Disneyland Resort 2022 Attraction Refurbishment Calendar
*NOTE: This post is for the refurbishments from 2022. To see the current refurbishments for 2024, click or tap here.
Every year, Disney schedules certain attractions to go down for a variety of reasons. These reasons usually include regular maintenance, a reimagining, safety improvements, and more.
Going to Disneyland and finding out your favorite attraction is closed is a horrible feeling. This is why Disney releases this calendar. This way, you can schedule your trip around those closures.
Keep in mind, though, that these dates are not set in stone. They can be changed, delayed, or extended at any time and for any reason. So keep this in mind when you’re deciding on a date.
Additionally, closures can happen suddenly (known as, unscheduled downtime). Unless something major occurred, these unexpected closures typically only last a few hours or less.
Below is the current refurbishment schedule for both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. We’ll also cover shows and upcoming projects.
*Side Note…
Knowing the refurbishment schedule is only one part of planning a trip to Disneyland. Below are links to more of our guides we think you’ll find useful:
“Disneyland Dining Guide: Mobile Order, Walk-Up, and Reservations”
“11 Common Mistakes People Make at Disneyland and How to Avoid Them”
“6 Reasons Why You Need The Disneyland App”
“Genie Plus at Disneyland: How it Works, What it Costs, and More!”
“Disneyland Rider Switch: How To Take Advantage Of This Little Known Perk”
Tapping or clicking those links will open up a new window. This way, you can open them now, finish this article, and come back to them. With that out of the way, let’s get to it.
Disneyland Resort Refurbishment Calendar
Disneyland Park
Adventureland Treehouse: Opening 2023
Donald’s Boat: Opening March 8th, 2023
Gadget’s Coaster: Opening March 8th, 2023
Goofy’s Playhouse: Opening March 8th, 2023
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: Closed January 9th - unknown
Indiana Jones Adventure: Closed January 9th, 2023 - unknown
“it’s a small world”: Closed January 9th, 2023 - January 19th, 2023
Mickey’s House: Opening March 8th, 2023
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: Opening January 27th, 2023
Minnie’s House: Opening March 8th, 2023
Roger Rabit’s Car Toon Spin: Opening March 8th, 2023
Sailing Ship Columbia - Closed October 24th - October 27th
Disney California Adventure
Frozen: Live at the Hyperion - Closed. Unknown return date
Grizzly River Run: Closed January 9th, 2023 - unknown
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! - Closed November 1st - November 18th
Radiator Springs Racers: Closed January 17th, 2023 - unknown
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail - Closed November 1st - November 10th
As you can see, there are quite a few unknowns on these lists. Most of them having to do with staffing issues, budget constraints, etc. Others have either a specific return date or just a general timeframe. A specific date precludes the attraction is going down for regular maintenance or “plussing”.
A general timeframe is usually indicative of extensive reworks to the attraction and Disney not being able to put pen to paper on a return date due to the work involved.
Lets take a look at a few of those.
Matterhorn Bobsleds
On July 18th, Disney (seemingly out of left field) announced that the beloved, chiropractor favorite Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction would close for an indefinite amount of time. At the time of this writing, no reason has been given as to why.
As always, we will continue to update you as more information gets released.
Update (August): While there still hasn’t been anything official released by Disney, word on Main Street is this closure is due to the never-ending battle of keeping Matterhorn Bobsleds in working order. It’s an old attraction (opened in 1959) and has “severe” infrastructure issues. So this refurbishment is intended to address that.
Update (September): According to the Disneyland website, Matterhorn Bobsleds will re-open on October 14th, 2022. No news on what exactly was worked on, but there is tons of scaffolding around the waterfall sections of the mountain. Also, we have received word that while some parts of the track was worked on, it was not a track replacement as originally predicted.
Update (October): We just got back from our recent visit and rode the Matterhorn to see if there were any significant changes. Aside from a higher quality projection screen during the lift hill, there were none. Also, the ride was as rough as it has ever been. So no improvement there.
Frozen: Live at the Hyperion
This one is in limbo at the moment. It was originally shut down due to the covid-related issues. As a result, the entire cast was let go and haven’t been brought back.
Since then, DCA’s newest land, Avenger’s Campus, has opened. Since the theatre that houses the show is adjacent to the new land, it puts it in an awkward position.
Sure, Hollywoodland is also adjacent to it, so it still makes some sense. Though rumors indicate potential future plans for Hollywoodland to be folded into Avenger’s Campus.
If you’ve seen the Hawkeye series on Disney+, you’ll remember the Avengers Broadway play scene. If folding Hollywoodland into Avenger’s Campus is indeed the plan, bringing that show in (or something similar) would be the perfect fit.
Update (October): I asked a cast member about the future of this building and while they couldn’t get into any major details with me, they did all but confirm that Disney has no plans to bring back the Frozen stage show. As to what they do have in mind, though, is still up in the air.
Pirates of the Caribbean
This one is the biggest mystery at the moment, so all we can do is speculate. Disney closed POTC in mid-march and all they would say is it’s closed, “indefinitely”.
