2026-2027 Disney World Refurbishment Calendar
This Walt Disney World ride refurbishment calendar lists the closure schedule for 2026 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom. Attractions close for routine maintenance, safety upgrades, improvements, and reimaginings.
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.
The good news is that many closures ended with the start of summer at Walt Disney World. Several new and reimagined attractions and experiences debuted, and Walt Disney World currently has the fewest routine refurbishments in over a year. And interestingly, not much has been added for the off-season, although there are a couple of new closures between late September and December 2026.
The reason for fewer routine refurbishments is in part because Walt Disney World has started its next development cycle and also is undertaking several larger-scale projects as opposed to routine refurbishments. There’s a lot of ongoing construction throughout Walt Disney World, beyond the scope of attraction closures.
Entire lands and areas of the parks, from Dino-Rama to the Rivers of America to Muppets Courtyard, are completely closed. Accordingly, Disney doesn’t have as much ‘excess bandwidth’ to take even more attractions offline for brief preventative maintenance or TLC.
However, the other part of the fewer closures is that one cycle of smaller projects has wrapped up and the other has not yet started in earnest. The first of these projects kicked off with the Carousel of Progress closure, but there are several more on deck that were just announced at the 2026 D23 Expo. None of these have closing dates attached yet, but we expect most of them to start in 2027 as opposed to 2026…
As a result of deferred maintenance, you can also expect unplanned downtime. Since this happens as a result of rides breaking down, you can’t really plan for it (hence it being “unplanned”).
We’re still mentioning this because you should expect rides to go offline during your trip, and prepare to roll with the punches. If anything is a “must-ride” for you, be sure to prioritize it and give yourself a buffer just in case it breaks down during your days at Walt Disney World.
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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 September 9, 2026:
Animal Kingdom
- Bluey’s Wild World – Recently debuted
- Conservation Station – Recently reopened
- DINOSAUR – Extinct
- Expedition Everest – Closing at TBD date, likely in late 2027 or 2028
- Jumping Junction – Recently reopened
- Wildlife Express Train – Recently reopened
The big addition to this list is Expedition Everest. During the 2026 D23 Expo, Walt Disney World announced that they’re bringing the Yeti back to life, which means repairing the infamous Disco Yeti. Specifics have not yet been announced, but this likely will require closing Expedition Everest for several months. Our best guess is that this happens in late 2027 or 2028, after at least the first phase of Tropical Americas opens.
Speaking of which, construction is underway on the Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, which will replace Dinoland USA. Walls are up around the Dino-Rama half of this expansion, which was the roadside carnival area of the land. Tropical Americas will feature Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions, and the expansion will open in 2027.
The Encanto dark ride is being built on the former Primeval Whirl, which went extinct years ago, whereas Indiana Jones Adventure is a reimagining of DINOSAUR. The final piece of the puzzle is that the permanent closure of Dinoland USA, including DINOSAUR. The land and attraction are now extinct.
Prior to this, Bluey’s Wild World debuted for the start of Cool Kids’ Summer, and along with it, everything in Rafiki’s Planet Watch and Conservation Station returned, save for the Animation Experience. This includes Affection Section, which has been renamed as Jumping Junction.
Magic Kingdom
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Recently reopened!
- Big Top Souvenirs – Recently reopened
- Carousel of Progress – Closed for reimagining until late Spring 2027
- “Let the Magic Begin” Welcome Show – Permanently retired
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – Closing November 2, 2026 (Reopening expected in December 2026)
- Walt Disney World Railroad – Closed September 28, 2026 to October 29, 2026
Let’s start with the newly-added upcoming refurbishments to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the Walt Disney World Railroad.
The first is these is the Walt Disney World Railroad, which is expected to be a straightforward routine refurbishment. One thing to note here is that Walt Disney World’s official website has a ‘warning’ bulletin that indicates the railroad “is expected to reopen November 2026,” whereas the calendar has hours posted starting October 30, 2026. Given that discrepancy, those hours could change.
Then there’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which closes for its first-ever routine refurbishment. We cover this badly-needed and overdue maintenance at length in that post, but suffice to say, TBA has a TBD reopening, but we expect it back before Christmas week. It’s unclear how long the project will actually end up being, but even a 6-week closure would be a tight timeframe to fix the issues with the attraction and carry out routine maintenance to the water-based attraction.
Beyond those upcoming projects, the only ongoing refurbishment at Magic Kingdom is Carousel of Progress.
