Trip refurbishments are rumored for a few Magic Kingdom’s hottest sights, and will begin later this yr and final by means of 2025. Listed below are the most recent rumblings on these potential closures–none of which have been confirmed by Walt Disney World–together with our hypothesis about what they could entail, timing for the downtime, and extra.
Let’s begin with Peter Pan’s Flight, which isn’t actually a rumor in any respect. Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a really-for-real building allow for the set up of set items at Peter Pan’s Flight in Magic Kingdom, itemizing InterAmerica Stage, Inc. as contractor. The work has the default expiration date of 1 yr, which isn’t significantly noteworthy (it’s when the expiration is shorter or longer).
InterAmerica Stage is a frequent collaborator with Imagineering on new and refreshed sights and exhibits. Just lately, this contains work on Spaceship Earth and, presently, the reimagining of Nation Bear Jamboree into Nation Bear Musical Jamboree. The allow doesn’t specify the scope of labor past the imprecise and generic (and ceaselessly used) “set up set parts.” Nonetheless, this and the allow coming from Imagineering means that the undertaking will entail new or reimagined present scenes, or probably new results.
We have now been essential of Peter Pan’s Flight. It was essentially the most controversial choose on our Listing of 10 Points of interest That Have Aged Poorly at Walt Disney World. So it ought to go with out saying that I’m totally on board with this undertaking. Actually, I hope Peter Pan’s Flight has a multi-month closure to breathe new life into the attraction.
After driving the variations at Disneyland in California and Tokyo Disneyland this month, I’m very able to see updates to the Magic Kingdom incarnation. I’d love a few of the results from the Shanghai Disneyland model, which is the perfect of the bunch. However it’s additionally model new, whereas each the Anaheim and Tokyo variations are the identical traditional model as Magic Kingdom–and have seen enhancements lately.
If I recall appropriately, there have been really rumors round 2019 that Peter Pan’s Flight can be one of many traditional Magic Kingdom sights to obtain updates forward of Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary. Supposedly, the plan was much like refreshes at Disneyland forward of that park’s sixtieth Anniversary, the place Peter Pan’s Flight closed for over 5 months in 2015. However then March 2020 occurred and all of these plans for Walt Disney World’s fiftieth had been deserted. (…Or the can was kicked down the highway to 2024?)
To be clear, I don’t need to see Peter Pan’s Flight up to date as a result of I dislike it–I adore it. This journey has enduring recognition and excessive wait occasions for a cause. It’s a traditional, and deserves to be handled as such with respect and loving updates to maintain it recent. Flying over the streets of London and Neverland is a timeless lightning-in-a-bottle expertise that ought to by no means go away.
As a substitute, Peter Pan’s Flight needs to be plussed with projection mapping and different lighting results–as has been performed in Anaheim, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Updating infrastructure so the flight is much less jerky and smoother would assist with suspension of disbelief. I might go on, however upgrades to the journey system should not throughout the scope of this building allow, so there’s no level.
Extra realistically, the obvious change might be the removing or replace of the Native Individuals scene in Peter Pan’s Flight. I don’t purport to be an skilled on this kind of factor, however the depiction there does strike me as a little bit of a caricature (to place it charitably). With that stated, I additionally assume it’d be a disgrace to lose Native Individuals within the attraction (that looks as if the alternative of Disney’s objectives). Given her presence in Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey, I assume Tiger Lily continues to be a suitable character. Having a brand new scene along with her can be cool.
If that does occur, I hope it isn’t the one change. Peter Pan’s Flight at Magic Kingdom has some nice results and options as in comparison with the opposite variations, however it hasn’t been modernized with new results to almost as nice of a level, both. There’s a variety of alternative and untapped potential to make it a journey that really justifies these triple-digit wait occasions.
Logistically, I’m curious as to how a Peter Pan’s Flight closure may work–particularly if it happens simultaneous with the following entry. My intestine says this might be a shorter closure–or a collection of them–even when it includes larger guest-facing modifications. I might see a situation the place a Peter Pan’s Flight reimagining had been dealt with equally to Jungle Cruise or Haunted Mansion, with temporary downtime for staging adopted by work after hours and/or with just a few scattered days of downtime. (They could even put scrims round numerous present scenes and simply have them be lacking.)
