Posts re: Popeye being closed are WRONG!!!

[DaveWH]

Which are? (summary list annyone?)

 

[polkadotminnie]

Will Popeyes still be down in Oct?

 

[rangebob]

Popeye, Discovery Center will be closed. Storm force open only on weekends.

 

[Leigh123]

I know I am sounding redundant but just so I am sure, Ripsaw will be open the month of Sept? This is my first time venturing off of Disney property and Ripsaw was one of the rides I was really looking forward too......thanks in advance for your answers.

 

[maria1234]

Hi everybody,
They really need to get their act together in guest services. I just called again and told them that the guy I spoke to last Thursday assured me that Popeye would be open. This woman told me that he didn't know how to read the screen. She also told me about the other rides and attractions that would be closed as well. I asked to speak to someone because we kind of planned our trip around getting wet with little kids. She transferred me to another guy in guest services and after putting me on hold (a long distance call) for 5 minutes, he told me that there are still many interactive water areas throughout both parks. His name is Robie. He told me that these rides close during the month of September every year. I just wish they would have told us the first time we called!! We are still planning on having a great time, but it is really frustrating!! By the way, the Popeye ride will be closed Sept 2 - Dec 13. Sorry everybody.

 

[maria1234]

Robie also told me that Ripsaw falls would definatelly be closed during the month of September!!

 

[TigerLaw]

While I may be wrong, I simply can't see how the can close down both Ripsaw AND Popeye's for rehab at the same time-it simply doesn't make sense. (for example, how could you have an entire island closed down w. nothing to ride (and essentially two islands w. only one attraction open between them (JPRA).
And again, assuming both are closed down, along w. sinbad and the discovery center, and its a weekday (so no storm force) we're talking 11 total attractions that are open (and that's counting DD as two separate rides)! I am beginning to wonder why I should stay on site if nothing is going to be open to ride! think about it, with FOTL, a person could ride everything that is open in what, 2-3 hours? yeah, that's a full day park!

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Ripsaw wont be going down for rehab till around Feb. But Dueling Dragons is supposedly cutting down to one track at a time during this month, which defeats the purpose & theme.

 

[TigerLaw]

I too talked to robbie AT LENGTH, and here is what I got:

1. popeye's will be closed-sept-dec.
2. ripsaw will not close until feb.
3. discvoery center and tri. encounter, closed, not for rehab, but seasonal.
4. no date when sinbad will close for seasonal, but will happen.
5. storm force, weekends only.

the big one to me however, is this: dueling dragons will run one side in the morning, and the other in the afteroon.

Now, I asked him with around a third of the rides/attractions closed, why should I continue to pay full price for my tickets and for my room and stay on site. then robbie starts naming attactions that are still open, including if I ran the zoo, camp jurrasic and the flyers. Now, given that both my girlfriend and I are both adults, I find it insulting for him to tell me about a ride that is open (flyers) that I am not allowed to ride! then, I am told the talking fountain is another attraction that is still open too well thank god for that!! I specifically requested some kind of rebate or vouchers for meals or something to make up for all these losses, and was offered nothing.

bottom line for me is this, I could handle all of this, but for some reason, dragons puts me over the edge! As dark says in his post, what's the point if I can ride one at a time, the whole theme of the ride is DUELING coasters, there is NO DUELING if they are only running one at a time!

 

[MrsMud]

I'm truly disappointed. All of the rides that are closing for refurb or going seasonal are rides I was counting on my kids being able to ride. I now feel like there's not enough between the two parks to spend more than 2 days, so I am paying an extra $260 to do a day at WDW. There goes the great value I thought I was getting at Universal.

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

Originally posted by MrsMud
I'm truly disappointed. All of the rides that are closing for refurb or going seasonal are rides I was counting on my kids being able to ride. I now feel like there's not enough between the two parks to spend more than 2 days, so I am paying an extra $260 to do a day at WDW. There goes the great value I thought I was getting at Universal.

Do not worry...there are PLENTY of things to do between the two parks. Don't worry and just plan on having fun with what is available. I know it's disappointing, but like for Dueling Dragons...at least both are open (not at the same time, but during the same day). It's too bad they can't keep both tracks open, because the reason why I love Dueling Dragons is the encounters with the other coaster. Closing one down will ruin the effect, but it's still a great ride.

However, you should still have everything at Universal, and there is so much to do there. Think of it this way, you'll have plenty of time to do what you would like without rushing and be able to do them again if you want.

I know you're all upset, but when else can Universal makes these rehabs? If they closed during the busiest time of year, it would be pure chaos and would definitely be a bad idea. Since these months are slow, that means less people. Which means, less people to disappoint...which may seem rude that they do everything at once BUT they want to do these before the peak season starts up again.

There's still quite a bit to do...you'll have fun...at least you better The rides that are closing I usually don't even go on because I don't have the time...or sometimes I don't even have the interest.

Of course, who am I to talk? I live close to the parks and can go fairly often. So I guess the closings do not affect me nearly as much. I can't say I'm not disappointed about the Dueling Dragons...I wanted to ride the Dragons from the front row so I could see the near collisions with the other coaster...but that won't happen.