The circa 1994 version closed on July 6th, for a massive overhaul that shifts its timeline forward by 60 years. For more details, concept art, our emotional roller coaster of a reaction to the announcement, and the same from 100+ readers, check out New Decades for Carousel of Progress.
During D23, Walt Disney World announced that Carousel of Progress will reopen in late Spring 2027. We’re honestly shocked by this timeline, and wouldn’t be surprised if Disney ends up using the Astronomical seasons for this one, and Carousel of Progress doesn’t reopen until June 2027.
EPCOT
- Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along – Recently reopened
- Impressions de France – Recently reopened
- Journey Into Imagination – Closing at TBD date (likely 2027)
- La Poutinerie – Now open
- La Signature – Closed for TBD refurbishment
- Soarin’ Across America – Recently debuted
- Spaceship Earth – Closing at TBD date (likely Winter 2027)
Two of the biggest bombshell announcements during the 2026 D23 Expo were the reimagining of Spaceship Earth and the reimagining of Journey Into Imagination, reuniting Dreamfinder and Figment. Both of these are expected to be big projects, and neither have dates.
We do not expect either of these projects to start in 2026. Most likely, Spaceship Earth will begin first, ideally in early 2027. Following that, our expectation is that Journey Into Imagination begins, and likely lasts into 2028.
Aside from those major projects, no significant attraction closures are on the calendar at EPCOT. La Signature is temporarily closed, and is expected to reopen later in 2026. Guerlain merchandise will be available to purchase at Plume Et Palette during this time. La Signature is a perfume shop in the France pavilion of World Showcase.
New for Summer 2026 is Soarin’ Across America, an airborne adventure as part of the US Semiquincentennial. The new bi-coastal offering showcases the United States—from sea to shining sea—highlighting some of the country’s natural beauty and iconic cityscapes, including the Grand Canyon. Our expectation is that Soarin’ Across America enjoys an approximately 18-month run before Soarin’ Over the World returns, but that has not been confirmed by Disney.
Impressions de France and the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along also recently returned after a refresh of their shared theater.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Animation Academy: Olaf Draws! – Debuts on September 14, 2026
- Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! – Recently debuted
- The Magic of Disney Animation – Opens on September 14, 2026
- Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run: A New Mission – Recently debuted
- Monstropolis – Opens in phases beginning in 2027
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith – Permanently closed
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets – Recently debuted
- The Walt Disney Studios Lot – Recently debuted
- Vacation Fun with Mickey & Minnie – Reopens September 27, 2026
We’ll start here with that last entry, which is the Vacation Fun short film. This theater routinely closes throughout the year to serve as a flex space for distributing Annual Passholder magnets or selling merchandise.
It was previously used for May the Fourth, and will probably close again in November 2026 for the Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Party, just as it has in the last couple of years. That’s not on the calendar yet, though.
Animation Courtyard has been reimagined into the Walt Disney Studios Lot, which has already started to debut in phases during Summer 2026.
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live dance party and the land itself opened at the start of summer. The Magic of Disney Animation and everything inside the building is slated to open on September 14, 2026. Cast Member and media previews have already begun, suggesting that soft openings might occur in the days leading up to the official opening.
‘The Magic of Disney Animation’ replaces Star Wars Launch Bay, which was previously ‘The Magic of Disney Animation.’ You read that correctly. What’s old is new again!
MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano are all now officially closed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Muppets have moved right along to Sunset Boulevard, which is now home to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets. That reimagined ride debuted earlier this summer.
The Muppets Courtyard area is set to be replaced by the Monsters Inc. Door Coaster and Monstropolis miniland, with a show taking over the MuppetVision 3D theater and new restaurants replacing the existing ones.
While work continues on the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster being built backstage (likely to open sometime in 2028), the theater show, two dining experiences, and the merchandise shop will all open in 2027. An exact opening date or season have not yet been set, but our expectation is Summer 2027.
Outside Theme Parks
- Disney Skyliner – Closed January 24, 2027 through January 30, 2027
- Blizzard Beach Water Park – Open for 2026 (likely closing in early 2027)
- Typhoon Lagoon – Closed for seasonal refurbishment
Both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon were once again open at the same time for summer. That ended with Typhoon Lagoon now closed for refurbishment as of September 9, 2026.
This water park changeover happens every single year, with each water park taken offline for a seasonal refurbishment. This is equal parts routine maintenance and lack of demand, as it’s routinely colder during the fall through spring to the point that Walt Disney World doesn’t need both water parks.
