Castle Refurbishment January Thru Spring

[Skyegirl1999]

Well this is frustrating. My BFF and I took our first trip together last year in January and were disappointed by the castle refurb. We assumed splash and grizzly would be down, so we watched the refurb schedule for those and this year planned for the first week of March. Seems like we didn't plan correctly. Now it looks like not only will we still miss out on seeing the castle, but also will miss splash again, as well as F! and potentially WOC. I am wondering if we should try and move our dates. Neither of us are interested in the madhouse that will be SW.

Splash is supposed to be back up February 15, and I think it's likely that WOC will be back up by March.

 

[monorailrabbit]

Splash is only going down for two weeks in February. You’ll have food and wine during your trip.

Splash is supposed to be back up February 15, and I think it's likely that WOC will be back up by March.

Oh no kidding??? Wonderful! Thank you!!!! I don't know why but I assumed Splash would be down for much longer (was it an extra long refurb last year or am I remembering that wrong...) So just F! will be down - that's ok, we got perfect dead-center seats last year and it will save us some $$ on our BB ressie I am stalking sites daily hoping for WOC to come back - I live for that dessert party! DH will be jealous we are getting food and wine - he's always wanted to go! I honestly didn't think about that at all when planning! I only think about Epcot's!

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

My six-year-old DD heard me telling DH about the various refurbishments last week.

This morning, I was reminding her that Haunted Mansion will be down, and she said, "That's okay, because Pirates will be working and that was down last time!"

Of the walkthough, she said, "I will go through it a bunch of times on the first day to make sure I still see it!" (It is her favorite.)

And, of the possible scaffolds she said, "Great! It will be my first time to see the castle with construction."

I like her attitude.

 

[jlwhitney]

Splash is supposed to be back up February 15, and I think it's likely that WOC will be back up by March.

Any idea how long the rapid ride will be down?

I am hoping WOC will be up when we go (feb 28-,march 2nd)

 

[shooting4life]

They should at the very LEAST keep Fantasmic! going until WOC is up and running. Or bring back Paint the Night. SOMETHING!

I agree. Run a parade at dca every evening.

 

[FrazierFamily]

My six-year-old DD heard me telling DH about the various refurbishments last week.

This morning, I was reminding her that Haunted Mansion will be down, and she said, "That's okay, because Pirates will be working and that was down last time!"

Of the walkthough, she said, "I will go through it a bunch of times on the first day to make sure I still see it!" (It is her favorite.)

And, of the possible scaffolds she said, "Great! It will be my first time to see the castle with construction."

I like her attitude.

I told my 6 yr old and her response was “That’s ok there is so much more to do”. I knew we picked to go in the refurbishment season so I expected things to be down. Maybe not so many of them, but I am going keep remember what my daughter said...cause there really is so much to do.

 

[graciedad]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up:

During the ticket promotion in 2019, the exterior of the castle will be under refurbishment, Fantasmic will be down along with World of Color, and Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run will be closed as well due to seasonal upkeep.

I know it’s refurb season, but that is a lot down at once, so those who are planning once-in-a-lifetime trips may want to prepare themselves accordingly.

That said, I know refurbs are necessary, especially in light of the upcoming opening of Galaxy’s Edge. We still plan to have a great time on our trip, and at least the tickets are cheap!

We are going April 17-22. Will all of these be back then?

 

[Malcon10t]

We are going April 17-22. Will all of these be back then?

SHould be. But you never know when an incident like WOC will happen.

 

[azdisneylover]

I get the roof, a leaking roof is a leaking roof and needs to be fixed.
But Fantasmic I still can’t understand what extensive work it could need after being closed for well over a year. This is crazy, and frankly if it needs to be fixed this extensively and this frequently, they need better long term show offerings that can run for longer stretches. When your rides need less maintenance then your shows, something is out of line.

Perhaps pulling Fantasmic will help the bean counters with better quarterlies. (Think of all the expenses they save by not having to run Fantasmic).

 

[Malcon10t]

Perhaps pulling Fantasmic will help the bean counters with better quarterlies. (Think of all the expenses they save by not having to run Fantasmic).

