Rivers of America Rehab Winter/Spring 2010

[sponono88]

Al Lutz has an update today, with some info on the RoA refurb:

...as well as Tony Baxter's current project of reinvigorating the Rivers of America with reworked scenery and additional animatronics. A pair of animatronic bobcats up on a ridge, some new Indian Scouts staring down passing Davy Crockett Canoes along the rocky rapids, and Mike Fink parking his keelboat out front and moving in to the old non-burning settlers cabin are some of the changes headed for the May debut of the refurbished river rides.

The plan now also includes adding some real animals in amongst the new animatronics, with the Indian Village at the big bend in the river planned to get a small themed paddock next to the teepees with a few live Pintos allowed to graze there and watch the tourists go by on the passing canoes and boats.

http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al022310a.htm

sounds like it will look great! new AAs and possibly live animals roaming around!

 

[nemofinder22]

Al Lutz has an update today, with some info on the RoA refurb:



http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al022310a.htm

sounds like it will look great! new AAs and possibly live animals roaming around!

I think moving the Keel boat to in front of the old burning cabin is a great idea, it will make the keel boat look less random than its old spot, and make the cabin look like someone is living there.

Cant wait to see this refurbishment complete.

 

[nemofinder22]

A look around the ROA refurbishment.

Photos by Darkbeer
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-22510/11350054_F3TYG#P-1-20

The Frontierland moat and bridge have completed refurbishment, the bridge is brand new as well as the bottom of the moat(which IMO still looks awful the clean cement is nice but its not suppose to be perfect and clean like that, the look that ROA got in 2003 would have been a better choice. Hopefully the plants will grow over and hid it)
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-22510/11350054_F3TYG#797194345_MSY5Q

A look around the river
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-22510/11350054_F3TYG#797194538_VH3oD

The Mark Twain/Columbia dock
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-22510/11350054_F3TYG#797199578_nmgyG

Im guessing right behind the white truck is where the old keel boat will be living now
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-22510/11350054_F3TYG#797203546_Z8x8z

 

[sponono88]

An update on this:

The waterway that connects Disneyland's Jungle Cruise to the Castle Moat has been tarped over again, hopefully to alleviate the construction "improvements" that destroyed the once-rustic riverbanks.

Originally, the inlet was drained and cleaned, then construction crews built a new guest-proof bridge at the entrance of Frontierland. While the river was dry, it was given a fresh coat of concrete. Unfortunately, to the dismay of WDI's show quality control team, the waterway now resembles a swimming pool.

"The contractor that was hired to do the work did put a fresh coat of concrete, and created new sides and a lip," confirmed a cast member. "It totally looks like an artificial canal and not a river cutting through the entrance of Adventureland and Frontierland."

Let's hope the second time's the charm.

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/blog.php?b=645

good to know that WDI is staying on top of these little details.

Also, not sure if this was posted but MacDaddy from MiceChat caught this photo of cut-outs along RoA. It looks like this may be an indication of where the new AAs might go..

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/Pythonrules/DLR%2009/101-4.jpg

 

[nemofinder22]

An update on this:



good to know that WDI is staying on top of these little details.

Also, not sure if this was posted but MacDaddy from MiceChat caught this photo of cut-outs along RoA. It looks like this may be an indication of where the new AAs might go..

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/Pythonrules/DLR 09/101-4.jpg

:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy: thank goodness. Mousetimes has a picture of the tarps around.
http://mousetimes.smugmug.com/DLR/2010/March-2-2010/11402600_Ch9Jm#801493371_gySx7

 

[nemofinder22]

A peek into the tarps, looks like they already removed the cement at the top.
Photos by Darkbeer.

http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-3410/11419336_r7Nqh#802699814_KhM8W

Look carefully you can see some of the new track in place. I wonder how they plan on fixing the parts under the Columbia...
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-3410/11419336_r7Nqh#802695519_5v8Ww

And from TheDLGazette looks like some yellow barricades going up around the Fantasmic! stage
http://twitpic.com/16t0a9

 

[nemofinder22]

A look around the ROA refurbishment.