It is typical for Typhoon Lagoon to reopen during the winter, with Blizzard Beach then for refurbishment ahead of the spring or summer seasons. The closure date has been all over the place in recent years, so we don’t have great precedent for when the next switchover will occur.
Finally, there’s the Disney Skyliner Gondolas Closure in Winter 2027. The 2026 version of this project just uneventfully wrapped up, and Walt Disney World has already posted the refurbishment dates for 2027. These are routine refurbishments that usually occur annually, so it’s not particularly noteworthy or unsurprising.
Thankfully, Walt Disney World provided plenty of notice so guests can plan around the closures. As explained in that post, we do not recommend staying at a Skyliner resort during the downtime (hence WDW providing so much advance warning).
For resort work, please see our 2026-2027 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!
What about Magic Kingdoms railway? Personally, I think it’s inexcusable for it to be down as long as it’s been.
Agreed!
We always start our day in the Magic Kingdom by going on the railway. I am very disappointed that it is still closed.
Do you know anything about Moana at all?
Thanks
Well that is closed for safety reasons due to it’s proximity to the construction of the Tron Light Cycle Run. With so much steel being lifted into place it is too much of a risk to have the train passing through an active construction site. Hopefully once construction shifts too the interior of the attraction the train will reopen.
Henry, it’s poor planning. They haven’t been hoisting steel for a long time, and when they do need to do more to finish the canopy, it’s better to do temporary closures instead. With more than 20 years in construction, all I can say is that this lengthy closure is ridiculous. When I worked for Kiewit we had a saying about the 7 Ps, Proper Prior Planning Prevents P&^# Poor Performance. I know they are replacing much of the track at this time, but that should’ve been done prior to or during the whole park closure. The section near Big Thunder was all pulled up in January when we were there. My brother and I could’ve replaced the entire loop by ourselves by now…
It’s probably the lawyers that are making them keep things closed out of fear of a construction accident.
No, not lawyers. Poor planning. When we do construction scheduling, we look at risks and how to mitigate those while performing the work as quickly as feasible. The longer you stay on a project site, the less profit you make. Safety is paramount of course, but hoisting items with a crane is a routine procedure and always planned out. Most of my work is now in health care facilities versus bridges and highways, and our biggest concern is patient safety and infection control. You might be surprised the lengths we go to in trying to prevent simple dust migration as that is a major vector for infections. There’s no legitimate reason for this extended closure. I can’t believe Park Operations isn’t pushing hard to get this done and the railroad reopened. Just hearing the train whistle is part of the experience in the park!
Well the ultimate decision is in the hands of the park’s E.H.S. (Environmental Health and Safety) people. For those of us who work in industrial settings know that EHS has the ultimate say on what happens when it comes to site safety. The only one that can override them is God himself. Unfortunately no matter how much we want the tracks reopened, it is up to them to make the determination on when it is safe in their eyes to reopen the tracks.
Very well said Tom regarding Hall of Presidents! I share your perspective on this attraction.
Oh and I agree with you Tom regarding eliminating the speaking roles of current presidents. I have always felt it was a mistake to do that from the very beginning.
Hotel refurbishments rarely effect resort stays…….We stayed at Riverside in 2019 while they were doing their refurbishment. We were in a building that was actively being painted DAILY while we we there. Cherry pickers right outside our room daily. Wet paint everywhere. Stair access blocked due to wet paint. Ugh!!! Not my favorite visit or stay at WDW. My advice? Stay somewhere else if a resort is undergoing a refurbishment.
You think it wouldn’t be polarizing to eliminate a duly elected president from having a speaking role In the hall of Presidents? After what we have just witnessed on January 6, I’d prefer the former President be removed from it altogether, but the thing is that’s MY opinion. It doesn’t translate to everyone and it shouldn’t. I’m pretty certain that anyone going into the hall of presidents will have former or current presidents they don’t agree with, but the beauty of it is still never lost. And anyone that can’t deal with that probably shouldn’t be going into an attraction that honors this country anyway.
Oh, so you were there on the 6th and saw something, or thought you did? ridiculousness notwithstanding, having a sitting president speak has always and likely always will be controversial. At any given time, 50% of the US citizens visiting will be dissatisfied with it no matter what. Whether you or I or anyone thinks he was duly-elected or not is irrelevant. The idea was to remove this bit of controversy by discontinuing the practice. It should’ve been done 12 years ago, but it’s not too late.