While it sounds like it would be a savings, you have to count in the cost of the refurb, and then also calculate in the loss of income from the dining packages. The maintenance crew assigned will be more expensive than the entertainers in the show. Yes, they will save on the Fantasmic! traffic crew. It sounds like they save money, but it isn't a major amount, and depending on what they are repairing, it could be more costly.

 

[LittleFlounder]

Last July, I went to DL for one day...WOC was down, the fireworks were cancelled, I was in DL during the time when PtN was on and I didn't get a fastpass for F!...so that meant no nighttime entertainment for me. I wasn't upset in the slightest though. It just meant there was more time to enjoy the park at night when it's most magical and more time to ride my favourite rides over and over when crowds were lower!

 

[Christin82]

Last July, I went to DL for one day...WOC was down, the fireworks were cancelled, I was in DL during the time when PtN was on and I didn't get a fastpass for F!...so that meant no nighttime entertainment for me. I wasn't upset in the slightest though. It just meant there was more time to enjoy the park at night when it's most magical and more time to ride my favourite rides over and over when crowds were lower!

That’s a great attitude to have! I’m totally excited about my trip in spite of the closures, of course. There have been many times when I’ve purposely chosen not to partake in the nightly entertainment so that I could get on rides while so many others were staking out viewing spots and watching shows.

The difference in this scenario is that since there might not really be much nighttime entertainment to speak of, the crowds who would normally be dispersed to the viewing areas will all be in the queues. It’s worth it to miss out on entertainment if the lines for rides are shorter, as they generally are, but that may not be the case this time.

Then again, maybe some families with small children who normally stay for the entertainment will end up leaving the parks earlier, which would lighten crowds a bit. Also, since there won’t be a need for viewing areas set up for F! and WOC, it should be easier to walk freely around the parks without all the ropes and CMs directing people to “keep moving.” Having a break from that will be nice, for sure.

 

[mummabear]

Then if its that important to you go during spring or summer.

Crowds are much much higher then so it makes more senese to have more people to filter crowds too. And in the end there could be other refurbs during spring break to prep for star wars that aren't announced. There is no ideal time and WOC threw a bit wrench in their plans.

Disney is driving up the crowds by advertising a ticket promotion without being upfront about the refurbs. This is going to leave people with the worst of all outcomes high crowds without the attractions to spread them around.

The fact that January/February is "refurbishment season" at DL is pretty well-known and has been true for many years. If you want to have the longest hours, lowest number of refurbishments, and most entertainment offerings, you have to choose to go during a traditionally peak time.

Just like some visitors cant "choose" to go in "off season" some visitors dint have the "choice" to go over the US summer break.

First, I don't feel Disney is perfect in every way. Only Mary Poppins is.... But I see too many here who complain "It's down when *I* want to go." It has to go down sometime. I'm sorry it is on your visit. But if it isn't your trip, it is someone else's trip.

I am not familiar with Fantasmic! at WDW. Does it have people playing on it's stage and backstage areas every day for 10 hours? Do they use the Mark Twain and Columbia daily in addition to being in the show? Or do they have the ability to do work to the show during the day?

Disneyland's Fantasmic! has been running 18 mos since it's last refurb.

It's not something being down it is all 3 nighttime entertainment options with no replacements, as well as the castle and several attractions.
So yes I do think "something" should be down during my trip i.e. WOC, it's just that I think something else I.e. F! Should wait and be down during someone else's.

When would you like them to fix everything? June, when everyone is there? I

Why are the people visiting in June "owed" things being open any more than guests visiting any other time....

You’re right. By heavily discounting tickets and keeping major refurbs relatively quiet, they’ll be able to keep the parks equally full throughout this year, and I guess that’s just shrewd financial strategy for the time being. However, as time goes on, and all the once-a-year visitors get wise to the fact that refurb season is now going to be as crowded as peak season, but with more closures, less staffing, and shorter hours, next year might be a different story, and more people may flock during peak season than ever before. People are willing to accept closures in exchange for lower crowds, but if the crowds are the same, a significant number will plan to visit during peak season in the future since they won’t have to take their kids out of school.