That manner, folks might plan across the Peter Pan’s Flight closure and it might have much less affect on holidays. There’s additionally the sensible actuality that Peter Pan’s Flight is an enormous driver of Genie+ gross sales at Magic Kingdom, and Disney most likely doesn’t need to take it out of fee for an prolonged interval and lose out on that. Then once more, possibly that’s a part of the rationale Tiana’s Bayou Journey is on Genie+ as a substitute of an Particular person Lightning Lane!
Subsequent up is a widely-reported rumor that Large Thunder Mountain Railroad will quickly shut for an prolonged refurbishment, which can consequence within the journey being down for greater than a yr. This isn’t but confirmed by Walt Disney World, nor have any building permits been filed to the perfect of our data.
We’ve tried to independently corroborate the rumored Large Thunder Mountain Railroad closure, however have been unable to take action. Nonetheless, it’s being reported by a number of credible shops–and though we can not converse to the veracity of the rumors themselves, it’s one thing that passes the scent take a look at and appears believable to us.
Accordingly, we need to deliver it to your consideration because it’s seemingly going to be a last-minute announcement if it does occur. And it might not! However it’s a sufficiently high-profile attraction that this potential journey refurbishment ought to at the least be in your radar. Simply remember that nothing is concrete.
In line with wdwmagic, Large Thunder Mountain Railroad might shut as quickly as September 2024. The Magic Kingdom coaster wants a big refurbishment involving substantial work on the journey system and retracking. This long-planned undertaking is considered as preventative work that’s essential to increase the helpful lifetime of the curler coaster, making certain the journey’s longevity and operational standing for many years to return.
Whereas the journey has had a variety of winter-time closures for a number of weeks to over a month within the final a number of years, the final prolonged closure was in 2016 when Large Thunder Mountain Railroad was down for 4 months within the late summer time and early fall. Previous to that, BTMRR had a number of closures in 2012 for in depth work, set up of the interactive queue, in addition to the Barnabas T. Bullion and Large Thunder Mining Firm backstory.
Each model of Large Thunder Mountain Railroad has had in depth closures lately–besides Magic Kingdom. Maybe most instructive is the BTMRR at Disneyland, which closed for a serious renovation in January 2013. This undertaking had an analogous scope as what’s rumored for Magic Kingdom, with new journey automobiles, monitor alternative, repainting the mountain, and in addition restoring the Rainbow Ridge Mining City.
That was initially scheduled to be accomplished by Fall 2013, however it wasn’t performed till March 2014. By the point Large Thunder Mountain Railroad did reopen over a yr later, its return got here with a lot fanfare and new options–and a possible “blueprint” for different initiatives of this nature that we’re now doubtlessly seeing with Haunted Mansion and Fantasmic at Disneyland. Type of a quasi “Disney Vault” strategy to excite followers.
As famous above, I do know completely nothing about this potential undertaking, however I’d count on one thing related with the Magic Kingdom model of Large Thunder Mountain Railroad. A closure that lasted 14 months roughly one decade in the past interprets to at the least 18 months when adjusted for building timeline inflation. (A factor I made up, however you already know what I imply–and that it’s an actual phenomenon!)
There’s no manner Walt Disney World goes to shut Large Thunder Mountain Railroad for between a yr and 18 months and never have something marketable to point out for it when the attraction returns. There’ll seemingly be new raise hill results, nighttime lighting, redone present scenes with Easter eggs and different historic tributes–one thing, something. Given the price in money and time, I totally consider they’ll make it depend and this received’t “simply” be a closure for invisible work that “solely” extends the lifetime of the curler coaster.
I additionally consider there’s a powerful risk that Past Large Thunder will get revealed at D23 Expo, and a part of that entails extra modifications to this aspect of the park. If that’s the case, the BTMRR refurbishment is also a reimagining that lays the groundwork for that growth, each thematically and infrastructure-wise.