Hear Hear Mrnico, love it when sanity speaks and not screeching Karens…
Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but you listed the following:
Primeval Whirl — Permanently Closed
Rivers of Light — Permanently Ended
Does that mean they are done and never coming back, or is this a Covid thing?
I’m planning a Sept 2021 trip and loved Primeval Whirl and have never seen Rivers of Light.
Now that AK is open late, will there be a replacement nighttime show?
Thanks
They are gone forever. In fact I believe PW is about to be taken down.
Alan,
I’m from NYC but had been visiting WDW 2-3 times a year for about 5 years now. Only last January did I watch Rivers of Light for the first time and then only because I’d done everything else I wanted to do. While pretty, it was just too much of the same thing for too long. I hope it makes you feel better to hear you’re not missing much.
when do you foresee Splash Mountain closing for refurbishment. This is mine and my family’s favourite ride and we would actually amend a booking to avoid travelling to the USA from the UK when it was closed… currently booked for December 21 (Covid allowing)… thoughts?
Refurbs are usually done in winter on wet rides. If you’re asking about the planned ruination of Splash, hopefully never!
My guess is 2023 after the anniversary of the park is complete so ride volume can continue.
I was there at the beginning of January, and a worker told me that they do not have a date picked out to shut Splash Mountain down to change the theme. However, this (manager-looking) worker said that he doesn’t think they will close it down to start this process for another 2 years at least. They have so many different projects going on that they need to finish first, and he didn’t even seem confident that they would continue on with this plan to change the theme of splash mountain. More than likely, you should be able to see Splash Mountain December 21, 2021. I rode it 6 times when I went because its one of my favorite too, and you never truly know when the last time you’ll be able to ride will be. Good luck! I hope you get to ride it when you’re there!
In regards to refurbishments, you say, “Even though we might miss it on our next Walt Disney World visit, I’m always excited.” While ‘excited’ is not always the word that comes to my mind when something will be refurbed, I get what you’re saying. And you’re right – they’ve got to fix/change/plus attractions some time; it can’t always be convenient for everyone.
But keep in mind that you (and I – who visits WDW just about every year) speak from an extremely privileged position; you know (as much as anyone can know anything) you’ll see said attraction in its new incarnation. Most people probably won’t be able to make a return trip.
Should Disney just never close attractions? Exactly! They should wave the Fairy Godmother’s wand and make it all happen overnight. (Music playing: “A dream is a wish your heart makes…) But really, of course that’s not feasible – but it is reasonable for people to be truly upset that it’s happening during their Magical Day(s)…
Correct! But they should’ve been going 24/7 on maintenance and minor work during the closure.
I don’t know if Disney have an answer on how to best handle maintenance of rides — But putting out cardboard cutouts as Tom posted in his EPCOT Report for Three Caballeros Audio Animatronics in the finale of Gran Fiesta Tour – inexusable.
What’s the tipping point running the ride with cardboard cutouts or shut it down
The Great Movie Ride was my favorite and was the highlight of my Hollywood Studios visits. The theme was a perfect fit for the park and was well done. The new replacement is a herky-jerky loud mess that I won’t ride again. I appreciate new technology, but this ride has no substance, just flash. I miss the Backlot Tour and Superstar Television. In my opinion, those were the Hollywood Studios glory days. If you aren’t a big Star Wars fan, there’s not much for you at HS.
I agree with everything you’ve said here.
I agree with most of your points although I like MMRR. I wish it was added somewhere else at DHS without removing GMR.
I agree about Hollywood Studios and I love Star Wars but removing the Great Movie Ride was a real loss.
Don’t forget stunt spectacular. That is gone too! So sad as I’m not big Star Wars fan.
I totally agree Hollywood Studios used to be cool to go to , have traveled to DW every year for 15 years , and the changes at Hollywood are just sad , 1st thing you don’t see , the Sorcerer’s hat , replaced with a stage for Star Wars, Backlot Tours never got old , neither did Lights Motor Action, along with the street murals ,, all gone to make room for Star Wars,, I like Star Wars but come on already,,
And yes Great Movie Ride was also great haven’t been in MMRR yet (covid closure) last year but will in April yes they could have put it elsewhere
One more thing I’ve noticed missing the past couple of years
STREET PERFORMERS ,, ????? where are they they were the best
Given that some people plan to vist 2/3 years ahead if travelling from the UK plus the need to book in advance which park you are visiting it is annoying that some rides are down with little forward notice.
Would it be more user friendly to close the parks for a month during low season and do ‘routine’ maintenance? Sure it would not be popular with Disney Management but visitors would have a better experience and it would restore faith that Disney value their customers.