Disney is a multi billion dollar business and if their operations people are this bad in planning out what is happening in the next 6 weeks -- they should consider new people to run the place.

Exactly.

I told my 6 yr old and her response was “That’s ok there is so much more to do”. I knew we picked to go in the refurbishment season so I expected things to be down. Maybe not so many of them, but I am going keep remember what my daughter said...cause there really is so much to do.

Has there every been a time where they have closed all nighttime entertainment?
One thing for a couple of rides to be down, but the castle being scrimmed, WOC, F!, fireworks as well as rides....while promoting discounted tickets to increase crowds....

My issue is that the Disney of old would have "made it right" close WOC add Paint the night.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Why are the people visiting in June "owed" things being open any more than guests visiting any other time....

Why should people going in February be owed anything then? There are fewer people who go in February. It's a reality of the theme park industry in general that the less crowded season is the time to refurb. What looks better for a park? To put out 100,000 people, or to only put out 60,000 (just a probably very inaccurate estimate)? Is it better to close rides down when they're down for 14 hours of customer day or when they're down for 18 hours? I'm really sorry it makes people mad, but it's not going to change and it's an industry standard that Disney has followed for years. Research before you book and balance what you want. People who choose to go in February get somewhat lower crowds and cooler weather, but have to deal with closures, shorter hours, and rain. Summer guests deal with heat and crowds, but don't have to deal with as many closures. Likewise, the winter holiday time has generally cool weather, many rides open, and a lot of premium special entertainment, but it's insanely crowded. Everyone gets screwed in some way. It's how you look at it. I always say even the most disappointing Disney day is still better than any day IRL. Some people disagree, but I find that very unfortunate.

 

[YayforMickey]

It's not something being down it is all 3 nighttime entertainment options with no replacements, as well as the castle and several attractions.
So yes I do think "something" should be down during my trip i.e. WOC, it's just that I think something else I.e. F! Should wait and be down during someone else's.


Why are the people visiting in June "owed" things being open any more than guests visiting any other time....

Although I am disappointed about the castle being refurbed with such little notice, I disagree with these points. January and February have always been the months when several attractions are down, and there is never much night entertainment. It sounds like it will be Fantasy in the Sky next weekend, and then Mickey's Mix Magic (which is supposed to run every night). WOC will also be back as soon as they can get it fully functioning again. It's not realistic to expect everything to be running on all cylinders during the refurbishment months.

 

[Christin82]

Why should people going in February be owed anything then? There are fewer people who go in February. It's a reality of the theme park industry in general that the less crowded season is the time to refurb. What looks better for a park? To put out 100,000 people, or to only put out 60,000 (just a probably very inaccurate estimate)? Is it better to close rides down when they're down for 14 hours of customer day or when they're down for 18 hours? I'm really sorry it makes people mad, but it's not going to change and it's an industry standard that Disney has followed for years. Research before you book and balance what you want. People who choose to go in February get somewhat lower crowds and cooler weather, but have to deal with closures, shorter hours, and rain. Summer guests deal with heat and crowds, but don't have to deal with as many closures. Likewise, the winter holiday time has generally cool weather, many rides open, and a lot of premium special entertainment, but it's insanely crowded. Everyone gets screwed in some way. It's how you look at it. I always say even the most disappointing Disney day is still better than any day IRL. Some people disagree, but I find that very unfortunate.

What you’ve written here is very logical, but this year, due to the upcoming opening of GE, MANY, MANY more people than usual are electing to visit in early 2019 rather than June-December, as they want to avoid GE. Now that there’s a huge ticket promotion for early 2019, even MORE will visit earlier in the year. As such, the crowds in early 2019 are likely to be as large as peak season crowds.

As you said, it’s a trade-off: those who go in peak season have a great selection of attractions/entertainment and longer hours, but in return they face enormous crowds. They’re willing to accept high crowds in exchange for optimal attractions and entertainment, which makes sense.

