Walt Disney World has introduced that Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith is closing for a multi-month refurbishment starting in late February 2023. This publish covers dates, particulars about what to anticipate from the undertaking, and commentary about what’s going to probably NOT change and why this in all probability isn’t a reimagining. (Up to date February 20, 2023.)
Traditionally, the winter months have been the highest time for journey closures and upkeep, as decrease crowds make that simpler to perform. The 2023 Walt Disney World Refurbishment Calendar bears this out. Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad and Kali River Rapids have had closures added for this winter, and Splash Mountain completely closed for conversion into Tiana’s Bayou Journey in Winter 2023.
These planning Walt Disney World holidays are all the time disenchanted when their favourite sights are down, however on a optimistic observe, this listing has not been wherever as ‘unhealthy’ because the 2023 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar. There, it actually is refurbishment season, even because the Disney one centesimal Anniversary Celebration kicks off.
February 23, 2023 Replace: After a single-day delay, Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith is now closed for its multi-month refurbishment. In accordance with Walt Disney World, the “rocktastic attraction will resume its super-stretch limo rides in summer time 2023.”
Walt Disney World has not revealed a selected reopening date in Summer time 2023, however ‘summer time’ for theme parks isn’t the identical because the Farmers Almanac or meteorological calendars or no matter. For Walt Disney World, summer time begins Memorial Day and ends Labor Day.
Inside that vary, the height of summer time coincides with common faculty calendars and trip schedules, which means mid-June by means of late July are the center of summer time season. We initially anticipated Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith to reopen round then, simply in time for peak summer time crowds. Nevertheless, the plot thickens.
Walt Disney World has filed two building permits for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith’s prolonged closure. One is for work being performed by Adena Company and expires on September 7, 2023. Adena is a daily collaborator with Disney; the corporate’s core group has former Imagineers who’ve many years of expertise on international initiatives. They’ve labored on all the things from TRON Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom to TRON Lightcycle Energy Run in Shanghai Disneyland, and nearly all the things in between and past that.
Adena’s work on Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster is described as common building, which might imply any variety of issues. Their involvement does recommend a extra complete and complicated undertaking. There’s additionally a allow for Maddox Electrical Firm to do…you guessed it…electrical work! This one expires on September 14, 2023.
Each permits are important in that they specify finish dates. If no date is listed, the default length for these permits is a 12 months, which means they’d expire in February 2024. Going with precise finish dates–and each in September–suggests this undertaking goes to be performed round then, or at the very least that the work of those two contractors will end round then.
This may imply that Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster is not going to reopen in June or July through the coronary heart of summer time season, when it’s most wanted. Reopening in September doesn’t make a ton of sense, as that’s the low season at Walt Disney World. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be unprecedented.
Simply final 12 months, Walt Disney World did a stealth refurbishment of Tower of Terror through the peak of spring and summer time, and that wrapped up “in time” for the early fall low season. It’s additionally doable that the reopening date for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster isn’t till nearer to (or in) October 2023, and that’s simply when these contractors will likely be completed.
As for the scope of the work, it’s laborious to consider that this will likely be a whole monitor substitute. Fairly merely, ~8 months isn’t sufficient time to take away and rebuild a curler coaster inside an current gravity constructing. Anybody who watched the development of TRON Lightcycle Run would understandably be skeptical of Disney’s means to do something with that quantity of pace.
What’s extra probably is that parts of the monitor are changed, or the launch system is upgraded. That is yet one more Vekoma coaster, the identical producer of Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle Run. The redone Avengers Assemble: Flight Pressure at Walt Disney Studios Park, which was beforehand Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster earlier than the reimagining, can be a Vekoma. It’s doable Imagineering and Vekoma have partnered to refresh parts of the coaster and prolong its life, having realized classes from these initiatives or others world wide.
Actually, I don’t know what such an replace would entail, however it will presumably be achievable in an 8-9 month timeline. In contrast, there’s no conceivable approach that Walt Disney World might basically rebuild the curler coaster in that point. I don’t assume there’s a approach they may do this in something lower than 18 months.
As mentioned under, Walt Disney World beforehand denied that modifications have been coming to the visitor expertise of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster on account of this “routine refurbishment,” however that was a number of months in the past. If the scope of the undertaking has grown since then, it’s completely doable some guest-facing modifications are additionally made.
The longer the undertaking and the extra it prices the corporate, the extra stress/need there will likely be for this to be a full-scale reimagining that provides the journey new life and marketability. Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster is already a well-liked journey, however it might actually have much more drawing energy!
Operationally, this can be a massive blow for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which already is missing in sufficient sights to soak up the heavy crowds the park sees. This may solely make that worse, particularly if there’s overlap with some other closure. Right here’s hoping that Walt Disney World brings again Jedi Coaching Academy or another leisure quickly.
It additionally will put much more pressure on the already imbalanced Lightning Lane lineup. Already, return instances are sometimes pushed out into the late afternoon and early night, and this can solely worsen that. Count on to solely rating 2-3 good Lightning Lanes through Genie+ in the event you don’t have a powerful refresh recreation. (Right here’s hoping that Fantasmic is added to the Genie+ lineup sooner slightly than later to assist offset this.)
Now let’s flip to hypothesis about what’ll happen throughout this prolonged closure–or slightly, what’s going to not occur. In accordance with Walt Disney World, the journey goes down for normal upkeep, and “there will likely be no modifications to the Visitor expertise on account of this routine refurbishment.”
