2023 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar + Future Projects and Rumors
3 minute read | contains affiliate links
*Note: You’ve accidentally landed on the 2023 refurb calendar, click/tap here to see the updated, 2024 calendar.
Between the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks, the Disneyland Resort boasts more than 90 rides and attractions.
Some of these have opened as recently as 2023 while some have been operating since the park first opened in 1955.
Due to the age of some of the attractions, they need to close from time to time for a variety of reasons. These can include:
Safety upgrades
Technology & effects improvements
Re-themes
Changes to the overall appearance
and more
While these ride closures are a necessity for park operations, there’s nothing more frustrating than arriving at the park and finding your favorite attraction closed.
To help with this, Disney releases the dates for planned ride closures on a calendar that you can view 45-days in advance. This way, you can plan your trip accordingly.
Since it can be time consuming to keep track of it all, we put this post together to help you stay on top of ride closures, future projects and more.
This post will be updated constantly, throughout the year, as information is released by Disney. So keep coming back for updates!
Without further delay, let’s get into it. We’ll begin with a list of the current refurbishments, followed by details about upcoming projects.
*Pro Tip: Be sure to bookmark this post to your phone/computer. Disney constantly updates their refurbishment calendar and we work diligently to keep up. By bookmarking this post, you can remain as up to date as possible.
*Quick Note: If you’re looking to book a vacation to the Disneyland Resort (or Disney World, Disney Cruise, Universal and more) consider tapping/clicking the above image to visit our partners at Get Away Today. Going through them is the same as going directly through Disney only through them, you’ll receive personalized service by Disney experts and receive the absolute best price and any accompanying discounts. By going through Get Away Today, you’ll be getting the best price on your vacation and support our website at the same time.
To see their amazing deals on your favorite destinations, click/tap here (and tell them we said “hi”)
*ALSO…
Knowing which rides are closed is only one part of the equation when planning a trip to Disneyland. Below, we’ve listed a few more of our Disneyland related posts that we think you’d find useful:
“Oogie Boogie Bash 2023: Ticket Prices, Villains Groove, Characters, Our Experience and More”
“Disneyland Dining Guide: Mobile Order, Dining Reservations and More”
“Disneyland Rider Switch: How To Take Advantage Of This Little Known Perk”
“Genie+ At Disneyland: How It Works, What It Cost and More!”
Disneyland Resort Refurbishment Calendar
Disneyland Park
Adventureland Treehouse: Opened November 10th
Alice in Wonderland: June 5th - June 15th
Alice in Wonderland: July 5th - July 20th
Astro Orbitor: November 27th - TBD
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: April 3rd - April 13th
Blue Bayou Restaurant: January 7th, 2024 - January 19th, 2024
CenTOONial Park: September 11th - October 29th
Disneyland Monorail: March 20th - March 23rd
Donald’s Boat: Re-opening March 19th
Disneyland Monorail: July 5th - August 31st
Dumbo the Flying Elephant: July 3rd (single day closure)
French Market Restaurant: Permenantly closed February 17th (reopening as ‘Tiana’s Palace’ on September 7th)
Fantasmic: Paused through Spring 2024
Gadget Coaster: Re-opening March 19th
Goofy’s How-to-Play Yard: October 23rd - November 9th
Goofy’s Playhouse: Re-opening March 19th
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: January 9th - January 25th
Haunted Mansion: August 14th - August 31st (for the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ overlay installation)
Haunted Mansion: January 21st, 2024 - TBD
Indiana Jones Adventure: January 9th, 2023 - March 16th
Indiana Jones Adventure: November 27th - November 30th
it’s a small world: January 9th - January 19th
it’s a small world: October 23rd - November 9th
Matterhorn Mountain: April 18th - June 2nd
Mark Twain Riverboat: March 6th - March 9th
Mark Twain Riverboat: September 17th - February 2nd, 2024
Mickey’s House: Re-opening March 19th
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: Opening January 27th
Minnie’s House: Re-opening March 19th
Mint Julep Bar: February 17th - September 6th
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: June 5th - June 15th
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: July 24th - August 10th
Peter Pan’s Flight: June 5th - June 29th
Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer’s Island: September 6th & September 7th
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin: Re-opening March 19th
Splash Mountain: Permanently closed as of May 31st (will reopen as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in late 2024)
Sailing Ship Columbia: September 11th - September 14th
Space Mountain: September 18th - October 26th
Tiana’s Palace: Grand opening on September 7th
Wondrous Journeys: Permanently ending August 31st
By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the unfortunate fire that occurred during an April showing of Fantasmic involving the Maleficent (Murphy) animatronic.
