New Fantasyland has been in development for a number of years now, but with the finishing touches being put on its headlining attraction, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, fans are eagerly anticipating the official completion of the largest expansion in the history of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Without a doubt, the most-asked question about the ride centers around the opening date. It seems like early May may very well house the ride’s opening!
Disney has promised that the ride would open sometime this spring, but with summer rapidly approaching, the exact date has remained elusive. Now, we have some evidence that the attraction will be ready to make its big debut around the beginning of May. Last month, Disney sent out “save the date” notices to members of the press, alerting them that Walt Disney World’s annual summer press event would be held April 30-May 2. In addition to the official launch of the MyMagic+ initiative (which includes MagicBands and FastPass+) and an in-depth look at the recently opened Festival of Fantasy Parade, press has been promised that they will be able to “preview” the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Another form of evidence, albeit one that is less trustworthy, comes from Disney World’s Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Hotel, interestingly enough. The official twitter account for the hotel shared the following:
Disney World news! The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train dedication at Magic Kingdom is May 2 at 10:15 AM! Who will be there?
— Hilton Disney (@HiltonLBV) March 12, 2014
I would not trust the tweet on its own – however, take into account that the supposed dedication of the ride is scheduled to occur on the third day of the press event, and it becomes more believable. Logically, the dedication would occur right around the official opening of the attraction. It is possible the hotel learned this information from Disney itself, but we have no way of knowing if it is accurate just yet.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Concept Model (via Disney And More)
Prior to throwing open a ride for public consumption, Disney tends to hold soft openings, inviting its Cast Members, and lucky guests who happen to be in the parks that day, to try out the ride. It allows the company and its Imagineers to see how the attraction will function, from the queue to the ride itself, and ensure that everything is working as it should. After all, you can test something millions of times, but until it is tested with sample subjects, you can never account for every single challenge that will be encountered. Given that philosophy, the attraction will likely have its soft opening soon – maybe next month?
For the exact dates, we will have to wait and see. The soft openings to the public are never announced, but an official opening date will likely be revealed soon. We know one thing, though – all this speculation means guests cannot wait for the chance to ride it!
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is set to debut soon at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World!
