Critter Country Down For Six Weeks?

[skiingfast]

When you look at the photos in this link, keep in mind this is at WDW and the logs are differenent in their Splash with side by side seating. And now they have lap bars.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/...ing-tested.htm

 

[mydisneyobsession]

Out of curiosity - are the castmembers from that part of the park out of work for six weeks? I imagine it wouldn't be a "cost-savings" to Disney if they were sent somewhere else in the park, but it seems like they would have gotten very little notice.

 

[glendalais]

Out of curiosity - are the castmembers from that part of the park out of work for six weeks? I imagine it wouldn't be a "cost-savings" to Disney if they were sent somewhere else in the park, but it seems like they would have gotten very little notice.

Suffice it to say that there are procedures in place to redeploy Full Time Cast Members from the affected locations to other duties.

Non-Full Time Cast Members may see a reduction in hours, but may also be utilized elsewhere as labour needs permit.

Rest assured that no one is losing their job or being laid off as a direct result of this refurbishment.

 

[mydisneyobsession]

Thanks, glendalais - I'm glad to hear it!

 

[perlster]

Let's be realistic - this has nothing to do with "refurbishment". It's cost cutting. There might be savings on electricity, but Disney didn't close down an entire section of the park for those dollars. The term at Disney might be "casual", or "contingent", or "temporary" or "as needed" , but there are plenty of workers who will see their hours and pay reduced severely (if not to zero) in the next six weeks or however long this lasts.

Disney did this with no advance notice to the public - and still does not list the closures of two rides on the official web site. What's to present the bean counters from deciding "Hey, people still went to park for these six weeks, so let's continue the 'refurbishments' for a while (heh heh) longer"

 

[lauritagoddess]

I'm really disappointed in this. We'll be there in 3 weeks and my son and I both love Pooh and the canoes. With so much else closed or walled off now in both parks, having Critter Country completely closed off just isn't right.

 

[HydroGuy]

Online forums like this are places that people vent. But just to be clear it will likely have little to no effect on Disney. If you want to be heard, then all those affected should plan to stop by Town Hall while at DL and register a complaint about Critter Country. If anything will have an effect that will be it. Hope your trips are othrwise magical.

 

[pinner33]

this really bits i planned this trip knowing about splash and got over it but we leave in 4 days for our trip and find out oh well i think we will close this land because i don't think it's busy enought.Both my kids love the poo ride and i love to see the smiles on there face i would have not went now knowing that they could not have went on the ride and i would not have seen there smiling little faces

 

[mydisneyobsession]

Playhouse Disney is also closed now, which my two year old loves, but we knew about that in advance. I understand that you have to expect things to be down during the off-season. But a last minute decision to close a section of the park seems a little unfair to everyone involved! I'll definitely stop by Town Hall.

I typically travel to WDW, and maybe I'm better suited to that system. I can't say that a last minute closure is unheard of at that park - someone more experienced can probably cite an example - but I haven't experienced it. What I have experienced is having information available to me early so that I can make decisions and know what to expect. This "go with the flow" vacation planning is something I'll have to work on.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Online forums like this are places that people vent. But just to be clear it will likely have little to no effect on Disney. If you want to be heard, then all those affected should plan to stop by Town Hall while at DL and register a complaint about Critter Country. If anything will have an effect that will be it. Hope your trips are othrwise magical.

I think we may stop by. I'm disappointed they gave so little notice about this.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Playhouse Disney is also closed now, which my two year old loves, but we knew about that in advance. I understand that you have to expect things to be down during the off-season. But a last minute decision to close a section of the park seems a little unfair to everyone involved! I'll definitely stop by Town Hall.

I typically travel to WDW, and maybe I'm better suited to that system. I can't say that a last minute closure is unheard of at that park - someone more experienced can probably cite an example - but I haven't experienced it. What I have experienced is having information available to me early so that I can make decisions and know what to expect. This "go with the flow" vacation planning is something I'll have to work on.