If you’ve been under a rock and haven’t heard, i’m sorry to be the one to break it to you. The animatronic and lift system experienced significant damage.
Due to this, Disney announced a pause on all pyro effects in Disney parks worldwide. As far as the future of the show is concerned, all Disney would say is it’s, “on pause”, until at least May 14th.
For those wondering, the reason the troubled animatronic was given the name, “Murphy”, by cast members as a reference to the infamous theory, Murphy’s Law - anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
Murphy has an extensive history of breakdowns and malfunctions. It would often freeze during performances and sometimes, outright refuse to work in the first place.
As a precautionary measure to Murphy’s mood swings, Disney has a “B” show in place. It’s nowhere near as impressive, but it allows Disney to move forward with the show.
However, with the additional damage done to the platform, Disney hasn’t been able to stage the show at all. Unfortunately, due to this, the pause has now been extended to at least Labor Day.
Disney has stated that, “Teams are actively exploring alternate entertainment offerings for guests this summer”. What could those be? The Main Street Electrical Parade would be a no-brainer.
Update: Disney has recently announced that Fantasmic is now being pushed to Spring 2024. Read my article about it for more information.
Disney California Adventure
Beast’s Library: Permanently closed December 10th
Boudin Bread Cart: May 31st - July 1st
Fairfax Market: January 22nd - February 10th
Grizzly River Run: January 9th - March 16th
Grizzly River Run: January 8th, 2024 - TBD
Golden Zephyr: August 28th - September 28th
Incredicoaster: November 27th - December 1st
Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind: January 30th - February 9th
Mickey’s PhilharMagic: January 24th - February 3rd
Midway Mercantile: July 26th - August 18th
Paradise Garden Grill: August 24th - August 26th
Pacific Wharf Distribution Co: May 31st - July 23rd
Redwood Creek Challenge: July 31st - August 14th
Redwood Creek Challenge: November 1st - November 9th
Radiator Springs Racers: August 18th - August 26th
Rogers: The Musical (Hyperion Theatre): Ending August 31st
Soarin’ Around The World: July 5th - July 14th
Sorcerer’s Workshop: August 28th - September 6th
Silly Symphony Swings: February 27th - May 18th
The Little Mermaid - Ariel’s Undersea Adventure: June 5th - June 7th
Toy Story Midway Mania: July 17th - August 17th
WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure: January 9th - January 12th
WEB Slingers was added and then quickly removed from the refurbishment schedule. This will likely be rescheduled for different dates.
No way to know for sure why it was removed, but it could have something to do with Radiator Springs Racers being added.
Even during slow times (Jan/Feb are traditionally slow months) Disney can’t afford to have too many E-ticket attractions down (that’s assuming you count WEB Slingers as an E-ticket).
There’s been zero indication of Frozen (or any other theme) returning to the Hyperion Theatre. It’s been closed since the 2020 park closures.
Once it does return, it’ll likely be a different theme given its proximity to Avenger’s Campus. Personally, i’m holding out hope for an Avengers broadway show.
(Psst - that’s exactly what happened, by the way)
Downtown Disney
AMC Theatres: Permanently closed as of June 17th, 2018
Catal: Permanently closed as of April 10th, 2023
ESPN Zone: Permanently closed as of June 2nd, 2018
La Brea Bakery: Permanently closed as of January 9th, 2023
Sprinkles Cupcakes: Permanently closed as of April 20th, 2023
UVA Bar & Restaurant: Permanently closed as of April 10th, 2023
Future Projects
Refurbishments aren’t the only aspect of a trip to Disneyland you’ll need to consider. You should also know about future projects.
The Disneyland Resort has many projects in the pipeline. Some are close to fruition while others have yet to break ground.
Below, we’re going to discuss a handful of them.
Disneyland Park
‘Tiana’s Palace’ Restaurant Coming To New Orleans Square
Slowly but surely, Princess Tiana (from the animated film Princess and the Frog) is taking over News Orleans Square.
In 2022, Disney opened a new shop, Eudora’s Chic Boutique, which sells merchandise heavily inspired by Tiana.
In 2024, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will take Splash Mountains’ place. This year, though, Tiana will finally get her own restaurant.
French Market Restaurant (and subsequently, Mint Julep Bar) will make way for, Tiana’s Palace, later this year.
Disney animators actually took inspiration from French Market when designing Tiana’s Palace for the movie, making this a homecoming of sorts.
