News Splash Mountain closing for lengthy refurbishment in early 2020

[Josh Hendy]

Oh....and finally saw Song of the South. There is nothing racist about it at all.
It's honors to old Black Southern folk tales and teaches a very good lesson.

I agree the movie should be seen and not treated like the proverbial red-headed stepchild lol.

I speculate that there are 2 possible gripes:

1) In scenes with Uncle Remus speaking to adult white people, the director contrived to position the black man on a lower level speaking up to them. It looked to me as if the director was trying to pander to a racist element in the audience. I found it jarring and actually worse than anything in Gone With the Wind. A couple of judicious edits could fix this.

2) The nonsensical idea that the Tar Baby is racist. Probably because the original meaning of the story has been lost and the expression "tar baby" has been given racist connotations retroactively.

Some people are waaaay sensitive though so don't hold your breath waiting for TWDC to revive this classic.

An even bigger LOL is that the BBC has disowned certain episodes of Fawlty Towers

 

[N2dru]

I agree the movie should be seen and not treated like the proverbial red-headed stepchild lol.

I speculate that there are 2 possible gripes:

1) In scenes with Uncle Remus speaking to adult white people, the director contrived to position the black man on a lower level speaking up to them. It looked to me as if the director was trying to pander to a racist element in the audience. I found it jarring and actually worse than anything in Gone With the Wind. A couple of judicious edits could fix this.

2) The nonsensical idea that the Tar Baby is racist. Probably because the original meaning of the story has been lost and the expression "tar baby" has been given racist connotations retroactively.

Some people are waaaay sensitive though so don't hold your breath waiting for TWDC to revive this classic.

To say some ppl are too sensitive is a very uninformed and untrue statement to say the least. Also the expression "tar baby" had negative connotations long before the movie, so it wasn't retroactive.

 

[esskay]

What you really mean is....How dare I criticize or question things that the vaunted Disney Parks do?

I'm the first to criticise them for something that genuinely warrants it. Complaining that they are updating the parks is just insane though.

Like seriously, think about it for a minute. Updates require work. Work generally requires construction. How do the parks pull off big updates without construction...

You seem hell bent on finding a way to slate them for everything - in some cases they truly deserve it. In this case they don't. The parks were in woeful need of updating - Epcot especially. Construction work on a major scale could not be avoided, and even in Epcot's case it has practically zero impact as other than Energy theres no attractions affected by it.

 

[BromBones]

I'm the first to criticise them for something that genuinely warrants it. Complaining that they are updating the parks is just insane though.

Like seriously, think about it for a minute. Updates require work. Work generally requires construction. How do the parks pull off big updates without construction...

You seem hell bent on finding a way to slate them for everything - in some cases they truly deserve it. In this case they don't. The parks were in woeful need of updating - Epcot especially. Construction work on a major scale could not be avoided, and even in Epcot's case it has practically zero impact as other than Energy theres no attractions affected by it.

You, like some others, are again misreading my comment.

I’m not criticizing Disney for maintain rides. I’m criticizing the constant construction by Iger since he took over.
We have gone to Disney every year since 2006 and once Iger took over it’s been cranes, scaffolding, walls, traffic cones and construction equipment constantly.

Now go back and re-read my comment.

 

[DryerLintFan]

They could always add a zip line between the cranes and call it an upcharge

Seriously though.... I hope you have a less constructiony trip next time you go. I haven't been negatively impacted by the scims and the cranes on my trips, but I understand why that would cause some negativity for someone else. Good luck!

 

[socaljoeyb]

The parks have been starved of capital. They are catching up and there is lots more to do.

There will be lots of refurbs in Magic Kingdom before the 50th, hopefully to the scale of Disneyland before its 50th.

 

[esskay]

You, like some others, are again misreading my comment.

I’m not criticizing Disney for maintain rides. I’m criticizing the constant construction by Iger since he took over.
We have gone to Disney every year since 2006 and once Iger took over it’s been cranes, scaffolding, walls, traffic cones and construction equipment constantly.

Now go back and re-read my comment.

I have re read your comment. You're complaining that every time you visit you see a big construction project.

