Castle Refurbishment January Thru Spring

[DisneyPiPhi]

There are several on Instagram #sleepybeautycastle

Thank you! I will go take a look! I can't believe the scaffolds went up so quickly.

ETA: Oh. It's like a big fence! Weird. I was picturing a scrim like I have seen at WDW.

 

[dina444444]

Thank you! I will go take a look! I can't believe the scaffolds went up so quickly.

ETA: Oh. It's like a big fence! Weird. I was picturing a scrim like I have seen at WDW.

There will likely be scrim at some point once the scaffolding goes up.

 

[sherilaine]

Hopefully the wall is there until they put up the scaffolding which will no doubt look like the castle on the outside - that is what I had read they were going to do to make it aesthetically pleasing.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

What you are missing is that Feb crowds also need nighttime entertainment to draw crowds, as per the schedule there is currently none.
All the talk about choosing to go during "off season" the same can be said for choosing to go in June, you are choosing to go and deal with crowds, you arent owed those crowds being dealt with any better than other guests.
As far as someone will always complain, the question becomes is it a valid complaint? Being upset that there is no nighttime entertainment=valid, complaining one is down-not valid even if its June....

Why would February crowds need night entertainment when the parks close at 8? Why would they want to attempt to draw more people in February and do refurb in June when they're cognizant that the majority of people in Jan.-March aren't coming mid-week because kids are in school and that even weekend crowds, with the exception of a couple 3 day weekends are APs/locals? Meanwhile, June is not only summer season, but also grad night season and "school's out" celebration season. I think what you're missing here is that this is a system that works for them, so no matter how you feel about the off season, this is how it's done. It's not just a Disney thing. It's a theme park thing. You can complain all you want, and that's cool because you seem sincerely disappointed, but the entire industry isn't going to change because you're not happy that people in February have to deal with closures. I hope I'm not coming off as rude, but this is how theme parks work. Knotts, Universal, and Six Flags all have closures and shorter hours right now, too. Some smaller parks are completely closed or open only on weekends. It's just how the industry works. I'm really sorry you're frustrated and that you're going to miss out on things you clearly were expecting and hoping to see, but that is why doing your research and planning before booking are important and why boards like this exist.

 

[mummabear]

Mickey's Mix Magic in on the calendar every night in February. Soundsational will be at 6:00 most nights (the exception being Sweethearts' Nite). 6:00 is after sundown. There might be World of Color if it is finished being fixed. Your arguments are not standing up to facts.

Mickey's Magic Mix has just gone up today, so at the time it was not yet a fact, neither has it been confirmed that with the castle closed that fireworks will be included. I think calling Soundsantional nighttime entertainment is a stretch.

My argument stands, F! Should not be taken down until WOC is up

 

[mummabear]

Why would February crowds need night entertainment when the parks close at 8? Why would they want to attempt to draw more people in February and do refurb in June when they're cognizant that the majority of people in Jan.-March aren't coming mid-week because kids are in school and that even weekend crowds, with the exception of a couple 3 day weekends are APs/locals? Meanwhile, June is not only summer season, but also grad night season and "school's out" celebration season. I think what you're missing here is that this is a system that works for them, so no matter how you feel about the off season, this is how it's done. It's not just a Disney thing. It's a theme park thing. You can complain all you want, and that's cool because you seem sincerely disappointed, but the entire industry isn't going to change because you're not happy that people in February have to deal with closures. I hope I'm not coming off as rude, but this is how theme parks work. Knotts, Universal, and Six Flags all have closures and shorter hours right now, too. Some smaller parks are completely closed or open only on weekends. It's just how the industry works. I'm really sorry you're frustrated and that you're going to miss out on things you clearly were expecting and hoping to see, but that is why doing your research and planning before booking are important and why boards like this exist.