With the ongoing legal issues and domestic violence claims still looming over POTC actor, Johnny Depp, the big rumor is Disney may be taking this time to remove all references to the actor.
Another reason for the closure that i’ve heard is the trees inside the queue area have become dangerously diseased and need to be taken down.
Update (July): POTC re-opened on July 1st, 2022 and as expected, the trees in the outside queue area were indeed removed. However, Disney planted younger trees in their place and updated other aspects of the queue as well. Furthermore, the expected removal of Jack Sparrow did NOT happen. He is still heavily featured in the attraction.
Indiana Jones Adventure
A late addition to the refurbishment calendar is Indiana Jones Adventure. Despite being one of the most popular attractions in the park since its opening in 1995, it’s been seriously neglected for years.
Many of the attraction’s effects and animatronics no longer work, putting a serious damper on the rider experience. During our ONE ride through, we noticed:
The snake no longer moves (it used to strike at the ride vehicle as it passed by)
The projection scene where rats drop into your ride vehicle doesn’t work. Now you just go through a non-sensical dark tunnel.
Mara no longer shots a laser at the ride vehicle as it crossed the bridge (this hasn’t worked, consistently, in many years).
The boulder no longer moves. At the end, a giant boulder would move towards your ride vehicle from above, indicating you’ll be crushed. Now, they just use flashing lights to indicate movement.
The ride is way jerkier and rougher than it used to be.
So when we heard the ride was going down for refurbishment, we were cautiously optimistic that these issues would be addressed. Though as it turns out, that refurbishment is for only two days.
What’s going to happen in two days? Not a whole lot, unfortunately. The projection could possibly get fixed in that timeframe, but I can’t see much more than that getting done.
It’s understandable to a degree. The Christmas season at Disneyland is their busiest of the year, so having a major attraction down during that timeframe would mean extra long lines at the other attractions.
Still, the current state of Indy is, bluntly put, embarrassing and we likely won’t see any action being taken on it until ToonToon and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is complete. So we’re probably looking at late 2024, at the earliest.
Here’s hoping that Indy will soon get the refurbishment is so badly needs and deserves.
Upcoming Projects
In addition to maintenance reasons, some attractions are down or will go down due to what Disney calls, “reimagining” or “plussing”.
These could include a single attraction or even an entire land. Below, we’ll discuss a few of the confirmed ones.
Pacific Wharf Re-theme To San Fransokyo (From ‘Big Hero 6’)
A legit surprise manifested itself from D23 Expo in the form of one of the last original “lands” from the 2001 opening of California Adventure, Pacific Wharf, being transformed into, “San Fransokyo”, from the animated movie, Big Hero 6.
Chairperson of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Josh D’Amaro, stated they were still in the very early stages of this, but did confirm that the land would feature new restaurants, shops and a Baymax meet and greet.
Don’t hold out hope for a Big Hero 6 attraction in this space because simply put, there’s no room (unless Disney has some hidden magic up their sleeves).
Tarzan’s Treehouse
Tarzan’s Treehouse has been closed since September 2021 with no reason given. Disney recently announced, though, that it will be given a re-theme.
No official information as to what the new theme will be has been given, but there are a couple theories. The most obvious being an Encanto theme. The movie’s song, ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’, is a mega hit and the movie itself has been well received.
Disney is undoubtedly dying to get more Encanto into the park and with a little bit of creativity (and cash), this could be the way they do it.
Update (July): While we still haven’t received word on the re-theme and will likely have to wait until the parks panel at D23 in September, Disney has made some progress. The second tree that connected to the main tree via a bridge has been completely removed. This was likely done to free up walking space as this area of the park is notorious for bottlenecks.
Update (September): Shockingly, there was no mention of the treehouse during the D23 Parks Panel. We’ll continue to keep our ears open for any new information in the future.
Update (October): The newest rumor of the treehouse’s new theme is S.E.A (Society of Explorers and Adventurers). S.E.A was initially created at Tokyo DisneySea in 2001, where its headquarters is still located, and has since branched out throughout several Disney parks in different forms. On top of that, it’s rumored to be getting its own series on Disney+ in the near future.
Honestly, as much as we were hoping for an Encanto theme, this makes way more sense, thematically, and on top of that, it’s an ORIGINAL idea and NOT another IP insert. Which is something us park fans have been clamoring for more of. Due to the themes being similar, there will no doubt be references to Tarzan and Swiss Family Robinson scattered throughout. As always, only time will tell. Hopefully Disney will make an announcement regarding the treehouse soon.
Avengers Campus Expansion
On September 9th, 2022, during the Lengends Ceremony at D23 Expo, Disney CEO Bob Chapek hit the stage and announced the long rumored mutliverse expansion for Avengers Campus.
Specific details weren't given, but Chapek did say that more details would be announced at a future date.
This is almost certainly going to be the Quinjet e-ticket attraction that was originally supposed to open with the new land. The currently empty Avengers building is expected to house the queue.
The only details confirmed during D23 were that this new attraction would, “bring guests into battle alongside their favorite super heroes”, in an, “epic family adventure”.
