2024 Disney World Refurbishment Calendar
This Walt Disney World ride refurbishment calendar lists the closure schedule for 2024 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom. Attractions close for routine maintenance, safety upgrades, improvements, and reimaginings. (Updated March 15, 2024.)
While no one wants attraction downtime during their trip to Walt Disney World, refurbishments are necessary to keep the rides looking good (and safe!) for future visitors. Usually, there are only a handful of simultaneous closures, plus new attractions being built. Note that the list below includes several refurbishments that have either been scheduled last-minute, extended, or are longer than normal.
If you’re visiting Walt Disney World now, the good news is that refurbishment ‘season’ has wrapped up in time for the start of Spring Break, which is one of the peak travel times. The bad news is that Walt Disney World has not been doing nearly enough preventative maintenance or ride refurbishments during the off-season over the last few years, so you can expect plenty of unplanned downtime due to breakdowns. Here’s a rundown of what to expect the next few months in terms of planned attraction closures at Walt Disney World…
There’s also a lot of construction occurring, albeit not nearly as much as even a few years ago. However, that massively understates the current closures and impact of construction on visitors to Walt Disney World throughout the remainder of the year. Speaking of which, if you’re looking for opening dates rather than closures (and reopenings) to existing attractions, see the Disney Parks Project Timeline for 2024 & Beyond. That covers both the official opening dates, plus our predictions about what’ll likely be delayed.
If you want all of the latest updates on attraction closures and ride refurbishments–subscribe to our free Walt Disney World email newsletter. We also share other news and on-the-ground reports from the parks, when discounts are released, and much more.
Here is the current schedule of Walt Disney World refurbishments to attractions, when the closure starts, and when the refurbishment will conclude, updated as of March 15, 2024:
Animal Kingdom
- DINOSAUR – TBD closure date (likely late 2024 or early 2025)
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug – TBD closure date
- Kali River Rapids – Reopened early!
- Primeval Whirl – Permanently closed & demolished
The only “real” refurbishment on the calendar was Kali River Rapids, which was closed for its routine winter refurbishment for the last two months. As always, this is as much as story of low-demand due to weather and crowds as it is needed maintenance.
The good news is that’s past tense and Kali River Rapids reopened early. The bad news is that it wasn’t by much, and not in time for the start of this week’s 10/10 crowd levels. As we noted when the refurbishment started: “Kali River Rapids often returns ahead of schedule if weather allows and demand dictates. Given that Spring Break starts early this year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it reopen at least one week before that–assuming the weather cooperates.”
While demand did dictate, weather didn’t exactly cooperate. With chilly weather again in the forecast next week, Kali River Rapids probably won’t be popular next week, either. (Note that you will get wet on Kali River Rapids–don’t make the mistake of assuming Disney controls the soak-factor on colder days. Not with this ride!)
Beyond that, a Zootopia Tree of Life Show is replacing It’s Tough to Be a Bug at some point in the future–likely sometime in 2024.
What else is next for Animal Kingdom is unclear. Primeval Whirl permanently closed and the company has confirmed that what’s currently Dino-Rama is the next big expansion site at Walt Disney World. They’ve also officially announced that the replacement will be the Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom.
What’s still not 100% confirmed is what this area will feature. Walt Disney World has teased Encanto and Indiana Jones concepts that are supposedly just “under consideration.” It’s our understanding that they’re a done deal, but other recent official projects have been cancelled even after construction started. DINOSAUR being converted to Indiana Jones Adventure is almost a sure thing, and we anticipate it closing either late this year or early in 2025.
Magic Kingdom
- Country Bear Jamboree – Reopens in Summer 2024
- Splash Mountain – Permanently closed
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – Opening in Summer 2024
All of the winter ride refurbishments at Magic Kingdom are now finished, and those attractions have reopened. Currently, the two attractions closed in Frontierland are reimaginings. Country Bear Jamboree is being transformed into Country Bear Musical Jamboree. An exact reopening date is currently unknown, but the attraction will come back in Summer 2024. This makes sense–Walt Disney World probably wants to get it done before Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens.
Our expectation is that some of the changes could occur overnight, but the Audio Animatronics also need TLC. Honestly, it could last several months–the longer, the better. The attraction could use a fair amount of love.
Also underway is the reimagining of Splash Mountain into a new ride based on The Princess and the Frog. Imagineering has wasted no time in beginning the transformation into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and the new mountain is quickly taking shape.
