Soarin' shut down in November?

[laura428]

Darned if they do, darned if they don't. I can guarantee that if refurbs weren't done, people would complain about it.

Bottom line: we have no idea about park operations. We don't know if something necessitated a repair or refurb. Some people seem to believe they know exactly what Disney is doing. I seriously doubt it.

If an attraction is make or break for you, then I guess Disneyland is a dicey proposition. There are no guarantees for any attraction on any day.

Absolutely right - we can't know what was going on, and if it was something that required a fix, or simply an update, it's a business and things need to be addressed as necessary. No fault there. During past trips, other rides have been down (don't even ask how many trips we missed Splash because it just wasn't working), and we figure it out and still have a great time. But if we as consumers know ahead of time and have an out, and thankfully we did (in that we'd only paid our deposit and had plenty of time to cancel, along with repurposable Southwest tix), I'd rather save that very expensive trip and re-book once Soarin is updated, Pandora is in place, Star Wars is done, etc etc etc. We wanted an extra trip before all of those new developments, but with these closures, the value proposition was just too greatly diminished. We haven't formed our sentimental attachments to DL - it's all new. So if a ride is unavailable while we're there next Spring, it probably won't have the same impact as the same situation in FL for us. We'll just be thrilled with the novelty of everything else Disneyland.

 

[ArchOwl]

Yes this. People complain about crowds and refurbs and changes in menus, characters, decor, etc. These things all happen at any business or vacation destination. Why is Disney expected to be different?

No idea. Do people think Disney executives take some kind of evil joy in refurbishing rides? I am sure they would much rather not shut down a ride and deal with complaints and money for repairs. But that's not how you run a park. Sometimes you have to make operational decisions.

I am not privy to the logistical concerns of the park. Nor do I want to be. I am ok with Disney dealing with that. I understand that means I won't always know the reasons for the decisions they make. But I am glad they keep things safe.

And yes, the powers that be can close a beach or a park or whatever with very little warning. It is a bummer, but you have to roll with it. Mother Nature interferes quite regularly with scheduled operations in National Parks/Monuments/Forests. There is no place on earth that is free from disappointment. That is just life.

 

[Indiana Scott]

I appreciate peoples passion for the park and its special attractions.
We have certain requirements for operational levels that if not met, we wont partake. It's a matter of value in as much if were going to spend that kind of money traveling to the parks, then we require certain rides to be operational.
If an excessive percentage of the park is closed then there's no value there for us.

 

[Astylla]

No idea. Do people think Disney executives take some kind of evil joy in refurbishing rides? I am sure they would much rather not shut down a ride and deal with complaints and money for repairs. But that's not how you run a park. Sometimes you have to make operational decisions.

I am not privy to the logistical concerns of the park. Nor do I want to be. I am ok with Disney dealing with that. I understand that means I won't always know the reasons for the decisions they make. But I am glad they keep things safe.

And yes, the powers that be can close a beach or a park or whatever with very little warning. It is a bummer, but you have to roll with it. Mother Nature interferes quite regularly with scheduled operations in National Parks/Monuments/Forests. There is no place on earth that is free from disappointment. That is just life.

If I could "like" this a million times over I would. Thank you.

While yes value can only be measured by the individual it's not some conspiracy to make your life miserable as some choose to make it out to be.
For every person that complains they won't go , 10 or more will happily take their place. While no I am not renewing my AP and will be sad not to , it's again my choice and in my case the deal breaker is how much is going down for construction but there were a multitude of other personal reasons also. I doubt I will last a year without going to a Disney destination , it just might now be DL.

 

[grnflash]

I appreciate peoples passion for the park and its special attractions.
We have certain requirements for operational levels that if not met, we wont partake. It's a matter of value in as much if were going to spend that kind of money traveling to the parks, then we require certain rides to be operational.
If an excessive percentage of the park is closed then there's no value there for us.

Yes and imo you are making a rational decision regarding the value Disney will provide for you during such circumstances. Perfectly legit to decide the value is not enough at any point in time and for any reason really. Everyone has their priorities about value.

But the drama of refurb threads is well, silly. It's goes well beyond disappointment, which is natural and totally understandable. And beyond decisions to cancel or postpone visits. The tone of some posts is that trips are basically ruined. People are getting "hosed" by Disney and their 8yo's say to cancel the trip. Frankly if my 7yo said that under the exact circumstances, I'd question how I was raising him to deal with disappointment. 'Cause it is still going to Disney after all. There's not exactly much to be resiliant about.

