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It’s easy for Disney fans to be protective of the parks, especially our favorite attractions. We’re nervous that management is just looking for an opportunity to change them, and not necessarily for the better. Few of us agree on what’s actually worthy of preservation, however. Maelstrom was a treasure to some fans and a dated relic for others. The arrival of Guardians of the Galaxy in California drew scorn, but that’s hardly a universal opinion. These examples can lead to online drama but also create fun debates. Which extinct rides and shows do we miss the most?
For the latest episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast, I’ve put my cards on the table and ranked my top five extinct attractions at Walt Disney World. I could narrow the choices to a single park or even just a section like Future World, but that’s too easy. The point is to force me to make difficult choices when selecting favorites. Certain rides draw the most attention, but are those the most essential for me? That personal connection goes back to early trips to the parks as a kid. Those vacations built the framework for what I love about Disney World today.
This podcast isn’t about deriding the current inhabitants of past greats in the parks. It’s easy to take shots at Mission: Space and The Seas with Nemo and Friends (they deserve it). I’m focusing on what I loved about the attractions that no longer entertain guests at the parks. They still live on through our memories, blurry photos (like the one above), and grainy YouTube videos. The chances of a revival for these attractions are slim, but crazier things have happened. I’ll keep the torch burning for past favorites, despite the evidence to the contrary from Disney management.
Show Notes: Extinct Attractions
Blog Post: EPCOT Center’s Horizons: Why It Worked
Blog Post: World of Motion and the Lost Audio-Animatronic Extravaganza
Great show!!! 20,000 Leagues was my favorite of all time.
Thanks Chris! New Fantasyland is cool, but I really enjoyed 20,000 Leagues in that space when I was a kid.
Nice podcast! I do have to say, however, that I have to (personally) disagree with you that Hollywood Studios offers no extinct attractions of any real value. The original Magic of Disney Animation with the Robin Williams/Walter Cronkite “Back to Neverland” film plus all the artwork from upcoming animation projects would EASILY make my own top 5 list, and I’m still salty about it’s demolition in favor of the much less magical Eddie Murphy version (and now the tacky Star Wars whatever) lol
That one film/tour captured a whole lot of real Disney magic for me as a kid. Too bad few people seem to remember it, though…
Thanks Chris. I should have mentioned “Back to Neverland”, which was great in its original version. The Animation building was one of the main attractions we visited back in the early days, and it’s definitely up there from that time. All of the versions afterward never lived up to the original, especially since there were actually animators in there at that point. I’m glad that you enjoyed the podcast!
You know what might be fun someday is to do a “5 Extinct Attractions Nobody Seems to Miss” podcast. It struck me as weird one day to think about Mission to Mars and how I very rarely hear anyone reminisce about it or mourn its loss. Are there other attractions that are like that? CircleVision 360? Legend of the Lion King? Attractions that just kind of… went away… and no one seems to mind? I think the existence of extinct but un-mourned attractions actually makes Disney fans’ love for other extinct attractions a little more credible – it’s not simply nostalgia driving the love, it’s nostalgia for certain particularly awesome things.
It’s an interesting thought. It’s tricky because even in a lot of situations, I still kind of miss the attractions for some reason. Legend of the Lion King is not good, but it was so odd! Circle Vision 360 would still wow me, so that’s not a great example. I may be disproving your point about nostalgia, though.
Aaaand now I’ve got “If You Had Wings” stuck in my head! That’s not a bad thing though.
I totally agree on this list; I might move World of Motion up a spot, but that’s about it. Great list.
Miles, I find it nearly impossible not to get the “If You Had Wings” theme stuck in my head once I think about it. Putting the list together was tough, especially with all the great options for the last few spots. I’m glad you enjoyed the podcast!