DL making room for Star War.

[Tonka's Skipper]

Some of the changes( additions and temporary and permanent closures) coming to DL for the new Star Wars attractions.


AKK

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Disneyland is making room for its previously announced Star Wars lands — revamping 14 acres out of the Anaheim park’s 85 acres. Next month the Walt Disney Co.’s signature theme park will be closing 10 attractions or eateries, only some of which will return.

The overall transformation will take a year or longer, so the park has already moved quickly to incorporate elements of Star Wars into the park — called Season of the Force and launched Nov. 15 — to coincide with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Space Mountain and Star Tours have been overhauled to include special effects from the JJ Abrams-directed Episode VII. Part of the Innovations building in Tomorrowland has been converted into a kind of super arcade Star Wars Launch Bay.

The larger project specifically entails permanent closing of multiple Big Thunder Ranch attractions as of January 10, according to the Los Angeles Times. Rivers of America attractions that will be shuttered temporarily include Fantasmic, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Sailing Ship Columbia, the Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, the Disneyland Railroad and the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes.

Additionally, Disney employees will be relocated from offices just north of Big Thunder Ranch will be moving to a pair of office buildings a few blocks away on South Manchester Avenue.

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[OKW Lover]

Thanks for posting this @Tonka's Skipper. It looks to me like anybody considering a trip to DL may want to wait until the majority of this work is done since so much of the park will be closed.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Hi there KW Lover,

That crossed my mind as well! However there is still CA.

AKK

 

[OKW Lover]

We loved DCA! Disney did such a good job on the whole CarsLand area and the World of Color show at night is great. Still, from the east coast (and only a couple of miles from WDW) I'm not inclined to head to DL/DCA with so much of the original MK closed. Of course their new night parade is pretty spectacular.

 

[rteetz]

Doesn't seem like any new info here. Rivers of America will get shortened and the Disneyland railroad track will change route a bit to accommodate the new land.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Doesn't seem like any new info here. Rivers of America will get shortened and the Disneyland railroad track will change route a bit to accommodate the new land.

HUH ho.......Uncle Walt will not be happy with them messing around with the Rivers of America. He design the ROA and Tom Sawyers island in one evening all by himself.

AK

 

[rteetz]

HUH ho.......Uncle Walt will not be happy with them messing around with the Rivers of America. He design the ROA and Tom Sawyers island in one evening all by himself.

AK

Yep...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

HUH ho.......Uncle Walt will not be happy with them messing around with the Rivers of America. He design the ROA and Tom Sawyers island in one evening all by himself.

AK

Luckily for Disney he's been dead for 60 years

 

[OKW Lover]

Luckily for Disney he's been dead for 60 years

If Walt were still alive...
...he'd be dead by now.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

They say the biggest nightmare for Disney higher Management is that Walt comes back and they have to answer for what they have done to his company and parks, etc!

AKK

 

[DDLand]

Thanks for posting this @Tonka's Skipper. It looks to me like anybody considering a trip to DL may want to wait until the majority of this work is done since so much of the park will be closed.

I'm not sure if it's such an issue. I went to Disneyland last year and to be perfectly honest I don't think I went on any of the attractions in question. Many like Fantasmic, the Sailing Ship Columbia, and the Canoes were not available due to low crowds at the park. Tom Sawyer Island is already far off from Walt's vision. Attractions like Disneyland Rail Road and the Mark Twain are much better than their Flordia counterparts, but I just didn't have enough time to make it (sadly).

What's my point?

That even without all those attractions, I had a pretty phenomenal day filled a lot of fun. It was remarkable. Holding off your trip for a handful of attractions when the rest of the roster is so well built out would be a mistake in my view. If you can go, just go. Disneyland isn't like the Magic Kingdom where every lost attraction hurts. Disneyland's lineup is so immense that you'll hardly notice. By the time most of these attractions reopen SW will be coming or here. The crowds will go crazy. I'd go sooner rather than later.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

They say the biggest nightmare for Disney higher Management is that Walt comes back and they have to answer for what they have done to his company and parks, etc!

AKK

Perhaps...

But the fact he sold his control to the the company in 1965...and their frontman - "Roy"...would give him little audience.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm not sure if it's such an issue. I went to Disneyland last year and to be perfectly honest I don't think I went on any of the attractions in question. Many like Fantasmic, the Sailing Ship Columbia, and the Canoes were not available due to low crowds at the park. Tom Sawyer Island is already far off from Walt's vision. Attractions like Disneyland Rail Road and the Mark Twain are much better than their Flordia counterparts, but I just didn't have enough time to make it (sadly).

What's my point?

That even without all those attractions, I had a pretty phenomenal day filled a lot of fun. It was remarkable. Holding off your trip for a handful of attractions when the rest of the roster is so well built out would be a mistake in my view. If you can go, just go. Disneyland isn't like the Magic Kingdom where every lost attraction hurts. Disneyland's lineup is so immense that you'll hardly notice. By the time most of these attractions reopen SW will be coming or here. The crowds will go crazy. I'd go sooner rather than later.

Hmmm. Interesting perspective.

I was there in July 2015 for the actual 60th anniversary. Did Fantasmic, rode the Mark Twain and the DL Rail Road, also did Big Thunder. Enjoyed them all. On previous trips we did go out to Tom Sawyer Island and I thought it was much better than the WDW version. Of course I'm just one person.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Perhaps...

But the fact he sold his control to the the company in 1965...and their frontman - "Roy"...would give him little audience.

However you have to remember they did that to get cash to start working on WDW. Of course they then did have a board of stock holders to deal with. Roy was the first one to admit Walt often got his way!

Walt died the next year, so the nightmare comment does still stand in my mind.

AKK

 

[sachilles]

14 acres for both DL as well as DHS?

 

[rteetz]

14 acres for both DL as well as DHS?

Yes.

 

[It's A Small Underworld]

I don't know if I like the idea of a franchise-specific land in Disneyland. Star Wars is diverse enough that it could get its own 'land.' They could also do a Marvel-land, a Muppets Land, etc.

 

[rteetz]

I don't know if I like the idea of a franchise-specific land in Disneyland. Star Wars is diverse enough that it could get its own 'land.' They could also do a Marvel-land, a Muppets Land, etc.

Marvel is coming to DCA

 

[GooniesAndy]

I agree that this shouldn't be too much of an impact on plans to visit Disneyland. It's just the river stuff and the railroad. We visit frequently and sometimes we do like to visit Tom Sawyer's Island so the kids can run off some steam and occasionally we will ride the Mark Twain so the kids can "pilot," but all of the river-related stuff is slow enough that it isn't critical. The only thing we will really miss during the break is the railroad, but mostly because it can be a handy way to get around (and it's nice to have a break). Even that is ok, though. I'm more sad that the route will be altered. And my 10-year-old will miss the barbecue.