POTC Ride Down For Refurb #2 - Possibly Feb-May 2007

[HydroGuy]

There was some recent discussion about the POTC ride being down before the POTC 3 movie release Memorial Day weekend 2007. See www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=14085606. I speculated in that thread that the ride would be down for only a few weeks in late April/early May 2007, and it looks like my speculation was too narrow.

Note that I have seen nothing official about this yet. However, IMO Al Lutz has a pretty good track record of gathering insider info about DLR (I have been reading his articles for the last 1 1/2 years, and he has credibility with me, FWIW). In his latest article posted today he relates, among other things, that the POTC ride may be down for several months in the Feb-May 2007 time frame.

While Pirates of the Caribbean was only one stop on the tour, it was one of the best examples of the differences between Anaheim and Orlando. Lucky for the Floridians they will have a second chance at getting a Pirates rehab right when both attractions close again in 2007 to get ready for the third installment in the wildly successful movie franchise. The third movie premiere has already been slotted for Disneyland around the middle of May, and this time the refurbishment will add Kiera Knightly and Orlando Bloom animatronic figures (despite what some in Imagineering are saying otherwise).

The Disneyland project managers and Imagineers have been trying to figure out the schedule, and it looks now like the Disneyland attraction should be closed for three and a half months from roughly early February to around May 19th. The Floridians had been thinking of only a six or seven week rehab from just after Easter until the third installment of the movie opens May 25th. But the recent visit to Disneyland has them rethinking those plans, and they may try to go for the more ambitious Disneyland-style full rehab of their 34 year old attraction.

For his full article, see this link: www.miceage.com/allutz/al091206a.htm

 

[Maistre Gracey]

While I understand and appreciate the need for refurbishing and updating, it is frustrating when attractions seem to be down more than they are operational.

Thanx for the update. We will be there in March.

MG

 

[samkj]

NO, NO, NO,!!!! I refuse to believe they will close it down for months again. But my belief may be because we are going in February and my son(will be 5 during for thetrip) wants to go on POTC for the first time. He has been watching a video of the ride almost daily and can't wait.

I'm going to stick my head in the ground and pretend I never heard this rumor..... :

 

[mikayla73]

Our trip is the last week of May/first week of June, so hopefully it doesn't run later than that. I missed it when we were there last year, so I hope we get to see it this year!

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

Aarrgghh!!! I was hoping to go in March! This is so disappointing.

 

[Captjackson]

If it's true, it'd be a bummer for alot of people. That's alot of down time coming so soon after the last refurb. We had friends last year change their plans specifically to see POTC. Still, I guess you can't blame Disney for wanting to cash * in on the success of the Pirates Triology.









*Sorry, just kidding.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Wow..that long?

The lines for POTC these days are so huge that I can't imagine all the disappointed people when it goes down for rehab.

On the other hand...Orlando Bloom as an animatronic? hubba hubba!

 

[jemilah]

Great it was closed last may and this one too! We were looking so forward to it and if anything we would go sooner then later in the year. Hope it is just a rumor!

 

[mystic_path]

WOW! 6 Month referb? Thats a really long time for a referb. This one must be major, compared to the last few.

 

[HydroGuy]

WOW! 6 Month referb? Thats a really long time for a referb. This one must be major, compared to the last few.

Actually 3 1/2 months. The one in 2006 was also 3 1/2 months (early March until late June).

 

[mystic_path]

Where did I read 6 month referb from?

Either way 3 1/2 months is a long time.

 

[marydmjj]

Nooooo! We are going to be there in Feb. and I really wanted to see Capt. Jack.

 

[Laralyn]

I was just about to post a question about this... glad I looked first!

How far ahead of time does Disney usually post official refurbishing dates? We're not going to make it to WDW this year, so I was planning to go to DL for my birthday... but I don't want to miss Pirates!

 

[HydroGuy]

I was just about to post a question about this... glad I looked first!

How far ahead of time does Disney usually post official refurbishing dates? We're not going to make it to WDW this year, so I was planning to go to DL for my birthday... but I don't want to miss Pirates!

Hard to answer. Sometimes only a month, sometimes more. Here are some resources you can check:

RideRefurbs: www.riderefurbs.com

MousePlanet weekly DLR Park Update: www.mouseplanet.com/search.php?type=c&cid=dl

DLR Website: www.disneyland.com

None are guaranteed to be accurate (I trust MousePlanet most, even more than the DLR website), and DLR reserves the right to change its mind at any time.

 

[lourodrigis]

I cannot believe this!! We went to WDW in May 2006 and POTC was closed for the second movie. It was disappointing as it made Adventureland pretty lame. Now I plan our first trip to DLR for April 2007 and I hear that POTC may be closed again. This really stinks! I was so looking forward to the new effects. Maybe we'll get luck and the ride will be open. Our plan is to be at DLR Thurs-Sat after Easter 2007.

 

[mystic_path]

im so excited!!! I am going the first week of june, so I am really excited that the ride might be up and running by then. If it is though, I cant imagine the lineups for that ride. It would be discusting.

 

[HydroGuy]

If it is though, I cant imagine the lineups for that ride. It would be discusting.

Probably not. The lines were bad in 2006 for a number of reasons.

1. The ride re-opened 2 days before a blackout period for some AP holders, so they were willing to wait 4 hours to get on the ride

2. There have been persistent problems with boats getting stuck because of design changes and insufficient testing prior to re-opening

3. The ride re-opened right at the cusp of summer peak season.

Within a month lines were back close to normal, except for when the boats would get stuck and cause artificial backups (this happened to me in August - but not too bad).

If the ride does go down in Spring 2007, after it re-opens the above issues will not exist (at least not to the same degree) and so I would not expect the impact to be as large.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Hmmmm...we were there in late August and the lineup for POTC each day was HUGE. EVEN first thing in the morning. We rushed to POTC as soon as the rope dropped and we were lucky to be on the first boat out. (This was on a Monday). When we came out the other side, the lineup for POTC was already very long. There were no stuck boats and the line was already very long. Every time I've been on that ride, whether it be Orlando or Anaheim, there has always been a jam up on at the end (well, except this first boat out time). I've never seen the line for Pirates as long as I saw them in August...ever. There used to be a time when we could just walk onto it. The movies have seen an end to that!

Mind you, there have been technical problems as you have said. I was told that the day before we rode it that morning that the ride had been down for a while.

 

[CaptainJacksWench]

Good grief!!! We were there in May and it was closed. Luckily we are going for the Christmas holiday and it's open. I will be sure NOT to go during the next time it's closed because it's been our favorite for decades!! (I've yet to see the updated version!)

 

[minnietoo]

Hmmmm...we were there in late August and the lineup for POTC each day was HUGE. EVEN first thing in the morning. We rushed to POTC as soon as the rope dropped and we were lucky to be on the first boat out. (This was on a Monday). When we came out the other side, the lineup for POTC was already very long. There were no stuck boats and the line was already very long. Every time I've been on that ride, whether it be Orlando or Anaheim, there has always been a jam up on at the end (well, except this first boat out time). I've never seen the line for Pirates as long as I saw them in August...ever. There used to be a time when we could just walk onto it. The movies have seen an end to that!

Mind you, there have been technical problems as you have said. I was told that the day before we rode it that morning that the ride had been down for a while.

This ride has a high capacity and the lines move very fast. On opening day - from the flag pole in the hub - it only took 50 minutes to get onto the ride. Same day - from the Mark Twain landing - only 15 minutes.