2024 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar
This Disney California Adventure and Disneyland ride refurbishment calendar for 2024 lists temporary attraction closures so you know what won’t be operating before planning your vacation. Additionally, we offer info about reimagining projects that are underway to enhance experiences around the resort. (Updated June 26, 2024.)
While no one wants attraction closures during their visit, they are a necessary part of keeping Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in good condition, as routine maintenance, safety upgrades, and attraction improvements are all done during scheduled ride closures. Usually, there are only a handful of simultaneous closed rides, plus new attractions being built.
Having an idea of which attractions are closed at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure is important, but we recommend consulting our 2024 Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide for more comprehensive info. That covers everything from saving money on park tickets and hotels to where to eat, when to visit, and more.
In addition to scheduled attraction refurbs, unscheduled downtime can also occur during a visit. This usually only occurs for a few hours at a time, so if you find an attraction is closed during your visit to Disneyland Resort and it’s not listed below, it’s likely a temporary closure that will last a few hours. Check with nearby Cast Members to confirm.
Below is a schedule of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure refurbishments, when the closure starts, and when the refurbishment will conclude. To the extent that specific dates are not yet listed, those will be updated once Disneyland Resort provides precise start and/or end dates. The following day will be when the attraction is scheduled to reopen.
Here are the closure schedules for Disney California Adventure and Disneyland…
Disney California Adventure
- Anna & Elsa’s Royal Welcome in the Disney Animation Building – Closed starting August 5, 2024
- Animation Academy in the Disney Animation Building – Closed starting August 5, 2024
- Turtle Talk with Crush in the Disney Animation Building – Closed starting August 5, 2024
- Beast’s Library in the Disney Animation Building – Permanently Closed
- Paint the Night Parade – Return Date Unknown
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – Reopens July 23, 2024 (at the earliest)
- Rogers: The Musical – Return Date Unknown
The main additions to the closure calendar at DCA are all inside the Disney Animation Building. Interestingly, it doesn’t appear (at least currently) that the building itself will close–so perhaps the lobby will remain open, offering an air-conditioned respite? Or maybe it’ll also close and just isn’t listed yet.
Also, the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail closure has been extended again, for like the third time. At this point, Oogie Boogie Bash and off-season are right around the corner, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see this extended into August.
Next, let’s take a look at the 2024 Disneyland attraction closure calendar…
Disneyland
- Adventureland Treehouse – Now open!
- Disneyland Railroad – Closed for refurbishment starting August 5, 2024
- Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes – Reopening Date TBD (Likely Fall 2024)
- Fantasmic – Now showing!
- Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln – Reopening Date TBD
- Haunted Mansion – Reopens no later than August 23, 2024
- Main Street Electrical Parade – Return Date Unknown
- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Reopening Date TBD (Likely Fall 2024)
- “Mickey’s Mix Magic” – Return Date Unknown
- Space Mountain – Closed for refurbishment starting August 5, 2024
- Splash Mountain – Permanently Closed
- Tale of the Lion King – Permanently Closed
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – Opening Date Unknown
- Wondrous Journeys Fireworks – Return Date Unknown
The biggest update is Haunted Mansion, which will reopen no later than August 23, 2024. We’ve heard rumors that it could return as early as late July, but that’s entirely contingent upon construction progress. For now, we know that the drop dead date is August 23, which is the start of Halloween Time at Disneyland. The attraction will reopen as Haunted Mansion Holiday and use a virtual queue–no Lightning Lane or standby line.
Our hope is that Haunted Mansion Holiday reopens before August 5, as that’s when closures of both Space Mountain and the Disneyland Railroad begin. Disney hasn’t announced reopening dates for either attraction–our hope is that they’re brief, and that Space Mountain returns in its Ghost Galaxy form for Halloween. We miss that campy classic overlay!
In addition to Haunted Mansion, every attraction on this side of the park in nearby Critter Country is closed. Check out New Orleans Square & Critter Country Construction Updates for a look at progress as of last month. There’s still a lot of work to be done.
This includes the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, Hungry Bear Restaurant, plus the gift shops and the character meet & greets. No reopening date has been given, but it’s assumed to be the opening date of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which could be as early as October or as late as Christmas 2024.
Disneyland’s stated reason for the closure is to convert two of the gift shops into Princess and the Frog themed locations. However, this is a relatively small scale change and could likely be accomplished in short order without closing the whole land.
Our belief is that there are concerns about crowd flow (with Haunted Mansion already down). Between that and a desire to have the entirety of Critter Country closed to facilitate smoother construction on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, it just makes sense to close the land until the reimagined ride is ready.