I believe the loss revenue would be too dramatic to even consider. Fact is people will get over it and just a fact of life when considering machines. Ideally they time out construction as optimal as possible which they already do by pushing some projects into seasons based on popularity.
It’s a good thought in theory, but while some minor refurbishments could be completed in a month, larger more extensive work like fixing the Yeti or the proposed changes to Splash Mountain, could take 6 months to a year to complete. There’s no way Disney could stay closed that long. And as Matthew said, people may gripe, but they’ll get over it.
If they’d been smart and pushed a lot of deferred and routine maintenance during the full closure, we’d have most attractions running very well for the next decade. Especially having the WDWRR tracks replaced. Very poor planning.
Mrnico, I so agree!!! I was hoping they’d go crazy on refurbishments and construction work and just power through all the big fixes and additions. I’m sure finances were the driving factor against that as construction crews were deemed essential, but how cool would it have been to come back and have all the bi stuff like the castle painted, Tron done, Guardians done, Epcot spine done… I’m guessing that would have been a major financial mistake given how long this has gone on, but it sure would have been cool!
Well that’s the thing. They had plenty of cash resources, and it would’ve been cheaper because things could be done faster without guests in the parks. Plus, with the continued effects of covidosis, building materials are going up all over the nation. Labor is likely to go up some too.
Would have been great if they could have refurbed many during the shutdown, but Unions probably killed those plans even if they did exist…
Regarding the railroad at Magic Kingdom… I believe that had to be closed due to construction on the Tron Light Cycle attraction. It was also closed for almost two years while Splash Mountain was under construction. During that time they built new stations in Frontierland and added the station in the Big Top Circus area.
Amy, while yes they needed to close the RR for a short time due to the Tron construction, there is zero need for it to still be closed. It’s terrible planning. Yes, I’ve been in heavy construction for 25 years. There was mention of a slight track alteration there, but that should’ve been done a long time ago. And then they would want clearance while cranes were hoisting the track sections and such the tracks, also done already. While any full-scale railroad project is heavy duty work, this time frame is crazy. At DL they moved track and built a huge trestle for it in less time. By now, they could’ve replaced ALL of the track in the system and put up scrim walls to screen the view at Tron construction. That’s just project management. I worked on two projects in Denver where we built 25 miles of new 4 lane divided toll highway through farm land and something like 86 new bridges in four years. I worked at MK when Splash opened in 92, but I don’t recall how long the RR was closed before that.
Sorcerers was an amazingly fun middle of the day game to beat the crowds. I’ll miss it. It was also big with adults/kids with autism so that will be a huge blow and really sad to those individuals who had a passion for it.
I’m sad muppet HOP isn’t happening. You’re right and it’s hyper partisan. We only see it when a president we like is speaking.
It would be cool if they made a Biden robot but have Kamala the speaking role. Or is that too partisan? Be kind of nice to have a female voice talking about opportunities for once.
No, that would not be cool at all. It would be beyond ridiculous! Having Mickey’s voice would be much better than that.
I vote for Mickey’s Voice Hahahahah!!
I saw that Stitch’s Great Escape is marked as permanently closed. It was an alright attraction, but I absolutely LOVED the Alien Encounter attraction that was replaced by Stitch…..I never understood that move! Alien Encounter was awesome and gave me a thrilling scare. Hope that Disney replaces Stitch with something along the Alien Encounter attraction.
I also enjoyed Alien Encounter! I “heard” some people thought it was too scary for children
Americans are a selfish lot.
Whenever you visit the Tokyo Disneyland Resort, there will be one major attraction in each park closed for refurbishment, and this happens all year round. The result of this is that when the attractions are open, they run mostly without problem.
In Tokyo you never see the type of constant maintenance failures you do in US parks, with several E tickets often breaking down on the same day.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve been to Epcot and have not been able to ride Test Track because it keeps breaking down, or visited Disneyland and Indy is down multiple times a day. You just don’t see that in Tokyo.
The Japanese understand the long term need to maintain the attractions, and don’t have a tantrum when an attraction is closed during their visit. Americans are just the opposite. They don’t care about the long term–they want everything operating for their visit NOW NOW NOW. It’s a terrible attitude that leads to constant breakdowns.
