The looooong Splash Mt Refurb

[GatorChris]

I was noticing that the Splash Mountain refurb is slated to be almost 3 months long. Is this normal? I realize as a water ride it needs yearly down time (though Pirates and IASMW gets much less), but I'm not familiar with the yearly rehab schedule. A month to paint it makes sense - especially in the cold winter months. But three seems like a lot.

Just curious. And does Grizzly River Run get the same treatment?

 

[gottalovepluto]

From what I've seen in the rumor mills Splash is in need of some SERIOUS refurb. According to those (maybe I saw this on mice chat? Not sure) various animatronics are out of order and there are parts Disney has trouble maintaining due to more strict CalOSHA reqs. So it sounds like they have a lot more they might be addressing this time around. The one I'm hoping they fix a lot is the Matterhorn. How they managed to make a steel tube roller coaster that rough still astounds me!

 

[wdwfan22]

From what I've seen in the rumor mills Splash is in need of some SERIOUS refurb. According to those (maybe I saw this on mice chat? Not sure) various animatronics are out of order and there are parts Disney has trouble maintaining due to more strict CalOSHA reqs. So it sounds like they have a lot more they might be addressing this time around. The one I'm hoping they fix a lot is the Matterhorn. How they managed to make a steel tube roller coaster that rough still astounds me![/QUOTE]

That's because the Matterhorn is the first steel tube roller coast ever made. Another Disney invention. There are so many. So the technology was brand new. I suppose they would have to replace the entire track to make it smoother. But for me, even though I'm not crazy about how rough it is, it is a piece of history, and I love riding the first ever steel coaster.

 

[tarheelalum]

That's because the Matterhorn is the first steel tube roller coast ever made. Another Disney invention. There are so many. So the technology was brand new. I suppose they would have to replace the entire track to make it smoother. But for me, even though I'm not crazy about how rough it is, it is a piece of history, and I love riding the first ever steel coaster.

The ride is in desperate need of a major refurb. I cannot even ride it anymore without a visit to my chiropractor. If disney would put in the same smooth track they installed in Big Thunder Mountain, the Matterhorn would be fantastic.

 

[todzwife]

[QUOTE

The ride is in desperate need of a major refurb. I cannot even ride it anymore without a visit to my chiropractor. If disney would put in the same smooth track they installed in Big Thunder Mountain, the Matterhorn would be fantastic.[/QUOTE]


Yes yes! We agree 10000%! Even my kids were complaining that it was rough. Maybe we're a bunch of weenies but I have no desire to do that to myself again unless they redo it.

 

[PrincessDenisse]

Which dates is going to be closed??

 

[figment_jii]

Splash usually goes down in the winter months for its annual rehab, but that's usually a much shorter period (I want to say a few weeks to a month at most). As gottalovepluto said, there have been rumors floating around that Splash is going to undergo a major refurbishment this year to address several issues ahead of the 60th anniversary.

GRR also tends to close during the winter (at some point) for its annual refurb. It shouldn't close for three months year, but ahead of the 60th anniversary it's hard to say what will happen. Still, a multi-month closure is almost never going to be only a typical refurbishment. That usually signals something much more major.

 

[PrincessDenisse]

Splash usually goes down in the winter months for its annual rehab, but that's usually a much shorter period (I want to say a few weeks to a month at most). As gottalovepluto said, there have been rumors floating around that Splash is going to undergo a major refurbishment this year to address several issues ahead of the 60th anniversary.

Ups, i think i will miss it. I`ll be there at the end of april . Thank you for the info

 

[clambert1273]

[QUOTE

The ride is in desperate need of a major refurb. I cannot even ride it anymore without a visit to my chiropractor. If disney would put in the same smooth track they installed in Big Thunder Mountain, the Matterhorn would be fantastic.

Yes yes! We agree 10000%! Even my kids were complaining that it was rough. Maybe we're a bunch of weenies but I have no desire to do that to myself again unless they redo it. [/QUOTE]

my 7yo got off crying in August... and it is much worse than it used to be. Even my husband (Cali native) couldn't believe how horrible the ride was now. When we go back next August, we won't be riding that again lol

 

[figment_jii]

Which dates is going to be closed??

On a competing Disney Information website (we cannot post the name here), they've listed the tentative closure dates as January 12 through April 3. No confirmation from Disneyland yet, so we're still waiting to see what actually happens.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Splash refurbs tend to be often and long. I've never understood why.

 

[superlarz]

GRR has a refurb much later this year and it was pretty extended. I dont think it will go down for quite as long next year.

 

[becks59]

My husband heard from a coworker that there were rumors of splash mountain switching to side by side seats like at WDW. Is there any validity to this? We were thinking that this could be why the refurb is for so long.

 

[Geemo]

My husband heard from a coworker that there were rumors of splash mountain switching to side by side seats like at WDW. Is there any validity to this? We were thinking that this could be why the refurb is for so long.

Is the water flume wide enough for a side-by-side log?

 

[becks59]

Is the water flume wide enough for a side-by-side log?

Thats what my dh and I were thinking too. But would 3 months be long enough to widen it?

 

[Gisele]

On a competing Disney Information website (we cannot post the name here).

Why not? What is the competition about? Facts are facts. Opinions are opinions. Rumor is rumor.

 

[Geemo]

Thats what my dh and I were thinking too. But would 3 months be long enough to widen it?

I highly doubt it!
Look how long it took for BTMRR's refurb. Well over a year.
The change out of the Matterhorn sleds was quite lengthy too.

With the all things we saw broken/out-of-order on our last Splash Mt ride, the refurb scheduled should be enough to get those things corrected.

 

[figment_jii]

Why not? What is the competition about? Facts are facts. Opinions are opinions. Rumor is rumor.

There are specific websites (usually some type of direct competition to wdwinfo) that are "banned" from being mentioned. You can try, but the name will appear as all asterisks.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

We rode it for the last couple days before it went down for refurb. Boy, does it need it!

We usually go in January and are the crazy family who rides it over and over because it's too cold for the typical CA guest. This year was the first year we turned down the CM offers to go again. It was way too rough. I swear I got whiplash on the big hill. There would be a huge jerking motion at the top that often felt like it was breaking down.

The biggest disappointment was the animatronic portions. Many were completely dark. Many of the animals were not working. It was creepy, like a bizarro version of the ride.

 

[donaldanddaisy]

We're going to DL on April 1&2 and Splash is supposed to be open on the 3rd. The official calendar for those dates has it closed on the 1&2 but open on the 3rd -- so that is on the official website.

My question is what are the chances that it is open a couple days early?? Would love to get on!