Beloved Disney Attraction Finally Returning After Being Abandoned For Years

After an extensive closure, Disney just announced the return of a beloved attraction.

For better or for worse, Disney’s theme parks are always changing. Since Disneyland Park opened in 1955, the company’s parks across the globe have received numerous makeovers and new additions – as well as multiple closures.

In the past decade alone, parkgoers have been forced to say goodbye to fan-favorites such as The Great Movie Ride, Maelstrom, and Splash Mountain. A portion of the Disney community was so devastated about the closure of the latter that it created petitions and staged protests (ultimately all in vain, as it closed at both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom earlier this year).

At the same time, closures have allowed equally beloved attractions to take their place. Without demolishing existing rides, we’d live in a world without Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and Frozen Ever After.

Related: Disney Addresses Fire Incident at Train Station

Sometimes, however, closures are only temporary. Building a new attraction or land takes a lot of time and space, which can mean rendering parts of the park inaccessible to guests during construction.

This is currently the case at Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, where the park’s entrance – Disney Studio 1 – and other areas of the park are set to undergo lengthy closures as it undergoes a makeover.

Over at Magic Kingdom, the Walt Disney World Railroad previously closed for four years to allow for the construction of TRON Lightcycle / Run. It reopened in December 2022 with “a completely refreshed track looping the park.” The Frontierland station of the Walt Disney World Railroad is also currently undergoing renovation during the construction of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Further afield, Hong Kong Disneyland closed its own railroad in 2019. Like other Disneyland-style parks around the world, the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad gives guests the opportunity to board a vintage locomotive and take a scenic tour around the park with convenient stops at Main Street, U.S.A. and Fantasyland.

The railroad’s closure came during the onset of construction for Arendelle: World of Frozen – the world’s first theme park land inspired by Frozen (2013). Immersing guests in the world of Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel), this will the park welcome two new rides in the form of Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs (which hasn’t exactly impressed fans so far) and Frozen Ever After.

Related: Disney Axes Train Service, Cuts off Park for Thousands of Tourists

While construction was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the park’s recurrent closures, World of Frozen is set to open at Hong Kong Disneyland on November 20. With the area complete, that means the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad is free to reopen.

According to the Hong Kong Disneyland website, the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad will reopen on November 17. It’s thought that all three trains will be back in action: the Walter E. Disney (named after the one and only Walt Disney), Roy O. Disney (named after Walt’s brother and the co-founder The Walt Disney Company), and the Frank G. Wells (named after Disney’s former president and chief operating officer who passed away after a helicopter crash in 1994).

Related: Animal Kingdom Attraction Closing Imminently at Disney World

Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad is temporarily suspended until November 16. The service will resume on November 17, 2023 (Friday).

Hong Kong Disneyland currently operates six days a week, closing on Wednesdays. Once the railroad reopens at the Disney theme park, it will run from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

What closed Disney ride do you wish would reopen? Let us know in the comments!