Disney parks are constantly changing their refurbishment schedules, making it difficult for guests to keep up with the operating times and latest news regarding their favorite attractions, resorts, shops, and restaurants. Here are a few big, upcoming changes that are either confirmed by their respective parks or at the least very strongly rumored for the very near future.Last month we saw the popular Big Thunder Mountain close temporarily for its annual refurbishment, a one day closure for a popular attraction at EPCOT and downtime for the Disney Skyliner gondolas.In this month’s update, the popular Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios remains closed for routine maintenance as well as The Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom also remains closed for its reimagining into the “Country Bears Musical Jamboree”. 1. Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
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Status: ConfirmedDates: January 8, 2024 – Summer 2024Back in December, Disney confirmed that the popular Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios would close on January 8 for an extended period for routine refurbishment to address mechanical issues. At the moment it is expected that Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster will reopen in the summer.According to a poster on the WDWMagic forums, this refurbishment time will be used to primarily fix the ride’s braking system, which was replaced back in 2023, but is still having issues. The poster says that the metal used in the final brake is prone to over-heating and causes frequent shutdowns of the attraction during the day, which would explain why this ride was still having operating issues following its 2023 refurbishment. Other posters on the forum have mentioned issues with inconsistent lighting and effects on the ride, which could also be fixed during this refurbishment. Some are also hoping for new restraints on the ride vehicles as well. What we do know for certain is that this extended refurbishment is not going to be in order for a re-theme of the ride to Muppet band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem which was rumored in 2023. 2. Country Bear Jamboree (Magic Kingdom)
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Status: ConfirmedDates: January 27, 2024 – Late summer 2024Walt Disney World updated its official Country Bears Jamboree page with details that Grizzly Hall would close on Saturday January 27 and is set to reopen later this summer after its extensive reimagining into the new “Country Bears Musical Jamboree”.The new show is set to pay homage to “Opry-style shows of Nashville”, the bears will sing reinterpreted Disney tunes in a range of genres of country music including rockabilly, bluegrass, pop-country and Americana.3. Kali River Rapids (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
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Status: ConfirmedDates: January 8, 2024 – March 15, 2024Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom closed on January 8, for its annual refurbishment. This as usual is expected to be an extended refurbishment and according to the Walt Disney World refurbishment calendar is currently slated to reopen on March 16, 2024.
