Mid-January through early March is Disneyland’s unofficial refurbishment season. Holiday overlays come down, and with lighter crowds, attractions in need of more complex maintenance shut their doors for a few weeks.
With all of the closures due to Star Wars Land construction, additional refurbishments are actually significantly lighter than usual. But there are still some major closures you should know about if you’re planning a trip to the Happiest Place On Earth.
Star Wars Land Construction Closures (all closed through the spring)
- Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes
- Disneyland Railroad
- Fantasmic!
- Mark Twain Riverboat & Sailing Ship Columbia
- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
Holiday Overlay Removals
- Haunted Mansion (January 9 – 20)
- It’s A Small World (January 22 – February 3)
- Jungle Cruise (January 9 – 20)
- World of Color (February 21 – 24)
Other Closures
- Grizzly River Run (January 11 – February 24): Water rides need to be completely drained and cleaned periodically, and the Grizzly River Run is no exception. Few guests want to get soaked to the bone when it’s cold out, so late winter is the perfect time for this ride to close and refurb.
- Pirates of the Caribbean (February 3 – March 16): Pirate-obsessed fans can’t wait for this refurbishment for one reason…a new animatronic! When Pirates reopens, we will have a brand new auctioneer selling off brides. No word on whether or not any other animatronics will join him, but an upgrade of such a famous character will surely draw some buzz upon reopening.
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (January 17 – February 24): This closure is the only one that has nothing to do with maintenance of some kind. During the late winter, California Adventure crowds are much lighter, and with cold and rainy weather, few guests spend much time on the Challenge Trail. Disney closes the park for a month each year, and it reopens just as the spring crowds start rolling in.
I keep getting mixed messages on the Matterhorn Bobsleds refurbishment schedule (probably because there’s nothing officially definite posted). I just hope they’re back up by mid April when I’m taking my family.
Me too! To the best of my knowledge, there is no current estimated open date. But that seems to be changing all the time. I hope it reopens soon!
Helpful list. Thanks
Pirates is my ultimate favorite ride as well, is it for sure it will be closed that late in March?
Refurb schedules do tend to be fairly flexible. But with the installation of a new animatronic, I’m guessing it will stay closed for that long. 🙁 I’m bummed too, because I’m visiting in the next few weeks and won’t be able to ride!