This Disney California Adventure and Disneyland trip refurbishment calendar for the top of this yr and 2023 lists momentary attraction closures so you already know what received’t be working earlier than planning your trip. Additionally, we provide information about reimagining tasks which are underway to reinforce experiences across the resort. (Updated December 5, 2022.)
While nobody needs attraction closures throughout their go to, they’re a obligatory a part of retaining Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in good situation, as routine upkeep, security upgrades, and attraction enhancements are all carried out throughout scheduled trip closures. Usually, there are solely a handful of simultaneous closed rides, plus new points of interest being constructed.
Having an concept of which points of interest are closed at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure is essential, however we advocate consulting our 2023 Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide for extra complete information. That covers every little thing from saving cash on park tickets and lodges to the place to eat, when to go to, and extra.
In addition to scheduled attraction refurbs, unscheduled downtime can even happen throughout a go to. This often solely happens for just a few hours at a time, so for those who discover an attraction is closed throughout your go to to Disneyland Resort and it’s not listed under, it’s probably a brief closure that may final just a few hours. Check with close by Cast Members to substantiate.
Below is a schedule of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure refurbishments, when the closure begins, and when the refurbishment will conclude. To the extent that particular dates should not but listed, these might be up to date as soon as Disneyland Resort gives exact begin and/or finish dates. The following day might be when the attraction is scheduled to reopen.
Here are the closure schedules for Disney California Adventure and Disneyland…
Disney California Adventure
- Frozen: Live on the Hyperion – Return Date Unknown
- Paint the Night Parade – Return Date Unknown
- WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure – Closed January 9-12, 2023
While Frozen: Live on the Hyperion and Paint the Night Parade are listed above, there’s no indication both are returning anytime quickly–if ever. The former will probably get replaced by one thing else fully, and the parade may pop-up subsequent at Walt Disney World.
Next, let’s check out the late 2022 and early 2023 Disneyland attraction closures…
Disneyland
- Chip ’n’ Dale Treehouse – Permanently Closed
- Disneyland Forever – Return Date Unknown
- Donald’s Boat – Reopens March 8, 2023
- Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster – Reopens March 8, 2023
- Goofy’s Playhouse – Reopens March 8, 2023
- Indiana Jones Adventure – Closed January 9, 2023 via Spring 2023 (Date TBD)
- “it’s a small world” – Closed January 9, 2023 via TBD
- Magic Happens Parade – Returns February 24, 2023
- Main Street Electrical Parade – Return Date Unknown
- Mickey’s House – Reopens March 8, 2023
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Opens January 27, 2023
- Minnie’s House – Reopens March 8, 2023
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – Reopens March 8, 2023
- Adventureland Treehouse – Opens someday in 2023
Beyond these dates, let’s cowl some particular closures and reopening dates…
Indiana Jones Adventure is the newest addition to the refurbishment calendar. This attraction had a few quick refurbishments earlier this yr, and we had been relieved to see it added to the calendar again then. After it reopened, we puzzled what they even did in the course of the downtime. Six months later, Indiana Jones Adventure is in even worse form, with a number of main results damaged or not engaged on a constant foundation, together with the climactic scene.
Thankfully, it seems that Indiana Jones Adventure is lastly going to obtain the prolonged refurbishment it has desperately wanted for the final yr. It’s clear that prolonged downtime is required to repair every little thing that’s damaged, and whereas we’ll miss Indiana Jones Adventure whereas it’s down, I’d reasonably it not be on this sorry state. (At the very least, please restore the pre-show. That ought to be easy!)
“it’s a small world” is one other recently-added attraction to the calendar.
This is an annual closure, with the downtime essential to take away the seasonal overlay and convert the attraction from “it’s a small world” vacation again to the conventional model. This sometimes takes a little bit beneath two weeks, so you’ll be able to anticipate “it’s a small world” to reopen earlier than the start of February 2023.
Finally, Disney introduced on the current D23 Expo that the long-awaited return of the “Magic Happens” parade will happen at Disneyland on February 24, 2023 for Disney’s one hundredth Anniversary.
This parade ran for roughly two weeks pre-closure, and remains to be primarily brand-new. We nonetheless have by no means seen Magic Happens, and have resisted the temptation to look at on YouTube or hearken to the soundtrack. Glad to listen to it’s lastly returning!