Historically, those who went during refurb season faced closures, shorter hours, and fewer entertainment options in exchange for somewhat smaller crowds. However, if crowds are going to be on par with peak season during refurb season this year, then Disney should try to even the playing field a little, either by bringing back an evening parade or extending park hours. You said everyone gets screwed in some way, and I agree, but don’t you agree that this year the early 2019 guests might be getting screwed a little worse than usual?


That said, I agree that even the worst day at DL is better than a regular day at work. We plan to have a blast during our February trip!

 

[AZMermaid]

We went in Feb 2015 when the castle was being refurbed. The following were also closed:
Railroad
Canoes
Peter Pan
Splash (whole land walled off past Haunted Mansion)
Pooh
Matterhorn
Castle

Soarin
Grizzly (whole land walled off between GCH and Soarin)
Flying Tires (now the dancing cars)
Redwood Creek
World of Color lagoon drained
Ariel’s Grotto

We still had a wonderful trip. I will Say, having two whole lands walled off at that time made it feel more crowded and we decided to go in the summer from then on. But, we had a great trip as usual. There were no photopass outside the castle but we got someone to snap a pic so we could remember that time the castle was under a tarp

Would you trade this list to add in Fantasmic? It was running in 2015, but there was no fireworks or WOC (or PTN yet).

 

[Christin82]

Would you trade this list to add in Fantasmic? It was running in 2015, but there was no fireworks or WOC (or PTN yet).

That definitely does seem like an inordinate number of major closures!

What were the crowds like?

I guess my point in all this is that if crowds are low, it’s a fair trade to have a number of major closures. However, if there really is no “off-season” whatsoever anymore, and crowds are at their peak all year long, then Disney should stagger the refurbs more evenly across the entire year and increase park hours during the time that used to be considered the off-season.

 

[mummabear]

Why should people going in February be owed anything then?

They arent owed anything more than other other group, they just arent owed less either. Which is what the June crowd expects, for other people.to deal with refurbishments so stuff can be open for them, with no real off season anymore there shouldn't be 2 things closed in Feb so that 2 things can be open in June, there should be one closed in Feb and 1 closed in June....see how that works...

Although I am disappointed about the castle being refurbed with such little notice, I disagree with these points. January and February have always been the months when several attractions are down, and there is never much night entertainment. It sounds like it will be Fantasy in the Sky next weekend, and then Mickey's Mix Magic (which is supposed to run every night). WOC will also be back as soon as they can get it fully functioning again. It's not realistic to expect everything to be running on all cylinders during the refurbishment months.

There is a difference between thi gs not running in all cylinders and nothing at all running (Current Feb nighttime entertainment)
They may well be getting g WOC up and running as soon as possible le, but they shouldn't be taking F! Down until that happens, or at the very least replacing it with PTN or similar...

I guess my point in all this is that if crowds are low, it’s a fair trade to have a number of major closures. However, if there really is no “off-season” whatsoever anymore, and crowds are at their peak all year long, then Disney should stagger the refurbs more evenly across the entire year and increase park hours during the time that used to be considered the off-season.

Maybe the best answer is for Disney to completely close for a couple of weeks once or twice a year....

 

[AZMermaid]

It felt crowded. We thought it was a lot due to having two full lands closed and walled off (so although I didn't list it, all the stores and restaurants in Critter Country and Grizzly area were also closed because you could not get to them). So although there may have been less people, there was less space for them to go. On the Tuesday (a Tuesday in FEB!) that we left mid day to drive home, Jungle Cruise was at 50 minutes at 10AM. It was always that wall to wall people where it is hard to walk two across around Thunder Mountain and in Tomorrowland. That back walkway between Thunder and Fantasyland was also closed off. So it was a lot of extra walking to get everywhere with that, the castle walk through and that front side of DCA inaccessible. Those dates worked for us because it was a week before my daughter turned 3 and we had a really good trip. That picture in my avatar is from that trip and was a truly magical moment! A lot was closed but more was open. We tried not to let it get us down. We did decide though to go in the summer from then on (may as well get to ride Splash if it is going to be so crowded) and have since visited in April and June with similar crowds.