I wish I could somehow show you that you'll have a great time at the parks despite these rides closing. But you are DEFINITELY not going to have any fun if you keep feeling bummed about the closed attractions. Believe me, forget they are even there when you are at the parks. You'll have something new to experience on your trip back (just don't go back in September again ). I know if I was really looking forward to a ride and it closed on me...I'd be upset and I would MAKE it ruin my trip. That sucks...so don't let these inconvieniences ruin your trips!!!

 

[polkadotminnie]

My kids aren't tall enough for some of the rides so storm force and Popeye's closing is a big deal to us. In May, my girls rode storm force about 6 times straight while my husband and I took turns riding Hulk.. Since we will be there Mon- Thurs. no storm force and now I may just do Seaworld. I can't pay a fortune when lots of the rides under 42" are closed.

 

[TigerLaw]

flyfly, first off, thanks for the kind words. I am trying to stay upbeat, but its hard! I understand your point that ridesneed to go down for rehab, but I simply don't think that's the case here. I mean, come on, does popeye's need to go down for rehab for 2+ months EVERY year? I know they are using the queue for HHN, but is there nowhere else to build a spook house so that the ride could stay open? Now look at the other closures-sinbad, discovery center, t. encounter and storm force are all SEASONAL close downs.

I was trying to explain why I am so upset to my girlfriend, and the best way I could put it was to reference timekeeper and CoP at MK. Now these are seasonal attractions, and few have a problem w. it. I think the reason why is that there is so much else to do at MK, its easily a full day park. Now compare to IOA's seasonal close downs, can you honestly IOA is anywhere close to being a full day park? With airfare, annual passes and on site ressie's, I am easily paying over $1500 for one reason, to go to the parks and use FOTL. how long do you think it will take to finish IOA now w. FOTL? Are we getting full value if we are done by lunch? And what if sept. is the only time of the year I can come down?

Again, as I said before, I was handling all of this until the dragons announcement. I am trying to hope that they would run both sides at the same time on a saturday, so I am trying to stay positive, but its hard!

 

[AlexandNessa]

So I guess it'll just be Dragons without the Dueling? Major disappointment. Why did I ever pick September?

 

[MrsMud]

My kids aren't tall enough for some of the rides so storm force and Popeye's closing is a big deal to us.

Exactly! Also, the shows that are going seasonal were also part of our plans (MIL takes the girls to the shows while hubbie and I do the coasters).
I understand that the rides need to be refurbed for safety reasons, but it just seems that they are closing a whole lot of rides in the same park at once, and they are all rides suitable for kids. And both shows going seasonal? Why couldn't they at least alternate the two?
I am sure we will still have fun, but I think IOA will turn into just a 1/2 day park for us, while I was planning 1 1/2 days. Now that other 1/2 day will go to US, giving us 1 1/2 days there, and we have done both parks in two days instead of three. Thus my need to "fill" another day (read: spend more money).
Okay. I think I have gotten all of my complaining out now, and I am going to focus on having a great trip!

 

[TigerLilly's Mom]

I can't believe the Dragon thing! Is that just in Sept.? We are going in Nov. without the kids and I was looking forward to doing both sides of Dragon in the front row, just to expierence the near collision. Does anyone know when they will be running both sides of Dragon? November hopefully?

 

[polkadotminnie]

MrsMud- will you be there Oct.6-9? Are you staying onsite? How old are your kids? We will be at the HRH. I will have 2 of my girls with me ages 7 and 4. The baby will stay with Grandma. Maybe we will see you there. Your time clock matches mine. Hope they reopen some rides by then!!!

 

[Vtcheffy]

Originally posted by TigerLilly's Mom
I can't believe the Dragon thing! Is that just in Sept.? We are going in Nov. without the kids and I was looking forward to doing both sides of Dragon in the front row, just to expierence the near collision. Does anyone know when they will be running both sides ofDragon? November hopefully?

On the same question , what about during the Halloween time . The numbers should be up some at this time , so was wondering if anyone had any insight on if the closure continues through the mid to latter part of October...Thanks all

 

[rangebob]

I've only seen on the list that one of the two shows are closing down temporarly. The show that is going to be down is Sinbad the other one Posideon is going to be open. The only other show that closed recently is at the studios and it was the Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show.

 

[beatnik]

Flyfly,

Appreciate your trying to put the best face on things, but it is really not reasonable to shut down these attractions at the same time; it would be more reasonable to rehab one at a time (September is not the only slow month of the year). The way I count it there are around 10 major attractions at IOL, and 2-3 will be shut down and 1 (Dueling Dragons) diminished. Now if they were willing to cut admission fees by 25%, I could see their justification...

To me, this is not the end of the world, since we have not yet bought tickets, but I would be very annoyed if I had already bought passes only to find many rides closed down. We have been to IOA in January and finished the park handily by midafternoon (riding everything we wanted to ride several times). With these closures I'd guess we'd be done by noon, which does not give me the value I expect for the admission price. So I will likely stay away and visit another time. But for lots of people, this type of trip is a rare luxury, experiencing some of these attractions will be harder. If Universal passes do not expire, I would think it reasonable for folks to save their passes for another visit when they would get more value for the price paid.

I am glad to have seen these posting-- will likely skip IOA this trip. Thanks to everyone for the heads up.

Beatnik