Walt Disney World has been in existence for almost 54 years.
During that time, many park attractions have come and gone, sadly sinking into the dust bin of Disney lore, replaced by newer rides using more advanced technology and different storylines. Some attractions became tired and outdated but were spared demolition with upgrades and refurbishments.
As we all know, Walt Disney World consists of four theme parks. The following is our list of attractions we miss the most from each park.
Enjoy our trip down Walt Disney World attraction memory lane.
MAGIC KINGDOM: THE MICKEY MOUSE REVUE
Being that the Magic Kingdom is the oldest park in WDW, it stands to reason that it has seen the most attraction closures.
In our opinion, the Magic Kingdom attraction we miss the most is The Mickey Mouse Revue.
Located in Fantasyland in the show building that now houses Mickey’s PhilharMagic, the Mickey Mouse Revue was the most technically advanced show of its time when it opened with the rest of the park in 1971
The Mickey Mouse Revue consisted of 81 animated figures taking part in a multi-faceted presentation. There was, of course, maestro Mickey leading an orchestra consisting of 23 Disney characters, including Minnie on the viola and Dumbo and Timothy Mouse on the tuba.
At the time, Mickey was the most sophisticated Audio-Animatronics figure ever created; he was able to perform 33 body functions during what was the first-ever computer-programmed stage show.
Interspersed with the orchestra’s selection of vintage Disney songs were a series of vignettes taken from classic Disney short films and features that played out behind the musicians on a large screen.
After a chaotic sequence featuring the Three Caballeros, the show concluded with a touching rendition of “The Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater.”
The Mickey Mouse Revue was featured in Walt Disney World from 1971 to 1980. After it closed, it was sent over to Tokyo Disneyland, where it was the most popular attraction in that park for years.
HONORABLE MENTION: 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
This classic “underwater” adventure was a Fantasyland favorite from 1971 until 1994. Guests boarded a replica of the Nautilus, patterned after the submarine used in the 1954 movie 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Guests peered out of portholes and saw things like a graveyard of sunken ships, colorful sea creatures, the aurora borealis, the lost continent of Atlantis and a giant squid, all while Captain Nemo gave a dramatic narration over the loudspeakers.
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid now occupy the space where the Nautilus once explored the deep.
Savvy guests on the Journey of the Little Mermaid queue can see remnants of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction props embedded in the rockwork, an homage to the classic WDW original.
EPCOT: KITCHEN KABARET
EPCOT, which opened in 1981, was perhaps the birthplace of what Disney calls “edu-tainment” … meaning, educating guests while entertaining them.
There was no better example of an “edu-taining” attraction than Kitchen Kabaret, which was located in The Land pavilion in the former Future World area of the park (it’s now part of World Nature).
The premise of Kitchen Kabaret was to teach guests the benefits of good nutrition. They did so by using characters representing the four food groups – meat, dairy, grains and fruits/vegetables – disguised as Audio-Animatronics figures, 25 in all.
A musical revue/comedy format was employed to get the message of healthy eating across to the audience. It was hosted by Bonnie Appetite.
The “performers” during the show – a stellar lineup consisting of the aforementioned food groups – did their best to imitate popular singers, musicians and musical genres.
For instance, the musical extravaganza mimicked acts like the Ziegfield Follies and the Andrews Sisters, disguised as Mr. Dairy Goods and the Stars of the Milky Way and the Cereal Sisters (of “Boogie Woogie Bakery Boy” fame). And there was the comedy duo of Hamm and Mr. Eggz to “crack up” the audience.
By far the most memorable song to come out of Kitchen Kabaret was “Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit,” which was performed by the Colander Combo and Fiesta Fruits.
Kitchen Kabaret ran from 1981 until 1994. It was replaced by Food Rocks!, which took on a similar food/music format under the guise of a benefit rock concert for good nutrition.
Food Rocks! closed in 2005 to make way for Soarin’, which turns 20 years old this year.
HONORABLE MENTION: WORLD OF MOTION
This attraction, which opened in 1981 and ran through 1996, was the brainchild of Legendary Disney animator and beloved oddball Ward Kimball. In fact, it was the only attraction he ever designed.
The idea was to give guests a whimsical look into the history of transportation, from cavemen getting around on foot to the use of animals to provide forward motion to the invention of motorized vehicles.
Kimball’s offbeat sense of humor was sprinkled throughout the attraction, with a variety of gags ranging from a used-chariot lot to the world’s first big city traffic jam.
More than 180 Audio-Animatronics figures were used during the journey. Guests, riding in Omnimover vehicles, were also treated to the catchy “It’s Fun to be Free” jingle throughout their 15-minute adventure.
World of Motion closed in 1996 and, after numerous fits and starts, was replaced by Test Track in 1999. Test Track is currently being refurbished with a nod to its World of Motion roots.
DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS: THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE
If ever an attraction epitomized a park’s mission, it was The Great Movie Ride, the centerpiece of what was then known as the Disney/MGM Studios.