If you don't want to see construction projects you're in the wrong place.

As I said before, the parks have been in need of major updates, which is why there have been so many construction projects.

To give you some sort of perspective, major construction projects were required for every single one of the current most popular attractions, and some of the (now) lesser popular ones:

- Galaxy's Edge
- Toy Story Land
- Midway Mania
- Soarin'
- (New) Test Track
- Mission Space
- New Fantasyland + Seven Dwarfs, Mermaid, et all
- Pandora + rides
etc

If you genuinely have an alternative that would've meant the parks continue to have new attractions to keep up attendance without having to call in 1 crane or digger then please do share that information. I suspect though that if no new major construction projects had been done you'd be one of the first to criticize them for not keeping the parks update, so they can't really win can they.

Nobody likes to see construction walls. But if its there to better the experience, and you knew it was going to be that way before you went then theres really nothing to complain about, especially when it has absolutely zero impact on your trip.

 

[nickys]

An even bigger LOL is that the BBC has disowned certain episodes of Fawlty Towers

Huh? What on earth gave you that idea?

Even as recently as last year it was rated Britain’s favourite sitcom. It’s repeated regularly on TV. The BBC would be downright stupid to disown it in any way.

 

[BromBones]

I have re read your comment. You're complaining that every time you visit you see a big construction project.

If you don't want to see construction projects you're in the wrong place.

As I said before, the parks have been in need of major updates, which is why there have been so many construction projects.

To give you some sort of perspective, major construction projects were required for every single one of the current most popular attractions, and some of the (now) lesser popular ones:

- Galaxy's Edge
- Toy Story Land
- Midway Mania
- Soarin'
- (New) Test Track
- Mission Space
- New Fantasyland + Seven Dwarfs, Mermaid, et all
- Pandora + rides
etc

If you genuinely have an alternative that would've meant the parks continue to have new attractions to keep up attendance without having to call in 1 crane or digger then please do share that information. I suspect though that if no new major construction projects had been done you'd be one of the first to criticize them for not keeping the parks update, so they can't really win can they.

Nobody likes to see construction walls. But if its there to better the experience, and you knew it was going to be that way before you went then theres really nothing to complain about, especially when it has absolutely zero impact on your trip.

Well obviously I'm in the wrong place ever since Iger came on board.

Prior to his arriving there was not so much overt construction. And I'm not talking about building out parks, I am talking about constant construction all over the resort.

Alternative, Spacing out the construction so it does not continually destroy the aesthetic of Walt Disney World.
If I wanted to drive through and navigate constant construction zones I can do that at home.

 

[esskay]

Well obviously I'm in the wrong place ever since Iger came on board.

Prior to his arriving there was not so much overt construction. And I'm not talking about building out parks, I am talking about constant construction all over the resort.

Alternative, Spacing out the construction so it does not continually destroy the aesthetic of Walt Disney World.
If I wanted to drive through and navigate constant construction zones I can do that at home.

Got it. So no alternative that would have kept the parks fresh and kept attendance up. Let’s leave it there then shall we.

 

[BromBones]

Got it. So no alternative that would have kept the parks fresh and kept attendance up. Let’s leave it there then shall we.

The parks had ample attendance for decades prior to Iger and didn't look like a perpetual construction site.

 

[DryerLintFan]

Unfortunately I need to follow this thread for updates just in case a miracle happens and it opens early.

So it would be really cool if we could stop complaining/arguing about construction at the parks... please?

 

[BromBones]

Unfortunately I need to follow this thread for updates just in case a miracle happens and it opens early.

So it would be really cool if we could stop complaining/arguing about construction at the parks... please?

You can go here and find that information without having to navigate a very busy board.
And it comes right from the source.

Disney Parks Blog

Find the latest news and updates about Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on the Disney Parks Blog.

disneyparks.disney.go.com

 

[wdwmagic]

You can go here and find that information without having to navigate a very busy board.
And it comes right from the source.

Disney Parks Blog

Find the latest news and updates about Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on the Disney Parks Blog.

disneyparks.disney.go.com

The Disney Parks Blog doesn't announce plans for refurbishments, starts or ends.

