Happy was happy way before Pharrell made it cool.
And now that the he, Dopey, Grumpy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful and Doc have opened the woodsy doors to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, we can’t wait to get ourselves down to our “second home” to ride the rollicking coaster.
Not only is it eligible for FastPass+ access (kids must be 38-in. tall to ride), but it’s already being called the the crown jewel of Walt Disney World’s years-long New Fantasyland expansion.
We’re thinking these 7 things have a lot to do with it:
The ride features some of the most advanced audio-animatronics figures Disney Imagineers have ever created, which is kind of saying a lot. (Get ready to blow your kids’ minds.)
Like the rest of New Fantasyland, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is crazy detailed. From Wisteria vines lining the doors of the Dwarfs’ cottage (just like in the film) to animal tracks left by friendly forest creatures on the attraction’s pathway, there is eye candy absolutely everywhere.
Imagineers developed an innovative ride system that allows for special five-car trains designed to swing independently from side to side as they move along the track. How much they move however, is dependent on the weight distribution within each car. (Tell the kids to hold on tight.)
We puffy heart love interactive queues, mainly because they’re Disney’s version of parent sanity savers. (Am I right, Winnie the Pooh fans?) Not only does the attraction’s queue let guests step into the classic story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but it invites them to become miners themselves, so get ready to wash jewels in a cool game.
There are historic treasures and endless throwbacks throughout the attraction, like the the Dwarfs’ shadows marching home (Heigh-ho!) along the lift inside of the mine. The shadows were actually rotoscoped (traced frame by frame) from a scene in the original film. And be sure to keep your ears perked for “Music In My Soup.” The tune was cut from the original film during production in the 1930s, but Imagineers re-recorded it just for this. Because of course they did.
Remember Snow White’s Scary Adventures? When Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the creepy ride was among the list of opening day attractions. My kids had the chance to ride it several times before it closed in 2012, and are pretty geeked that Imagineers took familiar characters from that ride and put them in the new one. Be sure to look for the vulture figures perched at the top of the first climb, as well as Grumpy, Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, and Happy figures toward the end.
This ride is Disney’s newest craggy “mountain” since Splash Mountain debuted in 1992.
Photo credits: Disney Parks