There are A LOT of rides and attractions at DL and DCA. Several HAVE to be down at any one time. It's reality. And unfortunately refurbs have to continue to be scheduled as SWL is being prepped and ROA is down. They can't leave rides hangin for such a long time. It's a bummer, no doubt about it. And I do think Disney should put out more notice, a month prior is poor show. But as has been said, it is what it is. I know Disney is all about the magic, but the reality of running a business trumps all the bags of pixie dust put together.

 

[ArchOwl]

If I could "like" this a million times over I would. Thank you.

While yes value can only be measured by the individual it's not some conspiracy to make your life miserable as some choose to make it out to be.
For every person that complains they won't go , 10 or more will happily take their place. While no I am not renewing my AP and will be sad not to , it's again my choice and in my case the deal breaker is how much is going down for construction but there were a multitude of other personal reasons also. I doubt I will last a year without going to a Disney destination , it just might now be DL.

Aw, thanks. I guess I just don't buy into the conspiracy theory that Disney executives are all huddled around a spreadsheet trying to make people miserable.

And we all have our own interpretation of value and what we are willing to pay. I guess mine is different because a handful of rides being down is not enough for me to not go. There is sooooooo much more to do at Disneyland than just certain rides. A ride is such a small portion of your ticket cost. It would take an awful lot for me to think I am being hosed. And this is coming from a person who has been to Disney when lots of major rides were down. Remember the great Space Mountain refurb? I do! I still went to Disneyland and had a blast.

Look, I get disappointment, I really do. But I don't buy into conspiracy theories. And I don't think I know all the logistical headaches that must be involved in making the parks run. That is why I pay the entrance fee, to let someone else worry about that.

 

[smiley_face2]

Now I know WDW Soarin' is coming down for a long refurb to install new screens and HD systems to put in Soarin around the world starting in january until summer. Now as Soarin' here just had a lengthy refurb I'm curious of we are getting the film earlier because the lengthy refurb was done already ? It's just a very big theory but even if not it may be in preparation for it.

Oh man I hope you are correct!! it was closed in January and February when we were there this year because of the whole area renovation and it broke my heart!! then I heard it was going down to change it to soarin (world) and I thought they would do it in January and I was so disapointed!! I will be very sad to not see soarin (california) ever again, but hopefully there will be at least some california in the new version!! I realllllllly hope your are correct!! I still think just the Paint the night parade alone is worth the trip there, but if this is done as well I will be so ecstatic!

 

[meggles]

But the drama of refurb threads is well, silly. It's goes well beyond disappointment, which is natural and totally understandable. And beyond decisions to cancel or postpone visits. The tone of some posts is that trips are basically ruined. People are getting "hosed" by Disney and their 8yo's say to cancel the trip. Frankly if my 7yo said that under the exact circumstances, I'd question how I was raising him to deal with disappointment. 'Cause it is still going to Disney after all. There's not exactly much to be resiliant about.

And I do think Disney should put out more notice, a month prior is poor show.

First of all, it's One WEEK, not one month. That's a little different as far as notice goes.

Secondly, I never said we had canceled our trip. Far too much time and resources go into a vacation to cancel it for such a reason. Children are, by definition, illogical little beings and they feel what they feel. I'm thrilled that my child was highly disappointed for 30 min and then got over it. We talked about it and now she's fine. When we go she might be a tad wistful but she won't be upset.

Maybe you get to the parks more often than we do (which isn't often) or maybe Soarin' isn't your favorite attraction. That's fine. But this thread was started by someone who was rightfully disappointed at the last minute and that's a perfectly ok way to feel. Of course refurbishments have to happen, no one is debating that. Lots of changes happen, for better or worse. There's a thread right now about people distraught over the disappearance of the bumblebee cupcake at Hungry Bear, for crying out loud. It's unneccesary to belittle the experiences of others in order to prove your point.

 

[grnflash]

First of all, it's One WEEK, not one month. That's a little different as far as notice goes.

Secondly, I never said we had canceled our trip. Far too much time and resources go into a vacation to cancel it for such a reason. Children are, by definition, illogical little beings and they feel what they feel. I'm thrilled that my child was highly disappointed for 30 min and then got over it. We talked about it and now she's fine. When we go she might be a tad wistful but she won't be upset.

Maybe you get to the parks more often than we do (which isn't often) or maybe Soarin' isn't your favorite attraction. That's fine. But this thread was started by someone who was rightfully disappointed at the last minute and that's a perfectly ok way to feel. Of course refurbishments have to happen, no one is debating that. Lots of changes happen, for better or worse. There's a thread right now about people distraught over the disappearance of the bumblebee cupcake at Hungry Bear, for crying out loud. It's unneccesary to belittle the experiences of others in order to prove your point.

