Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith is closed for some other multi-month refurbishment till overdue Summer time 2024 at Walt Disney International. This submit covers the reopening date & information about what to anticipate from the venture, what is going to most likely no longer exchange and why this more than likely isn’t a reimagining. (Up to date Might 21, 2024.)
The 2024 Walt Disney International Refurbishment Calendar is beginning to replicate greater repairs after a couple of years of lighter refurbishment schedules. This more than likely isn’t going to win me any pals, however I believe Walt Disney International will have to be including much more points of interest to the closure calendar. There are a lot of rides which have been experiencing above-average downtime, and others which are running however no longer show-ready.
Preventative repairs does no longer appear to have been going on because it will have to–which is the ‘easiest of each worlds’ resolution, because it way in a single day paintings that has minimum affect to visitors. I assume that’s what occurs whilst you let pass of a host of old-timers who held the institutional wisdom and lived-experience important to care for and fasten such a lot of of those legacy points of interest! (However I digress…)
Might 21, 2024 Replace: Walt Disney International has showed that Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith will reopen on July 27, 2024. This date has been added to the professional park calendar, which updates on a rolling foundation and simply had the ones dates added lately. Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith went down for refurbishment this yr on January 8 after a an identical closure final wintry weather via early summer season.
This quantities to over a 6 month closure, which is longer than the refurbishment of the trip final yr all the way through (kind of) the similar time frame. Consistent with Walt Disney International, the rocktastic appeal will resume its super-stretch limo rides in Summer time 2024. The trip is these days closed for normal repairs and there aren’t any adjustments anticipated to the visitor journey because of this.
There are a pair issues to notice right here. The primary is that July 27 continues to be over two months away when this date was once introduced, so it’s topic to modify. That’s true of all refurbishment reopenings, however particularly so with this venture. Our wager is that Walt Disney International is being conservative with the reopening date, as that’s the easier way and results in fewer proceedings.
That means that it’s much more likely to peer Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster reopen a couple of days or even weeks prior to July 27, 2024 than it’s to peer the trip go back later. It truly all is dependent upon how paintings progresses in the house stretch of the venture. It’s doubtlessly price noting that, final yr, Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster reopened a number of weeks forward of agenda.
2nd, this now places different points of interest “at the clock.” At the same time as Walt Disney International is expanding the trip refurbishment calendar quantity, we suspect they’d be disinclined to make extra last-minute additions till Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster returns. So imagine July 28, 2024 the most likely earliest date for the rumored Magic Kingdom trip closures, in addition to different possible initiatives in EPCOT and different refurbishments that experience but to be introduced (and even rumored).
Overdue July via overdue September is some other moderately gradual time frame, and we predict Walt Disney International to profit from that by way of including extra brief trip closures to the refurbishment calendar. However that’s simply hypothesis on our phase. Both method, it’ll be nice to have Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith again!
What follows is different unique statement and information about the Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster trip refurbishment…
If this appears like deja vu far and wide once more, it will have to. The very same factor came about 12 months in the past–proper right down to one of the above verbiage from Walt Disney International concerning the nature of the refurbishment and the announcement coming round Christmas. That closure additionally began all the way through the wintry weather low season and was once scheduled to run via summer season.
This yr, Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith unofficially reopened originally of the Memorial Day vacation weekend following its multi-month refurbishment. Value noting is this was once a lot previous than anticipated–by way of a number of months. Rumors initially pointed to the trip being closed via no less than July, with the venture doubtlessly proceeding into the autumn low season.
If truth be told, Walt Disney International filed two development lets in for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith’s long closure that corroborated this. Either one of the ones lets in expired in September, and likewise looked as if it would sign a extra complicated refurbishment than what in fact came about.
Our wager–and that is simply that–is that there was once a final minute exchange of plans by way of Walt Disney International, and just a portion of the originally-scheduled paintings came about. That as an alternative of doing the entirety suddenly, Disney opted to damage the venture into two portions, doing the primary part prior to the summer season vacationer season final yr and pushing the second one part to the similar time frame in 2024.