Construction walls are up around Chick-A-Pin Hill and construction workers can be observed on and around the attraction working on the overhaul. The transformation timeline is an aggressive one, and but Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has made significant progress in the last several months.
In fact, Walt Disney World just announced that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in Summer 2024. As discussed in that post, our prediction is that it debuts in mid-to-late June 2024. Whether Country Bear Musical Jamboree opens at the same time remains to be seen.
EPCOT
- CommuniCore Hall & Plaza – Opens in 2024
- Luminous: The Symphony of Us – Now showing!
- Moana’s Journey of Water – Now open!
- Test Track – TBD closure date
- World Celebration – Now open!
After 4 long years of construction walls around the center of the park, World Celebration is now open. Along with it, Moana’s Journey of Water has debuted. However, walls are still up around CommuniCore Hall & Plaza, which is slated to open in 2024. It might debut for the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival, but our bet is that it opens for a brand-new summer event.
Back in World Showcase Lagoon, Luminous: The Symphony of Us has now debuted. This is EPCOT’s new permanent nighttime spectacular, replacing the temporary EPCOT Forever and Harmonious before that.
Looking forward, Test Track is going to be reimagined again, but no date is set for that closure. In fact, it may not even occur in 2024. Beyond that, Spaceship Earth is long overdue for track and ride system maintenance, and that would necessitate a multi-month (if not year-plus) closure. Journey into Imagination is also about a decade overdue for a redo, but there’s no word that’s on the horizon, either.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple – Permanently Ended
- Star Wars: Galactic Spectacular – Permanently Ended
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster – Closed now through Summer 2024
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid – Reopens in Fall 2024
Two very big additions to this schedule. The first is that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is Closing for Multi-Month Refurbishment in 2024. That covers everything we know about the likely end date and the scope of the project.
Walt Disney World also has announced that Voyage of the Little Mermaid won’t be returning. At least, not by the same name. A reimagined version of that stage show is coming in Fall 2024 and will be renamed to “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.”
Outside Theme Parks
- Typhoon Lagoon Water Park – Reopens on March 17, 2024
- Blizzard Beach Water Park – Closes on March 16, 2024
- Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort – Permanently Closed
The big update here is Typhoon Lagoon will reopen and Blizzard Beach will close March 16/17, 2024. This is a standard seasonal closure, and happens every single year due to a lack of demand during the colder time of year. The big question is whether both will operate simultaneously in Summer 2024. Our guess, unfortunately, is that they will not.
Otherwise, the attraction closures above are pretty straight-forward. To the extent that specific dates are not yet listed, those will be updated once Walt Disney World provides precise start and/or end dates.
In addition to scheduled attraction refurbs, unscheduled downtime can also occur during a visit. This usually only occurs for a few hours at a time, so if you find an attraction is closed during your vacation and it’s not listed below, it’s likely a temporary closure that will last (at most) for a few hours. Check with nearby Cast Members to confirm.
For resort work, please see our 2024 Walt Disney World Hotel Construction & Refurbishments. If you are worried that any of resort hotel renovations will impact your stay, here’s a general rule to keep in mind: room refurbishments rarely impact hotel stays. These occur in specific clusters, and you’ll rarely notice the work being done.
Now, here’s a bit of my philosophy concerning refurbishments…
General Thoughts on Refurbishments
When news comes out about any refurbishment, my immediate reaction is always, “this is great–it means they’re actually doing something to the attraction!” My mind races with the possibilities of how attractions could be improved or plussed by Walt Disney Imagineering. Even though we might miss it on our next Walt Disney World visit, I’m always excited.
In reading feedback from others, I’ve discovered this perspective puts me in the minority. Others online fume about this, and how it would alter or impact their vacation plans. The saying “vacation ruined” has attained near-meme status among some fans, and that felt apt for some of the complaints. I can understand the perspective. Assessing the scope of the refurbishment in advance, scheduling liberal refurbishment dates, and opening early (under-promising and over-delivering) is always preferable to the alternative.
I can also understand that there’s other pent-up frustration at play here, ranging from radio-silence on projects to Walt Disney World’s tardiness in releasing park hours while expecting guests to plan several months in advance. Neither of these moves by Disney, among others, are defensible. At best, this communication is poor guest service. At worst, it’s demonstrative of a contemptible attitude towards guests.