To avoid following a thread, you can stay tuned to https://www.wdwmagic.com/refurbishments.htm, or if it opens early i'll post something on the the front page news of https://www.wdwmagic.com

 

[DryerLintFan]

The Disney Parks Blog doesn't announce plans for refurbishments, starts or ends.

To avoid following a thread, you can stay tuned to https://www.wdwmagic.com/refurbishments.htm, or if it opens early i'll post something on the the front page news of https://www.wdwmagic.com

Thank you

 

[doctornick]

I’m not criticizing Disney for maintain rides. I’m criticizing the constant construction by Iger since he took over.
We have gone to Disney every year since 2006 and once Iger took over it’s been cranes, scaffolding, walls, traffic cones and construction equipment constantly.

Yeah, I'm not sure I understand this either. There should be constant construction going on at WDW. I'm of the mind that they be opening at least one big land or ride (or at least multiple smaller attractions) every year. And since construction generally takes at least 2 if not 3 or more years for most anything good, then that means that multiple parks should pretty much always have some construction at any give point in time.

It's a good thing that one sees construction all over; that means the parks aren't stagnating. Which, ironically, there were doing for the first decade of Iger's time as head of the component. The constant construction has only been a fairly recent occurrence.

Now, I do wish more projects were based on areas that are undeveloped and on the periphery of the parks, which would tend to make those areas less noticeable. That's yet another issue with all the replacements that they have done, over building new and adding capacity.

 

[peter11435]

You, like some others, are again misreading my comment.

I’m not criticizing Disney for maintain rides. I’m criticizing the constant construction by Iger since he took over.
We have gone to Disney every year since 2006 and once Iger took over it’s been cranes, scaffolding, walls, traffic cones and construction equipment constantly.

Now go back and re-read my comment.

Iger took over in 2005. So he was in charge through all of your visits.

How do you think the rest of Walt Disney World was built? There was a time when the studios, pleasure island, typhoon lagoon, crescent lake, yacht club, beach club, Swan, dolphin, old key west, port orleans, dixie landings, sassagoula river, and numerous roadway projects were all under construction at the same time. Not even to mention projects inside the two existing parks.

 

[BromBones]

Iger took over in 2005. So he was in charge through all of your visits.

How do you think the rest of Walt Disney World was built? There was a time when the studios, pleasure island, typhoon lagoon, crescent lake, yacht club, beach club, Swan, dolphin, old key west, port orleans, dixie landings, sassagoula river, and numerous roadway projects were all under construction at the same time. Not even to mention projects inside the two existing parks.

And he got ridiculous especially in the last 10 years. It has been non-stop construction in and around the parks.
I don't like navigating and seeing construction equipment, concrete barricades, mountains of dirt, cranes, chain link fences and wall.
They are building just for the sake of building and pretty much everything outside of the parks is being built for DVC members.

I know...I know...Saint Iger can do no wrong, and how dare I criticize Disney. You guys have your mantra. I get it.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

The parks had ample attendance for decades prior to Iger and didn't look like a perpetual construction site.

Maybe we were visiting different parks.

For the last 20 years, I've been visiting the WDW that has nearly constant construction.

If it helps, as long as I have been on these boards, I've also heard year round complaints about all the construction. Every winter = a Splash rehab and a Splash rehab complaint thread. They are a staple of the season! It almost wouldn't be winter without one.

The funny thing is...1 water park and Kali usually close every winter about the same time as Splash, but Kali closure threads are far less common.

And we're only a few short months away from the annual "Summer is Hot" threads!

 

[peter11435]

And he got ridiculous especially in the last 10 years. It has been non-stop construction in and around the parks.
I don't like navigating and seeing construction equipment, concrete barricades, mountains of dirt, cranes, chain link fences and wall.
They are building just for the sake of building and pretty much everything outside of the parks is being built for DVC members.

I know...I know...Saint Iger can do no wrong, and how dare I criticize Disney. You guys have your mantra. I get it.

Constant construction was a staple of WDW for its first three decades. It only slowed down in the early 2000’s. Now they are playing catch-up but it’s still not at unprecedented levels.

Iger is not a saint.