The Disneyland Railroad and Rivers of America rides reopen Saturday after being closed for 18 months to accommodate the construction of the new Star Wars Land. Disney temporarily closed the popular rides, which included the Mark Twain Riverboat and Davey Crocket Explorer Canoes, back in January 2016. Disneyland permanently closed Big Thunder Ranch at the same time.
"Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge," the name of which Disney revealed at this summer's D23 expo, won't open until 2019, so Disney had to re-route the classic railroad to make room for the new attraction. The railroad will now encircle Frontierland and even make a left-hand turn, according to KTLA. A video promoting the new attraction gives a peek of the new views and geographic structures on the updated train route.
During the 18-month hiatus, train engineers had to perform routine maintenance on the steam locomotives, according to the O.C. Register. That way they could prevent chemical build-up and maintain functionality.
The evening show "Fantasmic" was also put on hold during the Rivers of America closure and reopened July 17. The updated version maintains much of its original storyline while adding more contemporary Disney characters like Captain Jack Sparrow, according to a review of the new show in the L.A. Times.