Photos by Darkbeer
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-22510/11350054_F3TYG#P-1-20

The Frontierland moat and bridge have completed refurbishment, the bridge is brand new as well as the bottom of the moat(which IMO still looks awful the clean cement is nice but its not suppose to be perfect and clean like that, the look that ROA got in 2003 would have been a better choice. Hopefully the plants will grow over and hid it)
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-22510/11350054_F3TYG#797194345_MSY5Q

Before and almost after. The before picture was taken from the Adventureland entry area, while the almost after was taken from the Frontierland bridge looking at the Carnation Gardens bridge. The almost after looks fantastic!!!! and you have to wonder how the first one was approved, but again much better!:sohappy:

Photo by Mintcrocodile
http://mintcrocodile.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-weeks-latest-progress.html
http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/808050203_DceRA-X3.jpg

 

[sponono88]

Before and almost after. The before picture was taken from the Adventureland entry area, while the almost after was taken from the Frontierland bridge looking at the Carnation Gardens bridge. The almost after looks fantastic!!!! and you have to wonder how the first one was approved, but again much better!:sohappy:

Photo by Mintcrocodile
http://mintcrocodile.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-weeks-latest-progress.html
http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/808050203_DceRA-X3.jpg

yeah, I wonder who approved that first design.

so glad they went back and fixed it, obviously a huge improvement!

 

[sponono88]

what a difference!

Before:

After

 

[TP2000]

what a difference!

Before:

After

I would hate to be the guy who was the project manager on the first one, and then have Tony Baxter come through on his park walk and see the result. I bet the emails flew fast and furious that day! Someone made a huge mistake, if not a series of mistakes to get that mini-golf look through to completion.

How funny that they shut it all down again a week later, ripped it out, and redid the whole thing. At least Disneyland did the right thing and fixed it, very quickly, and likely at some expense. But still, I'm sure there's a great story behind that one! :lol:

 

[nemofinder22]

Some river news-
Both Raft, Canoe, and other docks are being replaced with new cement docks-

and Dmom has this to share.
http://www.mouseinfo.com/forums/dis...-refurbishment-enhancements.html#post17341756
Dmom-

I found out yesterday that part of the refurb of Rivers of America is that they are dividing the river into the 4 main rivers...Rio Grande, Columbia, Mississippi & Potomac Rivers..I am talking about the lands around the rivers will be themed to a particular river...

I cant wait to see the ROA back up in action again with its enhancements.

All photos by Darkbeer

The water wheel is currently gone, look carefully behind at the restroom shed you'll notice the wooden docks have been ripped out and new re-bar is waiting to be covered with cement-
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-March-25th/11625744_igTBN#819719021_ZJPrn

Columbia getting ready to be painted, looks like the bottom has lost the coloring already.
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-March-25th/11625744_igTBN#819718514_eRFLJ

The Fantasmic! rigs are up today and yellow barricades surround the pit.
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-March-25th/11625744_igTBN#819718055_RpdZy

The island side dock is gone-
http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/Theme-Parks/Disneyland-Resort-March-25th/11625744_igTBN#819722418_TCoqM

 

[sponono88]

Nice! It's looking good so far. This is like the biggest refurb RoA has seen in.. I can't even remember. It was drained a couple of years ago but I don't think it received the same type of work or additions it's getting now.

 

[nemofinder22]

Nice! It's looking good so far. This is like the biggest refurb RoA has seen in.. I can't even remember. It was drained a couple of years ago but I don't think it received the same type of work or additions it's getting now.

I agree this years is really impressive with a lot of work and a big down time.

I think 2003s refurbishment was mainly the addition of some new themed cement around a few areas and the return of a docked keel boat(I think prior to the current refurb the boat had taken on water) It looks like this time around its completing the rest of it. I guess at the rate were getting ROA refurbs, the next will be 7-10 years from now.

