Disney builds its theme park rides and shows to last. However, its parks and attractions are constantly evolving, and that means that inevitably, in time, most rides and shows will either be updated with a new theme and technology, or removed altogether.
Sometimes, though, if an attraction has no direct replacement, it is easier (and more importantly, cheaper) simply to leave it in place, hidden from guests’ view. Scattered around Disney’s various resorts are a surprisingly large number of such abandoned attractions. In some cases, the entire ride system remains in place, leaving fans with hope (however slim) that the attractions could return one day in some form or other.
Let’s take a look at 10 Disney attractions that are currently “standing but not operating”…
10. Rocket Rods (Disneyland)
In 1998, Disneyland’s Tomorrowland underwent a major overhaul, re-emerging as New Tomorrowland. One of the “casualties” of the project was the former PeopleMover attraction, which had been installed to offer guests an overview of the area. Its moderately-paced vehicles were replaced by the Rocket Rods, a high-speed thrill ride that operated on the same track. After boarding a five-seat Rocket Rod, riders raced around the circuit at a much faster pace than the old PeopleMover vehicles.
Unfortunately, the new attempt to bolt the new attraction onto the existing PeopleMover infrastructure proved to be catastrophic. The unbanked turns weren’t suited to high speeds, so the Rocket Rods had to slow down to a crawl on each bend. Tires wore out quickly, and the entire attraction was shuttered in September 2000.
The PeopleMover track remains in place, with many Disneyland fans demanding the ride’s return. Rumors in 2013 pointed to a potential replacement by a Star Wars-themed Speeder Bike attraction, but these should be taken with a pinch of salt. We’ll have to wait and see what eventually becomes of this decades-old attraction.
9. Body Wars at Epcot
The original plan for Epcot include a pavilion dedicated to life and health, but a lack of sponsorship meant that the Wonders of Life Pavilion didn’t make its debut until 1989. One of its headline attraction was Body Wars, a simulator ride through the human blood stream.
The attraction used similar technology to Disneyland’s Star Tours. So similar, in fact, that sponsor MetLife demanded that the opening of Walt Disney World’s clone of Star Tours, at Disney-MGM Studios, be held back until later in 1989 so as not to take attention away from Body Wars.
The ride consisted of four simulators, each able to accommodate up to 40 passengers. The simulators played the role of the Bravo 229 vehicle, which was “shrunk” down from a weight of 26 tons to “less than a drop of water”. During their journey, guests passed through the heart, lungs and various other parts of the body.
In January 2007, the Wonders of Life Pavilion was closed for good, without any explanation from Disney. At the time, rumors suggested that Body Wars would be dismantled and sent to Hong Kong Disneyland. However, as Yesterland notes, there have been no credible reports of the simulators actually being removed. Instead, Body Wars is simply boarded up, tantalisingly out of reach for guests visiting the special events and private events that are still held in the pavilion.
8. Cranium Command at Epcot
Image: Disney
The Wonders of Life Pavilion’s other major attraction was Cranium Command. This saw guests becoming “Cranium Commandos” and being sent on a mission into the human brain. It starred Buzzy, a tiny little soldier, who had been tasked with keeping a twelve-year-old boy out of trouble by entering his cranium.
After a pre-show briefing, guests entered the theatre, which was designed to represent the inside of a human head. The outside world was seen through a pair of screens designed to mimic the eyes. Buzzy himself led the mission, in audio-animatronic form.
Like Body Wars, Cranium Command is believed to have been left largely intact following the pavilion’s closure.
7. Making of Me at Epcot
Martin Short has made a habit of appearing in shows at Disney theme parks, starring in both O Canada! in Epcot’s Canada Pavilion and in the wonderful (and often overlooked) CinéMagique at Walt Disney Studios Paris.
Prior to both of those, Short also starred in The Making of Me, a show that formed part of the Wonders of Life Pavilion’s line-up. This was shown from 1989 until the pavilion closed, and focused on conception and birth (something of a departure for Disney).
Although the film is no longer shown, the theatre has been reused to show food-focused films during Epcot’s annual International Food & Wine Festival – so the attraction is still essentially in place.