I think comparing parkgoers in Tokyo to US Disneyworld/land is ridiculous. If you live in Japan, you can easily travel multiple times every year there and get to ride what you want at some point, while the average “selfish lot” as you say here in America may be able to afford to go once every 3 years with their families due to the costs. I have been lucky enough to go 5 times in my 53 years of life and consider myself very fortunate. But for those that are making this trip every few years or even a once in a lifetime experience, I would want everything attraction up and running. If that makes me selfish and I get upset because I can’t experience something, than so be it (I’m not allowed to be upset?) And it will soon pass when I move to the next attraction. The parks will cater to their guests and give out fast passes when rides break down, so I guess the selfish lot still wins in the end. Cheers!
We love the Hall of Presidents! I am so happy it is not closing for good. Watching the show always makes me proud to be an American despite whomever holds the office.
Thanks again for a great post. I also love Hall of Presidents. I see where you’re coming from in eliminating the speaking role of the current President, but I disagree. Disney always seems to focus on the positive and I think they’ve done a good job with that approach when it comes to HOP. Being a Progressive, I was very curious to see how Disney would handle the Trump Presidency. We got to see it a few months ago and I was really impressed. Instead of being polarizing, I think it actually helped me understand what people like(d) about Trump. It obviously didn’t change my mind about the man, but it did help me see the points of view of others a little better. Please no political replies! This was just meant to express an opinion on HOP.
Being a conservative, I trust they won’t denigrate President Trump and elevate Joe Biden.
Assuming they don’t overhaul the show, Trump will join all the other past presidents in the role call, where they’ll call his name and he’ll nod or something. Biden will now get a little speech, just like Trump had. So I don’t know if you’d consider that denigration and elevation, but that’s likely what will happen.
This may have been answered or discussed in another newsletter, so forgive me if it has. But why would they permanently close “River of Lights” when it was such a new attraction? Well, not new, new but you know what I mean.
Thanks in advance,
kara
I liked RoL but I guess there were some critical show elements that never worked properly therefore many people found the show boring
Here is my thoughts on people feeling like their vacation is ruined because an attraction is down during their vacation. I travel from IL and get to WDW about once a year. While we were there on our June 2016 trip our MK had bad weather and therefore Wishes and the Electrical Parade were cancelled. We probably should have gone back to MK another night but we didn’t have hoppers and didn’t want to skip the other parks (my parents were with us and they hadn’t been to WDW in years). But that night was our last chance to see both Wishes and the Electrical Parade as by our trip in 2017 it was cancelled. Or a more recent example, not exactly due to a refurbishment but same idea. We did one day at MK in December. We chose not to play Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom (which my older daughter loves and my younger daughter had never played) because we only had one day at the park. We made the assumption that we would play in March when we were spending a week at Disney. Little did we know that Sorcerer’s would end in January.
It’s truly sad. As mentioned, it’s a fun game that does allow one to become unburied in their favorite electronic. I even went as far as to get my cards signed by the characters if all possible. This will truly be missed from this Disney fan.
I like it when they incorporate tech into the parks, but only when they do it in an easter-egg type way. For example, love the interactive features in Pandora, or the “Do not pull rope” (with the “not” crossed through) near Indiana Jones. Although I did like sorcerers, we never did it much because it was such a time suck–had to trek back to the front of the park for cards, then walk all over the park in the heat waiting your turn at each spot, progressing through a pre-scripted path. Much nicer to have something “magical” happen on a whim that I can do with my kids just passing by.
We will miss Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. It was great to do something on a whim and not be committed to a time, especially for kids. I dislike the micro-managed times of pre-covid Fast Pass and Dining Reservations and Rope Drop, and we always look for things to do on our own time at our own pace to balance the fast pace necessary at the parks for the ‘must-do’ attractions. Glad we experienced it over the years and have a nice collection of cards.
Yes, it seems one thing after another is being cut. Does anyone remember “Back Lot Tours”? That was a great one. How about “Lights, Motors, Action”? How about “Great Movie Ride”? And that wonderful “Osborne’s Family Christmas”…? It’s been years since the first two got cut – and it took them forever to add some new rides in their place. I love Disney but it just seem to be worth it to go to Hollywood Studios any longer.
I meant “it just doesn’t seem to be worth it to go to Hollywood Studios any long… sorry for the type-o
Back Lot Tours was awesome … so was Lights, Motor, Action (both with Herbie and McQueen).
Those we’re all great experiences!
Those were all great experiences! (Sorry for autocorrect.) I loved The Back Lot Tour.
The “Great Movie Ride” was old and stale and I’m glad they replaced it with Mickey’s Runaway Railroad. I’ve been on it several times.. and it was great!