Speaking of which, Splash Mountain is closed to be reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Best case scenario for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland is a Fall Break opening in mid-October 2024. More realistic is it debuting between Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. That’s assuming there aren’t any delays. On a positive note, it does seem like work on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been moving fast in the last few months, and actually closing the gap between the Florida and California versions. So perhaps an October 2024 opening isn’t a stretch at all!
On a negative note, the version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World is now operating and has been plagued by problems. (See our Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Ride Review: Failure, Flawed or Fantastic?) Honestly, even beyond the reliability and downtime woes, we’d love to see Imagineers be given more time to fix the obvious issues with the substance of the attraction. In our view, delaying the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland until early 2025 would be positive news. The ride reimagining needs more time.
Another ongoing closure is Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. This is going to lengthy refurbishment–Disneyland filed building permits valued at $5 million with the City of Anaheim to replace show elements, lighting, audio and show systems in the Main Street Opera House.
Most notably, the construction permit indicates that a show platform will be replaced, and a new turntable will be installed. Disneyland has already confirmed that the Lincoln Audio Animatronics isn’t going anywhere, and they’re mum about what substantive changes will come to the attraction. All we do know at this point is that Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln will be closed through at least mid-summer. Our guess is that the closure lasts for several more months.
The turntable opens the door for a number of possibilities, some of which have been rumored or speculated. One leading “theory” is that a Walt Disney Audio Animatronics figure or hologram (a la the Disney100 show) will be introduced. I haven’t heard anything (credible) directly about this, but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility. In my view, it’s equally likely that Disneyland wants a turntable so this stage can be used as a flex space of sorts for other shows or panel presentations that are not Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
Now, a few notes about the above refurbishments. Disneyland is notorious for changing its refurbishment schedules, adding or canceling planned downtimes weeks or days in advance. While this practice is still relatively uncommon in the grand scheme of things, it’s worth pointing out because it does happen.
Now, here’s a bit of our philosophy concerning refurbishments, with the specific example of the recent multi-year Disneyland Railroad refurbishment used to illustrate…
Thoughts on Refurbishments
Nobody likes a favorite attraction to be refurbished during their vacation. It means missing out and potentially not being able to experience the ride for another year or longer, depending upon the frequency of your visits to Disneyland. A couple of years ago, the Disneyland Railroad closed for an extended refurbishment due to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge construction.
At first, we were really disappointed. This might seem like an odd attraction to lament the closure of, but as Southern Californians with Disneyland Annual Passes, this was an absolute favorite of ours. We rode regularly when we wanted to rest our feet, or simply a break from the crowds. With the exception of maybe ‘it’s a small world’, we did Disneyland Railroad more than any other attraction.
However, that initial disappointment pretty quickly gave way to excitement. We began thinking about ways Disneyland Railroad could be plussed, improving the experience for years to come. Disney had already announced that some changes would be made (as the track needed to be re-routed), and we were excited for the prospect of new show scenes or other visuals.
From my perspective, investing in the long-term quality of an attraction is far more important than the temporary satisfaction I’ll get out of riding it on my next visit. This is why it always perplexes me when regulars contend that their vacation will be ruined because their favorite attraction will be closed.
If it’s your favorite attraction and you’re active in the Disney fan community, that means you’ve been to Disneyland before and probably will visit again. It would thus stand to reason that you would want something you love to get the TLC it deserves, and continue to improve.
Disneyland Railroad works as a good example here…in large part because it did receive significant changes and enhancements. (Arguably, the Rivers of America suffered due to being condensed, but that’s another topic for another day–we cover all aspects of this in our New-Look Grand Circle Tour of Disneyland post.)
The point extends to other attractions that have seen similar plussings, but also have more of a problem with effects breaking. Take Indiana Jones Adventure, for example. This is a ride that seems to get a refurbishment about every other year (sometimes more frequently) and we’d argue that it could probably use more regular maintenance than that.
If you are a long-term fan, would you rather experience Indiana Jones Adventure every single visit with 75% of the effects working, or every single visit minus one or two with 95% of the effects working? For me, the answer to that is easy. I’ll take a superior long term experience every time.
Beyond that, there’s the much more compelling justification for regular refurbishments: they are essential for the safety of attractions. While we may think of these attractions as all fun and games that offer a safe sense of exhilaration, that’s when they are properly maintained.
