Luddites, commence! As excited as we all are for all of our “Star Wars” dreams to become a reality, Disneyland Resort officials announced the temporary and permanent closures that will take place at Disneyland in order to construct the upcoming “Star Wars”-themed area. (OK, maybe we're not that upset—the new additions seem like they're going to be really cool.)
Still, the Big Thunder Ranch, which houses a barbecue restaurant, petting zoo and the Jamboree stage, will close permanently on January 10, according to the Orange County Register. Although, as they point out, the Jamboree stage is usually closed anyway.
The paper also reports that all four train stations along the Disneyland Railroad, the nightly Fantasmic! show, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Sailing Ship Columbia, the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes and the Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island will close temporarily on January 10. The temporary closures are expected to take a year, but no official date has been set for the attractions to re-open.
The river will also be partially drained and sent to the Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System, where it will be treated and stored. When the time comes, the same system will be replenished. This construction is part of a $1 billion deal Disneyland made with the city of Anaheim in July. As part of that deal, Disney has agreed to building a 5,000 spot parking structure and to finish the whole project by the end of 2024.
Disney also says not to worry about the cast members because they’ll be given other roles in the meantime.