January is bad for refurbs

[Gator]

I've already posted about having Splash Mountain closed for January. That was upsetting, because my daughter is finally the height to hit this attraction she's been wanting to ride from 2 other trips.

But now, it's the Castle being refurbed. Yip. Starting the 12th, they'll be refurbing the front of it just like they did the back in September. I sincerely hope it doesn't look as bad as I think it's going to. The moat will be drained and those painted curtains will go up. I guess I'll have to dream and imagine that it looks majestic this time around.

I suppose that low crowds in January means lots of refurbs. Just wish it wasn't my favorite ride AND the castle.

[DizneyRox]

Yes, everyone seems to praise the off-season as the time to go, yet forget that off-season is when they do a lot of the maintenance. Give me peak season any da y of the week. Nothing beats the the extended hours, infrequent ride closures, etc...

Yes, there's the crowds, but most aren't the brightest and there's ways to beat the crowds. Nothing you can do if the gates are shut on Splash Mountain....

[wjrhw]

For us, the last few January trips were crowded as well. The waits were longer than our August trips and the hours were shorter. 2006 was last year that January felt like low crowds for us.

It seems like they work like the banks. It is supposed to be slow season, so they lower the amount of cast members and don't use all the ride vehicles (Great Movie Ride takes forever in January) so that there are lines all year.

We're going again this January, but I don't expect low crowds so I won't be upset to see 30-40 waits for the Haunted Mansion. (I actually saw this on two January trips and I was very surprised.)

[Gator]

We're going again this January, but I don't expect low crowds so I won't be upset to see 30-40 waits for the Haunted Mansion. (I actually saw this on two January trips and I was very surprised.)

Man, I hate to hear that. Early December was getting to crowded, so we wanted to try January. Still, Crowds in the winter are better than crowds in the summer. I just hate that they're fixing two cool attractions at one park at the same time.

[cer]

NO!!!!!

I cannot believe they are doing this!

And before everyone starts jumping on the "It has to be done sometime" wagon, I know that. I get it.

I just cannot believe that I am going to Magic Kingdom and NOT see the castle. Could any of you? No pics of it. No pics of the kids or family in front of it.....really what is the point of even watching Wishes?

What a disappointment.

[KAJUNKING]

wow, thats terrible, we go in the off season and have had to suffer the same things, although i have never seen the castle covered up, good luck

[cer]

Yes, there's the crowds, but most aren't the brightest ...

I think that is one of the funniest things I have read on here in a while....

Thanks for making me smile, especially after the news of the Castle refurb....

[BigThunderFan]

You have GOT to be kidding me!!

Well I guess I am glad I got pics of my family in front of the castle from 2 years ago. Oh except my daughter was so young she doesn't remember it. The ONE THING she wanted to see was the castle. I can't believe this. I love how they announce this ONE MONTH AHEAD. I would have gone last week if I would have known this. We were torn between Dec & Jan scheduling and I waited till the last minute to book so we could make sure what would be closed. I really wish they could have announced this prior to 4 weeks ahead of time so people who spend so much of the money that we don't really have can plan better.

I am VERY upset about this.

[CaptSmee]

the moat will be drained??? where did you get this information? what would the point be? put in a new ride system around the castle?!?

[Gator]

I love how they announce this ONE MONTH AHEAD. I would have gone last week if I would have known this. I am VERY upset about this.

I know what you mean. I sent off another scathing letter to WDW guest services - explaining that this should have been posted 6 months ago, not 4 weeks in advance.

As far as where I got the info, it's on the news board {elsewhere on web}. I'm hoping that the painted curtain only goes up part way so it doesn't completely ruing the photos. But I was also hoping that Splash wouldn't be closed for my trip, and that didn't go so well.

[BigThunderFan]

I also saw that on the other board (I went searching on every Disney related website I know to find out more info). I saw the pics from the back side refurb, not as bad as I imagined at first. I only hope the front will be like that as well and not too distracting.

[MushuGrl]

Could be worse...they could be doing the Castle Cake again.

I'm assuming CRT is still cool though?

[DVC2004]

For the longest time we went the first week in Feb- mostly because it is the dead of winter where we live and we have cabin fever. But I was always disappointed with the refurbs and early closing hours. I felt like we had nothing to do at night after the parks closed. We go now at various times- still off peak- but not in Feb anymore to WDW.

[BMan62]

the moat will be drained??? where did you get this information? what would the point be? put in a new ride system around the castle?!?

There are electrical conduits in the moat along with a number of spotlights...I would think this would be periodic maintenance or replacement.

[cer]

Could be worse...they could be doing the Castle Cake again.

You are right...the castle cake would be worse.

[TheVBs]

So sorry to hear about this for all of you going in January. I hope you still have a magical vacation!

It is really hard to balance a desire to go off season with a desire to have access to everything. We always used to go in early Sept. and for two trips in a row (two years apart) the Haunted Mansion was closed for refurbs. We were so sad. But, it was such a great time of year to go that we still did it up until our oldest started 2nd grade. I'd like to try an Oct. trip now and go to the Halloween party.

[KLD]

Now you can add Living with the Land and Test Track to the list of Jan refurbs.

I love how these announcements are made less than a month prior!!

[Gator]

Now you can add Living with the Land and Test Track to the list of Jan refurbs.

I love how these announcements are made less than a month prior!!

I suppose they've got execs somewhere saying, "There's one born every minute."

[Polynesian Dweller]

I suppose they've got execs somewhere saying, "There's one born every minute."

Oh please. Like they have time to do that. ANd why would they look at customers like that.They have to do maintenance and maintenance can't always be planned out six months ahead. Believe me, I was a department head on the "services side of an organization" and all of us (maintenance, electrical, grounds, IT etc) would have loved if things were always easy to lay out for maintenance. But you know, things break unexpectedly, and things wear down, or something happens to require a fix. Then you have to coordinate things with outside suppliers and contractors who can't always tell you 6 months out when they can be ready to go. Its tough, and Disney is no different, it has structures and mechanical things that will break down, and not necessarily when they want them to.

And it being Januaray, yhere is nothing unusual going on there. Almost every time over 20 years that we have gone to Disney in the Fall there has been at least 1 major thing down for rehab and often two or three and soemtimes more. Somethings are done better when they will be less used (see Splash Mountain in a cold month) and others can be done better at other times. In Disney's case, they are doing something year round. Maintenance services try to inconvenience the fewest people but its inevitable that you will inconvenience some, thats unavoidable. Its just the way maintenance goes and not somebody having evil thoughts.

Life is a lot easier if you just decide to go with the flow. Life will never be perfect even at Disney. We take the attitude that we are fortunate to be going and we are going to enjoy what we find and we always have a great trip, regardless of what's not there. Life is a lot more enjoyable when you just let it be so.

[BigThunderFan]

At least the TT closure is only six days and not a couple months.