Since the debut of Walt Disney World in 1971, dozens of attractions have been removed or replaced at the resort’s four theme parks. We recently posted a round-up of pretty much all of them– 56 in total. Some of the attractions were extremely dated, and deserved to be removed. But some of them were actually pretty great, and were arguably taken out for reasons that were questionable or misguided. We miss those attractions, and wish that they still existed (possibly in an updated, modern form). Take a look at the 10 “lost” Walt Disney World attraction that we miss the most, and let us know in the comments which rides and shows you most regret having been removed.
10. Skyway (Magic Kingdom)
Image: George Thomas, Flickr
Opened in: 1971 Closed in: 1999 The Magic Kingdom’s Skyway cable car ride debuted with the rest of the park on October 1, 1971. Like Disneyland’s version, it carried guests from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland, and vice-versa. It outlived its Disneyland counterpart by 5 years, before being removed in 1999. The Fantasyland station was recently demolished. Why we miss it:While it looked a little out of place, the Skyway was one of few rides at a Disney park that offered an overhead perspective. Its relatively low capacity made it a fairly impractical fixture at the world’s most popular theme park, however.
9. The Monster Sound Show (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Opened in: 1989 Closed in: 1999 Replaced by: Sounds Dangerous! An opening day attraction at Disney-MGM Studios, the Monster Sound Show featured a pre-show hosted by David Letterman. The 270-seat theater saw four guests volunteer to become “sound artists”, adding in the effects for a short comedy movie. They would use props from around the theater to attempt to generate the effects. Why we miss it:We don’t really miss the Monster Sound Show, per se. What we do miss is the old breed of attractions at Disney-MGM Studios/Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios Florida, which attempted to educate the audience about the production process as well as entertaining them.
8. Snow White’s Scary Adventures (Magic Kingdom)
Image: Disney
Opened in: 1971 Closed in: 2012 Replaced by: Princess Fairytale Hall Snow White’s Scary Adventures opened in 1971 alongside the rest of the Magic Kingdom. Criticised by many parents for being too intense for younger children, it received a major overhaul in 1994 that removed many of the scarier elements. It was removed to make room for the New Fantasyland expansion, although a new Snow White-themed ride, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, will open soon. Very similar versions of the ride can still be found at Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. Why we miss it:Replacing a classic dark ride (and quite an intense one at that) with a princess meet-and-greet location (the Princess Fairytale Hall) didn’t seem like a fair swap to us. At least we have the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as a consolation.
7. Kitchen Kabaret (Epcot)
Opened in: 1982 Closed in: 1994 Replaced by: Food Rocks Kitchen Kabaret has to be one of the most unusual Disney attractions of all time. It was essentially a Vaudeville-style show featuring singing food items, and was designed to teach kids about the four food groups. It operated in the Land Pavilion for 12 years before being replaced by the similar Food Rocks, which itself closed for good in 2004. Why we miss it:This quirky show was, in our opinion, a cult classic. It may look a little of out place in a Disney park, but it helped to bring alive a relatively boring subject for Epcot’s younger visitors.
6. Mr Toad’s Wild Ride (Magic Kingdom)
Image (c) Disney
Opened in: 1971 Closed in: 1998 Replaced by: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Just as it was at Disneyland back in 1955, Mr Toad’s Wild Ride was in place on the opening day of the Magic Kingdom. The classic Disney dark ride was based on the firm’s adaptation of The Wind in the Willows, and featured two slightly different rides depending on which boarding area guests queued for. The near-misses with scenery made it hugely popular, but Disney ignored fans’ protests and tore it out in September 1998 to make room for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Why we miss it: For our money, Mr Toad’s Wild Ride was a superior dark ride to the attraction that replaced it.
5. Wonders of Life pavilion (Epcot)
Opened in: 1989 Closed in: 2007 Wonders of Life opened in 1989, and hosted a variety of interactive attractions such as a personal health quiz and bicycle simulators. The highlight, though, was Body Wars – a simulator ride through the human body. This was joined by Cranium Command, a humorous show about the importance of the human brain. Elements of the Wonders of Life Pavilion are still in place and it is used for seasonal events. However, Body Wars and Cranium Command have not operated for many years. Why we miss it:In today’s health-focused world, it seems a strange decision to have shut down a pavilion dedicated to the human body.
