Hey Disney — No, We Did NOT Forget About These 6 Projects You Abandoned

Disney has opened some new attractions and hotels in the previous years like TRON Lightcycle / Run, which is super exciting.

Although these new projects and additions to the parks are great, some projects never got to see the light of day. From canceled attractions to canceled hotels, some projects that Disney announces become abandoned.

Disney is known for having state-of-the-art attractions and experiences, but what about those ideas that never came to be, or were abandoned? Here is a list of six projects that Disney straight-up abandoned.

Back at D23 in 2019, Disney announced a huge transformation of EPCOT. To showcase all the announcements of these new projects The Odyssey in EPCOT hosted The EPCOT Experience. Here, guests could get a glimpse at what was to come to EPCOT in the upcoming years. While some projects like Journey of Water | Inspired by Moana, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure did open, some of the projects were abandoned. 

Mary Poppins Attraction

In 2019, Disney announced that the United Kingdom Pavilion at EPCOT would receive their own attraction. The attraction would be themed to Mary Poppins and from the concept art, guests would be able to enter the attraction by walking down Cherry Tree Lane. 

This attraction was featured in the EPCOT Experience but was removed from the script in the summer of 2022. Although Disney has never used the word “canceled”, we have not heard anything else about the attraction since Disney announced that it is indefinitely postponed. 

Spaceship Earth Overhaul

It was also announced at D23 in 2019 that Spaceship Earth would receive a refurbishment and reimagining. Disney said that the reimagining would bring “new magic” to the ride and start to focus on storytelling. Disney also said that a majority of the scenes in the ride would stay the same but they would also add new scenes, different story elements, and new narration. 

Spaceship Earth was supposed to close in May of 2020 to welcome these changes, but due to the closure in 2020, the update was postponed. Although Disney has not said this is canceled, it has been almost five years which makes us wonder if this project will never come to fruition. 

Mt. Fuji Roller Coaster

Now this project was not announced as part of EPCOT’s overhaul but instead was part of EPCOT’s original inception. The Mt. Fuji Roller Coaster would have been located in the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT’s World Showcase. This attraction would have been EPCOT’s first roller coaster (Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind took that title in 2022). 

The track would have been similar to Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds. Unfortunately, the ride never came to be due to Kodak’s sponsorship at Disney World as they did not like the idea of having an attraction that sounded like their rival’s name, Fujifilm.

Rhine River Cruise

To round out the abandoned projects in EPCOT, we will head to the Germany Pavilion in the World Showcase. This attraction, the Rhine River Cruise, once again was supposed to be an early addition to EPCOT. This ride would’ve taken guests on a boat ride through different parts of Germany. 

You can still find a piece of it today. Go to the Biergarten and look at the mural right next to it on the wall, that would have been the entrance to the attraction. 

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

This is a recent closure at Walt Disney World. Disney announced that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser or Star Wars hotel would take its last voyage on September 28th- September 30th of 2023. The hotel had just opened in the spring of 2022. 

Currently, the hotel is just sitting with no announcements of plans to demolish or change the experience. We are hoping that with this closure Disney will be able to open it up for different Star Wars experiences that were supposed to be included in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. For now, we just wait.

PeopleMover/ The Rocket Rods

We are moving on over to the West Coast at Disneyland. In 1967 Disneyland’s Tomorrowland introduced their PeopleMover, which was referred to as the WEDway PeopleMover. This attraction took guests for a grand circle tour of Tomorrowland, similar to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in Magic Kingdom at Disney World. 

In 1995 it was decided that the PeopleMover would become a new attraction and in 1998 it re-opened as the Rocket Rods. The ride used the same track layout but new vehicles. This attraction was a thrill ride and the original track could not support the ride system, often breaking down. Two years after it opened, it was announced in 2000 that the Rocket Rods would close as it was causing cracks in the support structure. If you look up in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland you can see the tracks. For a better view, you can take the monorail and see an abandoned piece of Disneyland history. 

There are tons of projects that Disney has unfortunately closed or never finished, but this rounds up our list of six projects that Disney straight-up abandoned. 

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Do you have a project that you wish Disney did not abandon? Let us know below!

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