However, I remain of the mindset that this refurbishment extension–and other current refurbishments–is potentially a good thing. Among the most vocal fans upset about the extension are those who are like me: guests who visit Walt Disney World at least every-other year. We are playing the ‘long’ fandom game.
From my perspective, investing in the long-term quality of an attraction is far more important than the temporary satisfaction I’ll get out of riding it on my next visit. I get excited when thinking about ways rides could be plussed, improving the experience for years to come. This is why it always perplexes me when regulars contend that their vacation will be ruined because their favorite attraction will be closed.
If it’s your favorite attraction and you’re active in the Disney fan community, that means you’ve been to Walt Disney World before and probably will visit again. It would thus stand to reason that you would want something you love to get the TLC it deserves, and continue to improve.
DINOSAUR works as a good example here. This attraction used to be called Countdown to Extinction (“CTX”) before an ill-advised movie tie-in was added. During that era, DINOSAUR had a litany of additional effects, many of its AAs had greater functionality, and the attraction was, as a whole, more impressive.
If you are a long-term fan, would you rather experience DINOSAUR every single year with 66% of the effects working, or every single year minus one with 95% of the effects working? For me, the answer to that is easy. I’ll take a superior long term experience every time. (That this is even a legitimate question for long-time fans speaks to the ‘instant gratification’ nature of things today, but that’s well beyond the scope of this post.)
Beyond that, there’s the much more compelling justification for regular refurbishments: they are essential for the safety of attractions. While we think of these attractions as all fun and games that offer a safe sense of exhilaration, that’s when they are properly maintained.
It’s unpleasant to think about, but there have been several preventable deaths in the history of Disney’s parks. During a dark era of Disneyland history, improper maintenance was the cause of death on Big Thunder Mountain (thankfully, Paul Pressler’s reign of terror is over). Years of neglect at Disneyland Paris have led to incidents of injury that could be attributed to a lack of maintenance (again, this has been addressed).
This is not meant to scare anyone or provoke an emotional reaction; the fact is that Disney’s worldwide safety record is sterling as compared to other park operators. It’s still important to remember that these fun, ‘magical’ places also exist in the real world and use a lot of potentially dangerous elements if safety is not viewed as key. (Or, in Disney’s case, one of the “Five Keys.”)
When it comes to maintenance that is not essential to the safe operation of an attraction, we are left to contemplate what amount of show quality should be accepted. If following a strict Nunisian practitioner of the Four Keys, show is another paramount consideration, and it should always be 100%. This is nice corporate propaganda, but I think the practical reality is that 100% is an unworkably high threshold in many circumstances.
I think we have seen this play out with Expedition Everest. Fans joke about the “Disco Yeti” and lament the fact that this jaw-dropping Audio Animatronics figure has not worked in nearly a decade. There are numerous theories as to why the Yeti hasn’t been fixed; what each of these share is that there are large-scale problems and no quick fixes.
Fixing the Yeti will require a closure of at least 6 months, and be quite expensive. The working Yeti is truly a magnificent sight to behold (and one most of you probably haven’t seen in A-mode unless you rode over a decade ago), but the attraction is still impressive with the Disco Yeti. At this point, it’s likely that Disney has determined the closure would take too long, cost too much, and the improvement would not be worth the investment.
There’s also the reality that Animal Kingdom is lacking in rides. Even after the opening of Pandora – World of Avatar, the park still is heavy on shows and animal exhibits and light on rides. Taking one of the park’s flagship rides down for 6 months to a year to fix one Audio Animatronics figure that guests see for 1-2 seconds might not be worth the sacrifice.
As a staunch proponent of show quality, I have a difficult time accepting the same argument for any attraction in Magic Kingdom, a park with a veritable “mountain range” and diverse slate of other attractions. In fact, the same goes for every castle park. These parks have enough attractions to pick up the slack if 1-2 attractions have to be taken offline simultaneously without ruining any vacations.
Guests are understandably concerned when it appears an inordinate number of attractions are closing during their vacation. Walt Disney World vacations are not cheap and are often once in a lifetime experiences. First-timers certainly do not want to miss out on experiences about which they’ve read extensive hype.
However, the problem with a “not during my vacation” attitude like this is that it’s always going to be someone’s (or tens of thousands of someones) vacation. If attractions with show quality issues don’t close for refurbishments for fear of some guests during a time-limited window missing out, all guests in perpetuity are going to have a lesser experience.
