Still don't understand rehabs

[BrianL]

I'm curious...when WDW Railroad is closed for refurbishment, what takes its place in opening ceremonies? Anyone know?

All the characters just step into view from the other side of the platform. It is much less magical though.

 

[Rivermonster]

All the characters just step into view from the other side of the platform. It is much less magical though.

Glad we will catch the welcome show with train at least once before it closes on our trip

 

[mickeyluv'r]

, rides are not the service I am paying for in my room charges.

Um, yes it is.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Can you imagine the devastating effect on the Orlando economy if Disney World closed down for a week or two?? How many people would be out of work without a check at Disney World? How much of a ripple effect there would be at all the off property hotels, restaurants and other businesses? I can't imagine they would ever even consider that option.

Um, out of work? Really?

I assure you Disney is not the only game in town. There is far more to the area than Disney.From the 2012-2013 annual report: The Orlando Convention Center alone has 2.1 million square feet of exhibit space.

Should the WDW parks close for a week, even WDW itself still has over 700,000 feet of ballroom/convention/meeting space to offer, plus another 329,000 sq feet at the Swan and Dolphin.I doubt that includes all the additional in-park meeting space Disney could conjure up if the parks were closed. How many brides would love an Epcot waterfront wedding? Or the Mexico pavilion? Crystal Palace? The MK hub?

I have little doubt Disney would be able to host all sorts of events during a week of park closures.

No, I think the limit WDW would face if they decided to rehab all rides at once is the number of skilled engineers and other workers they would need to work on so many rides all at once.

Ride design expertise is a rather specialized field.

 

[itchin2go]

While I agree with your premise, the idea that prices are even year round is not quite accurate.

Many 'soft' prices fluctuate regularly. Meal surcharges during busy seasons are quite common. And some WDW hotel rates nearly double during peak seasons. (minus discounts, but add the 12.5% tax)

All Stars - Jan 1: $191, Jan 5: $97

BC Pool view: Jan 1: $732, Jan 5: $519

Looking at gate prices in isolation tells part of the story.

Often enough, WDW does discount deals with free tickets for kids (as part of a package). I think it is called the 'Kids eat, stay, play free." (often as a PIN code offer if not GP).

Wondering what your point is ...

So IF you stay on property (I don't, by the way), AND you pay more than your neighbor who goes during "value season", you deserve to have more rides running?

We stay offsite (as many do) and pay roughly the same amount whenever we go, so I'm not sure how that fits in with the above, especially since our lodging money is not going to Disney. And our ticket DOES cost the same, whether we go in June or January. WDW resort guests are not the only people visiting the parks.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

That deal has not been done in years. We did it in 2010 via PIN code. The last few incarnations of the S/P/D offer were that kids and adults pay the 3-9 rate for tickets and dining.

You could still say your park ticket price was different.

For that matter, say all guests entering the park are paying the same amount is far from true even using standard ticket prices. Disney offers a wide variety of ticket prices.

Everything from employees (and guests of employees) who enter for free, Annual Pass holders who enter as many times in a year as they choose, Reduced price admission for convention guests.

How much do you think celebrities pay? Or all the president's men? Any CEO that hosts a large convention at any Disney property, or sponsors a WDW attraction?

I'm willing to bet if you are high enough up the food chain free park entrance is just one the perks WDW offers.

To say everyone who enters WDW enters on the same footing is slightly absurd. Truly- if the corporate folks at Siemens planned to visit Disney, I have little doubt Disney would do everything in their power to make sure the attraction they sponsor was in working order during their visit/convention.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Wondering what your point is ...

So IF you stay on property (I don't, by the way), AND you pay more than your neighbor who goes during "value season", you deserve to have more rides running?

We stay offsite (as many do) and pay roughly the same amount whenever we go, so I'm not sure how that fits in with the above, especially since our lodging money is not going to Disney. And our ticket DOES cost the same, whether we go in June or January. WDW resort guests are not the only people visiting the parks.