1) Disney is encouraging more people to come.in Jan -April y running promos, and not just quietly selling discounted tickets but actively advertising the cheaper tickets well being quiet about the returns.
2) Disney is not the same as other theme parks, that is without question, it is an I the national destination. So your "kids are in school" argument is irrelevant, that is only true for American kids.
3) It may be industry startard in the US but certainly ly not other countries, particularly with weather similar to Cali where it is pretty consistent year round d.
4) It is pretty hard to do research when Disney does not release information until just weeks before. I mean Mickey Magic Mix has only gone on the calander 10 days out....and again even with research (which thank you very much after over a decade of visitsing WDW & DL yearly I know how to do) tell me when there is any precedence of them taking down F! WOC and have a potentially firework free nighttime show, all without replacing it with anything
5) the parks are closing at 8pm for 4 days, the are closing at midnight 6....9, 10 or 11pm for the rest....

 

[Malcon10t]

Mickey's Magic Mix has just gone up today, so at the time it was not yet a fact, neither has it been confirmed that with the castle closed that fireworks will be included.

Fireworks are not normally "included" in Feb during the week due to the agreement Disney has with the City of Anaheim. Fireworks won't have anything to do with the castle being down, and I am sure there will be fireworks included on Fri-Sun.

Mickey's Magical Mix was a fact, the timing was unknown, so it wasn't posted. Disney had posted in numerous places about it, how it would run nightly, and how it would start Jan 18th.

And we are using the word "draw" very differently. Disney isn't using Fantasmic!, WOC, and PTN to draw people TO the park, they use them to move people around the park and from park to park. They need Fantasmic! in the summer as an alternative to people being on Main St. They "draw" them to ROA to see Fantasmic! to make the crowds ON Main St seeing Mickey's Magical Mix. Or pull them into DCA with WOC or PTN.

 

[Christin82]

1) Disney is encouraging more people to come.in Jan -April y running promos, and not just quietly selling discounted tickets but actively advertising the cheaper tickets well being quiet about the returns.
2) Disney is not the same as other theme parks, that is without question, it is an I the national destination. So your "kids are in school" argument is irrelevant, that is only true for American kids.
3) It may be industry startard in the US but certainly ly not other countries, particularly with weather similar to Cali where it is pretty consistent year round d.
4) It is pretty hard to do research when Disney does not release information until just weeks before. I mean Mickey Magic Mix has only gone on the calander 10 days out....and again even with research (which thank you very much after over a decade of visitsing WDW & DL yearly I know how to do) tell me when there is any precedence of them taking down F! WOC and have a potentially firework free nighttime show, all without replacing it with anything
5) the parks are closing at 8pm for 4 days, the are closing at midnight 6....9, 10 or 11pm for the rest....

Yeah, I definitely understand your disappointment. I felt the same way at first, but I’m just going to do what I can to make my upcoming trip as much fun as possible. We decided to go for 5 days instead of our usual 3, and we made some dining reservations, which we probably couldn’t have afforded without the ticket promo. We’ll go again next year, and hopefully everything will be up and running again! I hope you have a blast as well!

 

[dina444444]

Fireworks are not normally "included" in Feb during the week due to the agreement Disney has with the City of Anaheim. Fireworks won't have anything to do with the castle being down, and I am sure there will be fireworks included on Fri-Sun.

Mickey's Magical Mix was a fact, the timing was unknown, so it wasn't posted. Disney had posted in numerous places about it, how it would run nightly, and how it would start Jan 18th.

And we are using the word "draw" very differently. Disney isn't using Fantasmic!, WOC, and PTN to draw people TO the park, they use them to move people around the park and from park to park. They need Fantasmic! in the summer as an alternative to people being on Main St. They "draw" them to ROA to see Fantasmic! to make the crowds ON Main St seeing Mickey's Magical Mix. Or pull them into DCA with WOC or PTN.

This x100.

Our parks don't eat crowds the same way WDW does. It's the reason that we will probably never have a true nighttime parade in Disneyland again with the opening of SWGE.

 

[Malcon10t]

tell me when there is any precedence of them taking down F! WOC and have a potentially firework free nighttime show, all without replacing it with anything

Fireworks do not go off Mon-Thurs in Feb. Fantasmic! is down most Feb/Mar. WOC isn't a planned outage. If they were to take Fantasmic! down in June instead, not only is Fantasmic! down, but so is the Mark Twain, the Columbia, the canoes, the Keel boats, and the entire island. This means the capacity of the park is also decreased during a period where there are considerably more guests than in Feb.

