^^ Thanks for explaining.
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^^ Thanks for explaining.
What a cool looking ride! When did it close?
This thread: http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29759
Has more than you ever want to know about the attraction, but safe to say that the mountain's peak, the old town you go through at the end, the caverns in the attraction, and the old mining equipment all are part of a "tribute" to some of the parts of the old attraction.
Here's an excerpt from a post I wrote on another site:
Cascade peak was made for Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland!
Another E-TICKET sadly closed down because it had to compete with other ridews like POTC (Rest in peace) and Haunted Mansion (I Do)! Cascade peak was a section in the ride where you could see the the twin sister falls.
When the ride was closed down, the peak stayed and on the old track circling the falls an old mine train from the ride was placed, looking like it had been hit by a rock slide. It's still there today with some new residents living in it! Prarie Dogs!!!http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/imag...es/tongue5.gif http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/imag...es/tongue5.gif
In 1998, Pressler tore it down and therefore destroyed a bit of history that could have been left behind for others to see. Fourtunatley, he left the train and thhe two caves from the ride that let in to the peak. Today as you are walking to Big Thunder go past the Mcdonalds cart towards fantasyland and look at the lake! See the cave there! That cave led from the peak through bear country! Another neat fact is that the lake used to have a bunch of animitronic bears in the lake and around the sides of the cave. The other side of the cave is also there. Look for another cave right next to the road! This one is boarded up. If you look on the ground you will also see the original tracks from the ride.
Thats pretty much whats left other than Rainbow ridge on Big Thunder!
While by Big thunder Ranch check out the big rockwork at the enterance! They marked the enterance to Balencing Rock canyon. I have yet to check of there is still a balencing rock!http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/imag...s/rolleyes.gif
One last thing. While having lunch at rancho de zocalo, say a little memorial as that spact was originally occupied by Rainbow Caverns.
Hope this wasn't too long!
Really interesting thread and as you noted in it, amazing at the knowledge depth of Mice Chat! I did not even know this attraction ever existed so it is very interesting to see photos and read about it. I sent the link to my mom to see if my dad remembers it because Frontierland was his favorite part of the park.
I would have to agree with you Walt Jr. that it is really sad this piece of park history was torn away. Hopefully they will at least remove the tarp and allow it to look "natural" again.
Actually, the last ride through Nature's Wonderland was on New Year's Day 1977.
Cascase Peak was taken out in 1998 because the volume of water running over the waterfalls took its toll over the 38 years it was in place, and by that point it was in danger of collapsing too.
Once again, if voting made a difference, I'd vote for putting the desert and Nature's Wonderland back in.
I can just barely remember this ride.
My sister and I rode the last Mine Train of the day during the Christmas season in 1976 (can't remember the exact date other than after Christmas and before New Year's). We were told by the CM at the time that this was the last Mine Train ride period and that the ride was closing.
I was going to check Yesterland, but I can't access it from work (go figure).
Anybody have the definitive closing date?
I think I am wrong. I was listening to a podcast yesterday that was outlining all the attractions that close, permanently, in September, after the summer rush is over, and figured that since this attraction closed in 1977, that it was probably September 1977. Dldhistory.com lists this as closing in January, 1977. Yesterland.com doesn't show a date. I'd go with the poster above that said January, 1977 - that can be corroborated, at least!
http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/disland/dl1975.htm
That's one source - take a look at January 1977
http://www.keeline.com/MineTrain/NWvBT.html
This is the one I was originally thinking about when I wrote the previous post.
BTW -- it's neat to see that Mr. Keeline has updated his site and appears to be finishing up his NW scale model project. I've been loosely keeping track of his work for several years now.