A few of you would possibly recall that again in November 2018, the New York Occasions did a puff piece about how a lot Disney was spending on growth that included a tidbit about Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster being rethemed. The corporate rapidly issued a denial–that there have been “no present plans” to retheme Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster “right now.” (Well-known wiggle phrases!)
My perception then and now was that the story as initially printed was correct, and Disney unintentionally let the cat out of the bag early. The corporate clearly participated within the piece and its writer is a seasoned Disney fan, not just a few random journalist who would’ve confused the Paris and Florida variations of the journey. Regardless, it didn’t come to fruition pre-closure, and just about all plans since have been derailed.
However, there undoubtedly will likely be “rumors” of a Marvel re-theme or a unique band changing Aerosmith. If we’re going to throw round bands that might be excellent, my vote is for Led Zeppelin. It’ll by no means occur for plenty of causes, however it ought to. Youngsters today have to study historical past–and good style in music!
One other band changing Aerosmith or one other theme completely could be believable hypothesis within the absence of official phrase from Walt Disney World. Nevertheless, the corporate has launched an unambiguous assertion that no modifications are deliberate to the journey expertise. This one doesn’t even have wiggle phrases! That ought to put these rumors to relaxation, at the very least for now.
As an alternative, the refurbishment will revolve round curler coaster’s launch system and entail different common preventative upkeep. Whereas that’s the official phrase, that is arguably extra than simply preventative. Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster has been experiencing prolonged downtimes in recent times, and that’s solely gotten worse this 12 months.
There have been a number of multi-day stretches when the attraction has been closed, and it has change into one of the vital unreliable rides at Walt Disney World. (It was down for a lot of the morning as we speak, in actual fact!)
I’m not a curler coaster professional, so I can’t communicate to the probably causes of the downtime (dispatch, unload, or different backups?). It’s additionally doable that the journey producer recommends sure upkeep after X years of operation, and the Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster will quickly hit that. Whatever the motive, it’s desperately wanted.
This additionally probably explains Walt Disney World’s seemingly perplexing option to take one of many elevator shafts at Twilight Zone Tower of Terror out of service (once more) through the vacation season. Beforehand, it was unclear whether or not that was deliberate or unplanned downtime. Now I’m leaning in direction of deliberate, with the objective of ending that earlier than beginning this–or at the very least previous to the tip of the winter low season.
Earlier this 12 months, the opposite aspect of Tower of Terror was refurbished and that undertaking took a number of months. That wrapped up halfway by means of the summer time season, and Walt Disney World didn’t take the opposite aspect down for refurbishment instantly thereafter. That’s now a perplexing choice, as the opposite half might’ve been performed in August by means of October when crowds have been decrease. (Suggesting that this Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster closure was not added to the inner schedule till extra just lately.)
Down the highway, a substantive overhaul remains to be probably. I personally love Aerosmith, however I’m however stunned that Walt Disney World is taking the attraction offline for therefore lengthy and never giving it a retheme. Fashionable thrill rides can all the time change into much more in style with the mixing of extra in style mental property. Simply have a look at Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout at DCA.
Iconic as they could be, it’s in all probability honest to say that Aerosmith doesn’t have the identical cachet or identify recognition with youthful company. I can’t consider one other up to date band that’s in style, crowd-pleasing, non-controversial, and suits the journey profile. Then once more, the Guardians of the Galaxy have demonstrated that basic rock can transcend its period. (So right here’s hoping Led Zeppelin is within the subsequent film!)
One other factor the Guardians of the Galaxy sights have taught us is that enjoyable and upbeat music can go a good distance in elevating thrill rides. That is additionally true with Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster, though I’d say to a lesser extent. The curler coaster doesn’t actually have the identical vitality as Cosmic Rewind, which is a component as a result of journey profile and half resulting from track choice.
No matter finally ends up taking place down the highway with Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster, I hope Imagineering incorporates becoming and enjoyable songs. Additionally they have to take the time to check a ton of various choices. The top end result on Cosmic Rewind is superior–even with the songs I don’t personally love. In contrast, Cosmic Rewind: Vacation Remix falls flat despite the fact that it’s the very same underlying attraction. (Nonetheless superb, however doesn’t measure as much as the common journey!)
One factor that may clarify why Walt Disney World is not reimagining Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster in 2023 is as a result of that’s a card they need to play later. With TRON Lightcycle Run opening in Spring 2023, they’re already going to have a brand new curler coaster to market within the coming 12 months.
In contrast, the one factor perhaps in 2024 is Tiana’s Bayou Journey, which goes to wrestle to debut by that Christmas and really properly would possibly slip into 2025. (I’d guess on it.)
With little in the best way of bodily props or units exterior of the pre-show, Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster may very well be meaningfully remodeled within the span of some months (the corporate might really take away Aerosmith in a single day within the occasion of a scandal!).
Maybe Walt Disney World is ‘saving’ the reimagining for subsequent 12 months, and a “new” Marvel curler coaster would be the marketable draw for Walt Disney World in 2024? There are many characters which might be off-limits as a result of Common contract, however that also leaves loads of choices–together with ones which might be in style within the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Section 4.
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Your Ideas
What do you consider the multi-month closure of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Walt Disney World? Dissatisfied that it’ll be down throughout your journey? Assume Disney is being coy, and it’ll really get a retheme in 2023? What about in 2024 or 2025? Ideas on potential bands, manufacturers, or tremendous heroes to switch Aerosmith? Any questions concerning the present refurbishments at Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even if you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!