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Dominguez Grove
02-19-2004, 05:04 PM
From time to time, a co-worker will stick his/her head in my office and make some kind of comment on Disneyland (or anything Disney). When this happens, I always begin my reply with something like, "thanks for asking, now I'm going to talk your ear off for the next 45 minutes". After about 10 minutes of talk, they thoroughly regret ever bringing the subject up. By the time 20 minutes of talk has passed, they are usually asleep. I just love talking about things Disney, and I have such a passion for it, it's easy to get me going (and hard to shut me up).

So, here I am. Sitting at work (yes, I'm surfing MousePlanet on company time...but hey, I'm salaried), and I need an outlet for some Disneyland talk. I can't find any co-workers who need a nap. So, I'm gonna turn to "my people" here on the boards.

Topic: Mine Train Through Natures Wonderland -

For those of you who may not know (although expect most people posting here do), this was an attraction/ride that used to occupy the space currently held by Big Thunder Mountain. In fact, the "Town of Big Thunder" (the miniature western type houses that line the tracks right before the train goes in to the loading station) used to be the town of "Rainbow Ridge" - the gateway to Natures Wonderland. Anyway, I don't want to get in to a history lesson of the attraction (unless, of course, someone wants to ask me - :D )

I want to ask for memories of the ride. Does anyone care to post an tale or two about their experience? I'd love to hear it.

With that said, I'll start with a story of my own.

The first time I went to Disneyland, I was 3 years old (that puts the year at about 1969). I don't have a lot of concise memories of that trip. I was pretty young, but still the trip made a large impression on me, and retain a few recollections. One of the more vivid memories is of the Mine Train. I remember the cars were yellow, and I remember hearing the Train Engineer warning us about forest fires. Also, I remember the Dinosaur bones.....

Actually, I remember taking the large steam train (DL&SF RR) around the perimeter of the park and through the Grand Canyon and Primeval World tunnels. The scene where the Tyrannosaurs and Stegosaurs fight each other scared the crap out of me (hey, to a three year old, those were REAL dinosaurs that could easily walk over to the track, pull you out of the train, and chew you up...my god! I was lucky I made it out alive!). Anyways, later in the day, when we took a ride on the Mine Train TNW, I remember the Engineer talking about Dinosaurs, and I thought, wholly @#$%#$!!!, those Dinosaurs are following me!

Although I went back to Disneyland numerous times after that first visit, for one reason or another, I never rode the Mine Train. Then one day (around 1977 -78) it was gone.

Comments...anyone?

MotorBoat Cruiser
02-19-2004, 05:11 PM
I have just about the same recollections of the ride that you do. And I am apparently the same age as you. :) I remember that the trains were yellow boxcars with benches that wrapped around the inside perimeter. I remember the bubbling tarpits (or something to that effect). I also remember being very sad when they were gone, which was right about when I got old enough to appreciate them.

As an aside, it is probably very lucky for both of us that we don't work at the same company. I could give you a run for your money in the "talking about Disneyland" department. We would probably both be fired. ;)

PapiBear
02-19-2004, 05:46 PM
Add me into this mix and we're triplets (same age, same basic recollection, can talk your ear off too). This is trippy reading you two's posts.

I have found some good stuff about Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland online, of course (where all the really good stuff is anyway).

Lots of photos from 1966. (http://www.keeline.com/MineTrain/1966/)

http://www.yesterland.com/minetrain.html

The Original Attraction Script (http://hometown.aol.com/diziago/MT_spiel.html)

Kevy Baby
02-19-2004, 06:28 PM
You can see one of the old trains when you take a ride on the Mark Twain or Columbia (I can't remember for sure if you can see it from TSI). It has been "hit" by a rock slide.

You can also see a remnant of the ride in the form of tracks through tunnels along Big Thunder Trail.

Dinner calls so I can't explain better. Need food.

Dominguez Grove
02-19-2004, 07:25 PM
PapiBear - Thanks for links. I just spend the last hour going over them. I'm familure with the Yesterland site, but that keeline.com site is new to me. VERY cool stuff there!!!

cemeinke
02-19-2004, 08:50 PM
My earliest memory of Disneyland is riding the Mine train, though the motion of the train traveling through tunnels put me to sleep. I believe we still have some home movies of that trip (that also included my aunt riding the flying saucers).