It’s unpleasant to think about, but there have been several preventable deaths in the history of Disney’s parks. During a dark era of Disneyland history, improper maintenance was the cause of death on Big Thunder Mountain. Likewise, years of neglect at Disneyland Paris have led to incidents of injury that could be attributed to a lack of maintenance. In both cases, this has been addressed, and maintenance has improved considerably.
This is not meant to scare anyone or provoke an emotional reaction. Disney’s worldwide safety record is sterling as compared to other park operators. It’s still important to remember that these fun, ‘magical’ places also exist in the real world and use a lot of potentially dangerous elements if safety is not viewed as key. (Or, in Disney’s case, one of the Four Keys.)
When it comes to maintenance that is not essential to the safe operation of an attraction, we are left to contemplate what amount of show quality should be accepted. If following a strict Nunis-ian interpretation of the Four Keys, show is an important consideration, and it should always be 100%. This is a nice goal to strive for, but the practical reality is that 100% show quality is an unworkably high threshold sometimes.
In my estimation, this is a good example of balancing guest interests with show quality. Get the effects working that are easily fixable, and find other ways to address effects that are frequently breaking. We’re not talking about safety here, just random effects. Indiana Jones Adventure has had a number of effects disabled or replaced over the years because they were unreliable.
Guests are understandably concerned when it appears an inordinate number of attractions are closing during their vacation, especially out of state visitors. Trips to California are not cheap and are often once in a lifetime experiences; first-timers certainly do not want to miss out on experiences about which they’ve read extensive hype.
With that said, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure ought to be publishing their routine refurbishment schedules several months in advance, allowing guests to plan around closures. Disney plans maintenance well in advance, and this info should be passed along to guests. For the most part, it is.
Obviously, unplanned maintenance can occur, which takes rides out of commission for hours or even days at the last minute. This is an unavoidable part of sophisticated theme park attractions, and there’s no real way to “plan around” this. It just is what it is.
However, the problem with a “not during my vacation” attitude like this is that it’s always going to be someone’s (or tens of thousands of someones) vacation. If Disneyland and Disney California Adventure attractions with show quality issues aren’t close for refurbishments for fear of some guests during a time-limited window missing out, all guests in perpetuity are going to have a lesser experience.
The end result of that thinking is a duct-tapped approach to attraction maintenance, with whatever work that can be done overnight accomplished, and two parks full of attractions with half their effects broken. First-timers would be left wondering why there was so much hype about Disneyland in the first place, as so many components of rides simply don’t work. If you’re reading this as a lifelong fan, well…maybe you wouldn’t have become a lifelong fan if this were actually Disneyland’s modus operandi.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
Your Thoughts…
Any questions about the current refurbishments at Disneyland Resort? What do you think about refurbishments at the Disney Parks? Are you more concerned about an improved long-term experience, or do you think “not during my vacation!”? Any other factors you think are worth considering? As mentioned, we think this is a conversation, so please share your ‘refurbishment philosophy’, or any other thoughts or questions you have, in the comments!
I’m all for ride maintenance and updates, but it seems surprising that they’re closing a bunch of things on August 5, literally just days before D23. Why wouldn’t they wait until the following week?
Do you think there will be a different opportunity to meet Anna and Elsa given this new refurb scheduled in DCA?
Hello, I think there is a typo over here:
“…and seeing the queue totally torn up–is that the regular Haunted Mansion won’t reopen at all in 2025.”
Thank you,
Arturo
Hey Tom, I noticed on the DL app that The Bakery Tour is showing closed for refurbishment….any ideas or thoughts on that? We will be there the first week in June and was really looking forward to that bakery tour…hoping it will be open by then.
This is good to know. I heard that Critter Country, the entire land, will be temporarily closed starting May, 1, 2024. It could be closed awhile. I would guess most of the year, just like the Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain. Personally, I think if they truly wanted to do a necessary refurbishment, they should got rid of Toontown altogether. It’s dated and cheesy. They could’ve expanded Fantasyland into that area and kept Roger Rabbit, but added a dark ride for Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Princess and the Frog. I know they’re revamping Splash Mountain into that, but it’s not necessary. You don’t revamp a popular ride, but instead use your Disney imagination and come up with something new. They should also consider bringing back Country Bear Jamboree. They can add it to one of the unnecessary shop areas in Critter Country or bring it to Frontierland.
Can’t agree with you more. Excellent ideas. I loved Bear Country and they need better theme rides in toon town. Your suggestions would be great. Also, leaving Splash Mountain alone would have been the best.
I’m bummed Small World will be closed during the runDisney weekend. I love that version since it’s the original and it boards outside.