Running an attraction with broken effects is only going to compound problems, and eventually a single broken effect will turn into myriad broken effects. Imagine this scenario park-wide, played out to its natural consequences. That’s not exactly what I’d call the “Disney Difference.”
Again, DINOSAUR is a good example here. If it’s your first visit and you experience DINOSAUR with 66% of the effects working, you won’t know what you’re missing. Riding it will, no doubt, be superior to not riding it. However, I’m guessing your satisfaction rating of the attraction wouldn’t be nearly as high, and you might question why so many people love the attraction, and why Disney was lazy with so much empty, dark space. (Or, perhaps you won’t: if you only ever eat dog food, you won’t know what you’re missing in a nice steak.)
The thing is, if Disney would not close DINOSAUR during your vacation so you don’t miss out on it, chances are that they would extend the same “courtesy” for other guests, and it would be standard operating procedure to never close anything during anyone’s vacation.
The end result of this would be a park full of “66% attractions” and first-timers would be left wondering why there was so much hype about Walt Disney World, in the first place. If you’re reading this as a lifelong fan, consider the possibility that you wouldn’t have become a lifelong fan if this were actually Disney’s modus operandi. (In fact, I’d argue that Walt Disney World is trending in this direction, dragging its feet on several necessary refurbishments, with the inaction being predicated upon short term guest satisfaction or cost-savings.)
This might sound like we’re applying ‘heavy’ Rawlsian theory to the lighthearted topic of theme parks, but philosophy isn’t worth a damn if it can’t be applied to theme parks. 😉
A lot of this might seem like an effort to absolve Disney of blame when it comes to refurbishments, but this is not the case. Disney has brought a lot of the guest unrest concerning refurbishments upon itself. The first issue is that Disney has numerous parks that have opened in the last two decades with incomplete slates of attractions, making it difficult to justify taking attractions offline for refurbishment. So step one, a wholly impractical step at this point, would be to open theme parks that are complete on day one.
Failing that, Disney could avoid a lot of the guest backlash concerning refurbishments if they would schedule more 3-4 day refurbishments of attractions to proactively address problems with preventative maintenance. Although this would not totally negate the need for extended refurbishments, it would improve show quality across the board and help avoid a lot of situations where attractions have to abruptly close because they are in dire need of maintenance. Moreover, a 3-4 day refurbishment is shorter than the duration of most vacations, allowing tourists to effectively plan around the refurbishment.
In this case, both parties planning ahead would prevent those “vacation ruined!” complaints. Don’t worry, Disney, we fans are resilient: we’ll still find something else to complain about. 😉
Joking aside, I realize that’s a tough line to draw between an excusable refurbishment and a frustratingly irritating one. Even if you subscribe to the some degree of the ‘philosophy’ I’m advancing, there is no bright-line rule. It’s still going to amount to a value judgment about what should ‘trigger’ a need for refurbishment, how many attractions should be down simultaneously across Walt Disney World, and what times of year are ideal for which refurbishments.
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Your Thoughts
Any questions about the current refurbishments at Walt Disney World? What do you think about refurbishments at the Disney Parks? Are you more concerned about an improved long-term experience, or do you think “not during my vacation!”? Where do you draw the line? Any other factors you think are worth considering? As mentioned, we think this is a conversation, so please share your ‘refurbishment philosophy’, or any other thoughts or questions you have, in the comments!
We discovered the somk recently. Great cards to send to grandkids and freebie!! Wish they would keep giving the cards when they end somk. Like a baseball card collectible and FREE! Next I guess they will do away with free b’ day pins at guest services. Bring back the people mover!!!! Did I see that the guest brochure at Epcot is back giving food and drink lists?????
Given that your earliest comments are from October 16, 2016, time’s ticking for Joe Rhode to rappel in and fix the Yeti within 5 years. ^_^
I think his retirement announcement pretty much precludes that. He didn’t say it’s impossible, just not easy.
I agree wholeheartedly with your article. In regards to the 3-4 day refurbishments, I also agree and those of us who go regularly, we would probably go to the parks where they were doing refurbs because the crowd level would be down and we have been on every ride we like at least 5 times.
Great perspective!
Pretty much ALL of the minor existing problems should’ve been fixed during the closure. There’s no acceptable excuse…
I’m surprised nothing has come up to replace Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. That is in so need of something new in that place.
I believe there was already news that is in the works.
Curious about the new home for the Leave a Legacy times. Any word on when this will be completed.
Thank you
I appreciate your consideration of distributive justice in this post.