When Walt Disney World’s third theme park opened in 1989, its goal was to give guests an intimate look at the movies … all the glitz, glamour and behind-the-scenes action that permeated Hollywood during its golden era.
The Great Movie Ride showcased many of the film industry’s most revered classics, from Busby Berkeley’s Footlight Parade to the rooftops of London during Mary Poppins to Gene Kelly Singin’ in the Rain to classic Westerns and gangster scenes to science fiction and, finally, the beloved Wizard of Oz.
State-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics figures (59 in total) were used throughout the attraction, including the stunning Wicked Witch segment at the start of the Yellow Brick Road in Munchkinland.
Also featured in the attraction were live actors performing during selected scenes.
Guests boarded giant movie theater-style ride vehicles with a live tour guide standing in the front providing narration. During either a bank robbery scene or a gangster shootout segment, your friendly tour guide vanished, replaced by a nefarious villainous guide.
The tour guide “miraculously” reappeared several scenes later, in a classic example of movie magic.
The closing segment featured a collage of movie clips from dozens of classic films.
The Great Movie Ride closed in 2017 and was replaced by Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which opened in 2020.
The Great Movie Ride was the last of the park’s opening day attractions to close as Disney’s renamed Hollywood Studios transitioned into a more attraction-based experience.
HONORABLE MENTION: THE BACKSTAGE STUDIO TOUR
When the Disney/MGM Studios opened in 1989, the Backstage Studio Tour was the park’s premier attraction.
The two-hour walking/tram experience took guests to costuming, set shops, special effects areas, backlot streets, soundstages and video and audio post-production.
While on board the tram, guests rode through the Studios’ backlot, where movie props such as vehicles and house front facades [most notably the house used for exterior shots used in “The Golden Girls” TV show] were displayed.
The attraction culminated with a ride through treacherous Catastrophe Canyon, where an earthquake triggered an explosion, which resulted in fiery flames and cascading water.
The Backstage Studio Tour closed in 2014 to make way for the Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge additions.
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM: IT’S TOUGH TO BE A BUG!
Disney’s “newest” park will turn 27 years old this year and is currently in the beginning stages of a major overhaul.
There were a few Animal Kingdom attractions that were part of the park’s opening day lineup that have been closed and which, frankly, we don’t miss: Camp Minnie-Mickey for one, the Discovery River Boats for another.
The one attraction we’re going to miss is It’s Tough to be a Bug!
Located at the base of the iconic Tree of Life, It’s Tough to be a Bug! has enthralled guests since Animal Kingdom opened in 1998.
The queue area featured humorous parodies of popular Broadway shows on posters: “Beauty and the Bees,” “Web Side Story,” “Little Shop of Hoppers” and “My Fair Ladybug” among them.
The attraction’s storyline, written by now-retired Imagineering Creative Director Kevin Rafferty, shows how important insects are to mankind’s existence and how hellbent humans are to eradicate them.
The 3-D show engaged each guest’s senses – sight, sound, touch and smell … the last of which was accentuated when Claire de Room unleashed her “silent but deadly” stink on the audience.
Flik the ant hosted the show for the theater filled with “honorary bugs” wearing “bug eyeglasses,” while the menacing Hopper character served as the attraction’s chief villain.
The show culminated with a surprising “butt bug effect” – where a “bug” crawled under each seat just before guests exited.
It’s Tough to be a Bug! will be replaced by Zootopia: Better Together!, which is scheduled to open in late 2025.
HONORABLE MENTION: RIVERS OF LIGHT
Almost from the day it opened, Animal Kingdom had a reputation of being “a half-day park,” meaning guests would go to the park in the morning, experience a few rides or shows, and then leave to spend the rest of the day at another park.
Disney’s powers that be attempted to change that by adding new nighttime experiences, including the Rivers of Light show along the shores of Discovery River, which debuted in 2017.
A 5,000-seat arena was constructed between Discovery Island and Expedition Everest. Rivers of Light was performed nightly on Discovery River. The show featured water fountains, mist screens, floating lanterns, barges, fire effects, lasers, lights, fog and projections.
Rivers of Light was in keeping with Animal Kingdom’s mission of celebrating animals and conservation and proved to be quite popular … until the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020.
Rivers of Light was suspended in July of that year, never to resume, leaving behind a 5,000-seat arena and vivid, if fading, memories.
Chuck Schmidt is an award-winning journalist and retired Disney cast member who has covered all things Disney since 1984 in both print and on-line. He has authored or co-authored seven books on Disney, including his On the Disney Beat and Disney’s Dream Weavers for Theme Park Press. He has written a regular blog for AllEars.Net, called Still Goofy About Disney, since 2015.
We still find ourselves singing lines from Kitchen Kaberet!
Miss Rivers of Light because there is no nighttime attraction in AK. Evenings there are so much better than the day. Pandora looks best at night. Although the weather can still be hot there’s no sun blazing down on you. The park had a whole different atmosphere at night.
Miss Backlot Tour and Great Movie Ride as they held so many people and were continuous. Made the rest of the park feel less crowded.