Will MK Train return this year?

[LSUmiss]

So sick of the train being out of commission. It's one of our favorite attractions at Magic Kingdom.

Me too & DS loves trains. I have no interest in Tron at all.

 

[KYMickey]

Obviously you have never been part of an organization which 'sealed' a construction project, It's massively expensive but done to avoid LONG TERM weather damage we are not talking months ordinary site protection is sufficient for about 6 months to a year, Sites are sealed for multi-year shutdowns. Example Harvard 'sealed' the Allston Science and Engineering project in 2008 due to the fiscal crisis, construction restarted in 2015. and complex opened in 2017 that's almost a decade between sealing and facility opening. Sealing is basically the same process used to protect naval ships which will be inactive for a year or more, special ventilation is required along with humidity and corrosion control on exposed surfaces.

So whenever I see a site that's been 'sealed' it's not being worked on for a LONG time to come.

Sealing a project means different things for different projects and different contractors. I've seen projects sealed for periods as short as 6 months and as long as you pointed out. This project should require much for sealing since the building itself is basically complete, when the building shell isn't complete sealing is a much more extensive process. I'm betting that this project won't be shutdown for over a couple of years but of course that depends on the economy.

 

[KYMickey]

Obviously you have n on now ever been part of an organization which 'sealed' a construction project, It's massively expensive but done to avoid LONG TERM weather damage we are not talking months ordinary site protection is sufficient for about 6 months to a year, Sites are sealed for multi-year shutdowns. Example Harvard 'sealed' the Allston Science and Engineering project in 2008 due to the fiscal crisis, construction restarted in 2015. and complex opened in 2017 that's almost a decade between sealing and facility opening. Sealing is basically the same process used to protect naval ships which will be inactive for a year or more, special ventilation is required along with humidity and corrosion control on exposed surfaces.

So whenever I see a site that's been 'sealed' it's not being worked on for a LONG time to come.

Sealing a project means different things for different projects and different contractors. I've seen projects sealed for periods as short as 6 months and as long as you pointed out. This project should require much for sealing since the building itself is basically complete, when the building shell isn't complete sealing is a much more extensive process. I'm betting that this project won't be shutdown for over a couple of years but of course that depends on the economy.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Sealing a project means different things for different projects and different contractors. I've seen projects sealed for periods as short as 6 months and as long as you pointed out. This project should require much for sealing since the building itself is basically complete, when the building shell isn't complete sealing is a much more extensive process. I'm betting that this project won't be shutdown for over a couple of years but of course that depends on the economy.

I agree with this - could it be for a few years or even longer? Sure ... But also think if things are really picking up by the summer they could restart pretty quick and get it totally done by end of this year (if they wanted).

I think part might be they know it likely won't be totally done by the 50th but they want the train running so seal it up and fully hit pause, and get the train back running for the actual 50th anniversary and then restart the project in early 2022 and still get Tron open by the end of the "50th anniversary year" by which time things could/should be more normal

(At least that is my hope)

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Obviously you have never been part of an organization which 'sealed' a construction project, It's massively expensive but done to avoid LONG TERM weather damage we are not talking months ordinary site protection is sufficient for about 6 months to a year, Sites are sealed for multi-year shutdowns. Example Harvard 'sealed' the Allston Science and Engineering project in 2008 due to the fiscal crisis, construction restarted in 2015. and complex opened in 2017 that's almost a decade between sealing and facility opening. Sealing is basically the same process used to protect naval ships which will be inactive for a year or more, special ventilation is required along with humidity and corrosion control on exposed surfaces.

So whenever I see a site that's been 'sealed' it's not being worked on for a LONG time to come.

Here's my thing though.... AoA was sitting a little bit off from POP. Although it could be seen, GENERALLY, it was a "what is supposed to be over there?".

Tron is literally smack in-between Bay Lake and Magic Kingdom. Everyone who rides, the train, people mover, or walks by space mountain will be seeing it on a DAILY basis. If there is one thing that Disney is acutely aware of, it's what you see and what you do not. It's not by mistake that their buildings are constructed around forced perception. It's not an accident that they have lines on the ground for CM's that tell you the moment you are out of the public eye and more importantly the moment you are IN the public eye. They carefully control sights, sounds and smells.

