7 “Before and After” Photos in Disney World You Won’t Believe

We’ve been going to Disney World for a LONG time.

Magic Kingdom, the first park to open in Florida, opened in 1971, and since then, we’ve watched the changes the theme park resort has gone through over the years. From massive overhauls like EPCOT’s transformation to skip-the-line systems, we’ve seen what can happen when Disney transitions its parks. We have proof of these revisions that you have to see to believe (and remember). We’re taking you on a walk down memory lane with these next 7 before and after pictures!

Maelstrom — Frozen Ever After

Frozen Ever After arrived in EPCOT as the first IP-themed ride in June 2016. But before there was a Frozen ride in the Norway pavilion in EPCOT, Maelstrom ruled the land.

Maelstrom took you through the history of the Norwegian lands on a boat that sailed you up, down, and even backward. It was popular among many people who loved that EPCOT focused on the history and culture of the pavilions. However, when Frozen was a massive theatrical hit, Disney decided that it was time for the 1980s ride to be replaced with a more current ride — Frozen Ever After.

Now, the very popular ride almost always has long lines, and people just can’t “let it go.” You’re singing the songs for hours around EPCOT after you’ve ridden it. But that’s fine, those songs are catchy!

FastPass — Lightning Lane

Way back in our day, we didn’t have Lightning Lane, we had FASTPASS!

FastPass was the OG skip-the-line system in Disney World, and we would go back to it in a heartbeat if we could. It was free, and it was fun! I remember going into Magic Kingdom and going left while my dad ran right to get a FastPass as fast as he could at Space Mountain and then meet us at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (if you’ve been to Magic Kingdom, you understand the distance between those two rides!!).

Over the years, FastPass evolved into FastPass+ — still free but you didn’t have to run all over the place to get them, they were right on your phone in the Disney World app (or a kiosk if you didn’t want to use your phone). You could reserve a couple in advance of your trip, and then grab new ones right on the app. It was a great system.

Nowadays, we have Lightning Lanes — the paid-for skip-the-line service. You pay for Genie+ on the morning of your trip and then you can book Lightning Lanes. You can also pay for Individual Lightning Lanes — the rides that are not included in Genie+, usually based on popularity and newness.

Boy, do we miss FastPass, but at least we still have a skip-the-line system!

Ellen’s Energy Adventure — Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Rides can come and go in Disney World. If a ride isn’t super popular or is becoming irrelevant, Disney may decide to transform it into something new. This is what happened to Universe of Energy, which later became Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Have you ever heard of them?

Ellen’s Energy Adventure featured Bill Nye the Science Guy, and they took you through the Earth’s history and how energy is transferred and used. It was educational, very 1990s, and made sense in EPCOT for a while, but the ride was closed down in 2014 to make way for the reverse launch and awesome roller coaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

OK, so Cosmic Rewind is a pretty amazing coaster, especially considering that Disney World isn’t particularly known for its roller coasters. Yes, there are a handful of thrill rides in Disney World, but you don’t often think about that when you’re headed there. But now Cosmic Rewind is always on our mind when we step foot into EPCOT. It’s so good.

EPCOT

EPCOT has been going through a massive transformation for the past several years. While it’s nearing completion, we enjoy looking back in time and thinking about what EPCOT looked like before. EPCOT has been modified a couple of times now, but here’s one picture from before this recent transformation.

Now, EPCOT is divided into different “Worlds” — World Nature, World Discovery, World Celebration, and World Showcase. They have added new attractions such as Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana, Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, World Celebration Gardens, and more! It nearly looks like an all-new park.

Social Distancing in Lines — Packed Lines

We could do a little flip-flopping for this one — pre-COVID, during COVID, and post-COVID — but we’ll just stick with during and after COVID. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney World, and the rest of the world, had everyone social distancing to help prevent the spread of the virus. We bet you remember seeing these lines during that time!

There were marks on the ground to direct people where to stand — spreading everyone out 6 feet apart.

Now that the fear of the virus has gone down significantly, we don’t have to social distance any longer in Disney World. Instead, you’ll find lines that look more like this…

… and this.

Yep, the days of social distancing are over, but that doesn’t mean we forgot about it.

Mask Signage — No Mask Signage

Along with social distancing came mask use. Wearing a mask in public became the new norm during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was not uncommon to see these signs all around Disney World.

Now, masks, aka face coverings, are not required in Disney World but may be worn if you choose. We no longer see the signs, and most individuals go without them, as you can see in the following picture.

Downtown Disney — Disney Springs

Last but not least on our list of before and afters, we need to dive into Disney Springs, formerly known as Downtown Disney (among other names). Downtown Disney was the name of the dining and shopping district before it became Disney Springs. It also used to include a nightclub section called Pleasure Island.

Now, Disney Springs has come a long way from Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. It is a very popular hang-out location. It has drastically changed from its past counterpart.

Well, there you have it folks — a little walk down memory lane. We hope you enjoyed this tour of before and after pictures around Disney World! We’re in the parks every day, so keep following AllEars for more Disney updates.

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