Change has been a constant at Walt Disney World since the very beginning. Over the last 50+ years, the resort has seen countless rides — including some beloved classics — close for a litany of reasons.
Over my 30+ years of Disney Parks fandom, I have seen several of my favorite attractions close, and like many other Disney fans, I’ve questioned why and wished there was some way they could return, and I’m not the only one. Every Disney fan has their personal favorite attractions — and memories associated with said attractions — that lead to a wide variety of rides they wish would return.
Recently, we took to our Facebook page to ask our readers, “What’s one classic Disney attraction you’d bring back if you could?” As you can probably imagine, we received a large and varied list of responses.
The far-and-away “winner” was the former centerpiece of Hollywood Studios: The Great Movie Ride. The iconic dark ride broke new ground in animatronics and Cast Member integration into the ride’s storyline when it opened with the park in 1989. The GRM remained the park’s thesis statement attraction until 201, when the ride closed to be replaced by Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Reader Pamela shared a personal story about the classic, writing, “Back in 2005, we took our 5-year-old twins to WDW and went on The Great Movie Ride. When it got to the part where the guy says, Put your hands up! Our twins, who were sitting right in front of us, put their little hands up. It was so stinkin’ cute. Everyone on the ride laughed. Will always remember this memory and the ride.”
They would likely get along well with reader Mollie, who went beyond simply the ride itself to pontificate on the whole park, writing, “In truth, I would bring back the old MGM Studios. The characters in the streets, music playing, the Great Movie Ride, Playhouse Disney, (the) Back Lot Tour, and the Osborne Family Christmas lights. Bring it all back!!”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the emotional — and somewhat prophetic — reaction to its closure over a quarter century ago, several readers brought up Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Of course, if fans are that desperate to see it, the Disneyland version is still in operation across the country.
Others chimed in with Alien Encounter, the original version of Journey into Imagination, Maelstrom, and even Body Wars.
There are dozens of rides, attractions, and even the earlier incarnations of parks like Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, that many fans wish could return to Walt Disney World. If you’re interested in sharing your thoughts on this, or any other Disney or travel-related topic, follow us on the AllEars Facebook to join in on the next conversation!
Disney’s Forgotten How To Make Rides Like the Great Movie Ride
Let us know which Disney ride you WISH could return in the comments below.
Definitely the Great Movie Ride, but as it was when it first opened. The addition of TCM made it too cluttered.