4. The Living Seas (Epcot)
Opened in: 1986 Closed in: 2005 Replaced by: The Seas with Nemo & Friends When Michael Eisner took over as Disney CEO in 1984, he decided that the company’s former policy of “playing nice” with its neighbors in Florida was no longer appropriate. Instead, he sought to take on the competition directly. In 1986, The Living Seas Pavilion opened at Epcot, taking clear aim at SeaWorld Orlando (it didn’t work: SeaWorld registered record attendance that year). The Living Seas hosted the largest saltwater tank in the world, holding an incredible 5.7 million gallons of water. The attraction took guests under the ocean to “Sea Base Alpha” via a “hydrolator” (a mock elevator), where they viewed a short movie about the oceans dubbed The Sea. They then boarded “Seacabs”, traveling along an underwater tunnel through the aquarium. Finally, they could take a look around a host of multimedia displays. The Seacabs closed in 2001, and in 2003 work began on a major overhaul of The Living Seas. Eventually, the Seacabs were replaced by “Clamobiles”, and the entire attraction was converted into The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Why we miss it:Although The Seas with Nemo & Friends is still a great pavilion, it lacks the same sense of immersiveness that was a feature of the original Living Seas. The hydrolators and the Seacabs helped to “transport” guests to the undersea world, whereas the overall experience is now fragmented.
3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage (Magic Kingdom)
Opened in: 1971 Closed in: 1994 Replaced by: Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage was not Disney’s first attempt at an underwater attraction. Disneyland’s own Submarine Voyage ride first debuted in 1959, some 12 years before the Magic Kingdom opened its gates. Naturally, the Imagineers working on the Florida project wanted to create something bigger and better. They expanded the scale of the attraction so that it could accommodate 12 submarines, with the tank sprawling across a large area of Fantasyland. Crucially, they also opted to adopt the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea theme, providing a storyline instantly recognisable to fans of the book and Disney’s 1954 movie adaptation. After more than two decades of entertaining Walt Disney World guests, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was closed on September 5, 1994. At the time, Disney claimed that the closure was temporary, but it finally conceded in 1996 that the ride would never reopen. The submarines were dismantled, with many of the parts being auctioned off to collectors. Why we miss it:It was one of the most unique rides at Walt Disney World, and celebrated a classic story.
2. Journey into Imagination (Epcot)
Opened in: 1982 Closed in: 1998 Replaced by: Journey into Your Imagination EPCOT Center was designed to offer a completely different type of experience to the Magic Kingdom. For that reason, Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were initially banned from the park. While this decision made sense on many levels, it also left kids without a recognisable character to connect with. Faced with this problem, Disney’s Imagineers created a new, original character – one in keeping with the park’s theme. That character was Figment, the icon of the Imagination Pavilion. Together with Dreamfinder, Figment hosted the pavilion’s headline attraction: Journey into Imagination, which eventually opened five months after the rest of the pavilion (which was subsequently renamed as the Journey into Imagination Pavilion). The original version of Journey into Imagination operated until 1998, when it was overhauled to become Journey into YOUR Imagination. This version of the ride came in for stinging criticism, and only survived for two years before it was itself replaced. It was themed around 3-D movie Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, which was also hosted in the same pavilion, and saw guests passing through numerous areas of the fictitious Imagination Institute. In the face of overwhelming demand from fans, Disney brought back Dreamfinder and Figment. Unfortunately, the resulting attraction – Journey into Imagination with Figment – remains very, very unpopular. Why we miss it:It was a unique and inventive dark ride populated with colorful characters, and one of the best things to do at Epcot with young children. The replacement is an embarrassment.
1. Disney’s River Country
Back in 1976, Walt Disney World was short on attractions to keep guests on-site for more than a day or two. The only theme park at that stage was the Magic Kingdom, and EPCOT Center would not open until 1982. To add to its roster, the resort installed its first ever water park: Disney’s River Country. 
Located near Discovery Island on the shore of Bay Lake, River Country boasted a rustic “wilderness” theme. The theming was heavy on rocks and boulders, and was designed to resemble an “old-fashioned swimming hole”. 
The water that was used in River Country’s slides and pools was drawn directly from Bay Lake, and passed through a unique filtering system. The natural feel of the park was enhanced by the sand that was abundant throughout. When Michael Eisner took over as Disney CEO in 1984, he took a more competitive approach than his predecessors. He decided to build a full water park, Typhoon Lagoon, to take on nearby Wet ‘n’ Wild. River Country’s capacity was limited, and its days were numbered. It shut on November 2, 2001, but remains in place today – it was abandoned rather than demolished. You can see the current state of the park in this recent article. Wh we miss it:It’s not on the same scale as Walt Disney World’s current water parks, and nor did it offer the same level of thrills. But River Country still offered a fun experience, and its connection to Bay Lake made it relatively unique.
Discover more lost Walt Disney World attractions
Feeling nostalgic? Check out article covering the 56 lost Walt Disney World attractions.
