Over the years, countless rides have closed across the Walt Disney World resort. Some for good reasons, like being replaced by something better (or at least equal).
Others have faced the opposite issue, their closures looking bad in retrospect as iconic attractions were closed and replaced by new rides that didn’t live up to expectations. And then some closures are mystifying, their reasoning confounding to this day. Over my 30+ years of attending Disney theme parks, I’ve seen all kinds, and these stick out.
Snow White’s Scary Adventures: GOOD
As an opening day Walt Disney World attraction, this Snow White-based dark ride was an anchor of the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland for just over 40 years… even if a 1994 refurbishment made the adventures way less “scary.”
In 2012, the attraction closed as part of the massive New Fantasyland project. While the building’s literal replacement — the Princess Fairytale Hall– could be considered underwhelming in comparison, its spiritual successor is another matter. The Snow White-themed Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has consistently been one of the park’s most popular rides for over a decade, more than living up to its long tenured predecessor.
Horizons: BAD
For a generation of EPCOT guests, Horizons was the park’s crown jewel. This massive dark ride was referred to as the park’s thesis statement attraction by Imagineers, as it combined the elements of all of the then-Future World’s other pavilions into a narrative of human progress. However, just about a decade into its lifespan, the attraction lost its sponsor, General Electric, and allegedly ran into issues with a sinkhole. This led to Disney unceremoniously closing the attraction twice in the 1990s, including for the final time in 1999.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage: DUMB
When Walt Disney World first opened in 1971, the Magic Kingdom featured several tweaked versions of classic Disneyland attractions. This included the submarine voyage, which was given a full 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea theme, including Nautilus-shaped ride vehicles. The ride was a popular Disney experience for over 20 years, before closing in 1994… for no reason other than money.
That’s right, the Submarine Voyage was closed with NO replacement in mind. High maintenance simply led to the ride being abandoned, and sitting as an empty body of water — more eyesore than scene overlook — for a decade! In 2004, the massive lagoon area was filled in to become… a playground. It remained as such until the early 2010s, when it was bulldozed completely to become part of New Fantasyland.
In the last few months, Walt Disney World has seen several iconic and well-known attractions close. Muppet*Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios shuttered to make room for the upcoming Monsters, Inc. land, and the Rivers of America controversially closed to make room for the Cars-themed Piston Peak. Meanwhile, 2026 will see Animal Kingdom’s Dinosaur and Hollywood Studios Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster shut down to make room for Indiana Jones and a Muppet takeover, respectively. Will these closures be for the best? The Worst? Generally befuddling? A mix of all three? Only time will tell.
What is for sure is that each of these Disney World rides closed for different reasons, but all left a lasting legacy on the generations of fans who experienced them. Stay tuned to AllEars for more dives into Disney history.
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Which closed Disney ride do you miss the most? Let us know in the comments below.
Getting rid of Rivers of America is both really BAD and DUMB!!
Got to be 20,000 Leagues. I was heartbroken when I couldn’t take my kids on it.