Exactly. I think I'm so used to the WDW way. I was amazed they closed DCA early a couple of weeks ago because the temperature dropped to 50 degrees. I've been to WDW during tropical storms and freezing temperatures. I can't imagine closing because of low temperature or cost cutting measures.

 

[Lynzer Torte]

It might not make a bit of difference but I plan on stopping by Town Hall and registering a complaint as well.

 

[Snurk71]

Were Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore still doing character greets back by the Pooh Ride and the store? If so, has their greeting been relocated elsewhere during the closure?

Thanks

 

[Casey's Mommie]

We're going in 4 weeks and I'm very disappointed. My 4 year old dd LOVES pooh. We all love Pooh because of the non existant lines! I know they are a business, but I expect more from Disney.

Boo on Disney for taking away some of the magic that is Pooh!!!!!

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I know refurbs suck but they're a part of what makes Disneyland so great. The rides are always refreshed and look better than their FL counterparts (I PROMISE).

Pooh was going to be closed at some point anyway and the canoes as well so they just pushed the refurbs up to take care of them all at once.

Somebody's vacation was going to be affected by it. I'm sorry if it's any of yours though.

And yes, I'm not above moving/canceling/postponing a vacation because of a refurb.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Were Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore still doing character greets back by the Pooh Ride and the store? If so, has their greeting been relocated elsewhere during the closure?

Thanks

I thought I read that the whole land would be closed with a big wall put up across the pathway somewhere beyond HM, so I don't think parkgoers will have any access to Critter Country at all. Hopefully, Pooh and friends will be available somewhere else for meet-and-greets.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

I know refurbs suck but they're a part of what makes Disneyland so great. The rides are always refreshed and look better than their FL counterparts (I PROMISE).

Pooh was going to be closed at some point anyway and the canoes as well so they just pushed the refurbs up to take care of them all at once.

Somebody's vacation was going to be affected by it. I'm sorry if it's any of yours though.

And yes, I'm not above moving/canceling/postponing a vacation because of a refurb.

I don't think Disney ever closed an entire land EVER. Especially with such short notice. I'm leaving today and they closed it yesterday. Too late to change plans (not that I would have, but).

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I don't think Disney ever closed an entire land EVER. Especially with such short notice. I'm leaving today and they closed it yesterday. Too late to change plans (not that I would have, but).

I can see how this one is simple to do though since even though it's a "land", there's not that much there compared to a more densely packed land like Fantasyland or Tomorrowland. Critter Country has 3 rides: Splash, Pooh, and the canoes. Splash is shut down anyway and the canoes are considered seasonal. There are only 2 stores, 1 candy shop, 1 restaurant, and 1 Meet-and-Greet location back there. The restaurant was already down for refurbishment. Thanks to the homogenization of Disney merchandising, most of what is sold in the stores and all but a couple specialty items from the candy shop are available in other places in the park. Meet-and-greet characters can be relocated; I hope they do so. It totally makes sense for Disney to close the whole land down and do everything at once and save some money. They should have just planned it this way from the beginning and published the info so people would know; it's too bad they didn't think of it or commit to it, whichever the case may be, sooner. I do agree that it's not really "fair" to do this on such short notice, and short or long notice, it's still going to disappoint someone at whatever time it happens.

 

[perlster]

Well, better late (and incomplete) than never ... the official calendar finally lists Davey Crockett Explorer Canoes under "Closed for Refurbishment".

Umm ... it seemed to me like the 100 Acre Wood is now behind that fence.

 

[Mugglemama]

I don't think Disney ever closed an entire land EVER. Especially with such short notice. I'm leaving today and they closed it yesterday. Too late to change plans (not that I would have, but).

Actually, Critter Country has been walled off completely this way before, with the wall basically in the same place it is now. That was back in either 2001, or 2002...we had AP's and were in the parks a couple times per week, and that area was closed, literally, for months. But it may have been when Splash was getting the new logs, and Pooh was actually being built. I'm not positive about that, though.