Disneyland to close two fan-favorite attractions for refurbishment
Both are scheduled to close May 4 at the resort in Anaheim, California
Fransebas
Disneyland California is temporarily closing two popular attractions this spring for renovations.
Beginning May 4, both the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the nearby Blue Bayou Restaurant will be shut down to undergo refurbishment, the amusement park’s website said.
“The restaurant will offer a modified dining experience” due to the closure of the fan-favorite ride, the notice reads, adding: “Views will be obstructed and Guests may hear some refurbishment noise.”
The eatery, which offers Cajun-Creole food, is scheduled to reopen in late May. There is no timeline for the ride’s reopening.
The Pirates of the Caribbean ride, located in New Orleans Square at the Anaheim, California, theme park, has been a staplesince opening in 1967. It was the last attraction to be personally overseen by Walt Disney before his death in 1966. The Blue Bayou Restaurant opened concurrently with the ride, marking the park’s first-ever full-service dining experience built inside an attraction.
The ride, which takes guests on boat rides through scenes featuring animatronic pirates, directly inspired the beloved Johnny Depp-led film franchise.
The two closures come weeks after seven Disneyland employees were hospitalized after a hazmat situation.
The employees were taken to the hospital for “minor injuries” following an “unknown odor” in a backstage area near the Star Tours attraction, the Anaheim Police Department told The Independent.
The Disneyland employees suffered from injuries “ranging from dizziness to shortness of breath,” Anaheim Police said.
Disneyland officials said several other employees were treated by medical personnel at the park and later released.
The mysterious odor came from “building contractor materials,” according to authorities.
Disneyland has been a major tourist destination since it opened in Anaheim in 1955. It has had 900 million visitors since its opening, the Los Angeles Times reported in January, citing the documentary Disneyland Handcrafted.
Five other Disney resorts have since opened around the world, including Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort.
Last month, the Southern California resort abruptly closed its historic Monorail system, leaving guests to have to walk to the main entrance of Disneyland Park rather than ride the high-speed Monorail straight into Tomorrowland.
The park later announced that the Monorail would be “temporarily closed” for refurbishment beginning March 30. A reopening date has not yet been announced.
