Every January, the Disneyland Resort uses the post-holiday offseason to refurbish attractions that have suffered wear the previous year. While this usually results in a number of attractions being closed, much to guests’ dismay, it does leave us with something to look forward to when the end of Spring arrives. After our most recent trip to the Resort, we thought we’d bring you an update on the major refurbishments currently taking place. From the new parking structure, to Sleeping Beauty Castle, to Astro Orbitor’s refurbishment, as well as Pacific Wharf, you won’t want to miss these updates.
Parking Structure Construction Update
Major progress is happening to the new parking structure expansion at Mickey & Friends. The stairs are a new addition and highlight the six new levels of parking. With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening this summer, this new parking structure will be necessary to accommodate the influx of guests.
And the three sets of escalators are coming along, as well. A month ago, we saw the foundation for the escalators being installed. Now, we can really see them come together. If you look closely, to the right of these, you can see more escalators that will take guests from the upper parking levels down to the main hub of escalators.
Sleeping Beauty Castle Refurbishment Update
Oh, Sleeping Beauty Castle. We sure miss you.
The Castle has been undergoing a massive refurbishment for the last few weeks now, but this update is by far the most extreme. As of this week, even more scaffolding has been added to the top of the Castle, which was previously bare. Other than the topmost spire, we can no longer see any views of our beloved Park Icon.
Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration left behind a lot of damage to the structure of Sleeping Beauty Castle, so we can expect her to return with a new and improved look sometime this Spring. This major refurbishment is part of Project Stardust, a number of enhancements to the Disneyland Resort to continue to deliver a world-class guest experience. The enhancements will range from overall beautification of the theme park to maximizing guest comfort and access.
Astro Orbitor Refurbishment Update
Not to be outdone, Astro Orbitor unveiled a dramatic new look this week with the removal of the entire attraction. Gone are the spheres and jet vehicles, with just a structural base left behind. This definitely makes for an unfamiliar sight as guests enter Tomorrowland.
However, the construction walls surrounding the attraction feature wonderful facts about the history of spinning Tomorrowland rides at Disneyland and other Disney Parks. We thought this was a really cool detail that makes looking at these walls a little bit better.
Some guests have been wondering if the removal of Astro Orbitor means the attraction will be gone for good. While we understand this speculation and agree that a change to Tomorrowland would be nice, rest assured that it will be returning someday. At least, that is what the signs on the construction walls tell us.
Pacific Wharf Refurbishment
To frequent visitors and Annual Passholders, this may look like a familiar sight at Pacific Wharf. It seems like the majority of the year, the bay is drained out. It isn’t a pretty sight and there’s no date yet for when the bay will be filled with water again.
Those are all the refurbishment updates we have for right now. Be sure to tune in to @disneylandnewstoday on Instagram and Twitter for the latest happenings around the Resort.