The Star Wars mobile games are really poorly designed – the QR-type codes they sprinkle around the rides didn’t work on my phone (perhaps it was the dim lighting, but even with my flashlight on the app didn’t seem to recognize them) and the game on MFSR is essentially just a repetitive quiz that my kids got bored with before we were halfway through the line. I had been saving SOTMK for when my boys were a bit older and I’m sad they won’t get to experience it, but it’s only more of a reason to go to Universal instead which will never get rid of the interactive wand elements in WOHP. In terms of interactive elements, Universal is eating Disney’s lunch (have you seen the magic-type bands that are part of Nintendo Land in Osaka?) One refurbishment you didn’t mention is Hall of Presidents, which always goes down when a new president is inaugurated. At this point, I think they should replace this show with something else. I know it’s a classic, but the animatronics are no longer the cutting edge technology that they once were, and there’s no way to include 45 that won’t be controversial after what happened on Wednesday. They could give the Muppets Great Moments in History a permanent home inside, or else use the space for a different show that is still Liberty Square themed. (maybe music from Hamilton, or something?)
“One refurbishment you didn’t mention is Hall of Presidents, which always goes down when a new president is inaugurated.”
It’s not mentioned because there’s no indication from Disney yet as to when it’ll happen, even though we know it’s coming at some point this year.
I’m really looking forward to Super Nintendo World–everything about that land looks brilliant. Hopefully it lives up to the hype!
Are you referring to scanning the crates and such? We found many of them to be very difficult due to lighting conditions. It was a fun distraction, with the sound effects throughout the land.
I was JUST thinking about starting to play SOTMK…damn.
HOP should NEVER be removed, as one of Walt’s few remaining somewhat-intact legacies. I agree they should end adding any current president from a speaking role from now on. Too many whiners. Replace Trump’s segment with Ronald Reagan telling Gorbachev to tear down the wall. That’s the last really iconic presidential moment I can think of worthy of such ensconcement.
I’m distraught about Sorcerer’s of Magic Kingdom! I feel like it was one of the last physical mementos you could get… plus my 9 year old loves the cards. We can only make it down there every few years (art teacher salary here, lol!) but Sorcerer’s are always a must-do for her.
I’m so glad we decided to go this year so my 9 year old could get a few last packs of cards and one last game in! We were going to put it off because of Covid but felt that Disney was a pretty safe place to be with their strict mask and distancing rules…. And a whole lot of soap, water, and hand sanitizer, lol!
I think the free buttons will be axed next, especially since I saw packs of them for sale last month.
I understand how cost-cutting works… But it still saddens me to see these little magical mementos go by the wayside! Plus I really truly do not like how reliant on the phone you have to be now in Disney. I like to use my phone for photos and that’s it- We go to Disney to get away from real life!
I agree. Believe it or not Disney (if you’re reading) not everyone owns or wants a smart device. My husband hasn’t owned a cell phone since he retired and has no plans to do so.
Jayne, that’s awesome to hear about your husband’s principles. I believe if society went back to flip phones and no texting we’d be much healthier. Smart devices although “convenient” have been the demise of mankind…
Oh, I hope they replace the SOTMK and Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure with something similar! We just discovered those in the past couple of years and my kids loved the scavenger hunt quality and the technology used. It was also a great way to see parts of the park that you normally would just rush through trying to get to the “next thing.”
I miss Disney. I will not try to force a trip through Covid, though. We’ll be back when things are mostly back to normal.
“I hope they replace the SOTMK and Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure with something similar!”
There’s a DuckTales game that was slated to debut in EPCOT last year; I assume it’s still coming at some point this year. I would not hold my breath for a direct SOTMK replacement in the near future.
The Pirate Adventure segments in Adventureland are fun and you get cool souvenirs that cost nothing. We have a framed set of the maps on the wall at the house. Tttttwwwwooooo days!
Bummed about SOTMK. Just discovered it in 2018 and only got to play on 3 trips. A 30-year old woman playing it looked a TAD out of place among the tween boys playing, so I would spend evening EMH playing basically by myself. It was pretty magical. Sigh. I hope disney replaces those nooks and crannies with themeing, not merch…
Just back from a WDW trip and I won’t be going again anytime soon, COVID or not. LONG lines, few food sources with regular hours, and just a general feeling like bonuses for execs keep getting bigger and the park experience is getting smaller for more money. There were still lovely moments with cast members but not the overall “Disney bubble feel”. We have been 10 times in the last 6 years and are DVC owners, so my thoughts aren’t based on a one off trip. When I price compare over the last 5 years, we are now close to twice as much $ for the same kind of trip as we took 5 years ago. We will continue to enjoy the resorts but Universal is calling our name and getting our dollars next year. I see this sentiment many places so hopefully Disney will wake up when Universal keeps cutting into their share….
