“‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” We’re not certain Disney fans agree, as many still long for the lost dark rides we’ve collected on this list. While dark rides have been around for a century or more, it’s often Walt Disney’s innovations and installations that are the most well-known and celebrated. It is, after all, Disney’s Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, “it’s a small world,” and Indiana Jones Adventure that continue to re-define what a dark ride is and what it can do.
Like all attractions, dark rides can’t last forever. Here we’ve collected eleven of the most well-loved, defended, and celebrated dark rides on Earth that you can’t ride anymore. A tragic loss, for sure, but do you have any memories of these fantastic and unforgettable attractions? Tell us all about it in the comments.
1. Adventure Thru Inner Space
Location: Disneyland Park
Opened: August 5, 1967
Closed: September 2, 1985
Disney’s first foray into the ever-trusted Omnimover ride system (and predating its fabled use in the Haunted Mansion), Adventure Thru Inner Space is perhaps the least well known of the classic dark rides on our list. But to those who recall it, it’s incredibly well-loved. The attraction opened in 1967 as part of Disneyland’s New Tomorrowland, introduced alongside Carousel of Progress, Circle-Vision, Flight to the Moon, and the Peoplemover. The sleek, silver, Space Age land was a triumph, and Adventure Thru Inner Space was its headlining ride.
Aboard Atommobiles, riders were scooted into the Monsanto Mighty Microscope and miniaturized right before the eyes of queuing guests, disappearing into infinitesimally small dots. On board, riders “passed beyond the limits of normal magnification” (as dramatically narrated by Paul Frees, who also provided the voice for Haunted Mansion’s Ghost Host). The retro ride whisked guests through the crystals of a snowflake, then down to the level of an atom with its electrons orbiting riders, and into the very nucleus itself!
What Happened: If the photograph of the model of the ride’s Microscope-dominated queue and loading platform above looks familiar, there’s a reason: The ride closed in 1985 to become Disneyland’s Star Tours, which re-used the queue. The docked Starspeeder is placed right where the Mighty Mightscope was formerly anchored, and the magnified snowflake is now a giant starport departures board! Because Star Tour’s four motion simulating pods take up a lot less space than the former resident, the rest of the showbuilding became the Starspeeder security checkpoint and the Star Traders gift shop. Even though future Star Tours installations weren’t working off of Inner Space’s queue infrastructure, they still recreated the familiar curving path in Orlando, Tokyo, and Paris. In that sense, the foundation of Inner Space now stands on three separate continents!
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: Adventure Thru Inner Space feature for the full story!
2. Horizons
Location: Epcot
Opened: October 1, 1983
Closed: January 9, 1999
When Epcot opened in 1982, it represented a departure from Disney’s fantastical and immersive lands of fantasy. Instead, it was intended to be a permanent World’s Fair, filled with pavilions that each focused on a single topic. For most of its life, the topical concept was clear: one pavilion for the oceans, one for land, one for transportation; communication; innovation; energy. One pavilion, though, was designed as Epcot’s “thesis statement,” purposefully combining the topics into one narrative on how they, together, affect our future…
Horizons opened on October 1, 1983 (the park’s one year anniversary). Said by Imagineers to be a sequel to the Carousel of Progress, Horizons was an Omnimover dark ride through progress itself. It began in the era of Jules Verne and his retro-futuristic novels, then moved through impressions of the future and envisioned in the 1950s. The ride then passed before massive, cutting edge OMNIMAX domed screens and into the core of the attraction: astonishing dark ride scenes depicting the future of man’s interactions with cities, deserts, the oceans, and space.
Most innovatively, guests were then able to use buttons in the ride vehicle to select their return trip to the loading dock, where screens in each vehicle would show them the future of space colonization, arid zone agriculture, or life in an undersea research station.
What Happened: The ride was closed in 1994, re-opening the following year to fill the gap caused by the park’s two major rides both being closed for refurbishment. It took five years for Horizons to close for good. The building was entirely demolished and Mission: SPACE was built in its place. While it’s gone for good, many Disney fans and Epcot fans cling to the notion of Horizons and celebrate it as one of the triumphs of Disney Imagineering.