I know you don't like it, but there are reasons. I'm sorry this interfers with your trip. I'm going in Feb too. I get it. But for me, there will be plenty of other things to do.

 

[sherilaine]

1) Disney is encouraging more people to come.in Jan -April y running promos, and not just quietly selling discounted tickets but actively advertising the cheaper tickets well being quiet about the returns.
2) Disney is not the same as other theme parks, that is without question, it is an I the national destination. So your "kids are in school" argument is irrelevant, that is only true for American kids.
3) It may be industry startard in the US but certainly ly not other countries, particularly with weather similar to Cali where it is pretty consistent year round d.
4) It is pretty hard to do research when Disney does not release information until just weeks before. I mean Mickey Magic Mix has only gone on the calander 10 days out....and again even with research (which thank you very much after over a decade of visitsing WDW & DL yearly I know how to do) tell me when there is any precedence of them taking down F! WOC and have a potentially firework free nighttime show, all without replacing it with anything
5) the parks are closing at 8pm for 4 days, the are closing at midnight 6....9, 10 or 11pm for the rest....

Honestly I don't get how this castle thing is so disappointing - we have been there when far more was down trust me (Paradise Pier and walls up all down the middle of main street and around the hub) and we managed to have a great time.

How you experience Disneyland has far more to do with the attitude you bring with you and having realistic expectations than it does the number or rides or entertainment which are under refurbishment.

I can get if it's a once in a lifetime trip - but if that is the case then go in the summer when the whole place is full on up and running!

 

[YayforMickey]

1) Disney is encouraging more people to come.in Jan -April y running promos, and not just quietly selling discounted tickets but actively advertising the cheaper tickets well being quiet about the returns..

These tickets are discounted because it is refurbishment season with fewer rides in operation and fewer entertainment options available. It would be nice if the refurbishment calendars were available earlier, but as everyone keeps telling you, Fantasmic is usually down at this time of year.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

[QUOTE="sherilaine, post: 60113881, member: 463068"...How you experience Disneyland has far more to do with the attitude you bring with you and having realistic expectations than it does the number or rides or entertainment which are under refurbishment...[/QUOTE]

Amen and amen! We say this over and over here: a very big part of the magic is the attitude we bring with us into the parks. Disney can bend over backwards doing everything "perfectly," and hundreds of guests will complain LOUDLY that it wasn't "perfect enough" for them. If I choose not to see the magic that can be everywhere, even right in front of my face, and choose to focus on the negative before I even get through the gates, then it's on me if my trip isn't very magical. Like you said, my joy in the parks doesn't depend on how many rides are running or how little construction is going on in the park or how many things Disney does my way. I can't control those things. My joy depends on my attitude and perspective. I can totally control those!

 

[shooting4life]

I don’t think anyone is saying F! Shouldn’t go down in February. All we are saying is add something back in the same time slot at DCA since so many other jightime shows are out of commission. Run an older parade; do something.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I don’t think anyone is saying F! Shouldn’t go down in February. All we are saying is add something back in the same time slot at DCA since so many other jightime shows are out of commission. Run an older parade; do something.

And if that were possible, it would be great. But posters here have repeated that under normal circumstances, WOC would be running in that time slot. It usually does run when F! is down. But it wasn't planned for WOC to be down for this long. (And that has been disappointing for a great many people!) And since there still isn't an official return date for WOC -- we can only hope that it will be sooner than later -- what is Disney supposed to do with all the other events that were already planned in the meantime? Remove all the food booths for the Holiday Food Festival so any kind of parade can be thrown together on the fly? Cancel Lunar New Year? What about Food & Wine? The food booths are needed for the next few months and the parade route can't be used for a parade until the booths are removed. (And, as a pp mentioned, it has been said that PTN is currently undergoing a scheduled refurb.) The unscheduled trouble with WOC is the problem -- if that show were running as usual, there would at least be one spectacular running nightly. I think that the fact that the media preview for WOC that was supposed to happen last month got cancelled shows that Disney did want to bring the show back earlier, but for whatever reason, WOC wasn't ready to go.