They have SOME tolerance for construction, because they have to or the parks will never grow. However, the longer it's there, the more of an eyesore it will be and remind people that it has not been finished. Their tolerance for that will soon wane. The only reason the PeopleMover in DL has not had something done is because they would literally have to shut down Tomorrowland for months to fix it.

So, yes - they have temporarily put it on hold since they are having budget issues. but their budget issues are not years long. Many analysts predict they will be at historic crowds by FYE2022. And when it looks like their crowds are picking up and they are more confident that we are in the recovery, they are going to look at that eyesore (Tron) and it's going to have to be finished.

So a year or two? Very possibly. 5-10? Not a chance.

 

[ford91exploder]

Here's my thing though.... AoA was sitting a little bit off from POP. Although it could be seen, GENERALLY, it was a "what is supposed to be over there?".

Tron is literally smack in-between Bay Lake and Magic Kingdom. Everyone who rides, the train, people mover, or walks by space mountain will be seeing it on a DAILY basis. If there is one thing that Disney is acutely aware of, it's what you see and what you do not. It's not by mistake that their buildings are constructed around forced perception. It's not an accident that they have lines on the ground for CM's that tell you the moment you are out of the public eye and more importantly the moment you are IN the public eye. They carefully control sights, sounds and smells.

They have SOME tolerance for construction, because they have to or the parks will never grow. However, the longer it's there, the more of an eyesore it will be and remind people that it has not been finished. Their tolerance for that will soon wane. The only reason the PeopleMover in DL has not had something done is because they would literally have to shut down Tomorrowland for months to fix it.

So, yes - they have temporarily put it on hold since they are having budget issues. but their budget issues are not years long. Many analysts predict they will be at historic crowds by FYE2022. And when it looks like their crowds are picking up and they are more confident that we are in the recovery, they are going to look at that eyesore (Tron) and it's going to have to be finished.

So a year or two? Very possibly. 5-10? Not a chance.

I think you overestimate how much ‘WallSt Disney’ cares about thematic integrity or sightlines. They just ruined a beautiful resort by dumping a Marriott’esq tower right smack in the middle of it.

Disney cares about only one metric in the parks and that is PRGS or Per Room Guest Spending. Disney no longer NEEDS the capacity that the TRON ride would have provided to support PRGS.

Therefore TRON us going into mothballs till they do need the capacity and whether thats 3 years or ten i have no idea but I believe it will be longer rather than shorter.

Now what I would have done had I been the decision maker would have been to complete TRON and give Space Mountain the total rebuild Phil Holmes and company nixed a decade ago which was a total gut and rebuild of Space Mountain. That would have given Disney a new ride for the 50’th and capacity would have remained constant

 

[ford91exploder]

Sealing a project means different things for different projects and different contractors. I've seen projects sealed for periods as short as 6 months and as long as you pointed out. This project should require much for sealing since the building itself is basically complete, when the building shell isn't complete sealing is a much more extensive process. I'm betting that this project won't be shutdown for over a couple of years but of course that depends on the economy.

you understand the process and why its done i also hope that this does not drag on for a decade, but this is the first time im aware of where Disney actually took the trouble to seal a project

 

[ford91exploder]

I get irritated by stuff like this because Disney will blow 500 million on something like ‘Maker Studios’ and then fire all the content producers and wonder why their investment is not paying off. Yet they have to be forced at gunpoint to invest in their park properties which generate huge amounts of cash. There is a huge disconnect from reality at work here

 

[gharter]

I'm hoping once the canopy and area around that is complete, they can work on the tunnel and track that will go by Tron.
Doubt it will be open by our April trip, but hoping for October.
Miss the train.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I think you overestimate how much ‘WallSt Disney’ cares about thematic integrity or sightlines. They just ruined a beautiful resort by dumping a Marriott’esq tower right smack in the middle of it.

Disney cares about only one metric in the parks and that is PRGS or Per Room Guest Spending. Disney no longer NEEDS the capacity that the TRON ride would have provided to support PRGS.

