Beloved Disney Attraction Remains Drained as Closure Persists - Inside the Magic

Oftentimes at the Disney Parks, we see attractions close down. Sometimes, these closures are very short-lived as Disney’s maintenance team just needs to make a couple of quick adjustments to ensure the ride can operate safely and as intended. These temporary closures may be a slight annoyance in a Guest’s plans for the day if the ride they want to get on next is currently closed, but the positive thing is that the attraction will almost always reopen. There are also instances in which a ride is completely closed for refurbishment.

At the moment, there are Disney attractions being refurbished at Parks all over the globe. Disneyland Paris has many attractions being redone or adjusted for the 30th anniversary, Walt Disney World almost always has at least one ride down, like the Walt Disney World Railroad, or, starting Monday, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and at Disneyland Paris, we see this too! Shortly we will see Toontown shut down for a year-long refurbishment, but at the moment we have seen Splash Mountain remain closed, as well as Grizzly River Run at Disney California Adventure, among others.

On a recent trip out to DCA we took a look at the current status of Grizzly River Run, which shut down in January for refurbishment. At the moment, we know the ride will be down through to “spring”; however, the Disneyland website will not display hours for the attraction past the end of March, so we know that it will definitely be closed for at least another month and a half, at the earliest. 

We can see that all of the rafts for the attraction are currently stored away as the ride is covered in scaffolding and drained completely, it seems that a lot of the woodwork which looks discolored is being updated.

Water attractions tend to close down around this time for an annual refurbishment, so it is not shocking to see the ride not running at the moment, as the weather does dip to cooler temperatures in the evening as of late.

Although the attraction’s refurbishment is lengthy, we will likely not see any massive changes come to Grizzly River Run.

Disney describes the attraction as:

Ride the Wild Waters
Strap into a circular 8-person raft and drift along a lazy river, passing the rusty remnants of an old mining company. Rumble up to the top of the mountain and brace yourself for an exhilarating descent down Grizzly River on a wild river ride.

Bob and spin through the raging current. Careen through a craggy mountain cavern. Plummet down a perilous bedrock slope. Ease your way back to base camp, but not before navigating waters overrun with gushing geysers.

The Legend of Grizzly Peak
The majestic grizzly bear is the symbol of California—land of towering peaks, giant trees and thundering waterfalls.

As you make your way towards the debarkation point, look for the distinctive bear profile at the top of the mountain. According to early folklore, Grizzly Peak was once a giant bear named Oo-soo’-ma-te, whom A-ha-le the Coyote transformed into stone to watch over and protect the mountain.

Listen closely and you may hear the great bear’s spirit roaring along the river!

Prepare to Get Soaked!
You will get wet on this attraction. Guests are encouraged to bring a waterproof poncho, an extra pair of clothes or a towel to dry off after the ride.

Lockers Available
Lockers are located next to the 20-foot tall grizzly bear statue that marks the entrance to Grizzly River Run. Please stow phones, cameras and any other items that might be damaged by water. Lockers are available at no charge for the first 2 hours.

Plus, there is so much to see and do at Disney California Adventure Park! Guests can enjoy Buena Vista Street as they walk the roads Walt had in Hollywood, enjoy a hand-dipped corn dog at Award Wieners, Head to Cars Land to enjoy the neon signage and Radiator Springs Racers, check out the new Marvel-themed land in Avengers Campus, where they can meet Spider-Man, Loki, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, and so many more characters. And of course, you have to ride WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: MISSION BREAKOUT. Rock on the Silly Symphony Swings as well, and go catch Jack Jack on Incredicoaster! The list of rides and attractions never ends!

Are you a fan of Grizzly River Run? What other changes would you make to the attraction?

Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney District. Or what about Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!