 

[Dismama2boys]

There are a lot of people who feel like researching their once-in-a-lifetime trip means using Disney’s website. For a lot of people, it wouldn’t even occur to them that they need to go outside of that to get more (better?) information. So I completely understand how expectations don’t get met.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

There are a lot of people who feel like researching their once-in-a-lifetime trip means using Disney’s website. For a lot of people, it wouldn’t even occur to them that they need to go outside of that to get more (better?) information. So I completely understand how expectations don’t get met.

But even DLR's website says that WOC isn't running now and has no official return date. And it also won't allow F! dining packages to be booked after Jan. 20th. The Dine Line CMs have been telling guests for a while now that WOC is down and that F! will be going down for refurb. The DLR website doesn't have all the "insider" information that you can find around the internet, but it does have good, basic info. Once it gets published on the DLR website and on the Disney Parks Blog, it's more than just a rumor. So I agree that disappointment can still happen whether or not people do their research, but as other posters have pointed out, there is still a LOT of fun to be had at DLR on any trip. It may not be the exact trip you planned, but it can still be a really good trip.

 

[Dismama2boys]

But even DLR's website says that WOC isn't running now and has no official return date. And it also won't allow F! dining packages to be booked after Jan. 20th. The Dine Line CMs have been telling guests for a while now that WOC is down and that F! will be going down for refurb. The DLR website doesn't have all the "insider" information that you can find around the internet, but it does have good, basic info. Once it gets published on the DLR website and on the Disney Parks Blog, it's more than just a rumor. So I agree that disappointment can still happen whether or not people do their research, but as other posters have pointed out, there is still a LOT of fun to be had at DLR on any trip. It may not be the exact trip you planned, but it can still be a really good trip.

Oh, for sure - and refurbs wouldn’t ruin our trip, by any means. I should have specified, but I meant more the whole “busy season, off season” stuff. We are WDW vets, but did DLR in July for the first time. It felt like it took a bit of digging to figure out the “best” (within our personal perameters) time to visit. Disney’s website doesn’t spell out that “busy” season typically means less refurbs and more entertainment, and I’m not sure that the average first-timer knows to dig deeper. Everyone knows the parks are open year-round, and I think many newbies assume that means offerings are pretty much the same every day. All I meant was that I can understand that assumption. (I’ve worked with the general public for years and expect the average person to....not want to put out a lot of effort for information).

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... (I’ve worked with the general public for years and expect the average person to....not want to put out a lot of effort for information).

This is very true! People seem to be willing to put lots of effort and energy into creating unrealistic expectations, but not as much, if any, energy into doing the research beforehand to ensure a great trip. People can be so funny.

 

[VTHappyGirl]

For me the issue is they don't publish but until 6< weeks out.

This could all be solved with communications so people booking know what the refurb schedule is going to be during their visit and then perhaps to move dates if a 'critical' attraction will be down....and that definition will vary for each person.

I booked only in mid November and the sheer numbers of update coming from this forum just shame Disney. I also do strongly think disney updated the website text to include info on the exterior of the castle based on chatter here as for quite awhile the refurb only closed the Castle Walkthrough. Also learned here the DLH pool/monorail slides are now closed for us too from this site....not from Disney.

The February hours are not all early close times either ..we get a 9pm/9pm/Midnight set for a Tues/Wed/Thursday (Valentine's Day). With now having at least the same 1 show announced for each evening it could impact ride strategy. I hope its good but don't imagine people will see it multiples nights in a row.

Our trip will not be ruined but I am just frustrated how Disney treats its customers. I don't know of many businesses that can only know/publish their 'store hours' and operations on such a short schedule. At least most All Inclusive resorts offer 'something' if the amenities available when you book change for your actual stay. Most all agree that info here is better on these forums then on the Disney webiste...that is a bit sad.

I am just glad I am 'in the know' of this site to get help and information!