Disney has halted construction on the Avengers Campus themed land at Disney California Adventure and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway dark ride at Disneyland during the coronavirus closures of the Anaheim theme parks.
In line with direction from government and health officials, the temporary closure of Disneyland Resort includes construction sites, Disney officials said.
The Marvel-themed Avengers Campus is scheduled to open on July 18 while the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction in Toontown is set to debut in 2022.
Disneyland was in the midst of refurbishment projects on the Haunted Mansion, Snow White’s Scary Adventures and King Arthur Carrousel when Disney’s two Anaheim theme parks closed on March 14 until the end of the month amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure attraction was also set to undergo a renovation in 2020. Several smaller projects at Space Mountain and Mickey’s House in Toontown were also underway.
Disneyland fans had hoped that one silver lining of the 18-day coronavirus closure of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure would mean that Disney work crews would have unfettered access to work on all the construction and maintenance projects.
In March, Anaheim issued building permits to Disneyland valued at $9.4 million, according to city records.
Disney was issued multiple building permits in the days leading up to and following the closure of its Anaheim theme parks for work on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Indiana Jones Adventure, Space Mountain, Tom Sawyer’s Island and Disneyland’s Frontierland entrance.
Earlier in March, Disney received permits for work on Marvel’s Avengers Campus, the Haunted Mansion and Mickey’s House.
According to city records, the projects include:
$100,000 “crown castle” antenna cell site on the roof of a building in the new Marvel-themed Avengers Campus.
$7.5 million attraction building with offices, restrooms and break room for cast members. Referred to as Building 6205, the 120,000-square-foot site sounds like the location for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway behind Mickey’s Toontown.
Refurbishment of Indiana Jones Adventure attraction. Previous permits revealed Disneyland crews would replace a plank bridge and its steel structure in the show set of the Indy attraction and refurbish rockwork. The latest permits call for the replacement of a motor control center and work on the lighting in the motion-base dark ride.
$200,000 renovation of Disneyland’s Frontierland entrance. The project calls for the widening of an existing bridge and the replacement of a pair of 15-foot-tall faux wooden gates and a 16-foot-long marquee.
$350,000 reroof of the Cider Mill and Blacksmith shop on Tom Sawyer’s Island. The work includes the removal and reinstallation of a scenic prop platform. The rustic building on the tip of Tom Sawyer’s Island serves as the centerpiece for Disneyland’s nightly Fantasmic water show.
$115,000 reroof of Mickey’s House in Toontown where visitors meet the famous mouse and pose for photos.
$1.1 million Space Mountain emergency exit exterior staircase.
Electrical and lighting work in the Westward Ho Trading Co. retail shop in Frontierland.
$30,000 shade canopy in the Simba parking lot used by Downtown Disney shoppers.
The shuttering of Disney’s two Anaheim theme parks, three hotels and outdoor shopping mall could stretch even longer than the announced 18-day closure. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending an 8-week ban on all public gatherings and events over 50 people.