Disney says the menu will expand on the restaurant’s current one, offering “current favorites, seasonal flavors and, of course, new New Orleans classics”.
While French Market itself will be no more, Mint Julep Bar will reopen with their infamous mint juleps and Mickey beignets in late 2023.
Construction began with French Market’s closing on February 17th and is expected to be finished in late 2023. Stay tuned.
July Update: Based on recent photos i’ve seen of the exterior, Tiana’s Palace is looking great and coming along nicely. Still looking like a late 2023 opening.
August Update: As announced by Disney on August 18th, Tiana’s Palace will makes its grand debut on September 7th.
The Adventureland Treehouse
Earlier this year, we finally received news on what the former Tarzan’s Treehouse would become. It’s going back to its Swiss Family Robinson roots.
Recently, the Disneyland website announced an opening date of February 11th, 2023. However, that has since been removed.
If you look at the refurbishment calendar as far out as you can go, it’s still not showing an opening date. As always, we’ll keep you updated.
April Update: The scrim has come down to expose the upper portion of the treehouse and thus far it’s looking fantastic. The bottom half is still covered up. Based on current rumors, the treehouse is on track to open some time in June.
July Update: There’s scrim and scaffolding all over the treehouse…still. Most of the rooms and elements at the top of the tree appear to be finished or nearly finished, but crews are still working around the base of the tree. While not confirmed as it’s still covered in a tarp, but the water wheel appears to have been installed. Still no update (or even a guess) as to when it’ll reopen.
November Update: Disney has announced that the long awaited reopening of the Adventureland Treehouse will be on November 10th.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Splash Mountain Replacement)
Announced all the way back in 2020, the beloved classic attraction, Splash Mountain, will close and make way for, ‘Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’.
The Disney World version of Splash will close on January 23rd but thus far, no closing date for the Disneyland version has been announced.
This is likely due to the current closures of many other attractions. Disney is likely waiting for ToonTown to be complete and reopened.
ToonTown is reopening on March 8th, 2023. So if I were to wager a guess, i’d say don’t expect Splash to go down until AT LEAST March 9th.
April Update: The folks at Disney have recently (finally) announced Splash’s closing date. May 30th will be its final day of operation.
July Update: Construction is off to a fast start at the mountain formally known as Splash. The stump at the top of the mountain has already been dismantled and there’s scaffolding everywhere. I’m hearing rumors that we should be seeing the water tower installed in the coming months.
ToonTown Reimagining
A newly re-imagined ToonTown will be making its long-awaited debut on March 8th, 2023. It’s been closed since March of 2022.
*NOTE: It was announced on February 11th that ToonTown will now open on March 19th. This is due to construction delays resulting from the winter storms.
The park will re-open with fresh paint, new interactive features and tons of new green space. I almost forgot, it’s also getting a new attraction!
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway was a hit at Disney World, so Disney decided to bring a version of it to the west coast.
Runaway Railway opened prior to the rest of ToonTown on January 27th.
March Update: Disney is again utilizing virtual queues in place of a traditional stand-by line. The only other option is to purchase a premium Lighting Lane. Be sure to read our posts on both below so you’re prepared!
READ: “The Ultimate Guide To Virtual Queues At Disneyland”
READ: “Genie Plus Now Live At Disneyland: How It Works, Cost and More!”
April Update: Well that sure was quick. ‘Runaway Railway’ is no longer utilizing virtual queue. Your two options are either traditional stand-by or purchasing a premium lighting lane.
July Update: While ToonTown’s in full swing, there have been persistent issues with the faux grass and the newly installed interactive elements (think fake tree roots children can climb on). Many of these have already been uninstalled, painted, and installed again several times. The faux grass was closed off for a period so crews could work on it. Recently, the pool around Donald’s Boat was walled off for unknown reasons. If you’re going soon, prepare for the possibility of certain areas of the land being closed off.
The Avatar Experience
I debated with myself over whether or not to include the speculation over Bob Iger’s recent announcement of an Avatar project coming to the resort as there isn’t much known about it, but I’ll give it a go.
For starters, Iger referred to it as, “a version of Avatar” and called it an “experience” rather than an attraction or land. These are important distinctions as Iger is known to be precise with his words.
A day later, however, a D23 blog post was quoted as saying the upcoming project will be, “as amazing”, as Animal Kingdom’s Pandora - The World of Avatar. That’s interesting, to say the least.