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: Horizons feature for the full story!
3. Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Location: Magic Kingdom
Opened: October 1, 1971
Closed: May 31, 2012
Snow White and her Adventures opened in 1955 – a Disneyland original – and was one of the original Walt dark rides exported to Magic Kingdom for its 1971 opening. Like California’s, the Orlando version didn’t actually feature the titular heroine. Guests were supposed to imagine themselves as Snow White, experiencing the things she saw. (Still, imagine explaining to children why the Snow White ride didn’t feature a single depiction of Snow White!) The ride closed briefly in 1994 and re-opened with Snow White added in. Four years later, “Scary” was added to the ride’s name to emphasize its focus on the Evil Queen and the ride’s dark and sinister tone.
What Happened: Snow White’s Scary Adventures terrified children from the park’s opening to 2012. That’s when it closed permanently as part of the park’s massive expansion dubbed New Fantasyland. Original plans called for a half-dozen individual princess meet-and-greets. When fans protested the obvious princess lean, Disney reorganized. They replaced the meet-and-greets with a boy-centric family coaster based on the Seven Dwarfs.
The princesses would have to learn to get along in a single Princess Fairytale Hall. That large-scale meet-and-greet needed real estate, and the old Snow White dark ride was perfectly located. So Snow White was evicted for a meet-and-greet (to the outrage of many fans), but at least her story continues to be told (albeit, in a different format) at the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train across the way. Eagle-eyed fans will also notice a few original props and figures from Snow White’s Scary Adventures have made their way to the Mine Train…
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: Snow White’s Scary Adventures feature for the full story!
4. Journey Into Imagination
Location: Epcot
Opened: March 5, 1983
Closed: October 1998
A second unfortunate loss for Epcot, Journey Into Imagination is today remembered as one of the most tragic ride losses at any Disney park. The awesome ride was the keystone of the park’s Imagination pavilion. Guided by an enigmatic inventor spirit named Dreamfinder and his whimsical purple dragon Figment, the attraction literally absorbed guests into imagination, surrounding them in sights, sounds, and wonders that only the awakened mind can produce. The creative duo led guests through outrageous dark ride scenes depicting Art, Literature, Performance, and Science as elements of imagination.
Epcot was purposefully devoid of Disney characters in those early days, so Dreamfinder and Figment became veritable icons of the park. Of course, in true Disney style, the ride was all set to the unforgettable tune of a Sherman Brothers original – in this case, “One Little Spark.” It was all just so well crafted (designed by famed Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter) and magnificently classic.
What Happened: In 1994, Disney opened Honey, I Shrunk the Audience in the Imagination pavilion’s 3D theatre, based on the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids film. Five years later, in 1999, Disney decided to unify that Imagination pavilion under a single theme, bringing the dark ride into the same continuity as the 3D movie’s Imagination Institute story. The ride was transformed into Journey Into YOUR Imagination, eliminating Dreamfinder, Figment, and “One Little Spark” altogether. Now a tour of the Imagination Institute’s Sensory Labs, the ride was missing… well… a spark.
Fans reacted in outrage at the new ride and its removal of the characters who had become icons of Epcot, and languished in the idea that the physical ride track had been cut in half, reducing the 12-minute original to a 5-minute runtime. The new ride survived only two years before closing for a second major renovation, becoming Journey Into Imagination With Figment, injecting a mischievious and off-putting version of the purple dragon into the Imagination Institute storyline and ride layout. The mangled and disjointed ride has yet to make many fans, who still long for the whimsical original and Dreamfinder to return.
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: Journey into Imagination feature for the full story.
5. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Location: Magic Kingdom
Opened: October 1, 1971
Closed: September 7, 1998
Like Snow White’s Scary Adventures, the original Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was one of the classic dark rides that opened under Walt’s supervision in 1955 at Disneyland. That made it an obvious opening day attraction at Florida’s Magic Kingdom. The ride placed guests into jalopies and sent them careening through the streets of London on a mad drive, crashing through walls, narrowly avoiding obstacles, and brushing past police. Magic Kingdom’s version also took advantage of the park’s larger footprint and offered two boarding areas, each leading to a slightly different ride experience that interacted with cars on the opposite track throughout.
Like Disneyland’s, the Magic Kingdom version ended with your vehicle apparently smashing head-on into an oncoming locomotive, sending you to… well… Hell! Surrounded in fiery stalagtites, flames, and dancing red demons, the ride had the unusual pleasure of being the only one of Disney’s to (narratively) kill you and send you to hell. There’s a lesson about road rage in there somewhere…
What Happened: Mr. Toad is still terrorizing the British motorways in California, but the dark ride closed in Florida in 1998 to be replaced with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Disneyland got a Pooh ride, too, but it took the place of the park’s Country Bear Jamboree – a purposeful decision by Imagineers so that both Toad and the Country Bears could continue to exist in the U.S. instead of wiping one or the other off the face of the Earth.
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride feature for the full story!
6. El Rio Del Tiempo
Location: Epcot
Opened: October 1, 1982
Closed: January 2, 2007
Yes, a third lost Epcot attraction. Epcot quickly gained a reputation among families as more educational than entertaining. Kids considered it more of a science center than a theme park. One of the chief complaints had to be (and continues to be) the park’s World Showcase. The lovingly recreated international pavilions feature some incredible entertainment, inspiring detail, and delectable food offerings. But kids aren’t exactly clamoring for an authentic Moroccan meal. When a child’s eyes light up at the mention of Walt Disney World, it’s probably not a Canadian film they’re hoping to see.
While plenty of Circle-Vision films told the story, only two World Showcase countries had an actual ride through their respective cultures. El Rio Del Tiempo (The River of Time) was a slow-moving boat ride through Mexican history. The journey began in a glowing lagoon around an ancient pyramid under a crisp night sky. Like Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean, the boats would float through the lagoon and alongside a fine-dining restaurant that shared the central pyramid and starry skies. The ride itself featured “small world” style Audio Animatronics and screens that depicted Mexican culture, history, and celebration.
What Happened: El Rio Del Tiempo was updated in 2007 as Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros, drawing from the avian trio in Disney’s 1944 film The Three Caballeros. Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito Pistoles criss-cross Mexico in a modern travelogue ending in their concert in Mexico City. Even though the transformation is the kind that Disney Parks fans detest (needlessly injecting animated characters into classic attractions), there didn’t seem to be much backlash. It could be because the ride is very well hidden and was never a standout in the park’s lineup.
7. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Submarine Voyage
Location: Magic Kingdom
Opened: October 14, 1971
Closed: September 5, 1994
When Disneyland opened the outstanding Submarine Voyage in the park’s Tomorrowland in 1959, it fit: submarines were the technology of the future, and Walt’s fleet was among the world’s largest. By Magic Kingdom’s 1971 opening, things had changed. Submarine Voyage was given a Jules Verne makeover (including replicating the fantastic Nautilus hull) to fit into Fantasyland. The attraction itself was almost identical to Disneyland’s version, but the 20,000 Leagues story was a stylistic choice that was invigorating and elegant.
What Happened: Both the subs in California and Florida have incredibly low hourly capacity and are very, very expensive to run. Magic Kingdom’s closed in 1994, allegedly so that Cast Members could be rerouted to the New Tomorrowland that had just opened. For many years, the large lagoon was empty. Eventually, the Ariel’s Grotto greeting area was built into a cavern on the lake’s edge, with a bronze statue of King Triton in the water. It was a big lagoon to just be placemaking!
Eventually, the beautiful lake was filled in and became Pooh’s Playful Spot, a soft-floored play area to compliment the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh across the path. That lasted for just about five years before the plot of land that had been the Submarine Lagoon and its accompanying dark ride showbuilding was finally leveled to become New Fantasyland.