With a closure that’s going to final at the least a yr, timing doesn’t make an enormous distinction. In spite of everything, it’s going to be down throughout each week and season, anyway. Not solely that, however Walt Disney World has proven a willingness to shut marquee sights at standard occasions of the yr. Look no additional than Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster throughout spring break (twice!), Tower of Terror throughout spring and summer time, and the upcoming Take a look at Observe closure from summer time by means of at the least the vacation season.
Nonetheless, it’s seemingly that the Large Thunder Mountain Railroad undertaking received’t begin till Tiana’s Bayou Journey opens on June 28, 2024. That’s a part of the rumor, however it’s additionally kind of apparent. Whereas one model of the rumor factors to BTMRR taking place in September, truthfully, I might see it closing earlier than then.
From my perspective, having each Large Thunder and Tiana’s Bayou Journey open by means of at the least mid-July to absorb the opening ‘season’ crowds for the brand new Frontierland headliner is sensible. That will additionally give time for Nation Bear Musical Jamboree to open, which is now anticipated on the tail finish of summer time. (As I’ve stated earlier than, I wouldn’t be shocked if that slips to October 1, 2024.)
After the opening rush of Tiana’s Bayou Journey, it may additionally make sense to take BTMRR offline in order that refurbishment is completed earlier than October 2025. Summer time crowds usually begin winding down in direction of the tip of July and drop off a cliff firstly of August. If it is a year-plus closure, it makes extra sense to have BTMRR down for the months of August and September twice than it does the months of October by means of December. However in fact, that assumes the undertaking is able to roll–and it might not be!
Oh and talking of Frontierland, we’re additionally conscious of experiences that Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade is rumored to shut this summer time. I tried to corroborate these again final month when the story first broke, however had no success. Which is bizarre, as a result of the rumor is it’ll be the place the Disney Trip Membership lounge is situated, and if true, that ought to be one thing of an open secret.
For now, I even have cause to consider this one might not be credible. Which can also be bizarre, as a result of once I first heard the rumor, it struck me as so apparent. That DVC lounge must go someplace and Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade has managed to hold on for a few decade longer than I anticipated.
Personally, I’ll be unhappy to see it go (if it goes). I’ve childhood nostalgia for the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade and have performed it greater than ever in the previous few years because it went to free play. However I additionally perceive that it’s been on borrowed time for some time. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see what occurs there–no end result would shock me. I’m not satisfied that even Disney is aware of what it needs to do with Frontierland within the long-term at this level–nonetheless looks as if an honest quantity of uncertainty there.
In the end, you must take all of this with an enormous grain of salt as they’re all rumors and/or haven’t but been confirmed formally by Walt Disney World. (Imagineering has filed a allow for Peter Pan’s Flight, so one thing will occur, however it could possibly be one thing easy that happens solely in a single day and by no means ends in downtime. We doubt that given the involvement of a 3rd social gathering, however it’s potential.)
The underside line is that it’s nonetheless believable that none of those initiatives materialize. Once more, we doubt it. If something, we’d count on extra reimaginings and refurbishments of this nature for a few causes. The primary is that there was a variety of deferred upkeep and proportionately fewer closures in the previous few years as a consequence of pent-up demand and finances cuts. So a number of sights are overdue for refurbishments and can most likely get them later this yr or in 2025.
Second, the cash spigot is about to be turned on for Parks & Resorts, permitting for extra initiatives of this nature to (lastly!) occur. Positive, it’s not as thrilling as brand-new sights–and lots of of chances are you’ll lament extra rides being closed throughout your trip–however refurbishments are very a lot a necessity for sustaining applicable attraction requirements and making certain that breakdowns don’t proceed to occur at a extra frequent price. So right here’s hoping we see extra on this entrance!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on the potential of prolonged journey refurbishments/reimaginings of Peter Pan’s Flight and/or Large Thunder Mountain Railroad? Hope these classics are up to date to make sure their longevity for many years to return? Do any sights at Walt Disney World strike you as being prime candidates for journey reimaginings? Do you agree or disagree with our selections? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!