With Avatar and its sequel, Way of Water, commanding two of the top three slots of highest grossing films of all time, Disney is firmly in the Avatar business and undoubtedly wants to inject as much of the franchise as they can into the parks. Where, in Disneyland, is the question.
Provided Disney gets their way with their plans for the DisneylandForward project, I can see the Disneyland half of the available space being utilized for a west coast version of Pandora. This would make the most sense since that space is a blank canvas and would provide the imagineers with the most flexibility.
I can also see the Grizzly Peak area of DCA receiving a Pandora overlay if push came to shove. It’s a heavily forested area with a couple attractions that could be converted to an Avatar theme with a little creativity.
These options, though, wouldn’t be indicative of Iger’s statement about it being an experience. An experience would indicate something like a walk-through exhibit, a virtual reality attraction, or perhaps an Avatar themed restaurant/bar? Who knows.
Whatever this “experience” is going to look like, it’ll undoubtedly go through multiple revisions before its final form is revealed. For what it’s worth, given how profitable the Avatar franchise has been, I doubt this project will be anything short of spectacular.
I believe Iger’s statement of it being an experience was just him being cautious with his words. Under promising and over delivering is better than the alternative. I’m calling it now - this Avatar “experience” will be the main event announcement at D23 2024 and will blow away all expectations.
Disney California Adventure
Avengers Campus Expansion
At the 2022 D23 fan expo, then Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced an Avengers themed attraction will be coming to Avengers Campus in the future.
How far into the future, exactly? We don’t know. All we know is the story will be centered around the Avengers battling a different version of Marvel’s big baddie, Thanos.
Lots of people, myself included, are holding out hope for an Avengers version of EPCOT’s Cosmic Rewind coaster.
How likely is it given the limited availability of space? There’s a great video by Offhand Disney breaking down whether it could fit or not. Give it a watch.
April Update: There hasn’t been much of anything said about this e-ticket since last year’s D23 event, but there has been some movement regarding the Avengers HQ building.
Soon, construction walls will surround the building as Disney prepares to install a gift shop inside.
The gift shop was planned from the start, as it was intended to be where guests would exit after riding the Avengers e-ticket, but was temporarily scrapped.
While this may not be the news we’ve been waiting for, this is at least the first step towards it.
July Update: Still no movement on just about anything having to do with this expansion. Months ago, a gift shop was announced for the interior of the Avengers building but to date, there hasn’t been much of any news about it. To be fair, they very well could be close to completion on the gift shop itself and we wouldn’t know it due to there being no visibility from the outside.
August Update: While an exact date hasn’t been revealed, Disney did announce that the “long awaited” (can you sense the sarcasm?) new Marvel-themed gift shop called, “Avengers Vault”, will open in mid-September.
San Fransokyo Square
One of the only legit surprises coming out of the D23 2022 parks panel, the wharf area of DCA is getting re-themed to San Fransokyo from the animated film, Big Hero 6.
Like with most of last year’s announcements, no real details were given other than the area receiving a Baymax meet and greet.
Based on the concept art, most of the current eateries will remain, with Godiva being the likely casualty (to make way for the meet and greet).
It seems that most of the change will be mostly cosmetic, with the biggest addition being the arches from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Work has yet to begin on this and there’s no word on when it will start, let alone when it’ll be finished.
January Update: On January 12th, work had official begun on this project with the lagoon around Pacific Wharf getting drained. Currently, the land and its restaurants are still open but that could soon change. While details still haven’t been publicly made, Dave, from the YouTube channel, Fresh Baked, has revealed some information he’s received from a source within Disney. They are:
Changes will be minimal and mostly cosmetic (with the exception of the Baymax meet and greet and the bridge makeover.
The Baymax meet and greet will be to the left of Cocina Cucamonga, right where the beer cart currently is.
A “beer only” window will be added to Cocina Cucamonga.
The Pacific Wharf Cafe will be renamed, ‘Lucky Cat Cafe’ (from the movie) and given an updated menu
Rita’s Baja Blenders will remain, but will be renamed, ‘Turbine Blenders’.
Both Ghirardelli’s, Lucky Fortune Cookery, Cocina Cucamonga and Boudin Bakery will remain as is with only soft changes to their exteriors.
Japanese lettering will be added to the exterior of most buildings throughout the land.
An outdoor gift shop will be added adjacent to the Baymax meet and greet.
Signage adjacent to the bridge stating, “Port of San Fransokyo”, will be added.
And of course, converting the bridge to a Japanese version of the Golden Gate Bridge.