Today, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train sits where the lagoon once was, and a new path leading to the approximate location of the showbuilding houses Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Enchanted Tales with Belle. That’s a big plot of land!
Disneyland’s Submarine Voyage closed a few years after Magic Kingdom’s. The lagoon in California was vacant for a decade before the Subs miraculously returned, just as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. A ride called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is located at Tokyo DisneySea, but has little in common with the Magic Kingdom original. DisneySea’s is a dry dark ride that only simulates being underwater, though it’s an incredible and monumental dark ride in its own right.
Read the in-depth feature Lost Legends: 20,000 Leagues for the full story!
8. If You Had Wings
Image: Disney
Location: Magic Kingdom
Opened: June 5, 1972
Closed: January 3, 1989
Ready for take-off? Shortly after Magic Kingdom’s grand opening, this 1972 Omnimover-based dark ride took flight in the park’s Tomorrowland. A living travelogue of destinations serviced by Eastern Air Lines, the ride cleverly combined physical sets with then-cutting-edge projection effects. Designed by Disney Legend Claude Coats, the ride was a true wonder from beginning to end… especially in its feature “Speed Room” wherein riders passed through a cavernous ellipsoid chamber surrounded in projections of flight.
Still, the reason the ride is remembered by so many of Magic Kingdom’s first generation today is thanks to its theme song, “If You Had Wings.” The catchy and clever melody was crafted by the legendary X Atencio (lyricist for Pirates of the Caribbean’s “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” and Haunted Mansion’s “Grim Grinning Ghosts”). If You Had Wings is recognized for the role it played as a prototype for the industry-focused, sponsored, informational dark rides that would follow at EPCOT Center a decade later.
What Happened: The When Eastern Air Lines folded, so did the ride. However, it re-opened just five days later as “If You Could Fly.” Mostly unchanged, the now unsponsored ride lost one major piece: its theme song. Enthusiasm plummeted. Eventually, the space was re-used for a separate aviation themed dark ride, Delta Dreamflight. It, too, was de-sponsored and became Dreamflight, then Take Flight, before finally folding altogether so the ride could be rethemed as Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: If You Had Wings feature for the full story!
9. ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter
Location: Magic Kingdom
Opened: June 20, 1995
Closed: October 12, 2003
The headlining attraction of Magic Kingdom’s 1994 remodel of New Tomorrowland, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was… well… terrifying. Guests were strapped into a circular theatre facing a large glass tube, supposedly expecting to see a “typical” demonstration of teleportation technology… until a carnivorous alien (a healthy mix of spider, snake, and grasshopper) is accidentally caught in the beam and teleported to Earth. The creature shatters the glass tube and escapes into the audience, drooling on your shoulder, crawling around thanks to 3D sound, and splashing the audience in the blood of an unsuspecting employee. Sounds fun, eh?
Disney developed Alien Encounter alongside George Lucas (of Star Wars and Indiana Jones fame) and planned to duplicate the extreme sensory show as each Tomorrowland across the globe got their respective updates in the 1990s. After a period of development hell in which then-CEO Michael Eisner declared the show “too scary” and then “not scary enough,” Alien Encounter opened quite later than expected and ultimately closed earlier than hoped for.
What Happened: As the name suggests, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was an intense experience that often ended with children shrieking and begging to go home. Parents must’ve practically stormed the Guest Relations office. In the end, the attraction was just too much for Magic Kingdom. It closed briefly to be retooled, and now exists as the highly-despised Stitch’s Great Escape, replacing the bloodthirsty alien with the comical Stitch who burps chili dogs and spits on the crowd. It’s still horrifying, but in a totally different way. Plus, with a ride that’s too “silly” for teens but too dark for kids, Stitch’s Great Escape appeals to practically no one. The attraction is so disliked by fans, it owned its own in-depth Designing Disaster: Stitch’s Great Escape feature that tells the full story.
