10 Facts and Secrets About Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train continues to be one of the most popular attractions at all of Walt Disney World with the longest lines in the Magic Kingdom. The attraction was part of the New Fantasyland expansion and has been a fan favorite ever since. It isn’t the most thrilling attraction on property, but it holds a lot of history and is one of the most unique and technologically advanced. Here are great facts and secrets about Seven Dwarfs Mine Train:
10 – Music in the ride queue.
The ride queue is very interactive, which was a great idea since the wait time is always so long. In one of the interactive parts, you will see 12 wooden spigots that look like animal friends from the film. They are each a note from the chromatic scale. When they are all put together they will play the melody from the beloved Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs! The imagineers really put a lot of effort into this one!
9 – The mine carts sway from side to side.
This is unique across all Disney attractions! The mine carts are designed to that each individual cart sways from side to side. 5 carts are tethered together to make the journey around and through the mine which each independently swaying freely from side to side the entire ride.
8 – The mine train track was made in Holland.
The same company that was responsible for building Big Thunder Mountain for Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris also built the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Vekoma is the name of the company, and their home base is in Holland. They designed and executed the design for the attraction.
7 – The dwarfs are the most enhanced audio-animatronic that Disney has created to date.
You will be extremely impressed as soon as you see the expressions and characteristics of the dwarf animatronics. They have been created so that their faces look like live animated faces that look, react and express the same expressions as their characters from the movie. They really are brought to life right in front of your eyes. It makes the entire experience so much more real. Disney really can do some amazing things!
6 – Figures from Snow Whites Scary Adventures were re-purposed on the attraction.
You will notice figures of some of the dwarfs along with the vultures from the Snow Whites Scary Adventures attraction. The figures were repurposed to be used in sections of the attraction outside of the mine. They work perfectly within the attraction and they pay homage to an old attraction that we do miss from time to time.
5 – One of the few attractions to have guest video footage.
We hope that guest video footage becomes a recurring trend across many more attractions, but currently it is limited to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Tower of Terror. What this means is that video footage is actually taken while you are on the attraction and then will appear within your PhotoPass photos as a video that is available to view and download. It is such a great surprise and a great memory to have captured in video.
Thank you to Michael Kay for the great video. Michael’s Facebook Page
4 – The key to the vault.
You may remember in the film how when they put the gems in the vault at the mine, that Dopey always hung the key on a nail that was right next to the mine door for safekeeping. The imagineers added this element and nod to the film into the attraction by adding a real vault key and recreating the scene within the ride queue of the attraction.
3 – Careful, intentional planning to the mine cart design.
If you look closely at mine carts that you ride in, you will notice that no one is the same. They were each individually painted and designed to look aged and worn. This level of detail and care was even put into the bolts and finishings on the mine carts so that they looked like old and worn mine carts for you to ride in.
2 – “Music In Your Soup” was cut from the original film.
This song, “Music In Your Soup” is heard while in the ride queue and around the area for the attraction. The Imagineers added it back in to pay homage to the film. The song was originally part of the film, but ended up being cut out.
1 – Lots of gems in the mine.
The gems in the mine are stunning and beautiful. Once you enter the mine you will be surrounded by them. You will notice that there are four different sizes of gems and then they appear in six different colors. The colors that you will see are yellow, purple, green, blue, red and clear (diamond).
RELATED ARTICLE
9 Reasons Why We Love Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom at Disney World
by Lauren Repei
Magic Kingdom is made up of six different areas and lands. There’s Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Each area is full of wonderful attractions and together they make the most magical place on earth. But for the moment we’re going to focus on just one land and give you 9 reasons why we love Fantasyland.
9 – Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney’s most beloved movies, and we love all the Beauty and the Beast attractions in Fantasyland. Be Our Guest makes guests feel as if they are stepping into the movie as they enter the grand ballroom or the west wing.