I think you missed my point. In any case, the point of a discussion board is to post opinions. Of course everyone is free to disagree, but people will post on prior posts regardless.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

OP here.

Just to be clear, I started the thread to let people on the Dis know that Soarin' was showing on the November calendar as a closure, because I was fairly certain that when I looked at it last week, it did not show up as closed.

And are we disappointed? Yes. Is it going to ruin our trip? No. Do I wish (and I'm guessing that I can probably speak for a gazillion people who will be descending on the park for Veterans Day and the marathon) that Disney could have gotten their act together and spread out these closures, so you don't have three headliners down at the same time? Yup.

 

[SMD]

OP here.

Just to be clear, I started the thread to let people on the Dis know that Soarin' was showing on the November calendar as a closure, because I was fairly certain that when I looked at it last week, it did not show up as closed.

And are we disappointed? Yes. Is it going to ruin our trip? No. Do I wish (and I'm guessing that I can probably speak for a gazillion people who will be descending on the park for Veterans Day and the marathon) that Disney could have gotten their act together and spread out these closures, so you don't have three headliners down at the same time? Yup.

It might depend on what you consider a headliner. The more rides that are "headliners" the more likely it is that 2 or more will need to be refurbished at the same time. I think people are responding based on many past responses to refurbs, not just this thread. Today someone posted in another thread that their trip is being ruined because the HMH overlay might not stay up past the end of Christmas on Jan 6th. Planning a trip to Disneyland means that rides may be down, and they may go down on short notice. You're only assuming that Disney doesn't have their act together because the schedule either changed or wasn't announced until now. As PP said, we're not privy to the operational reasons why they do refurbs when they do and why they announce them when they do.

 

[5forMickey]

So.....I didn't really get a chance to go online and research the dates very much......what little I looked at showed it scheduled back up on 10/12/15 -- is that correct?

 

[tlovesdis]

So.....I didn't really get a chance to go online and research the dates very much......what little I looked at showed it scheduled back up on 10/12/15 -- is that correct?

It will be down Nov. 2 through Nov. 12. I'm assuming that's what you meant to type, not 10/12?!!

 

[5forMickey]

It will be down Nov. 2 through Nov. 12. I'm assuming that's what you meant to type, not 10/12?!!

Oh my goodness.....I guess you can figure how my day is going......thanks!

 

[GatorChris]

It might depend on what you consider a headliner. The more rides that are "headliners" the more likely it is that 2 or more will need to be refurbished at the same time. I think people are responding based on many past responses to refurbs, not just this thread. Today someone posted in another thread that their trip is being ruined because the HMH overlay might not stay up past the end of Christmas on Jan 6th. Planning a trip to Disneyland means that rides may be down, and they may go down on short notice. You're only assuming that Disney doesn't have their act together because the schedule either changed or wasn't announced until now. As PP said, we're not privy to the operational reasons why they do refurbs when they do and why they announce them when they do.

Easy does it. We're not saying Disney doesn't have their act together because they announce a refurb only days away. We're saying that they're treating their customers poorly by allowing them to book vacations and not giving them 2 months notice, 1 months notice, 10 days notice on attractions going down. We're not talking Winnie the Pooh, or Goofy's Sky School, or Tarzan's Tree House going down without notice. With Disneyland's best ride Space Mt down about 8 times longer than the normal overlay add/removal, DCA shuts down one of it's Top 3 attractions and gives us less than a week notice. Sure, sure, we'll get over it. We'll have a good time and all that. But when you're in anticipation mode and then Disney slaps you in the face, it tends to knock a little wind out of the sails.

Why does it sting? Example 1: We could've gone to DL the first week of November, but tradition always has SM down that week. So we move to the next week which is much busier and find out we still miss out on the #1 attraction at DL. And that with 6 weeks notice, as the calendar comes out. Example 2: I buy some Star Wars shirts for the kids for the day we hit Jedi Academy which ISN'T down for refurb. And then just weeks before our trip (and days after I bought the shirts), Disney cancels that until Thanksgiving. Example 3: M-I-L decides to book a few days with us on the trip. She's never been. We talk up some of the rides she'll like...like Soarin'. And guess what goes down with days to go. We already know certain rides will be down by now, but the list keeps growing with next to Zero notice. And that's why it stings.

I think we'd all appreciate a little leeway to feel let down. Not to mention some sympathy - and yes, I know exactly where to find that.