July Update: Disney has been unveiling varying new elements to San Fransokyo piece by piece and it’s all looking great! However, they’ve recently announced that the new(ish) land will be fully completed and open on August 31st!
Resort Hotels & Downtown Disney
Pixar Place Hotel
Another exciting addition coming to the Disneyland Resort is the remodel and re-theme of Paradise Pier Hotel Pixar Place Hotel.
Along with a new name and fresh paint, the pool area will receive a Finding Nemo theme and a new flagship restaurant from local favorite, Great Maple, will be added.
Changes are ongoing and the hotel will remain operational during the transformation. Slight room discounts are currently available as a result.
No word has been given as to when the project will be completed. Based on the current progress, we’re thinking late 2023/early 2024.
July Update: Progress is slow going, but the new paint job is nearly finished (and looking great, by the way), most of the newly refurbished lobby has reopened, and the Finding Nemo Splash Pad is near completion. No word on the new restaurants or when it’ll fully open, but i’m still holding to my previous prediction of late 2023/early 2024.
Disneyland Hotel DVC Tower
Construction is nearing completion on the new Disney Vacation Club (DVC) tower at the Disneyland Hotel.
Based on progress, it’ll likely be finished sometime in the middle of the year, if not before then. Like with most of these, though, no official word has been given.
March Update: Disney recently announced that the Villas at Disneyland Hotel will open to guests on September 28th, 2023.
The new tower will feature 344 themed rooms, including duo studios, deluxe studios, one- & two-bedroom suites and grand villas. Each will be themed after some of Disney’s most classical animated features like “Fantasia”, “The Jungle Book”, “Sleeping Beauty” and more.
If you’re interested in making a reservation, here are some dates to be aware of:
March 15: Disney Vacation Club Members can begin making reservations by calling member services at (800) 800-9800
March 16: Disneyland Magic Key Holders can begin making reservations by calling (714) 956-6425
March 17: All guests can begin making reservations through the Disneyland website or by calling (714) 956-6425
New Downtown Disney Restaurants
This is for the foodies out there. There’s a slew of new eateries coming to the property (and a couple of refreshed ones).
We’ve already covered Great Maple coming to the Pixar Place Hotel, but Downtown Disney is also getting some new additions.
First off, some existing restaurants are getting a refresh. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen is getting a modern color scheme, refreshed menu and a new name; Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio.
Additionally, the spaces currently occupied by Catal and Uva Bar are going to be converted to an upscale Mexican restaurant called, “Paseo and Centrico”.
Two more highly anticipated restaurants will be making their debuts in the future. Din Tai Fung will likely be built in the space where AMC previously occupied.
A local favorite, Ponto’s, will be taking over the space formally occupied by La Brea Bakery. On January 10th, La Brea Bakery closed for good.
In the interim, Earl of Sandwich will move into the space beginning in February. This is only temporary until their permanent location is built.
April Update: Work is seemingly close to completion on the exterior at the newly minted Jazz Kitchen Coastal Kitchen & Patio. The interior work is still ongoing.
Uva Bar has closed to make way for its conversion to, “Paseo and Centrico”. If you’re visiting soon you’ll need to navigate the construction walls in the center of the walkway.
“Clyde’s Hot Chicken”, recently announced their newest location will be at Downtown Disney in the space formally occupied by “Sprinkles”.
August Update: Construction is moving nicely at the west end of Downtown Disney. Now that they’re finally vertical, the buildings, while still shells, are starting to take shape. Judging by the shape of one particular building, I can confirm that it’ll definitely be the location of the highly anticipated Din Tai Fung restaurant. Construction of the area is expected to be completed in late 2024. Likely before Thanksgiving.
Our Thoughts On Refurbishments
In short, they’re a necessary evil. We’re sure that Disney would love to keep every attraction running all year long but for the most part, that just isn’t feasible.
It’s unfortunate that some people who don’t often visit the parks face the disappointment of their favorite ride being closed when they do go.
That’s why Disney (and bloggers such as myself) create posts and/or a calendar to inform people of expected ride closures prior to their trip.
Of course, closures can happen at any time despite what the calendar says. So even while you’re there, it’s best to keep an eye on this post.
You can view the refurbishment calendar up to 45-days in advance. So check that against your vacation dates as soon as that window opens.
If an attraction is closed during your dates and it’s a deal breaker, see about changing your dates. If you can't, at least you’ll get the disappointment out of the way.
Your Thoughts…
What’re your thoughts on refurbishments? Have you ever showed up to the park only to find your favorite attraction closed?
Tell us about it in the comments below! We love hearing from our readers.
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