Once more, that is only a wager, nevertheless it’s no less than slightly supported by way of the timeline shortening. As opposed to this, when is the final time Walt Disney International were given one thing main executed forward of agenda? Then there are the lets in. There’s additionally the sensible truth that Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster has proceed to have reliability woes, which is exactly what the refurbishment was once geared toward addressing.
It’s solely imaginable that final yr’s venture was once finished in complete and Disney is handiest revisiting the venture now as a result of, regardless of the paintings being executed, downtime problems persist. So that they’re going to do extra and other repairs because of this. I haven’t any insider data, so I without a doubt wouldn’t rely that out.
Then again, we will be able to additionally glance to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which had its personal bifurcated refurbishment over the process 2021-2022. That was once quite other, because it was once a ‘stealth’ venture executed whilst the trip was once nonetheless operational (elevator shafts went down for repairs whilst the others persevered to run, successfully chopping the trip’s capability in part). However that was once additionally executed with a protracted hole in between the 2 halves of the venture.
Operationally, this can be a giant blow for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which already is missing in sufficient points of interest to take in the heavy crowds the park sees. This may increasingly handiest make that worse, particularly if there’s overlap with some other closure. Right here’s hoping that Walt Disney International brings again Jedi Coaching Academy, Voters of Hollywood, or any other leisure within the first part of 2024.
We already know that Voyage of the Little Mermaid gained’t be returning all the way through this refurbishment, as Walt Disney International introduced {that a} reimagined model of that, “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey” is coming in Fall 2024. At the plus aspect, DHS does have a number of persona meet & greets, however the ones don’t have just about the similar capability as a exhibit or trip.
The Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster refurbishment will put much more pressure at the already imbalanced Lightning Lane lineup. Already, go back occasions are steadily driven out into the overdue afternoon and early night time, and this will likely handiest aggravate that. Be expecting to simply rating a couple of excellent Lightning Lanes by way of Genie+ for those who don’t have a powerful refresh sport.
As for the scope of the paintings, it’s onerous to consider that this might be an entire observe substitute. Anything else not up to a yr isn’t sufficient time to take away and rebuild a curler coaster inside of an present gravity construction. Any person who watched the development of TRON Lightcycle Run would understandably be skeptical of Disney’s skill to do anything else with that quantity of velocity.
What’s much more likely is that parts of the observe are changed, or the release device is upgraded. That is but some other Vekoma coaster, the similar producer of Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle Run. The redone Avengers Bring together: Flight Pressure at Walt Disney Studios Park, which was once prior to now Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster prior to the reimagining, could also be a Vekoma.
It’s imaginable Imagineering and Vekoma have partnered to refresh parts of the coaster and lengthen its existence, having discovered classes from the ones initiatives or others world wide. I don’t know what such an replace would entail, however it will probably be achievable in a ~6 month timeline. In contrast, there’s no possible method that Walt Disney International may necessarily rebuild the curler coaster in that point. I don’t suppose there’s some way they might do this in anything else not up to 18 months.
Now let’s flip to hypothesis about what’ll happen all the way through this long closure–or slightly, what is going to no longer occur. In keeping with Walt Disney International, the trip is happening for normal repairs, and that’s it.
When you’ve learn our submit, Will Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Be Reimagined? (which discusses probabilities for the reimagining), that we predict this will occur in the future within the subsequent couple of years. There are a number of causes for this, together with the reputational legal responsibility introduced by way of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, who has now been named in two sexual abuse proceedings within the final two years. The ones allegations haven’t received a ton of media traction, but when they do, it will make sense for Disney to need to distance itself from Tyler.
Reimagining Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster isn’t just the protected transfer, however it will be cash smartly spent. It gifts a possibility for Imagineering to simply inject new existence in an appeal that’s inherently standard as a thrill trip, and would give the corporate one thing to marketplace between now and 2025.
Despite the fact that the corporate has respectable Plans to Double Funding to $60 Billion in Walt Disney International, Disneyland & Past that gained’t get started in earnest for some other couple of years. Disney has an excessive amount of debt and no longer sufficient liquidity to front-load spending; they wish to work out streaming, ESPN, and linear tv prior to turning their center of attention to Parks & Accommodations.
