Ok, whoever made the decision to have HM and SSE closed at the same time (during peak summer season nonetheless) should be put on the unemployment line immediately!
First of all, you don't close dont a major attraction during the summer for an extended period of time. 45% of all WDW attendence comes from June through August so you would figure that WDW would want to be running at full capacity.
I understand that HM needed to go down and it had to be in the summer.. .ok ill give you that one. BUT SSE? Come on! You just built a brand new post-show and now it's going to be used for 3 months and then go down again. That makes no sense to me at all.
What's next? The Great Movie Ride and It's Tough to Be a Bug will be shut down next for a summer rehab?
I just remember how about 7 years ago a summer rehab was unheard of due to the high capcity of guests. Now all of a sudden rehabs are being performed regardless of what time of year it is. Seriously, when SSE reopens in November NO ONE WILL BE THERE TO RIDE IT! How pointless is that? Why not simply wait another month or so and open it just prior to the Christmas crowds arriving?
Ok I'm done. That's where i stand
It's been said on here by others before, but WDW doesn't have an extended off-season like it did in the past when a summer rehab was unheard of. While there are slower times throughout the year, there is no longer an extended period of a few months throughout the year when refurbs can be done and capacity not be affected.
SSE and HM are in two different parks and thus one being closed at one park will not affect capacity at the other park. Closing two major attractions in one park is a different story (as is routinely done at Disneyland where they still do have a more extended off season period).
Sure, summer doesn't seem like a great choice for a refurb, but SSE is staying open for the peak of summer (July 4th week) and then will be closed for July which is a busy summer month. However, by the 2nd week of August through mid October, things slow down, which is a perfect time for this refurb. If they pushed SSE's refurb back even a month, that would place it being closed during the extremely busy Thanksgiving week. Also, as planned, it will reopen during a slower period which will allow for adjustments as needed before the mass influx of people for the busiest time of year during the holidays arrive in November and Decemeber.
HM's refurb is planned to insure it reopens in time for MNSSHP and Halloween in general, so pushing that back would either interfere with Halloween or have it closed during Disney's busiest time of year during the Holidays, or if it waited until next January, a 3 month refurb could potentially interfere with the busy Spring Break period and subsequently force the other needed major refurbs at the MK (Space Mountain and Jungle Cruise) back even more.
I feel for those making the decision on when the best time to do these extended refurbs really is. There really is no perfect time period anymore. In order for these needed enhancements, it will have to be closed during somebody's vacation unfortunately.