You have the park to yourself? Your tickets cost the same every year? You don't eat any food? because every buffet you eat in June and the start of January costs $4 extra per adult than it does the second week of January. It also makes sense Disney would close water rides in the coldest month of the year- when the demand for getting drenched is a bit reduced.

A second thing I'm saying is that this thread is sort of silly. Crowds are just one factor WDW considers when scheduling rehabs.

1.WDW doesn't have enough expert staff (engineers, artists), equipment, planning, work space, etc. to rehab all their rides at the same time.

2. Not all rehabs are the same. If WDW needs to replace a mass produced ride like Dumbo, they just order it from the manufacturer, and swap it in a matter of work hours. Custom castle repair is a bit different.

4. Weather is a factor. September is slow in large part because it is also high hurricane season. Seems pretty obvious to me that hurricanes limit rehab options.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

A refurb can be anything from maintenance work on a ride, replacement of parts and whole parts (like the boats on Pirates) to a total redesign of the ride. Time down depends on the extent of the rehab. I have gone regularly the last 20 years and cannot recall a time when at least one ride wasn't down for work. They do this so that there isn't a time when too many rides are down to where it would discourage people from attending. While closing down Disney a week would hardly be the end of the park, the amount of lost revenue would be enough that it would not be even considered.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I also thought it was absurd to say that IF WDW did somehow decide to close the parks for a week, that in itself would collapse the entire Orlando economy.

I suspect some posters are taking logic out of the picture, vs. their personal emotional responses. Isn't the first time on the DIS. I thought I'd try to bring a little logic back to the discussion.

 

[ucfknight]

What I don't understand is why they waited. Then announced the closure and rehab back in Feb I believe. I don't understand why they didn't close it in march so it would be all done for they busy summer season. It is more than just a "freshening up" It seems like it is more of a safety/mechanical issue that should have been addressed back in March.

a. March (Spring Break) and April (around Easter) are just as busy as Summer.
b. They likely had to wait to make sure all of the parts would be in before they could close the ride and actually install them

 

[mickeyluv'r]

A refurb can be anything from maintenance work on a ride, replacement of parts and whole parts (like the boats on Pirates) to a total redesign of the ride. Time down depends on the extent of the rehab. I have gone regularly the last 20 years and cannot recall a time when at least one ride wasn't down for work. They do this so that there isn't a time when too many rides are down to where it would discourage people from attending. While closing down Disney a week would hardly be the end of the park, the amount of lost revenue would be enough that it would not be even considered.

I'm quite certain most repairs happen in such a way that guests aren't even aware they happened. I'm certain Disney tries really hard to do as many overnight repairs as possible, and ties to keep most pre-and post repairs as seamless as possible.

And while we are at it....rides are just the tip if the iceberg. What about all the plants that are replaced every day? How often are carpets replaced? Gift shops repainted? Food restocked? Seasonal decorations?

 

[itchin2go]

You have the park to yourself? Your tickets cost the same every year? You don't eat any food? because every buffet you eat in June and the start of January costs $4 extra per adult than it does the second week of January. It also makes sense Disney would close water rides in the coldest month of the year- when the demand for getting drenched is a bit reduced.

A second thing I'm saying is that this thread is sort of silly. Crowds are just one factor WDW considers when scheduling rehabs.

1.WDW doesn't have enough expert staff (engineers, artists), equipment, planning, work space, etc. to rehab all their rides at the same time.

2. Not all rehabs are the same. If WDW needs to replace a mass produced ride like Dumbo, they just order it from the manufacturer, and swap it in a matter of work hours. Custom castle repair is a bit different.

4. Weather is a factor. September is slow in large part because it is also high hurricane season. Seems pretty obvious to me that hurricanes limit rehab options.

I guess I didn't/don't understand your point.

We go at rope drop and clear out before the crowds get bad. So do I have the parks to myself? Never, but it didn't feel different during Thanksgiving week than it did in January. We got the same amount done in the roughly the same amount of time.

No, ticket prices rise every year, but what does that have to do with a January/June same year comparison? I buy my tickets way ahead of time, so my cost would be the same.

Maybe I eat at one buffet. Does that make my stake in having rides open different from that of someone who goes when the buffet is $4 cheaper?