 

[SMD]

Easy does it. We're not saying Disney doesn't have their act together because they announce a refurb only days away. We're saying that they're treating their customers poorly by allowing them to book vacations and not giving them 2 months notice, 1 months notice, 10 days notice on attractions going down. We're not talking Winnie the Pooh, or Goofy's Sky School, or Tarzan's Tree House going down without notice. With Disneyland's best ride Space Mt down about 8 times longer than the normal overlay add/removal, DCA shuts down one of it's Top 3 attractions and gives us less than a week notice. Sure, sure, we'll get over it. We'll have a good time and all that. But when you're in anticipation mode and then Disney slaps you in the face, it tends to knock a little wind out of the sails.

Why does it sting? Example 1: We could've gone to DL the first week of November, but tradition always has SM down that week. So we move to the next week which is much busier and find out we still miss out on the #1 attraction at DL. And that with 6 weeks notice, as the calendar comes out. Example 2: I buy some Star Wars shirts for the kids for the day we hit Jedi Academy which ISN'T down for refurb. And then just weeks before our trip (and days after I bought the shirts), Disney cancels that until Thanksgiving. Example 3: M-I-L decides to book a few days with us on the trip. She's never been. We talk up some of the rides she'll like...like Soarin'. And guess what goes down with days to go. We already know certain rides will be down by now, but the list keeps growing with next to Zero notice. And that's why it stings.

I think we'd all appreciate a little leeway to feel let down. Not to mention some sympathy - and yes, I know exactly where to find that.

Weren't you going to cancel your APs because the fireworks didn't go off 2 nights in a row? What happened?

When you decide to do business with Disney parks you accept that rides may close, schedules may change, shows might be canceled. Disney isn't treating you poorly because you chose to buy some shirts to wear to a show. This isn't even a Disney issue, it's a business issue that could happen anywhere. And in this thread it has been said that Disney doesn't have their act together and that execs are doing this on purpose. No one knows that.

Oh, and threatening people? Really?

What I'd like to do with some DLR execs I'll keep off these boards, but it wouldn't be pretty.

 

[GatorChris]

I didn't know Bob Iger's mom was posting here???

 

[Geemo]

Easy does it. We're not saying Disney doesn't have their act together because they announce a refurb only days away. We're saying that they're treating their customers poorly by allowing them to book vacations and not giving them 2 months notice, 1 months notice, 10 days notice on attractions going down. We're not talking Winnie the Pooh, or Goofy's Sky School, or Tarzan's Tree House going down without notice. With Disneyland's best ride Space Mt down about 8 times longer than the normal overlay add/removal, DCA shuts down one of it's Top 3 attractions and gives us less than a week notice. Sure, sure, we'll get over it. We'll have a good time and all that. But when you're in anticipation mode and then Disney slaps you in the face, it tends to knock a little wind out of the sails.

Why does it sting? Example 1: We could've gone to DL the first week of November, but tradition always has SM down that week. So we move to the next week which is much busier and find out we still miss out on the #1 attraction at DL. And that with 6 weeks notice, as the calendar comes out. Example 2: I buy some Star Wars shirts for the kids for the day we hit Jedi Academy which ISN'T down for refurb. And then just weeks before our trip (and days after I bought the shirts), Disney cancels that until Thanksgiving. Example 3: M-I-L decides to book a few days with us on the trip. She's never been. We talk up some of the rides she'll like...like Soarin'. And guess what goes down with days to go. We already know certain rides will be down by now, but the list keeps growing with next to Zero notice. And that's why it stings.

I think we'd all appreciate a little leeway to feel let down. Not to mention some sympathy - and yes, I know exactly where to find that.

Karma....... plain and simple...... Karma.

 

[Brancaneve]

Well....if you are really missing Soarin', I have somewhat of a solution for you. For a long time I have been searching for a candle that smells like the scents from the attraction. I would go to Yankee Candle and stick my nose in every jar in hopes of finding my true heart's desire. Just recently I found a candle that smells exactly like the three scents blended together! The best part is that it can be purhased at Target and is currently on sale for eight dollars. It's a soy candle called "Coastal Linen". I can rest now.....

 

[DebbieB]

Now I know WDW Soarin' is coming down for a long refurb to install new screens and HD systems to put in Soarin around the world starting in january until summer. Now as Soarin' here just had a lengthy refurb I'm curious of we are getting the film earlier because the lengthy refurb was done already ? It's just a very big theory but even if not it may be in preparation for it.

They are also redoing the queue at WDW to accommodate the third theater, so it will likely be longer than DCA.