Space Mountain refurbishment begins April 19 2009

[TarzanRocked99-]

Much thanks, also do you know if they have already gotten their hands on the replacement track (if any is involved) or does it still need to be ordered and fabricated?

 

[MousDad]

Relevant quote from Al Lut'z 1/6 update:

With the few refurbishment projects slated for Walt Disney World repeatedly slashed, yet continuing to gain approval by the skin of their teeth, the executive planners in Orlando have to now be content with a drastically scaled down rehab to Space Mountain and some more DVC units as their main recession-era offerings for the next few years.[end quote]

 

[LilMommyBug]

While I am happy about the rehab, i'm kind of bummed about TTA being down at some points. I'm taking my mom (her first time) in May & I wanted her to ride it.

Since it's only a month after SM goes down - anyone think TTA will still be up for a while?

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Relevant quote from Al Lut'z 1/6 update:

With the few refurbishment projects slated for Walt Disney World repeatedly slashed, yet continuing to gain approval by the skin of their teeth, the executive planners in Orlando have to now be content with a drastically scaled down rehab to Space Mountain and some more DVC units as their main recession-era offerings for the next few years.[end quote]

I never put too much stock in the miceAge line. They have been wrong too many times about too many projects for me to take their word as stone.

I'll be holding out to see what comes of this refurb.:wave:

 

[krankenstein]

Relevant quote from Al Lut'z 1/6 update:



I never put too much stock in the miceAge line. They have been wrong too many times about too many projects for me to take their word as stone.

I'll be holding out to see what comes of this refurb.:wave:

What he said!

Al Lutz tends to be really good when it comes to DL, but he has been known to miss the mark with WDW. :wave:

 

[Lee]

Much thanks, also do you know if they have already gotten their hands on the replacement track (if any is involved) or does it still need to be ordered and fabricated?

Unsure.
At one point I was told that new track was ordered....but that's been a while. What with all the uncertainty about the scope of the refurb, just how much new track will be used is unclear. There is none on site, I don't think.

 

[tirian]

Relevant quote from Al Lut'z 1/6 update:

With the few refurbishment projects slated for Walt Disney World repeatedly slashed, yet continuing to gain approval by the skin of their teeth, the executive planners in Orlando have to now be content with a drastically scaled down rehab to Space Mountain and some more DVC units as their main recession-era offerings for the next few years.[end quote]

The Space Mt. refurb will be better than what many of us feared. It was originally slated to be DL-like, then reduced to a Tokyo-style refurb; now it's solidly in between.

Don't try to compare its timetable to DL's, either, because WDW's Space is a very different thing to tackle.

Finally, it's interesting how Al spun the negative news for DL (entertainment's been cut back; but hey, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for 2011!) and glossed over the positive news for WDW—a solid Space Mt. refurb, parkwide refurbishments, SSE's eventual completion, hotel refurbs, etc. Stupid DL fanboy.

 

[tirian]

Unsure.
At one point I was told that new track was ordered....but that's been a while. What with all the uncertainty about the scope of the refurb, just how much new track will be used is unclear. There is none on site, I don't think.

Certainly not anywhere around the MK.

 

[MousDad]

I'm familiar with the tenor of Al Lutz's articles.

I have to confess that I still don't understand the giddiness of this thread. I see nothing from the announcement, or the subsequent discussion, that makes me any more confident that we're getting a substantial refurb.

Obviously, I'm hoping we do. I'm not trying to take sides, it's just not a clear picture to me yet which side is right. (By sides, I mean A: essential maintenance and cleaning refurb only vs. B: substantial refurb, not on scope of original plans but substantial new additions.)

 

[PolyneisanAlex]

Relevant quote from Al Lut'z 1/6 update:



The Space Mt. refurb will be better than what many of us feared. It was originally slated to be DL-like, then reduced to a Tokyo-style refurb; now it's solidly in between.

Don't try to compare its timetable to DL's, either, because WDW's Space is a very different thing to tackle.

Finally, it's interesting how Al spun the negative news for DL (entertainment's been cut back; but hey, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for 2011!) and glossed over the positive news for WDW—a solid Space Mt. refurb, parkwide refurbishments, SSE's eventual completion, hotel refurbs, etc. Stupid DL fanboy.

Wait i thought space mountain was opening 2010?:shrug:

 

[MousDad]

Wait i thought space mountain was opening 2010?:shrug:

So does everyone else in this thread. The announcement says Apr 09 - Late 09: 8 months.

 

[stitch2008]

Wait i thought space mountain was opening 2010?:shrug:

It might. We dont know the timetable for sure just yet. But Lee says that he heard the rehab was a minimum of 10 months. So we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Giraffe Lounge]

and glossed over the positive news for WDW

But to be fair, it is a Disneyland blog. Pretty much the same as us glossing over DLR news here.

Overall I like Lutz's columns as they pertain to DLR, but I'm with krakenstein, he's not great at WDW.

 

[joel_maxwell]

So does my neck.

fo' real. They can keep it closed for 2 years as long as they fix my need for medical attention in the post show.

Unless something has changed since the last info I got, 10 months is the minimum. I see it going a year, easy.


Ha! I love that.
Over the past year or so I've heard from various sources:
For sure.
then
No doubt.
then
Don't know.
then
No chance.
then
Possible.
then
Unlikely.
now...
Maybe.

:lol: Seriously, nothing about this refurb has remained constant...

Lee, that is just your sources covering their butts so they can say that technically, they weren't wrong once the real budget and logistics are released.

 

[Lee]

So does everyone else in this thread. The announcement says Apr 09 - Late 09: 8 months.

Late '09 is the very earliest...if everything goes extremely well.

I'm still betting on first quarter 2010.
Unless someone in power is dead set on getting it open for Christmas...which...you know....happens....:lookaroun

 

[spectrodanny]

If it DOESN'T happen in April, I wonder if they'll pull a Disneyland and close it unanounced

 

[Lee]

If it DOESN'T happen in April, I wonder if they'll pull a Disneyland and close it unanounced

It will happen in April. For sure.
As for the last part...it's not like Disneyland wanted to close theirs unannounced...

 

[HauntedPirate]

I think I'll side firmly with Lee/Martin/tirian on this one. I wouldn't expect to see it open again in 2009 once it closes. Which is OK with me for now, as our trip next week is the only one we have planned so far for 2009.

I'm also firmly in the "don't you DARE touch the queue music" camp. If they get rid of the Star Tunnel and the as-yet-unnamed-3rd-piece-of-queue-music music, there will be riots. Riots, I tell you!

Lee - You aren't saying some people *coughPhilHolmescough* pushed refurbs to re-open early just to handle crowds, are you? *hackPhilneedstogobeforeWDWcrumblesduetolackofTLCHACK* Sorry, I had to get rid of that....

 

[TarzanRocked99-]

The less Phil has to do with the Space Mountain Refurb the better I will feel about its outcome. I can easily see his spinless, bottom line, lack of show quality, and not to mention pompous a*# bend at the first sign of guest complaints.

 

[teebin]

If it DOESN'T happen in April, I wonder if they'll pull a Disneyland and close it unanounced

It is up on WaltDisneyWorld.com operational updates as of today! April 19 is the date. You insiders are so insider-like, have your finger on the pulse, ear to the ground... (I could go on) :lookaroun