I’m going to be at DL & DCA on my birthday the last week of January. My girlfriend and I are bummed that Splash Mountain will be closed as well as the haunted mansion are a lot of other closures expected to happen? I guess my main concern is is this a good time to go?
Just finished a trip to Disneyland and over the course of three days we had a ride go down while we were in queue or en route at least 6 times. Looking at the map on the app there were always several rides down at all times of the day and it seemed like no ride was safe from breakage. While we understand that this will happen, the frequency was jarring and became a running joke as the trip went on. It made it impossible to enter an area of a park and be able to do everything in that area. We found ourselves having to come back to areas we should have already “completed.” We’ve been to WDW many times and never experienced even a small fraction of the amount of ride closures we ran into at Disneyland. Are they starting to skimp on maintenance crews as part of their current cost cutting measures?
It appears Blue Bayou is closed January 7-12, any details on why? Will it mean that the Pirate ride will possibly be closed that week too? Thanks!
Am I misreading something when I look on the disneyland interactive map it says the train is being refurbished is that correct?
Disneyland needs ton of maintenance. We were there in June and in two days we hit 10 rides that were evacuated. Two of which we were. The ride stability for Spider-Man and for the incredicoaster was terrible. Indiana jones evacuated twice. Haunted mansion a few effects and on one ride we stopped 15 times. The magic was really not there that day.
Do you happen to have any idea what “The Heartbeat of New Orleans – A Living Mural” is? I noticed it appeared on the calendar with only night time hours (I’m looking at November 27th) – making me wonder if it’ll be a nighttime something or other on the Rivers of America. We saw lights & workers doing stuff on the Pirate ship every night while we were there last week.
And then I’m actually glad the Incredicoaster is getting some love – it’s my favorite ride but we didn’t have one single good ride on it last week b/c all of the coaster’s audio is messed up in one way or another. That + Indy being down is going to save us money on Genie+ for our next trip – no high height requirement rides means mom & dad don’t need it to quickly rider swap them without the kids, thanks Disneyland!
Congrats on Baby Bricker! From experience & with love – Rider swapping / trying to ride all the rides quickly with an under 40″ kid in tow will slow down / lower your ride counts IMMENSELY – I look forward to your updated Parental park ride strategies.
I heard that both the Incredicoaster and the Indiana Jones ride are going down for refurbishment on November 27th. But there is no word on how long they will be closed. I wonder what the chances are that the Indiana Jones ride will reopen before my trip in late January. I am surprised that the Indiana Jones ride is closing again after they just went through a 3 month refurbishment.
I just heard that the Indiana Jones ride will reopen on December 1st!! Yay!!!
Re: Fantasmic return
Once it returns in the spring, if it is used for a big marketing push, can we expect two showings a night on weekends in that coming fall?
I’m deciding how many park nights I need on a fall trip to see all the nighttime spectaculars. If they have two showings on a DL weekend night in September I can watch the halloween fireworks then catch the 10:30 Fantasmic, yes?
We were told on a recent Keys to the Kingdom tour by our guide, that Paint the Night would not ever come to MK as Mac the Truck was too big to make the turns on the parade route. Makes me sad as that is one of my favorite parades. I would love to see it come back in some form at DCA.
No offense to your guide, but whether Paint the Night will ever come to MK isn’t something they’d know.
It’s entirely possible that certain floats wouldn’t work in other parks–it was also the thought that Mack wouldn’t work at Disneyland back when Paint the Night was only in Hong Kong. But the solution to that is cutting those floats from the parade, just like they did with Frozen when PtN moved to DCA.
Tom, do you think there’s any chance that the current iteration of Rogers: The Musical is an audition or test run for something bigger (i.e., Broadway itself)? The current trend on Broadway right now is recycled nostalgia and from what I’ve heard about the Rogers musical, if it was able to be beefed out a bit more to pad its running time it would likely be as good as (and likely much better than) the average Broadway production.
It’s no secret that new iterations of the last two Hyperion Theater shows (Aladdin and Frozen) both became Broadway hits. While I realize those were new incarnations without a direct lineage tracing back to the Hyperion productions, if I were Disney brass I’d be thinking about ways to more directly monetize Rogers: The Musical vs. giving it away “for free” at DCA.
Wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case, or if it’s a test for Disney Cruise Line.
Either way, I hope it’s not solely a test and that this version returns to DCA in 2024.
That would be fantastic. We’re huge fans of Rogers: The Musical and would love to see it return in any format!