About Theme Park Tourist
Theme Park Tourist is one of the web’s leading sources of essential information and entertaining articles about theme parks in Orlando and beyond.
We are one of the world’s largest theme park guide sites, hosting detailed guides to more than 80 theme parks around the globe.
Plan Your Trip
Our theme park guides contain reviews and ratings of rides, restaurants and hotels at more than 80 theme parks worldwide.
You can even print them.
The pipe issue is more of the case. The park was built in the 1990s, when a certain type of water pipe was used alot around Florida that was later recalled for bursting. Maintenance crews will come in the wee hours of the morning to see a flooded parking lot. Deep underground pipes bursting and rotting away make for unpredictable closures. Super expensive, it will call for a complete overhaul, in the billons.
Unfortunately the last refurbishment was so long was due a structural integrity problem with the mountain itself so the pipe was a patch job again this year. The water parks are too nice of amenity to get rid of just yet in my opinion.
Maybe they want to make the whole thing Frozen themed so they are waiting. Unless it costs more to run the park than revenue they are making from it, a shut down prob wouldn't happen. I never go to the water parks though, too much to do at the actual 4, so I won't miss it either way :)
Relax people, if Blizzard Beach does require an extensive and expensive rehab/refurbishment, they could be putting it off till Volcano Bay opens just to see what they are up against.
Universal already upped the ante with the immersive theming in Diagon Alley. Disney could be holding it off to see how high bar will probably be raised in terms of Water parks and then green light a big overhaul of not only Blizzard Beach but also Typhoon Lagoon.
Don't forget they had to increase the budget for Avatar once they saw how immersive Diagon Alley was.
Certainly a little strange but honestly, Blizzard Beach isn't going anywhere. I suspect an extensive repair that will hopefully be done in time for summer rush. MouseTeens.com
I think that this is a pretty radical theory. Yes, Disney has abandoned venues on its hands. My understanding of the issue with these rides is that it's more than just a pump malfunction - but rather a broken pipe. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/the-daily-disney/os-blizzard-beach-disneyworld-summit-plummet-broken-20160421-story.html) In the best of circumstances, that's not a quick fix. Or a cheap one. Compound this with the highly themed nature of the space, and it complicates repair work even further. I think even considering permanent park closure as an end result is a little much. Just my $.02.