I agree with your 1, 2 and 3. I've said (in so many words) upthread that I don't think it makes any sense to think that because you go at a busy time, all rides should be open or that rehabs and closures should be reserved for those that travel during a less busy time of year. Maybe we're agreeing with eachother? Still confused.

 

[Callie]

We were there a few weeks ago and got SOAKED. One of the times i was on the outside, and a giant wave came over.
Another time, we put my sister on the outside since she is lighter. A TON of water kept coming in still. We had about 2 inches of clearance before the boat would have been under. Not to mention we kept bottoming out, and at one point got stuck until two boats behind us rammed into us.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

I'm quite certain most repairs happen in such a way that guests aren't even aware they happened. I'm certain Disney tries really hard to do as many overnight repairs as possible, and ties to keep most pre-and post repairs as seamless as possible.

And while we are at it....rides are just the tip if the iceberg. What about all the plants that are replaced every day? How often are carpets replaced? Gift shops repainted? Food restocked? Seasonal decorations?

if it's minor then yes those can be done in the closed hours, but not all can be done so fast.

 

[mummabear]

Um, yes it is.

Um, No it's not.
I am paying for a hotel. That hotel gives me no access to the park.

 

[ttintagel]

Pirates has been in such terrible shape for so long that I doubt it could have stood the wear and tear of the heavier summer crowds.

 

[mesaboy2]

Gonna go against the tide and report my anecdotal PotC experience from two weeks ago: everything looked fine and working to me. Didn't get any more wet on that ride as previous ones. Just got lucky I guess.

 

[scrapquitler]

Um, out of work? Really?

I assure you Disney is not the only game in town. There is far more to the area than Disney.From the 2012-2013 annual report: The Orlando Convention Center alone has 2.1 million square feet of exhibit space.

Should the WDW parks close for a week, even WDW itself still has over 700,000 feet of ballroom/convention/meeting space to offer, plus another 329,000 sq feet at the Swan and Dolphin.I doubt that includes all the additional in-park meeting space Disney could conjure up if the parks were closed. How many brides would love an Epcot waterfront wedding? Or the Mexico pavilion? Crystal Palace? The MK hub?

I have little doubt Disney would be able to host all sorts of events during a week of park closures.

No, I think the limit WDW would face if they decided to rehab all rides at once is the number of skilled engineers and other workers they would need to work on so many rides all at once.

Ride design expertise is a rather specialized field.

My point was all those people who work at quick service restaurants, ride operators, bus drivers who run the park shuttles, ticket takers, etc. would be out of work (and without a check) for the weeks that the park was closed if there were park closures for a couple weeks. Employees who earn at or near minimum wage would likely face a financial problem if they had no check for a couple of weeks, and there would be ripple effects of that.

And I'm pretty sure that the lure of Disney as a convention sigte would lose a bit of luster if people couldn't bring their family to visit the parks and make a vacation out of it while their family member is at the conference (I know everyone in my DH's small company did exactly that in April, and had the parks been open, no way would m ost of us have accompanied our spouses with our children)>

And yes, finding the proper staff/equipment to fix all the rides at once would be a huge problem for Disney, but the ripple effects of a two week closure would effect many other businesses in the area, even WITH all the other things like US, Sea World, etc open.

 

[goofyernmost]

Gonna go against the tide and report my anecdotal PotC experience from two weeks ago: everything looked fine and working to me. Didn't get any more wet on that ride as previous ones. Just got lucky I guess.

You really have to be in the front row to experience it completely, but, it is a lot of water, not just a little splash. It is like someone takes a bucket and throws it at you. That is something that needs to stop happening. It's not the end of the world, but, it does create a very uncomfortable feeling both since you weren't expecting it and because PoTC is a water ride, but, it has never been considered a 'you're gonna get very wet' water ride anymore then Small World is and then you have to wonder around with your pants wet until it dries. The worse part is that if the seat isn't fully occupied it is wet when the next group gets on and there are puddles on the floor. From the front seat back is not enough to be concerned about, but, you know how we all love a little drama.