a chance to see all Seven Dwarfs hard at work.  Well, 6 are working and one is sleeping.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

I didn’t even ask her to duck!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

They call him Dopey, but look at all the cash he’s raking in with this new ride!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

I set my ISO really high on my Nikon D5200 and set the aperature to take the photo as fast as possible to get these shots.  They may be a bit grainy, but they tell the story better than all the blurry ones I got early on.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

The dark ride portion is stunning.  The gems really pop and the faces of the dwarfs are really realistic.  Well done!
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine Train

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

After seeing Doc, we climb a hill for our last bit of thrill.  It’s a bit odd because they are singing Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, but they have already gone to work.  Oh well, most kids would never think of stuff like that.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in New Fantasyland (37)

A few more little thrills before we get to the end.Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine Train at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in New Fantasyland (43)

At the end of the ride on the right, you’ll see the backside of the Dwarfs house. Inside are Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs dancing around.  The effect is much nicer at night than the bright sunshine.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in New Fantasyland (45)

Daytime using Nikon D5200

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in New Fantasyland (46)Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Nighttime using my Galaxy S5 phone.  Details are much more vivid at night.  Snow and Dopey weren’t dancing last night though.

 

The ending is pretty cool with the old Hag waiting at the door.  However, if you aren’t in one of the first rows, you may miss her entirely.  On my first ride I was in the middle and didn’t notice her.  On my second ride I was in the front and she startled me .

Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine TrainSeven Dwarfs Mine Train

We then pull back into the station.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

My thoughts:

It’s an extremely detailed attraction that combines dark ride and roller coaster elements very well.  The swinging effect is a lot of fun, especially for young kids.  The ride is rated for 38″ riders, so it’s obvious that Disney was trying to reach the younger crowd.  As a thrill ride it’s between Barnstormer Goofy and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but exceeds both in detail.  I think it’s a fun ride that shouldn’t be missed.

USE Fasptass+ and ride it at NIGHT for the best experience.  If you wish to experience the queue, either go there right before closing.  I would NOT go there at Rope Drop.  Not only is the experience a pain in the neck, the wait times are the longest they experience all day.  There’s usually a drop around 10:30 or 11:00am to a regular wait of about an hour throughout the day (provided the ride doesn’t break down or weather doesn’t affect operation).

Here’s an on-ride POV video I made:

 


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stacie smith

Monday 22nd of June 2015

Does the ride video still work at night?? Its part of my memory package and I want to make sure I get the bed possible video.

kennythepirate

Monday 22nd of June 2015

Yes the video works at night too

Meridith

Wednesday 16th of July 2014

Thank you for the great advice! We will be at Cinderella's royal table at 8, and leaving when the park opens at 9. I really want to see this queue! Do you think I could time it right to beat the rope drop crowd since I will already be in the park? Also, what do you mean I can book a "free ride queuing service" from home!? I have a daughter who won't be able to ride!

kennythepirate

Wednesday 16th of July 2014

Are you referring to Fastpass+? You'll really be rushing a very expensive breakfast if you leave before 9am. The park actually opens at 8:40am as well. Just reserve a FP+ for your date of visit.

Kimberly

Saturday 14th of June 2014

Kenny, thank you so much for all your info, tips, and replying to all the questions... Our vacation went so smoothly with all your help! We met every character we wanted to and rode every ride we wanted to without feeling rushed. -and we even all got to ride SDMT at rope drop with only a 20 min wait (even though the cast member told us it was 110:-) ). Thanks again!

kennythepirate

Saturday 14th of June 2014

Very welcome Kimberly! Glad you had a great time.

Kimberly

Tuesday 10th of June 2014

I got fast passes for my husband and my seven year old for SDMT but I can't seem to add my 11 year old daughter. When I try to copy passes to her, it substitutes another ride in place of SDMT:-( and its not even something else the rest of the group is doing or even the same time??:( Would my oldest daughter be able to use my husband's band so she can ride with my other daughter instead of my husband? It's not fair if only one of them gets to ride:( I appreciate any help or suggestions! Thanks!

kennythepirate

Wednesday 11th of June 2014

Probably wouldn't have a problem using the husband's band. Keep trying and one might show up too.

Maria

Wednesday 4th of June 2014

So, you don't think it's worth it to ride at rope drop? Even if you arrive 45 minutes before the park opens? I really want to hear your thoughts because we have to book FP+ reservations in two weeks and this is not one I want to miss.

Maria

Sunday 8th of June 2014

Nevermind. I answered my own question. I have been tracking wait times on two different apps. It looks like the SDMT has 105 min waits at rope drop. I am not sure how this is possible, but I will certainly FP the ride, 60 days in advance, at midnight. LOL :) Thanks for the tips, Kenny!

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