It’s too bad Alien Encounter wasn’t given a chance in other Disney Parks as originally intended. Disneyland contains far more in the way of dark stories and “PG-13” inspired rides (like Star Tours and Temple of the Forbidden Eye) and it’s unlikely that Alien Encounter would’ve been chased out of town there. Since Magic Kingdom is almost entirely dedicated to G-rated stories and settings, Alien Encounter was an odd man out and eventually was deemed too dark for the park.
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter feature for the full story!
10. World of Motion
Location: Epcot
Opened: October 1, 1982
Closed: January 2, 1996
Yes, a fourth Epcot attraction that’s been wiped from the face of the Earth. Back in the early days when Epcot’s concept of World’s Fair pavilions was actually enforced, that circular pavilion in the northwest corner of Future World was called World of Motion and dealt with the concept of transportation. Like almost every other Epcot pavilion of the time, the best way to tell that story was through a dark ride.
World of Motion was an Omnimover dark ride that chronicled the growth of transportation from foot power through equestrian periods, the invention of the wheel at Babylon, and the Age of Flight with Leonardo da Vinci. The steamboat follows, then the steam locomotive. Even the world’s first traffic jam. Like Horizons and Journey Into Imagination, there was something so wonderful about World of Motion and its progressive, brilliantly designed, classic style. One particularly iconic moment was immediately after the ride departed the boarding station, spiraling around a massive support pole outside of the attraction. Reportedly, the support and track are still behind the new glass exterior of the pavilion.
What Happened: As General Motors slumped in the economy, they began to consider pulling their sponsorship of the transportation-themed pavilion. Disney made them an offer to design an entirely new ride that would focus on the company’s cars: Test Track. Obviously GM bought the plan and World of Motion closed in early 1996 (which, ironically, forced the temporary reopening of Horizons to counter the park’s low ride count). After some technological flubs postponed its opening, Test Track opened in 1999. Even Test Track didn’t last long. In 2012, it closed for good, re-opening as the VERY different Test Track Presented by Chevrolet (that’s a GM brand) later that year.
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: World of Motion feature for the full story!
11. Maelstrom
Location: Epcot
Opened: July 5, 1988
Closed: October 5, 2014
The fifth well-loved, classic dark ride to be taken from Epcot, Maelstrom belonged to the Norway pavilion, and told the story of Norwegian myth and culture. The boat first sailed through a dark tunnel and up a hill where the voice and eyes of Odin promised that any who seek the spirit of Norway would find adventure and peril. It then entered a Viking port, then a mythical marsh where a three-headed troll cursed the boat to fall backwards down a waterfall. The backwards-traveling boats then passed by polar bears before correcting direction and splashing down in the North Sea surrounded by oilrigs.
The mish-mash of stories gives an impression of the World Showcase dilemma: creating an engaging ride that shares the highlights of a culture’s stories and myths while also promoting tourism and explaining the country’s place in modern economics and production. Somehow Maelstrom managed, and that’s saying something given that the ride clocked in at just over four minutes.
What Happened: Disney struck gold with 2013’s Frozen, which became the highest grossing animated film of all time and dazzled critics, families, and fans. The movie is set in the fictional kingdom of Arendelle, which is definitely stylistically based on Norwegian customs and architecture. Princesses Anna and Elsa of the film took up residence in the pavilion’s restaurant and gift shops, but it wasn’t enough. Maelstrom closed October 5, 2014 to be transformed into Frozen Ever After, which opened Summer 2016.
Read the in-depth Lost Legends: Maelstrom feature for the full story!
Parting is such sweet sorrow
Nothing lasts forever, but it’s still a shame that we had to lose the eleven attractions here. Whether their replacements are lacking or they simply were too grand to leave so soon, we desperately miss these eleven classic and beloved rides. That’s why our Lost Legends series was born… Watch for links to Lost Legends throughout the site to get the in-depth histories of forgotten favorites.
Five of the eleven are from Epcot… What does that say about Epcot today? Were the five removals here worth their replacements? What others rides have disappeared from your favorite parks that you wish you could have another ride on? Did we miss any major Disney losses? Tell us in the comments!