Another confirmed detail for the attraction is, “King Thanos”, a new villain specifically created for the new ride, will be who guests and the super heroes will be battling in an alternate universe where Thanos won.
New Character Meet & Greets
A couple new meet and greets have been announced for each park at the Disneyland Resort. First, you’ll be able to meet Mandaolorian and Grogu at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge starting in mid-November.
Also announced is a Incredible Hulk meet and greet for Avengers Campus. He will be dressed in his Quantum Suit. Hulk arrives in mid-September and runs for a limited time.
Toontown Reimagining + “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway”
A couple years ago, Disney announced that the Walt Disney World ride, “Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway”, is coming to Disneyland in Toontown.
Construction was already underway when Disney (seemingly) suddenly decided a new ride wasn’t enough. So they announced that as of March 9th, Toontown, in its entirety, would close for an extensive makeover.
There hasn’t been anything official from Disney about it, but word is they’ll be removing this attraction in order to add a new pathway that will connect Toontown with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. I predict more information will be released at D23.
Update (Sept): At D23 Expo, Disney revealed a few more details about the upcoming reimagining of Toon Town. For starters, Gadget’s Go Coaster will be renamed, “Chip n’ Dale’s Gadget Coaster”. Other details included new grassy areas, the return of Donald’s Boat, an new interactive play yard with a Goofy theme and more! Toon Town is still on track to reopen in spring, 2023.
Update (Oct): It was recently announced that Disney will open Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway on January 27th, 2023, to kick off the celebration for the Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary. However, the rest of ToonTown will remain closed until spring 2023.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Announced all the way back in 2020, Disney announced that the classic attraction, Splash Mountain, would be reimagined with a Princess and the Frog theme. Since then, there hasn’t been much movement. No work was done during the park closure and nothing noticeable was done during the ride’s downtime earlier this year.
There also hasn’t been any further statements from Disney about it. Rumor has it that this is potentially due to the penny-pinching tendencies of Disney’s newest CEO, Bob Chapek. We’ve heard that if this actually happens, Disneyland will get it first and that it could happen in late 2022 or early 2023.
Update (July): In a recent, exciting update, Disney finally released some new information. First, not only is this re-theme still a “go”, but they’ve revealed its new name. That’s right. Splash Mountain will no longer be called, ‘Splash Mountain’. It’ll be re-named, “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure”. Additionally, Disney stated that we can expect this to be completed by late 2024.
Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG
Update (September): Disney revealed a scale model of what Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s exterior will look like. The model shows the iconic tree at the top of Splash Mountain and the briar patch surrounding the drop completely removed. Still no update as to when it’ll close to begin construction but rumors indicate January 2023 being the end of Splash Mountain as we know it.
Parades and Live Entertainment
The Magic Happens Parade, which was new and already critically adored just prior to the closure, still hasn’t been given a return date. Summer 2022 is a possibility but again, nothing official.
Main Street Electrical Parade, Disney’s go-to for sinking park attendance, ended its current run on September 1st, 2022. As did the Disneyland Forever fireworks show.
Fantasmic!, the beloved waterfront spectacular, returned just in time for the summer crowds in late May and will continue to run until Disney needs to take it down for refurbishment.
*Note - New and returning shows were recently announced at the D23 Expo. See below for additional info!
Update (Sept): It was announced at D23 Expo that the critically acclaimed Magic Happens Parade will return to Disneyland Park in spring, 2023.
Update (Sept): Also announced at D23 Expo, a new firework & projection show called, “Wondrous Journeys”, will debut at Disneyland Park in 2023. This nighttime spectacular will celebrate 100 years of the Walt Disney Company and features characters from all 60 animated films.
Update (Sept): A new version of DCA’s hit nighttime water show, World of Color, will debut in 2023. This version will celebrate a century of storytelling by the Walt Disney Company. A new original song, “Start a Wave”, will be featured on the show.
Our Thoughts About Refurbishments
Refurbishments are an unfortunate, but necessary aspect of Disneyland’s operations. We’re sure they would love to keep everything running non-stop, but it isn’t feasible.
In order to keep the attractions safe and appealing, Disney must close them from time to time. They don’t want to disappoint guests if they can help it, which is why they release this information.
We’re all for refurbishments as they usually result in the attraction becoming even better. Whether that’s new additions, smoother tracks, better ride vehicles, upgraded technology, etc.
That being said, there’s a lot more on these lists than there would normally be. The closure of Toontown, staffing issues, and covid-era closings make up the majority.
Our advice is to do your best to schedule your vacation around the closure if your favorite attraction is on this list. But do keep in mind that Disney is notorious for changing their minds.
They try not to, but they’re known for extending downtime, delaying it, or adding new attractions to the list with as little as a few days notice.
It’s fairly rare, as they’re pretty good at keeping to the schedule, but just know that this is a possibility. Even if you can’t avoid a ride closure, there’s plenty of other amazing attractions to enjoy.
Your Thoughts…
What are your thoughts on attraction refurbishments? Tell us about it in the comment section below. We love hearing from our readers!
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