With the holiday season peaking on January 9th, another “season” is just around the corner at Walt Disney World in early 2023. renovation season. Historically, the winter months have been the best time for ride closures and maintenance.
already, 2023 Walt Disney World Renovations Calendar are beginning to support this. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Cali River Rapids have added this winter closure in recent weeks, and it’s entirely possible that more rides will be added to the list. Closed to convert to adventure.
People planning a Walt Disney World vacation are always disappointed when their favorite attractions go down, but on a positive note, this list: 2023 Disneyland Renovations Calendarthere really teeth Disney’s 100th anniversary celebrations begin in January, which means it’s renovation season.
This probably won’t get you friends among those who visit in January 2023, but I think Walt Disney World should add more attractions to its renovation calendar. There are many rides that have been through the show, and others that are in operation but not ready for the show.
Sadly preventive maintenance doesn’t seem to be done as it should be. This is a “best of both worlds” solution as it means working nights with minimal impact on guests. I think that’s what happens when you let go of many old-timers who had the institutional knowledge and lived experience needed to maintain and fix so many of these legacy attractions!By the way…)
Another attraction just added to the 2023 closing calendar is the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith. Per Walt Disney World, this ends on February 20, 2023, with “Rocktastic Attractions Reopening Super Stretch Limousine Rides Summer 2023.”
According to Walt Disney World, it will be down for routine maintenance and “there will be no changes to the guest experience as a result of this routine renovation”.
Operationally, this is a huge blow to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which already lacks enough attractions to absorb the large crowds the parks see. In fact, it only makes things worse. We hope Walt Disney World will bring back the Jedi Training Academy and other forms of entertainment in early 2023.
It also puts an additional strain on the already imbalanced Lightning Lane line-up. If you don’t have a game, expect to only get 2-3 decent Lightning lanes via Genie+. (To offset this, hopefully Fantasmic will be added to the Genie+ lineup sooner or later.)
Now let’s move on to speculation about what might happen during this long shutdown period. No Occur. Some of you may remember that the New York Times wrote a puff article in November 2018 about how much Disney spent on the expansion, including information that the theme of Rock’n’His Roller Coaster had changed. . The company was quick to deny that “at this time” there are “no current plans” to re-theme Rock’n’Roller Coaster. (Wiggle quote! )
Both then and now, the originally published story was accurate and believed that Disney unintentionally let the cat out of the bag too early. And not some random journalist who would have mixed up the Paris and Florida versions of the ride.
That said, there are definitely “rumors” about Marvel changing the theme or another band replacing Aerosmith. If I had to choose the perfect band, I would vote for Led Zeppelin. It will never happen for some reason, but it should. Kids these days need to learn history and a taste for music.
Aerosmith or another band that completely replaces the theme would be plausible speculation in the absence of official word from Walt Disney World. We have made a clear statement that there is not even a small word for this! That should quell those rumors, at least for now.
Instead, the refurbishment revolves around the roller coaster’s launch system, along with other general preventive maintenance. That’s the official word, but this is definitely more than just precaution.Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has had a lot of downtime over the last few years, and it’s gotten worse this year.
There were several multi-day stretches when the attraction closed, making it one of the least reliable rides at Walt Disney World.
I’m no roller coaster expert so I can’t speak to possible causes of downtime (dispatch, unload or other backups?). It’s also possible that the vehicle manufacturer recommends specific maintenance after X years of operation, and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will get it done in no time. Whatever the reason, it is desperately needed.
This also explains Walt Disney World’s seemingly complex choice to shut one of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s elevator shafts out of service (again) during the holiday season. Yes. In the past, it wasn’t clear whether it was planned downtime or unplanned downtime. Right now, I’m leaning into planning, with the goal of finishing this before it starts, or at least before the winter offseason is over.
Earlier this year, the other side of the Tower of Terror was renovated, and the project took several months. That ended halfway through the summer season, and Walt Disney World didn’t drop the other side down for renovations soon after. So this is now a puzzling decision. (The closure of this rock’n’roller coaster suggests it wasn’t added to the company’s schedule until recently.)
It is still highly likely that a substantive review will be carried out in the future. I personally love Aerosmith, but I’m surprised Walt Disney World has kept this attraction offline for so long and hasn’t changed the theme. A certain intellectual property consolidation could always make it even more popular. Take a look at Guardians of the Galaxy: DCA’s Mission Breakout.
They may be iconic, but it’s safe to say Aerosmith doesn’t have the same fame or name recognition as their younger guests. I can’t think of any other contemporary band that’s popular, crowd-pleasing, non-controversial, and fits their ride profile. proved it can be done. (So I hope Led Zeppelin is in the next movie!)
Another thing the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction has taught us is that fun, upbeat music can go a long way to elevate a thrill ride. This also applies to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, but to a lesser extent. Roller coasters don’t actually have the same energy as Cosmic Rewind. This is partly due to the ride profile and song selection.
I hope that whatever happens to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in the future, it incorporates fun songs that are perfect for Imagineering. It also requires time to test a huge number of options. The end result of Cosmic Rewind is great, even with songs I personally don’t like. By contrast, Cosmic Rewind: Holiday Remix, with exactly the same underlying charm, falls flat. (Still very good, but not as good as a normal ride!)
One Thing That Explains Why Walt Disney World Is No Rethinking Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in 2023 because it’s a card you want to play later. They already plan to bring the new roller coaster to market next year when the TRON Lightcycle Run opens his spring of 2023.
whereas the only thing Maybe 2024 will have Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which will struggle to debut before that Christmas and very likely slip into 2025. (I’d bet on that.)
With very few physical props and sets outside of the pre-show, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster could change meaningfully in a matter of months (if scandal hit, the company could actually put Aerosmith on the line). It may be deleted at night!) .
Perhaps Walt Disney World is “saving” a reimagining for next year and the “new” Marvel roller coaster will be a marketable draw for Walt Disney World in 2024? There are plenty of characters that are off-limits because of, but there are still plenty of options left, such as the popular Phase 4 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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your thoughts
What are your thoughts on Walt Disney World’s closure of the Aerosmith-starring Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster for months? I think Disney is shy, but will they actually change the theme in 2023? What about 2024 or 2025? Thinking of a band, brand, or superhero that could replace Aerosmith? Got questions about the current renovations at Walt Disney World? Agree or disagree with our assessment? . If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Even if you disagree with us, hearing your feedback is interesting to us and useful to other readers. So share your thoughts in the comments below!