This isn’t the one returning or new leisure for 100 Years of Wonder. Disneyland introduced different new nighttime spectaculars for Disney’s one hundredth Anniversary, which embrace the “Wondrous Journeys” fireworks at Disneyland and “World of Color – One” at Disney California Adventure.
No phrase but on Main Street Electrical Parade or Paint the Night Parade. Either of these returning most likely hinges upon whether or not Disneyland hires sufficient new performers to workers one other evening parade. As it stands, the forged of “A Christmas Fantasy” parade might be reassigned to one thing as soon as the vacation season ends. That might be Magic Happens, however Disney has already posted separate casting requires that.
Maybe Main Street Electrical Parade will make its 63rd farewell run in early 2023, maybe Paint the Night will make a shock return to DCA, or it’s potential that solely Magic Happens will lastly enter its third week of performances. All of that is still to be seen.
The different massive closures proper now are principally in Toontown, which is closed to be reimagined, and can reopen on March 8, 2023. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is opening earlier than that, on January 27, 2023. (This means there might be development partitions up in Toontown making a hall resulting in the brand new trip for the primary month-plus.)
When all is claimed and carried out, each ‘attraction’ in Toontown ought to return, with the probably exception of Chip ‘n’ Dale Treehouse. That’s anticipated to be eliminated and changed by a path that connects Toontown to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
At an unscheduled date someday on the horizon is the Princess and the Frog reimagining of Splash Mountain. Recently, Disney introduced that this attraction might be known as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and can open in Late 2024.
In order to make that opening timeline, it’s probably that the present incarnation of Splash Mountain will shut in early 2023. The winter closure date would give Disneyland the headliner in the course of the vacation season, which is the busiest time of yr at Disneyland. Our expectation is that Splash Mountain will go down as soon as Haunted Mansion and “it’s a small world” return from their post-holiday overlay removing refurbishments.
Now, just a few notes concerning the above refurbishments. For starters, there’s far more on the above lists than regular. Most of those points of interest are at the moment closed for budgetary, staffing, or different non-maintenance associated causes. There are literally far fewer conventional refurbishments occurring proper now than usually.
Beyond that, Disneyland is infamous for altering its refurbishment schedules, including or canceling deliberate downtimes weeks or days upfront. While this apply remains to be comparatively unusual within the grand scheme of issues, it’s price declaring as a result of it does occur.
Now, right here’s a little bit of our philosophy regarding refurbishments, with the precise instance of the current multi-year Disneyland Railroad refurbishment used as an instance…
Thoughts on Refurbishments
Nobody likes a favourite attraction to be refurbished throughout their trip. It means lacking out and doubtlessly not having the ability to expertise the trip for one more yr or longer, relying upon the frequency of your visits to Disneyland. A few years in the past, the Disneyland Railroad closed for an prolonged refurbishment as a result of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge development.
At first, we had been actually upset. This would possibly look like an odd attraction to lament the closure of, however as Southern Californians with Disneyland Annual Passes, this was an absolute favourite of ours. We rode frequently after we needed to relaxation our toes, or just a break from the crowds. With the exception of possibly ‘it’s a small world’, we did Disneyland Railroad greater than another attraction.
However, that preliminary disappointment fairly rapidly gave option to pleasure. We started interested by methods Disneyland Railroad might be plussed, bettering the expertise for years to return. Disney had already introduced that some adjustments could be made (because the observe wanted to be re-routed), and we had been excited for the prospect of latest present scenes or different visuals.
From my perspective, investing within the long-term high quality of an attraction is much extra essential than the momentary satisfaction I’ll get out of using it on my subsequent go to. This is why it at all times perplexes me when regulars contend that their trip might be ruined as a result of their favourite attraction might be closed.
If it’s your favourite attraction and also you’re energetic within the Disney fan neighborhood, meaning you’ve been to Disneyland earlier than and doubtless will go to once more. It would thus stand to purpose that you’d need one thing you like to get the TLC it deserves, and proceed to enhance.
