That is so cool

One thing that looks interesting about the Nature's Wonderland concept is how we are given a taste of all these disparate environments. There's lush forests, arid valleys, scorching deserts and the caverns. The latest Rivers of America additions add a bit of that to the old river. There's are segments that represents the Mississippi River, the Potomac and the Rio Grande. It's all very subtle, but it adds just a little bit more to the Rivers of America.

I like Big Thunder, but its roller coaster nature doesn't really give us a good chance to admire these recreations of nature.

Great post! Big fan of the slow-moving scenic rides (which is why I love TTA so much), so sorry I missed this one in person...a little past my time. Anyway, here's a few more interesting links on NW:

http://gorillasdontblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/look-at-natures-wonderland.html

http://www.keeline.com/MineTrain/NaturesWonderland/

Thank you for the retrospective. Decades later, this still remains one of my favorite attractions. The Rainbow Caverns waters is still one of the best effects Disney ever created for the parks and it's a tragedy Disney first destroyed them then refused to reconstruct them. The sad and pathetic "Tony Baxter Tribute" version in Big Thunder is not worthy of mention.

As this area was being demolished, I remember one old time Imagineer commenting on an element of this attraction that always gets lost. He mentioned that thanks to television and schools, children grow up knowing far more about life cycles of elephants and zebras in far off Africa than they do of the raccoons and deer living in their backyard. He had always thought of the Mine Train as an American version of 'The Jungle Cruise' and a reminder that we live in a land that's just as amazing as the far-off places we hear about.

Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it!

It's a catastrophic shame that Disney was intimidated by Magic Mountain enough to think they had to take out the wonder and beauty to furnish WHOOPIE rides!

If only....

Disneyland still had Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland.
Magic Kingdom had Wester River Expedition.
Paris can have their pretty cool Big Thunder Mountain they already have.

?

Check out where the Disneyland Railroad original track is on the right of the graphic, going between Fantasyland Theater and Story Book Land/Casey Jr. Circus Train. Looks like that straight path is still there today. Interesting. I wonder what's up there today?

"I wonder what's up there today?"

It's just an access road for cast members.

I wonder tho if there are any remnants of the railroad.

I've been on that access road and it's all paved over, if I recall correctly. Only the right of way exists.

I've never heard of remnants anywhere else, but it's certainly possible.

I love the first video at 2:42. The bad guy is being shot at so, using super human powers, he begins to grow! By the time he dies he's as tall as a house! I read somewhere that bad guys in the old west could do this at will. An old indian trick?

Thanks for this tribute. I never got to ride Mine Train but I'm endlessly fascinated by it.

Walt Disney's Nature shows were ground breaking. Walt was ahead of his time once again and did great things for conservation and the understanding of our natural world. Why Animal Kingdom doesn't mention his efforts (Seal Island. The Living Desert) Is beyond my understanding. I'd like to grow to "bad guy" size and take a big dump on the tree of life.

-Hoot

Excellent post. NWRR is probably my favorite attraction, although I have never been on it. I did a retrospective post on the attraction when it turned 50 last month, including a map of the remnants of the attraction.

http://nwrr.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-50th-anniversary-mine-train-thru.html

I love the Old Yeller music in that first video.

Nice call, Skipp! I like it too.

Animal kingdom DOES fall short. I think the whole "Na-ta-zu (not a zoo)" thing was horrible because being a zoo was the only thing that park has going for it! Now, don't get me wrong, I love zoos. Where else can I see rare animals, caged, and sleeping?

There's nothing wrong with audio-animatronic animals. I'd rather see bears enjoying themselves without thinking they'd be much happier in the wild where they belong. Ya know? If you have beavers in a zoo for example, you're not going to see them do ANYTHING. They certainly won't swim around or build dams.

In today's world you can watch 50 channels worth of animal shows at any given moment. I watch a vast majority of 'em and guess what. They never film animals sleeping because IT'S BORING. It's 45 times more boring in real life and it's sad.

If a theme park wants to be all about conservation I have a few words of advice...... LET THE SLEEPING ANIMALS GO! Create animatronic displays that show us what they do in the wild. Let us imagine we're really there seeing animals do what they do when they aren't caged and fat tourist aren't gawking at them.

If you want a truly "immersive" experience, don't go to AK or a zoo. Go hiking in the Smokey Mountains with a raw pork chop tied to your ass. While you're doing that I'll be wishing for scratching bears and swimming beavers.........all safe from cages and all animatronic.

Nobody has to feel sorry for Audio Animatronic animals but you might learn more about the real thing.

I remember riding that train in 1975 when I was 17. Graduation from high school present. Flew from NY to CA and went to disneyland courtesy of my very cool aunt. I remember the painted pots and the prarie dogs popping up but I don't remember the rainbow falls. I don't remember seeing mule rides or stagecoaches either. Maybe they ended those years before I went on it. Great memories though.