6. Mark Twain Riverboat at Disneyland Paris
Image: Michael Plasmeier , Wikimedia (license)
During a recent visit to Disneyland Paris, we were surprised to spot the Mark Twain Riverboat floating forlornly in Frontierland’s Rivers of the Far West. Even more surprising was the state of the boat, which looked virtually derelict. In places, parts of the boat’s wooden structure appeared to have detached altogether and fallen into the murky waters. All of this in full view of guests riding on the Disneyland Railroad.
The boat is based on Disneyland’s original Mark Twain sternwheeler. It is one of two vessels, alongside the Molly Brown, that serve the Thunder Mesa Riverboats attraction, taking guests on a scenic journey around Frontierland.
The Mark Twain hasn’t operated since 2011, and has spent most of that time sitting in dry dock. However, it was moved out recently into the Rivers of the Far West to enable the Molly Brown to undergo refurbishment. That has led to a serious deterioration in its condition.
Will the Mark Twain ever return to service? The chances seem a lot better of the boat being restored now that Disney has offered a financial lifeline to Disneyland Paris.
5. Disney’s River Country at Walt Disney World
Here’s a rarity: an entire Disney abandoned water park.
Back in the mid-1970s, Walt Disney World was not the sprawling, multi-day resort destination that it is today. The only theme park on offer was the Magic Kingdom, and EPCOT Center wouldn’t open until the start of the next decade. To keep its hotel guests amused and on-site for longer, Disney decided to build its first ever water park, Disney’s River Country.
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 Disney’s River Country in these aerial photographs.
4. Discovery River Boats at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, it featured only a handful of actual rides. One of these was the Discovery River Boats, which were intended to provide transportation from the Safari Village to Asia, offering guests a look at scenery including animatronic dragons and other props from the mythical Beastly Kingdom.
Unfortunately, Beastly Kingdom was never actually built – leaving guests to look at bland riverbanks. Those expecting an experience similar to the Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise were very disappointed. After six months, the boats were renamed as the Discovery River Taxis, emphasising that they were intended to provide transportation and nothing else. By 1999 the attraction was once again renamed, this time as the Radio Disney River Cruises, with the boats being repainted in bright colors and Radio Disney music piped in. It proved to be just as unpopular, and the ride was closed for good.
However, the two landing docks for the boats remained in place, with both having been used a character meet-and-greet spots. The boats have been previously been used part of the park’s opening ceremonies, and are still used as resort transportation on Bay Lake during busy periods (thanks to Twitter user Tom Green for pointing this out).
3. Food Rocks at Epcot
Image: Disney
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 at Epcot for 12 years before being replaced by the similar Food Rocks, which itself closed for good in 2004.
Eventually, Soarin’ occupied some of the space that was used for Food Rocks. However, according to Modern Mouse Radio, the actual stage was left in place and hidden by walls. Even the animatronic figures are said to be resting just beyond your reach as you queue for the flight simulator ride. Whether that will remain the case if Disney goes ahead with rumored plans to add more capacity to Soarin’ by installing an additional simulator remains to be seen.
Update: One commenter below suggests that the Food Rocks stage and animatronics are sadly no more.
2. Discovery Island at Walt Disney World
Image: Gmaletic, Wikimedia (license)
Located in Walt Disney World’s Bay Lake, Discovery Island first opened to the public in April 1974 as Treasure Island, and operated as a wildlife observation attraction until 1999. At that point, many of its captive animals were moved to the newly-opened Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
While several alternative uses of the island have since been put forward – including turning it into an attraction based on Lost – it remains off-limits to guests. Urban explorer Shane Pérez reached the island in 2010, claiming to have discovered “abandoned buildings, cages, preserved snakes in jars, even old employee photos”.
1. ImageWorks at Epcot
The abandoned ImageWorks as seen in 2011
Image: E82 – The Epcot Legacy (used with permission)
The original Journey to Imagination attraction at Epcot was very popular. After disembarking, guests were sent through the post-show ImageWorks area. This hosted a variety of games and hands-on exhibits, such as Magic Palette (a digital drawing station), Lightwriter (using lasers to write and draw) and Bubble Music (a projection that moved in time with sounds). The most famous of these was the Rainbow Corridor, which assigned a color to each guest and followed them throughout.
When the ride underwent a major refurbishment in 1999 (a move that was incredibly unpopular among fans of the original), ImageWorks was closed. It was left largely intact, being used for storage and special events.
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