Enchanted Tales with Belle brings guests inside an interactive story with Belle and Lumiere. Gaston’s Tavern serves up snacks, like warm cinnamon buns and their signature beverage LeFrou’s Brew. It’s also great that guests can see Gaston’s chair and his trademark antlers everywhere. And don’t forget to meet Gaston at Belle’s Village Courtyard, and if you’re brave enough you can even challenge him to a push-up contest. The Beauty and the Beast area and attractions are so immersive, endearing and filled with wonder that they are definitely a highlight of Fantasyland.
8 – The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was one of the latest additions to the new Fantasyland. Guests eagerly awaited the opening and when it did, it did not disappoint. This is the perfect family ride, with smooth, swaying mine carts that carry guests up the mountain and through the diamond mine where the dwarfs work. The ride finishes with guests slowly sailing past the little cottage where they can peer in the windows and see Snow White dancing with the dwarfs as the old hag looms outside the door. The attraction in Fantasyland is a wonderful tribute to the full-length film that started it all.
7 – The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is another of Disney’s classic fairytales that comes to life here in Fantasyland. Guests can pose in front of Eric’s Castle for photos and see the story of The Little Mermaid in the attraction Under the Sea – Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Guests can also meet Ariel in her mermaid form at Ariel’s Grotto.
6 – The Washrooms
It may take guests a moment to realize that the beautiful area dedicated to Tangled are actually restrooms. This themed area is the perfect place to stop and freshen up, and even snap a few photos! In the seating area, some of the tree stumps have outlets in them so you can recharge your phone and other devices. There are hidden Mickeys to find, and also hidden Pascal statues to find (apparently there are 10.) Rapunzel’s tower sits off in the distance among waterfalls and greenery, and of course there are lanterns, which are beautiful at night. The attention to detail at this rest stop makes it an attraction in itself.
5 – Storybook Circus
Storybook Circus is a section of Fantasyland that is full of color, whimsy and just plain fun. The Casey Jr. Splash ‘N Soak area is a great place to cool down as the animals spit and splash water out of the train cars. The Barnstormer, featuring the Great Goofini, is a perfect ‘thrill’ ride attraction for little ones, and a great ride to introduce young Disney fans to coasters. And of course Dumbo is the star of Storybook Circus. We love that Fantasyland not only kept this classic attraction, but built upon it, adding an interactive playground to the queue and a second wheel of elephants to the attraction.
4 – Classic Disney
Although there have been many new additions to Fantasyland in recent years, we love that many of those classic Disney attractions and elements remain, keeping that sense of nostalgia for long time Disney fans. “it’s a small world” is an iconic Disney attraction, which first appeared at the 1964 World’s Fair, and displays the artistic design by Disney Legend Mary Blair. Peter Pan’s Flight is another classic Disney attraction that continues to be a favorite among guests. The railroad stop in Fantasyland reminds guests of Walt’s love of trains, and it’s also a great way of getting to and from Fantasyland.
3 – Characters
There are a whole cast of characters to meet in Fantasyland. Anna and Elsa remain very popular princesses to meet and greet, and they can be found over at Princess Fairytale Hall, along with Rapunzel and Cinderella. In Storybook Circus at Pete’s Silly Sideshow, guests can meet classic Disney characters like Daisy, Donald and Goofy dressed as circus stars and performers.
2 – The Castle
Cinderella Castle is the main gateway to Fantasyland. One of the best feelings is walking from the hub, through the castle and finding yourself entering a whole new world of fantasy. The walls of the gateway through the castle are covered in beautiful mosaic murals that tell the story of Cinderella. They are worth pausing to look at. And of course Wishes paints the night sky over the castle every night, and if you stay in Fantasyland you’ll get a whole different perspective of the fireworks from behind the castle.
1 – Magic
It feels as if pixie dust has been sprinkled all over Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom and you can feel it as soon as you enter. This is where Disney movie magic truly comes to life with the characters, attractions, the castle turrets that surround the area, the princesses, and the list goes on. This is the land where it all comes together and dreams really do come true.