For kicks heres a look back at the 2003 ROA refurbishment
Jan 16, 2003
http://www.laughingplace.com/News-PID506800-506803.asp

Feb 28, 2003( no Critter Country, Splash was down for refurbishment, Pooh was still under construction. DL sure does like to ruin vacations :ROFLOL
http://www.laughingplace.com/News-PID506960-506964.asp

April 18, 2003
http://www.laughingplace.com/News-PID507050-507053.asp

 

[nemofinder22]

Some pictures of the Rivers of America refurbishment/enchantments from Disneygeek-

they start on this page
http://www.disneygeek.com/updates/disneyland_update.php?page_id=50&update_dir=2010_03_26

A few different things to notice-

a rebuilt Keel boat near the old burning cabin
http://www.disneygeek.com/updates/disneyland_image.php?update_dir=2010_03_26&page_id=44&num_image=2

Some new cement along the walls and a look at a Fantasmic! pit
http://www.disneygeek.com/updates/disneyland_image.php?update_dir=2010_03_26&page_id=51&num_image=2

New canoe dock
http://www.disneygeek.com/updates/disneyland_image.php?update_dir=2010_03_26&page_id=53&num_image=1

 

[nemofinder22]

A few small things to notice, even though theres still about 3 weeks more to go on this refurbishment-

Photo's by Mintcrocodile-
http://mintcrocodile.blogspot.com/2010/04/lamps-plus.html

The keel boat and cabin-
http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/838004403_vgSym-X3.jpg

Some new deer and moose
http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/838004598_G5Gxh-X3.jpg

http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/838008574_3ECW7-X3.jpg

The Fantasmic! fountain pits have been covered to be cleaned-
http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/838007132_aaHat-X3.jpg

And the new canoe dock, theres also new docks for the rafts, the old Keel boat landing, the old fishing docks, and the Fantasmic! docks.
http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/838008854_FbMBN-X3.jpg

http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/838010345_MzTPw-X3.jpg

A look at the TSI front/Fantasmic! stage
http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/838009439_8K3EB-X3.jpg

Mouseplanet is reporting that the re-filling of the Rivers Of America will start on April 30.
http://twitter.com/MousePlanet/status/12304627365

Looks like the Rivers of America project is still on schedule despite weather, filling begins 4/30 and attractions begin to reopen 5/6.

 

[sponono88]

MiceChat's In The Parks update has a photo update of this very extensive refurbishment

Rivers of America gets closer to it's scheduled May 7th re-opening date as more plants arrive to decorate the riverbanks. The animals along the river have received a nice cleaning as well and more rock beds are being laid. The Mark Twain will miss the May 7th reopening date due to being down for an extended amount of refurbishment. However all other river attractions are set to reopen on the 7th.

The Mark Twain dock receives some TLC with fresh paint

Work continues on the docks

New plants and vegetation are beginning to arrive

The back end of the island is now receiving it's new "Themed" landscaping treatment. Different parts of the river are reported to be planted with flora reminiscent of different parts of the country.

 

[nemofinder22]

I love the look of this picture, its not much but the colors of the trees, and deer look great! This picture doesn't show it but theres a lot of new deer. Im very happy ROA is getting so much attention during this refurbishment.

 

[sponono88]

Mac_Daddy has pictures of the recent construction work for the Mark Twain - it's getting a new paddle wheel

 

[sponono88]

The OCRegister has a new article about the RoA refurb, including a list of items they found when they drained it

But the most unusual item by far was a computer tower, said Dan Chambers, a project manager at Disneyland. Workers are unsure how the plastic box for plugs and discs got in the water path around Tom Sawyer Island.

Here are some of the other items found:
Half of a canoe from Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoe ride.
Plastic swords.
Mardi Gras beads. The items were part of Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee, a show on the Mark Twain Riverboat on the rivers in the fall.
Hundreds of cellular phones and walkie-talkies.
Hundreds of baby pacifiers.
Mickey Hats.
Sunglasses.

CMs got a preview of the new additions yesterday with a walkthrough tour. According to the article, the Rivers of America will be refilled on Monday.

http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/2010/04/29/workers-find-unusual-items-in-disneyland-river/42683/

 

[sponono88]

A few small things to notice, even though theres still about 3 weeks more to go on this refurbishment-

And the new canoe dock, theres also new docks for the rafts, the old Keel boat landing, the old fishing docks, and the Fantasmic! docks.
http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/838010345_MzTPw-X3.jpg

the docks look nearly completed

the paddle wheel

looks like new landscaping around the water's edge