I always loved the Mine Train, even if it wasn't as thrilling as the one in Knotts where you raced through a mine explosion. Part of the fun was seeing scenes from the "True Life Adventures" recreated along the way, Bears fishing and scratching. I sometimes wondered if that mountain Lion ever jumped in anyone's car.

And Rainbow caverns was awsome in its blacklight splendor. (and it was cool to check out the minerals in the guest shop nearby that actually glowed in black light). For awhile you could even take mule through Natures Wonderland, and it was cool to see those guests from your train.

Disneyfreak
02-19-2004, 09:47 PM
Are those the same rainbow caverns that big thunder goes through today. If not, where were they located?

Not Afraid
02-19-2004, 09:51 PM
Originally posted by Disneyfreak
Are those the same rainbow caverns that big thunder goes through today. If not, where were they located?

They are not the exact same caverns, but rather an homage to what was there berfore.

I have never really seen an overlay of the two rides for exact location and I was a kid when I last rode them and not so geeky.;)

blusilva
02-19-2004, 11:27 PM
Call us quadruplets, because I'm the same age, too. I distinctly remember the teetering rocks - I was always convinced they were going to fall on us.

I've always wondered: did a lot of the "animals" from that ride end up along the Rivers of America? I may be confused, but I thought that the bear scratching against the tree and the little woodchucks popping out of the mine train were from that ride. (Edited to add: a trip to Yesterland after I posted seems to confirm that at least a version of the scratching bear was on the old Mine Train ride. And now I remember those human-looking cacti. My grandma laughed and laughed at those like they were the funniest thing she'd ever seen. I just thought they were scary.)

Reading the ride narration script, I think its charming that they kept many of the elements in spirit as the years went on: Rainbow Ridge, Bear Country, etc.

TP2000
02-20-2004, 12:37 AM
Originally posted by PapiBear
Add me into this mix and we're triplets (same age, same basic recollection, can talk your ear off too). This is trippy reading you two's posts.

I have found some good stuff about Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland online, of course (where all the really good stuff is anyway).

Lots of photos from 1966. (http://www.keeline.com/MineTrain/1966/)


Wow! Those were great pics! Thank you for sharing them with us.

Again I venture into political incorrectness, but I couldn't help but notice from all of those Disneyland crowd shots how slim, slender and healthy everyone looked back in 1966. Everyone seems to be height/weight proportional, and they are all wearing colorful little tourist outfits with no obscene t-shirts or dumpy looking sweatshirts. The Disneyland visitors of 1966 look almost spooky in their attractiveness, compared to the average crowd shot of Disneyland guests circa 2004.

What happened to middle class America in the last 40 years? How come the entire country appeared so clean and skinny back then?

justagrrl
02-20-2004, 05:56 AM
Originally posted by TP2000

What happened to middle class America in the last 40 years? How come the entire country appeared so clean and skinny back then?

Everyone made Disneyland a special event. Did you notice the military guys in their more formal outfits.


I loved this map of the area: http://www.keeline.com/MineTrain/1970sWallMap.gif

Another thing I noticed is how much is going on in the river area. Cascade peak in the back, all the different kinds of boats. the mine train going. Nowadays, when you are on the back side it's pretty ho-hum.

I think we are really missing out today by not having Cascade peak cascading. Why did they stop the water?

justagrrl
02-20-2004, 06:17 AM
Originally posted by Not Afraid
They are not the exact same caverns, but rather an homage to what was there berfore.


Here's a photo (http://www.keeline.com/MineTrain/MineralHall.php) of what it used to look like.

More here (http://www.keeline.com/MineTrain/RainbowCaverns/)

3894
02-20-2004, 06:21 AM
Originally posted by TP2000
The Disneyland visitors of 1966 look almost spooky in their attractiveness, compared to the average crowd shot of Disneyland guests circa 2004.


People used to dress up to go to Disneyland. You would never have seen cut-offs, for example.

We pretty much ignored the Mine Train and mules. The Bay Area had a park called Frontier Village and that was where the Old West was for us. DL's best back then was Tomorrowland.

