With the survival server reset looming overhead, I thought of an idea that may be slightly interesting:
In the 24 hours leading up to the new survival server, the current survival server’s game mode is set to creative for last minute tweaks. Want to finish a project before it’s released for download? Want to build a diamond tower in the center of your town? Want to turn your walled fortress into a swimming pool? Go for it!
Though, of course, the downsides to it are that it’s probably not as simple as /gamemode creative, and then there’s the griefing potential…
When the survival map has been reset, there will probably be a world download so you can explore and add to your city/town in creative in single-player, rather than the staff having to change the gamemode of survival and mess about with settings, to have to put all of them back as they were for the new map.
I don’t think it is worth having the survival map be converted to creative mode for a full 24 hours. Greifers would be everywhere, and you can download the map, and play on creative when the map is available for download.
This idea sounds very similar to a familiar movie.