New addition to MK

[linedropper]

Anyone Excited to see it?

[Melanie]

The Fantasyland and Storybook Circus expansions? Of course! :thumbsup: Not too far on the horizon now for the first phases to being opening.

[linedropper]

We go every other year now but I am trying to get the DW to go next year! Help!

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Is there some tentative schedule of what will be opening w/ each phase? I wonder what will be open by next October

[Buttercup]

As far as I know (and I'm going off of memory here so I could be wrong), they haven't announced "official" timelines of when exactly everything is supposed to open.

I seem to remember hearing something about Dumbo (where it currently is) being taken down soon, and moved to the new location (in old Toontown) sometime in the next couple of months. There are people who say "They can't possibly have the Magic Kingdom without Dumbo!" so they figure the "Dueling Dumbos" might actually open in early 2012. But that's mainly rumors & wishful thinking, I'm guessing.

After that, I *think* I remember hearing the next stuff won't be open until fall 2012, and even then, it won't be everything open.

The whole project isn't supposed to be done until late 2013 with the Seven Dwarfs mine coaster being the last thing to go in.

[brivers222]

The castle looks really cool as does the very top of the dueling dumbos... I brought my 300mm zoom lens in the park and stood on a great spot to take some pretty cool pics of the construction. Once Comcast gets my internet at home working correctly again, i will upload them so that I can work on my trip reports :)

On the Key's to the Kingdom Tour we were told that there will not be a moment where a Dumbo will not be available for guests.... the Current dumbo (behind Carosel) will remain in working order until the close of park on the day before the Expansion is opened... Then the very next day it will be available for guests in the new area. Our guide did say that they might not have both working at expansion opening but at least one will be working at ALL times.

[Melanie]

On the Key's to the Kingdom Tour we were told that there will not be a moment where a Dumbo will not be available for guests.... the Current dumbo (behind Carosel) will remain in working order until the close of park on the day before the Expansion is opened... Then the very next day it will be available for guests in the new area. Our guide did say that they might not have both working at expansion opening but at least one will be working at ALL times.

That's really strange they would tell you that and then at the same time have an official refurb/closing set for Dumbo for January 9 - February 17, 2012. I'm leaning towards the Keys to the Kingdom CM giving erroneous information (which is very sad if that's the case). I just don't see how they could pull that off.

That said, the new Dumbo is in place. I saw it last weekend. Can't believe we are finally getting close to something happening!:thumbsup: But Buttercup is right, there have been no official announcements for any openings. I really don't think Disney itself knows for sure.

[brivers222]

That's really strange they would tell you that and then at the same time have an official refurb/closing set for Dumbo for January 9 - February 17, 2012. I'm leaning towards the Keys to the Kingdom CM giving erroneous information (which is very sad if that's the case). I just don't see how they could pull that off.

That said, the new Dumbo is in place. I saw it last weekend. Can't believe we are finally getting close to something happening!:thumbsup: But Buttercup is right, there have been no official announcements for any openings. I really don't think Disney itself knows for sure.

Ah that would be true if they have a planned refurb... maybe the guide was stricktly talking about the transition of actual closing down for good of the current one and transitioning over to the new one... He said the transition would literally happen over night. So i am guessing he wasn't actually talking about any Refurbs as i am guessing it will be back up after feb 17th?

And yeah I saw the new dumbo last week as well!

[PopPhan]

Ah that would be true if they have a planned refurb... maybe the guide was stricktly talking about the transition of actual closing down for good of the current one and transitioning over to the new one... He said the transition would literally happen over night. So i am guessing he wasn't actually talking about any Refurbs as i am guessing it will be back up after feb 17th?

And yeah I saw the new dumbo last week as well!

As you can see in the listing below, the closing of Dumbo is for rehab AND move to Storybook Circus.....


Refurbishments and Attraction Closures
Magic Kingdom

Mickey's Toontown Fair – closed permanently to make way for Fantasyland expansion.
Main Street Fire House – closed; reopens as headquarters for the new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom interactive game in early 2012.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed for refurbishment January 9 to May 27, 2012.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant – closed for refurbishment and moving to Storybook Circus January 9 to February 17, 2012.
Liberty Square Riverboat – closed for refurbishment January 28 to February 3, 2012.
Main Street Electrical Parade – will not be performed January 20 to February 10, 2012.
Magic Carpets of Aladdin – closed for refurbishment February 26 to March 10, 2012.

Epcot

No known closures.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Fantasmic – is not performed January 9 to February 12, 2012.
Studio Backlot Tour – closed for refurbishment February 13 to March 10, 2012.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure – closed for refurbishment February 13 to March 10, 2012.

Animal Kingdom

Kali River Rapids – closed for refurbishment January 23 to February 9, 2012.

Resorts

Grand Floridian Spa – closed through mid-2013 for refurbishment.
Pop Century Resort – repairs of concrete deck at Hippy Dippy Pool through September 28, 2012. The pool will remain open during the work, but some small sections of the pool deck will be closed periodically throughout this period.

Water Parks

Typhoon Lagoon – closed December 4 to March 17, 2012 for annual refurbishment.

Elsewhere

Cirque du Soleil La Nouba – performs Tuesdays through Saturdays. The show will not be performed:
January 17 to 21, 2012
March 20, 2012
May 15 to 26, 2012
July 24, 2012
September 18 to 22, 2012
November 27, 2012

[brivers222]

hmm instersting. Maybe it will be dumboless for a while next year.

[brad192]

No Dumbo? I really wouldn't want to be working Guest Relations during that period! :mad:

What I suspect will happen is that the new Dumbo will be all set to go the day before the original Dumbo closes, and it will be a semi-smooth transition. They'll probably need to have a few extra CM's on duty at the original ride site to direct guests to the new, now operating Dumbo. :mickey:

I'm sure everyone involved has thought this through quite well, and MK will not be "Dumboless". ;)

[brivers222]

No Dumbo? I really wouldn't want to be working Guest Relations during that period! :mad:

What I suspect will happen is that the new Dumbo will be all set to go the day before the original Dumbo closes, and it will be a semi-smooth transition. They'll probably need to have a few extra CM's on duty at the original ride site to direct guests to the new, now operating Dumbo. :mickey:

I'm sure everyone involved has thought this through quite well, and MK will not be "Dumboless". ;)
Thats exactly what the guide said, but when exactly was the new dumbo(s) supposed to open in Fantasyland? If not by Jan 9th for the refurb then it will be down for a bit.

At the beginning only one of the Dueling will be working... then they will put the other one into play. The way he stated was just as you said... a flawless overnight transition between the two. But if they are saying the current one will be down starting Jan 9th... then who knows whats going to happen... there is no way fantasyland is opening a portion of it in less than a month.

[Buttercup]

It IS possible, if you guys are reporting that the new Dumbo is sitting there behind the wall in what used to be Toontown. They could open up the walkway past the Speedway to get to the new Dumbo when the old one closes January 9th, no? The Dueling Dumbo area is sort-of at the edge of the new Fantasyland, so I don't think it would be hard at all to open up just that small portion.

Off to google pictures of the new Dumbo that people have taken!