Disneyland Railroad works as an excellent instance right here…largely as a result of it did obtain important adjustments and enhancements. (Arguably, the Rivers of America suffered as a result of being condensed, however that’s one other matter for one more day–we cowl all features of this in our New-Look Grand Circle Tour of Disneyland publish.)
The level extends to different points of interest which have seen related plussings, but in addition have extra of an issue with results breaking. Take Indiana Jones Adventure, for instance. This is a trip that appears to get a refurbishment about each different yr (typically extra regularly) and we’d argue that it may most likely use extra common upkeep than that.
If you’re a long-term fan, would you reasonably expertise Indiana Jones Adventure each single go to with 75% of the results working, or each single go to minus one or two with 95% of the results working? For me, the reply to that’s simple. I’ll take a superior long run expertise each time.
Beyond that, there’s the far more compelling justification for normal refurbishments: they’re important for the security of points of interest. While we might consider these points of interest as all enjoyable and video games that supply a protected sense of exhilaration, that’s when they’re correctly maintained.
It’s disagreeable to consider, however there have been a number of preventable deaths within the historical past of Disney’s parks. During a darkish period of Disneyland historical past, improper upkeep was the reason for loss of life on Big Thunder Mountain. Likewise, years of neglect at Disneyland Paris have led to incidents of harm that might be attributed to a scarcity of upkeep. In each circumstances, this has been addressed, and upkeep has improved significantly.
This just isn’t meant to scare anybody or provoke an emotional response. Disney’s worldwide security document is sterling as in comparison with different park operators. It’s nonetheless essential to keep in mind that these enjoyable, ‘magical’ locations additionally exist in the actual world and use quite a lot of doubtlessly harmful parts if security just isn’t considered as key. (Or, in Disney’s case, one of many Four Keys.)
When it involves upkeep that’s not important to the protected operation of an attraction, we’re left to ponder what quantity of present high quality ought to be accepted. If following a strict Nunis-ian interpretation of the Four Keys, present is a crucial consideration, and it ought to at all times be 100%. This is a pleasant aim to try for, however the sensible actuality is that 100% present high quality is an unworkably excessive threshold typically.
In my estimation, this can be a good instance of balancing visitor pursuits with present high quality. Get the results working which are simply fixable, and discover different methods to deal with results which are regularly breaking. We’re not speaking about security right here, simply random results. Indiana Jones Adventure has had a lot of results disabled or changed through the years as a result of they had been unreliable.
Guests are understandably involved when it seems an inordinate variety of points of interest are closing throughout their trip, particularly out of state guests. Trips to California should not low-cost and are sometimes as soon as in a lifetime experiences; first-timers actually don’t wish to miss out on experiences about which they’ve learn intensive hype.
With that mentioned, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure must be publishing their routine refurbishment schedules a number of months upfront, permitting company to plan round closures. Disney plans upkeep properly upfront, and this information ought to be handed alongside to company. For probably the most half, it’s.
Obviously, unplanned upkeep can happen, which takes rides out of fee for hours and even days on the final minute. This is an unavoidable a part of refined theme park points of interest, and there’s no actual option to “plan around” this. It simply is what it’s.
However, the issue with a “not during my vacation” angle like that is that it’s at all times going to be somebody’s (or tens of hundreds of someones) trip. If Disneyland and Disney California Adventure points of interest with present high quality points aren’t shut for refurbishments for worry of some company throughout a time-limited window lacking out, all company in perpetuity are going to have a lesser expertise.
The finish results of that considering is a duct-tapped strategy to attraction upkeep, with no matter work that may be carried out in a single day achieved, and two parks stuffed with points of interest with half their results damaged. First-timers could be left questioning why there was a lot hype about Disneyland within the first place, as so many elements of rides merely don’t work. If you’re studying this as a lifelong fan, properly…possibly you wouldn’t have turn out to be a lifelong fan if this had been truly Disneyland’s modus operandi.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site lodges in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, try What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of different locations!
Your Thoughts…
Any questions concerning the present refurbishments at Disneyland Resort? What do you concentrate on refurbishments on the Disney Parks? Are you extra involved about an improved long-term expertise, or do you assume “not during my vacation!”? Any different components you assume are price contemplating? As talked about, we expect this can be a dialog, so please share your ‘refurbishment philosophy’, or another ideas or questions you might have, within the feedback!