Susan welcome to the club! We just got back from Christmas did three days in Universal and 4 days at Disney, staying at Riviera and Disney is now forgive me a complete rip-off. The lines were insane, no Fastpass (UO still had Express Pass) and yes food offerings were anemic, (prices through the roof) and good luck getting a reservation. We will not be going back anytime soon either. We’re now AP premiere pass holders at UO and will be visiting there for the foreseeable future.
I agree! We went on Valentine’s Day during Covid. There were no smart passes because we were told they were operating at less capacity! It was not true!!! The place was packed–line waits were over an hour and for some reason they let a few people in the smart pass lane! We found out later that they paid an extra $200 for that privilege! Of course many rides weren’t operating and no shows! It felt like a total rip off!
@Darlene – I believe you mean Fast Pass+, not smart pass. Further, yes the Fast Pass lanes are being used, primarily for those with Disability Access Passes. Also for those utilizing rider swap, and lesser so, those who had to be evacuated from the ride at an earlier time are given a Fast Pass to come back. There are also those with privileges afforded by purchasing a home in Golden Oaks, or a Club33 membership. Finally, the guests who pay for $200+ per person, per day VIP Tours also will use the Fast Pass lanes.
Huge fans of the People Mover. Any word if they will be extending it into the Tron Light cycle or elsewhere?
sad to hear about SOTMK. we really just discovered it on our 2019 trip and my kids really got into collecting the cards. we were down to only needing that Elsa card pictured and one other from the special party card collection. now with the game being retired, not sure they’ll ever be able to find them short of risking forged cards on ebay.
What party card do you need? We have a few extra of some. I can’t bring myself to tell my son yet. 🙁 Just back from a trip and it was a highlight, as it has been for a couple years. We got in on the last round of the Phineas and Ferb game and now this? Seriously eroding the magic.
Chances Expedition Everest would be reimagined/rethemed?
UH… to what?
The answer is no, no matter what.
Apparently my first comment was too politically heated.
Honestly to what would they retheme it to? And let’s hope to God that the YETI is racially Neutral…
I agree with everything that you said, but I have greater sympathy for the guest who has planned for this trip for years, probably cannot afford it and shouldn’t go, but goes anyway only to find that so many rides are shut down and a large percentage of Disneyworld looks like a construction site. Maybe there could be some adjustments for this time period like making their tickets non-expiring, or half price, or both. They could enjoy what rides that they can, then they can bail out and save three days for a later year. Shutting down is inevitable but you would hope that it happens at the slowest time of the year and not during any school vacations, which everyone in the country has to revolve around.
To me, this is blasphemy to even speak about, but I was hoping that your blog would tell me when they plan on shutting down Splash Mountain to turn it into a Princess Tiana theme. My family all love this ride and want to enjoy it again before they shut it down for good.
Any incite?
Thanks
We just returned spending Christmas and the next 4 days in the Parks and I would say it was a complete waste of money. The lines were terribly long all day everyday… We went to Universal Orlando first and I will go back there in a heartbeat. They still have Night Time Entertainment with water shows and fireworks and also still offer Express Pass, & quite honestly I found the food offerings to be much better. I’ve been going to Disney for years but after this last trip I don’t think I’ll be returning anytime soon. I’ve had enough of giving them my money. Until leadership changes and the cancel lib culture is cut out like the cancer it is, I have no intention of ever giving them another solitary dime…
We go to Disney about once a year with family. I personally miss the parades and shows more than a lot of their rides. That being said, I think they are asking alot of their fans to stay loyal with no incentive to do so. With so much closed, especially since they’ve laid off so many people, why not reduce the price of admission? After all you’re sure not getting “what you paid for”.
Hopefully never for Splash ruination. The ridiculously-long-duration crappy overlay remains of Maelstrom is not up to snuff.
agree with Mrnico
Tom, any word on Expedition Everest being closed the last several days??
We are visiting Disney World December 12-18. I had read somewhere that big thunder mountain railroad will be closed for refurbishment beginning December 6, but I do not see that listed on the list here. Do you know if that refurbishment is still moving forward in December? Thanks!