That by myself places the get started of great development paintings in overdue 2024 or 2025. That’s the purpose at which we’d be expecting paintings to start at the Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, which means that Indiana Jones Journey and no matter else is deliberate gained’t open till 2026 on the earliest.
Within the interim, Tiana’s Bayou Journey will open someday in 2024, more than likely prior to October. That leaves completely not anything for 2025, which is the yr that Common’s Epic Universe–a brand spanking new theme park–will debut. Except Walt Disney International is simply going to ‘surrender’ and let Common have 2025 (a technique that we identified would possibly make some extent of sense in Is Common “Beating” Disney?), they wish to get started transferring on one thing quickly.
About the one risk at this level for an oblique resolution to Epic Universe–or marketable additions, typically–is reimaginings. With regards to the ones, few points of interest have as a lot untapped advertising possible as Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster. A redone Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster may well be executed in 6-8 months and could be a colossal draw with mainstream audiences. Even if Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster is already beautiful standard, I will be able to’t recall to mind some other rides that hit the ‘candy spot’ of an effective reimagining and a marketable one.
Given all of that, there are a couple of probabilities. The primary is that we’re simply flat-out unsuitable and Walt Disney International has no plans in anyway to the touch Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster. Truthfully, this could be the perhaps state of affairs. Even if we predict a retheme is very most likely–and pragmatic–within the subsequent 2 years, it’s more than likely nonetheless handiest 50/50, at easiest.
The following state of affairs is that the retheme will occur in 2024, and Walt Disney International just isn’t waiting to announce it but. This sort of factor occurs, the place Disney denies to start with or says there are “no plans…at the moment.” The ones are well-known wiggle phrases from Disney, with the speculation being that plans exchange–and the corporate anticipating fanatics to consider the plans didn’t exist when the unique non-announcement came about.
The general state of affairs is that the 2023 and 2024 refurbishments are each important necessities to a reimagining. That Imagineering, the coaster producers, and contractors are getting into there to maintain the trip device and nuts & bolts of the appeal now, refreshing the underlying curler coaster, making it extra dependable, and laying the groundwork for a thematic and aesthetic reimagining round the similar time frame in 2025. That method, when it is going down in Wintry weather 2025, all they wish to do is switch out the surroundings and alter the window-dressing, slightly than doing that and addressing the trip device.
Whether or not it’s in 2024, 2025 or past, we nonetheless suppose {that a} substantive overhaul is inevitable in the future within the subsequent ~5 years. I individually love Aerosmith, however I’m nonetheless shocked that Walt Disney International is taking the appeal offline for see you later and no longer giving it a retheme. Common thrill rides can all the time change into much more well-liked by the combination of extra standard highbrow belongings. Simply take a look at Guardians of the Galaxy: Project Breakout at DCA.
Iconic as they could also be, it’s more than likely truthful to mention that Aerosmith doesn’t have the similar cachet or title reputation with more youthful visitors. I will be able to’t recall to mind some other fresh band this is standard, crowd-pleasing, non-controversial, and suits the trip profile. Alternatively, the Guardians of the Galaxy have demonstrated that vintage rock can go beyond its generation. (So right here’s hoping Led Zeppelin is within the subsequent film!)
No matter finally ends up taking place down the street with Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster, I am hoping Imagineering additionally learns from Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and incorporate becoming and amusing songs. In addition they want to make the effort to check a ton of various choices. The result on Cosmic Rewind is superior–even with the songs I don’t individually love.
Most likely Walt Disney International is ‘saving’ the reimagining for subsequent yr, and some other “new” Surprise curler coaster would be the marketable draw for Walt Disney International in 2025? There are many characters which are off-limits because of the Common contract, however that also leaves a variety of choices–together with ones which are standard within the Surprise Cinematic Universe: Section 4.
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Your Ideas
What do you take into consideration the multi-month closure of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Walt Disney International? Disillusioned that it’ll be down all the way through your commute? Suppose Disney is being coy, and it’ll in fact get a retheme in 2024? What about in 2025 or past? Ideas on possible bands, manufacturers, or large heroes to interchange Aerosmith? Any questions concerning the present refurbishments at Walt Disney International? Do you settle or disagree with our review? Any questions we will be able to permit you to resolution? Listening to your comments—even whilst you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas underneath within the feedback!