How times change.

stitchlvr
02-20-2004, 07:56 AM
I'm so glad someone else remembers Frontier Village! That's been my problem about remembering the Mine Train. I'm at an age where I should remember it pretty clearly, but I spent a lot of time at Frontier Village as a kid and the attractions really overlapped a lot. I can't keep straight memories from Disneyland's Mine Train and Frontier Village's Mine Train. Every time I pass the spot where Frontier Village used to be (and that is often), I think about how great it was and how sad that it is gone. Competition with Great America took care of it.

mad4mky
02-20-2004, 08:26 AM
Originally posted by 3894
People used to dress up to go to Disneyland. You would never have seen cut-offs, for example.

We pretty much ignored the Mine Train and mules. The Bay Area had a park called Frontier Village and that was where the Old West was for us. DL's best back then was Tomorrowland.

How times change.

Gosh...Frontier Village. We had so much fun there as kids!! So sad that it is gone!

And...I remember going on the Mine Train as a kid. But, I remember the Mule Rides even more. I was scared to death riding that mule!!
More than any of this, I remember the Indian Village, and doing the Indian 'dance'...where you stood in a big circle, holding hands, and kinda pranced around! My mom has lots of pictures of of kids doing that. And..of course me and my sister on the mules.
My husband even has a home movie of him and his sisters doing the Indian dance. It is a hoot to watch! :D

Not Afraid
02-20-2004, 08:35 AM
Originally posted by 3894
People used to dress up to go to Disneyland. You would never have seen cut-offs, for example.

So so true! My old avatar (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=1144) tells that story. I was 3 (1965). Dig the matching scarf.

sediment
02-20-2004, 08:48 AM
People used to dress up EVERYWHERE in the olden days.

Not Afraid
02-20-2004, 08:53 AM
Originally posted by sediment
People used to dress up EVERYWHERE in the olden days.

HEY! Those are NOT OLDEN DAYS!:p

sediment
02-20-2004, 09:00 AM
They are now.

Terri
02-20-2004, 09:12 AM
Wow! Does this bring back memories! I grew up in the park (literally!!) from 1959 until I moved away from SoCal in 1989. Some of my fondest memories are of the mine train and the donkey ride. Everytime we went to the park, my dad and I would ride these rides. I remember the dinosaur bones and wondered if I could find the same things in the neighboring deserts of SoCal. The "indian paint pots" and geysers were also my favorites. The CM's would always place my dad and I in the same car - I remember thinking they actually knew who we were and saved the car especially for us! And on the donkey ride, they always gave me the first donkey and my dad the last donkey! I was so sad when the rides disappeared. My dad passed away in 1967 (I was 7), so these rides were especially important to my memories of him. Now...they are just that...memories - but they are wonderful just the same!

Cadaverous Pallor
02-20-2004, 12:34 PM
Originally posted by gonearctic
I grew up in the park (literally!!) from 1959 until I moved away from SoCal in 1989. Did you live in Monsanto's plastic house or the Indian Village? Hmm, if you stayed there until 1989 then you must have been relocated at least once. Perhaps you slept in Jungle Cruise's foliage, or Tom Sawyer's treehouse.

SacTown Chronic
02-20-2004, 01:24 PM
Thanks for the laugh CP.:D

I have to wipe a mouthful of water off my monitor.

SteveK
02-20-2004, 03:41 PM
I do remember going on it a couple of times. One of those immersive well themed Disney rides, much like the Jungle Cruise or Pirates. I'm glad we got big thunder but I would have preferred to keep Nature's wonderland and add Big Thunder as well. Yes, I want to have my cake and eat it. In any case, the last memory I have was probably my last ride on it before it closed down. I distinctly remember the CM closing the door to our car and smashing my finger.

And now, the rest of the story...

I complained to Disney and next thing I knew, they were going to change the doors, add over the shoulder restraints, seatbelts and lap bars and slow the trains to 1 mph. Total ride time would increase from around 5 minutes to 4 hours due to the decrease in speed. I guess the cost of doing this made it more feasible to just tear the thing down and build a rollercoaster ;)
-Steve

iwannabeanimagineer
02-20-2004, 04:54 PM
My favorite memories of the Mine Train:

The smell of the waterfalls: What was it they put in the water?

The cool chilling sensation of entering the caves (hey, I was like 6).

(An implanted memory from television): Mamie Eisenhower nearly jumping out of her seat convinced the rocks were about to fall on her!

Not Afraid
02-20-2004, 05:11 PM
Originally posted by iwannabeanimagineer
My favorite memories of the Mine Train:

The smell of the waterfalls: What was it they put in the water?

Chlorine?