Therefore TRON us going into mothballs till they do need the capacity and whether thats 3 years or ten i have no idea but I believe it will be longer rather than shorter.

Now what I would have done had I been the decision maker would have been to complete TRON and give Space Mountain the total rebuild Phil Holmes and company nixed a decade ago which was a total gut and rebuild of Space Mountain. That would have given Disney a new ride for the 50’th and capacity would have remained constant

You are correct that they do not need the capacity right now. That's beneficial to them because they have more than one issue and Tron isn't the only one. However, Stitch has been closed for a while now, and although rumors abound, we can be sure none of them are happening in the next 6 months. A refurb of Splash will take that out for a while. HoP will be closed. Most of these will not have a big impact on Tron. What does have an impact on Tron is Stitch, and the very waning attraction of the Speedway. Tomorrowland is losing rides and capacity at a breakneck pace.

While they do not need the capacity TODAY, we can be sure that at the 50th, the parks will be full (they won't have anything complete by then sadly) and if the analysts are correct that by FYE2022 they will be at historic records, they will be in need of the capacity by then if not long after.

So again, I grant you that it will probably be a few years. But no matter which way you choose to spin it - capacity, budget, visual eyesore, PRGS as you put it, we are in the couple of year range before they pick it back up. I can't foresee a world using ANY common sense metric that would drag it on for 5+ years, much less decades.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Obviously you have never been part of an organization which 'sealed' a construction project, It's massively expensive but done to avoid LONG TERM weather damage we are not talking months ordinary site protection is sufficient for about 6 months to a year, Sites are sealed for multi-year shutdowns. Example Harvard 'sealed' the Allston Science and Engineering project in 2008 due to the fiscal crisis, construction restarted in 2015. and complex opened in 2017 that's almost a decade between sealing and facility opening. Sealing is basically the same process used to protect naval ships which will be inactive for a year or more, special ventilation is required along with humidity and corrosion control on exposed surfaces.

So whenever I see a site that's been 'sealed' it's not being worked on for a LONG time to come.

This seems the most likely explanation here. There are a lot of cheaper solutions to protect the building from the rain and elements that don't involve sealing the building, unless Disney is anticipating a multi-year delay.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I think you overestimate how much ‘WallSt Disney’ cares about thematic integrity or sightlines. They just ruined a beautiful resort by dumping a Marriott’esq tower right smack in the middle of it.

Disney didn’t do that. Marriott did.

 

[Moliphino]

Disney didn’t do that. Marriott did.

I think they mean Coronado? Or maybe sticking Riviera on what was CBR?

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I think they mean Coronado? Or maybe sticking Riviera on what was CBR?

Yeah, that could be.

 

[ford91exploder]

I think they mean Coronado? Or maybe sticking Riviera on what was CBR?

precisely

 

[Animal]

You know a disboards thread is completely off the rails (pun intended) when the conversation turns to "but what about Harvard in 2008?".

 

[Tiggeroo]

Now that Peoplemover is opening I am wondering if there are any rumors in when the railroad will reopen?

 

[umichigan10]

Who knows at this point. They stopped the tron construction for the foreseeable future which I think prevents the train from running until they’re done. Wouldn’t expect it until sometime next year

 

[Pooh's World]

It's been like 2 years. The Railroad is a vital part of MK and should be running.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

My family is heading to WDW this summer. I highly expected that the RR would be closed. Makes me sad it has been mothballed so long. I'm glad that they are taking the time to rehab the track. I don't like the new RR ties being some composite material, because I prefer the look of natural wood. But, I get it from a maintenance and longevity standpoint that the composite is much better.

I totaling agree with the PP, but the reality is that the RR is shut down and the RR isn't coming back right away. I thought I saw several different concept artwork renditions of the Tron ride and one had a tunnel for the RR and both mockups had elevated queues. I would suspect that the metal and concrete work for the elevated queue would have to be done before the RR track replacement could finish and the RR start running again? Not a construction jockey though so what the heck do I know. It would be quite perfect if for the 50th the MK RR whistle could blow loudly to great guests and guests could take a ride around the park.