(By the way, I love reading your updates!)
So very heartbroken over the closure of SOTMK. We’ve played everytime we go and have almost all the cards! My boys, now teenagers, are super disappointed.
I agree, it’s nice doing something NOT on our phones, and now they’re taking the one thing left, away!
Bring back all entertainment and open all restaurants .
Can’t do that till they get back to 100% operational capacity
HEAR HEAR!! Said everyone but Chapek!
Looking at hours for January 10-16, only Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Square Riverboat are listed under refurbishments. Any chance this means good news for the train and people mover?
I think that’s just as far out as the calendar goes and those dates are merely placeholders at this point.
I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that all of the nighttime spectaculars are shutdown. There can easily be social distancing put into place through out the park, like magic kingdom and hollywood. In specific, Fantasmic was one of my most beloved shows at Disney and it’s no longer available.
That is my only concern and frustration, is no fireworks or any entertainment what so ever. Complete waste of money. How are you suppose to enjoy it, when everything is closed?
We just got back, checked in Christmas day and it was terrible. We went to Universal first from the 22nd and checked out on the 25th as we then Checked into Disney and stayed at the Riviera. All I can say is Universal is doing it all right. Express Pass, nighttime fireworks with their water show, ample food, offerings it’s like back to normal. They’re also requiring and still putting disinfectant in your hands before your permitted to go on any rides, which is an awesome idea. Disney on the other hand was horrible, LONG LONG LINES, and hardly any entertainment offerings, meanwhile we spent at least 50% more to go to Disney. There’s no snow at Disney, but Universal had it. Oh wait how many girls fell at the Frozen Ever After show in Hollywood Studios where you’re indoors but yet there’s no snow Outdoors because that could spread the virus… Disney is a clown show right now. My wife, kids and I have decided not to go back anytime soon until they start making it worthwhile because as it stands now it’s literally a rip off… Universal is our new home along with a burger at Finnegan’s and a butter bear for desert… oh and the Velocicoaster will be open soon unlike Tron which may open up by 2025…
Sorry can’t edit my post and obviously didn’t proof read.
I meant to say that I read that Disney’s not blowing snow because it may increase the risk of spreading covid-19, however they’re blowing snow at the Frozen show at Hollywood Studios which we personally experienced. Of course that’s indoors which seems quite ridiculous. Meanwhile Universal with blowing snow during Night Time Entertainment Outdoors.
Just got back from WDW, rode Expedition Everest 3x ! That Yeti scared the crap out of me the very first time!! I thought he was grabbing my head!! It was scream worthy, then we got a good laugh. I’m trying to figure out the disco part — maybe the strobe lighting effect? I thought the Yeti was magical. My opinion, unless there is a safety concern, there is no hurry to redo the Yeti. That is probably the best ride in all of WDW. s
Most disappointing ride? Navi River Journey!! OMG, what a crap ride. it should be called leisure boat ride in Air Conditioning. Not worth waiting in line for at all.
Yes, the ‘disco’ part refers to the strobe light effect. The Yeti is supposed to move, but shortly after opening there was a problem with the structure that will not allow it to move any longer like it was designed to. It’s serious enough that it cannot be repaired without a major refurb and complete shutdown of the attraction for an extended period of time, if ever. I assume it’s due to structural warpage or something unexpected.
Did you do Flight of Passage or Rise of the Resistance? Those are both quite amazing. Yes, NRJ is slow and leisurely, with air conditioning. However, it has amazing technology in it, with the crawling worms and black panther-displacer beasts. And the large animatronic is pretty cool. Way, way, way better than the incredibly disappointing ruination of Maelstrom. I wouldn’t wait for more than 15-20 minutes for it either, but that’s 100 times longer than I’ll wait for Barnstormer…
I read Joe Rohdes article about his leaving after 40 yrs and wow what a career. It said that in order to fix the Yeti would require shutting it down for some time as it is mounted to a concrete and steel pylon ( best word i could come up with ) which is part of the entire structure. Plus they are not sure what has caused the problem so you talking major shut down for extensive amout of time to first figure out what’s wrong then figure out a fix. Best time would have been during park shut down but that ship has sailed. We will have to wait and see. Im the meantime may as you come up on the Yeti and the strobes ate flashing ( that’s the reason for the name Disco Yeti ) they should play the song ” Macho Man “…