Disney parks are constantly changing their refurbishment schedules, making it difficult for guests to keep up with the operating times and latest news regarding their favorite attractions, resorts, shops, and restaurants. Here are a few big, upcoming changes that are either confirmed by their respective parks or at the least very strongly rumored for the very near future
This month’s refurbishment update includes an unexpected closure at the Magic Kingdom, plus more information on the Spaceship Earth refurbishment and more progress is being made at the Walt Disney World Railroad.
1. The Haunted Mansion (Magic Kingdom)
Status: Unconfirmed
Dates: Now – TBA
Earlier this week on Tuesday, March 3, The Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom unexpectedly closed for unannounced reasons. And while that might not have been all that shocking (rides unexpectedly close for temporary reasons all the time) but then something curious happened: the ride remained closed on March 4 and March 5. And while Disney has not officially closed this attraction for refurbishment, thanks to a forum posters’ account of what caused the attraction to go down in the first place, we’d guess it will be quite a long time before this ride reopens.
According to DIS Boards forum user Liddypool, The Haunted Mansion suffered a fairly big mechanical failure earlier this week when the doom buggy that the guest was riding in never rotated around after the Bride scene. The guest reported that when the doom buggy started descending down the hill face forward a grinding noise could be heard and then the ride stopped. Because of the position the doom buggy was in when the ride stopped, Cast Members could not evacuate the guests and they had to wait for maintenance to open the doom buggy in such a way that they could exit safely
In response to this issue, the Haunted Mansion was shown in My Disney Experience to be temporarily closed on March 3, 4 and 5th. And while this temporary closure could technically end at any moment, based on what transpired to cause the breakdown, we’d guess it could be a very long time before the Haunted Mansion reopens. Hopefully Disney will give us an official update on this situation soon.
2. Spaceship Earth (Epcot)
Status: Confirmed
Dates: May 26, 2020 – TBA
Disney has announced that Spaceship Earth will close on May 26 2020 to begin its transformation into Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story. Disney has not shared a timetable for the opening of this new version of this attraction, but reports suggest that we are looking at an 18-24 month closure, which would shutter this iconic attraction until late 2021 at the least.
During this refurbishment, Spaceship Earth will adjusting its theme away from the history of communication and “towards storytelling”, by introducing a new narrator in the form of a story “Light”, that will guide guests through this enhanced attraction, that will include both familiar scenes with plussed up effects , and new scenes as well. According to Disney, this new theme will show how light plays a central role in our shared human journey, coming to life in dynamic ways. The concept art above shows the new look of the Egypt scene, transformed with the new “Light” theme.
In addition to the new light theme, guests who experience this new version of Spaceship Earth will hear new narration and experience what Disney is calling a celebration of the magic that’s possible “when we all come together.”
3. Walt Disney World Railroad (Magic Kingdom)
Status: Confirmed/Rumored
Dates: December 3, 2018 – TBA
The Walt Disney World Railroad has been closed for over a full year now, and while Disney has not released any updates on the refurbishment of this attraction, recent rumors seem to indicate that we could see a reopening before the end of the year, as construction on the TRON Roller Coaster in Tomorrowland continues to press on.
And though we don’t have a concrete reopening date just yet, we recently saw new track being laid around Tomorrowland in recent weeks, which suggests that work may be completed on this lengthy refurbishment project soon.
