Last month, it was reported that an Animal Kingdom closure that would be taking place this summer. Now, the closure has finally occurred, leaving plenty of kids visiting Walt Disney World disappointed.
Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom is a great place for the animal lovers! This Disney Park promotes the preservation and appreciation of animals and nature, as well as fictional animals, and the education of extinct animals.
However, this appreciation for extinct dinosaurs is actually endangered…
During a D23 Expo event, it was recently announced that Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand U.S.A. is on the chopping block and that the area will be replaced with something newer.
While we don’t know precisely what will replace the area just yet, but we do know one thing: Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand U.S.A. is doomed.
Which is why it comes as a surprise to hear that one of its remaining attractions has just closed for refurbishment.
DinoLand U.S.A. is only home to a few remaining attractions, with the most notable being DINOSAUR, TriceraTop Spin, and the Boneyard.
While DINOSAUR and TriceraTop Spin are rides, the Boneyard is actually a playground for kids.
The Boneyard is a great place for kids to blow off some steam, giving the parents a chance to take a break during the Disney day.
Although the Boneyard isn’t scheduled to close permanently and will reopen sometime in mid-June (according to Walt Disney World’s official website), it’s still a bummer to hear that this huge playground will be closed for a bulk of the summer!
Walt Disney World has announced that its popular attraction, Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, will close next month as part of an extended refurbishment, and Guests who love the Disney’s Hollywood Studios thrill ride should take the opportunity to enjoy it while they can.
Located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park at the Walt Disney World Resort, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith allows Guests to “race along the darkened freeways of Los Angeles” with the band to their concert after visiting their Hollywood music studio. Of course, passengers living “life in the fast like” get the full star experience, including three thrilling inversions as they “maneuver past traffic jams” to the tune of Aerosmith songs such as “Walk This Way,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” “Sweet Emotion,” “Back in the Saddle,” and the semi-original “Love in a Roller Coaster,” which the famous band rewrote for the attraction.
Originally, Walt Disney Imagineers designed the concept as part of an ongoing theme for Hollywood Studios to transport Guests into the world of movies and all-star fame. As a result, areas such as the Hollywood Backlot and Animation Courtyard allowed Guests a tour within the cinematic realm of Hollywood backlots and movie magic similar to that of EPCOT’s World Showcase for international destinations.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios tells Guests that the thrill ride includes two rollover loops and one corkscrew, challenging them to “make it to the year’s biggest concert in time.” What’s more, the limousine-style ride vehicle includes a “125-speaker, 24-subwoofer, 32,000-watt audio system,” perfect for jamming along to your favorite Aerosmith tunes in a coaster complement to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s drop ride experience.
However, some Guests worried that soon this jam session with the band would not be possible after Disney added a statement to the webpage for the attraction reading: “Beginning February 20, 2023, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be temporarily closed for refurbishment. This rocktastic attraction will resume its super-stretch limo rides in summer 2023.” Truly, it seemed possible that in addition to continued maintenance for the ride’s technical aspects, a retheme could be underway to “modernize” the ride’s storyline or update the musical artist.
Indeed, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has changed a lot since its inception, now offering full immersion into some of the best cinematic universes like Disney Pixar’s with Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, for example. In fact, even Walt Disney Imagineering admits that as Park goals evolve, the theming focus has adapted to include less behind-the-scenes action such as that found in Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
In addition, Disney Parks seems to have shifted its focus onto its own intellectual property, utilizing concepts it does not have to license from others, which, combined with the recent controversy surrounding frontman Steven Tyler, could mean curtains for Aerosmith’s run very soon. Even so, as of now, nothing about the statement inherently suggests Disney has plans to retheme the ride… yet.
Guests can ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from now until February 20, 2023.
Out of all the other Parks that make up Walt Disney World Resort (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT), Hollywood Studios is probably the one with the most iconic entertainment performed by live actors. The classic Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage is a stunning theater adaptation of the classic Walt Disney Animation film.
Not only that, but there’s For the First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, full of fan-favorite songs and characters, giving Guests a chance to join in the fun. There’s also the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, which provides Guests with an inside look at how stunts are performed on action movie sets. The most iconic of them all is Fantasmic!, a classic nighttime spectacular including our favorite Disney characters and songs.
However, there’s one show that’s missing from this list: Voyage of the Little Mermaid, located in the Disney Park’s themed area, Animation Courtyard.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a live show with a runtime of approximately 14 minutes, and it was so popular that it ran for nearly 20 years! The show consisted of special effects, live performers portraying the iconic Disney Princess and Prince Eric, as well as intricate puppets, including an intimidating 12-foot-tall Ursula who performed the classic song, “Poor Unfortunate Soul.”
However, after Walt Disney World Resort reopened during the pandemic, the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show (like most live entertainment) was missing. Just a few months ago, rumors were circulating, claiming that the theatre itself was infested with mold. To make matters worse, Voyage of the Little Mermaid was removed from the official Walt Disney World website.
According to a report made by Inside the Magic, the puppets used for the live show have been sold, confirming that this classic attraction has taken its final bow.
One of Walt Disney World Resort’s popular attractions will close this month.
While at the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Central Florida, Guests can experience a multitude of different types of experiences. From Disney Enchantment taking over Main Street, U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, the classic Spaceship Earth in the newly-transformed Future World area in EPCOT or Harmonious at World Showcase, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, there are many shows, rides, and themed meets at on Disney property.
That being said, with so many offerings spread across the four theme parks, as well as water parks Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and the (currently closed) Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, and Disney Springs, attractions and shows are often subject to closure and refurbishment at the Disney Resort.
Recent information shows that the Liberty Square Riverboat in Magic Kingdom Park is scheduled for closure in the coming weeks on August 22, and will reopen on September 2. The official Walt Disney World website states no time available between these dates.
The closure of this offering is seemingly a routine refurbishment, as last year the Liberty Square Riverboat became unavailable for Guests around the same time.
No clear indication has been made by Walt Disney World or Disney Parks over what is being done to the Riverboat, which again seemingly hints at a yearly routine maintenance review. Other notable closures this month include the continued downtime of the Walt Disney World Railroad, another beloved family-friendly Magic Kingdom offering that transports Guests around the 50-year-old Disney Park.
For those missing out on the Liberty Square Riverboat, neighboring attractions like Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad can be experienced. Guests may want to purchase Disney Genie+ or a la carte Lightning Lane passes in order to ride attractions quicker; when one large-capacity attraction is closed, other rides can naturally become busier.
Disney recently updated its website regarding a golf course, indicating it will be closed for quite some time.
We just noticed that the language has been updated on the official website for Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The full statement reads:
PLEASE NOTE!…During the dates of April 28, 2022 – May 8, 2022 only holes #1 – #9 will be available for play, and beginning on May 9, 2022 Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course will be closed indefinitely for a major renovation project. We recommend that you play at either Disney’s Palm or Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course during this timeframe as we prepare Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course for your future enjoyment! We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of this golf course, and look forward to welcoming you back to the newly re-imagined Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course later this year.
Thankfully, even though Disney themselves says the course will be closed “indefinitely”, it notes the course will be returning “later this year”.
All 97 bunkers in this 4-star (per “Golf Digest”) course underwent renovations in 2015. Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course carries certification from Audubon International as a Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary. For more on Disney’s long list of golf courses, click here.
