Disney has filed a permit for “general construction” at the site of Primeval Whirl in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which permanently closed over a year ago.
Other than ride vehicles being removed, the attraction has sat mostly untouched. Earlier this year, Disney filed a permit for “labor, material and/or electrical for construction”, contracting their in-house construction company, but no visible work has been done to the attraction.
The new permit may be for demolition of the attraction, but it contracts MLC Theming, a company that usually deals in construction. The permit expires in April 2022, so any work that will be done should be visible in the coming months.
There’s so much changing right now at Disney World it’s hard to keep up. In addition to all the changes to park operations and offerings during the phased reopening, we’ve also seen changes to multiple construction projects timelines, project postponements, and even project cancellations. Today, we can add the permanent closure of two attractions and one of the nighttime spectaculars to the list.
Earlier today, Disney management confirmed in an internal memo to cast members that two attractions, Stitch’s Great Escape and Primeval Whirl, which did not reopen with the parks. Would in fact be closing permanently.
Stitch’s Great Escape comes as no surprise. The attractions has been operating seasonally since 2016 and was rarely open. Recently, it has served as the location of character meet and greet. The most surprising part of this announcement was that the attraction was technically still on the list of attractions open seasonally.
Likewise, Primeval Whirl has also been listed as a seasonal attraction and is rarely open. Primeval Whirl has been plagued in recent years with maintenance and operational issues. The attraction always had a line due to a very slow loading process, but overall had mixed reviews, so this closure isn’t shocking.
What will likely be surprising for many guests is the permanent shuttering of Rivers of Light, the nighttime spectacular at Animal Kingdom. Rivers of Light was technically the most complicated and expensive nighttime spectacular shows ever produced by Disney.
From the memo:
“As you know, when Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park reopened to our Guests, several experiences, attractions and shows did not reopen with the park for a variety of reasons. While we look forward to adjusting our operation as we continue to learn and grow in our new environment, Primeval Whirl and Rivers of light: We Are One will not reopen.”
“Over at Magic Kingdom, Stitch’s Great Escape – which has not operated for some time – is permanently closed. Guests can currently see stitch at the Rockettower Plaza Stage throughout the day.
We do not have any creative updates to share for these areas at the moment.”
The seasonal Primeval Whirl attraction in Dinoland U.S.A. at Animal Kingdom will be reopening once again in March.
The attraction will be open for select weekends in March bracing for the start of Spring Break. We got confirmation today that the seasonal ride will open March 21, 22, 23, 28 & 29 to alleviate some of the wait time pressure from other areas. The attraction will be open from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. on those particular dates.
Starting November 24th, 2019, Primeval Whirl will resume operation in the Hester and Chester’s Dino-Rama area of Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, for a few days at least…
The attraction will only be open until December 1st, opening to handle higher crowds at the park due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
It would appear that Primeval Whirl will be able to come back from whatever issues have been keeping the attraction closed the past few months. It did open to guests for a few hours on a single day not too long ago. While closed over most of this time, Disney announced that the attraction would only operate seasonally, opening when needed and closing when not.
It’s expected that the Primeval Whirl will reopen again for Christmas week, but it has yet to be announced.
