5 Defunct Disney World Rides We REFUSE To Stop Talking About

Change has been a constant over Walt Disney World’s 5+ decades, with dozens of attractions closing over the years. However, not every defunct ride is created equal, and there are some that many Disney adults — including members of our staff — will simply NEVER stop talking about!

I’ve been visiting Disney theme parks for over 30 years, and during that time, I got the chance to experience each and every one of these rides and have seen each of them close. In some cases, they’ve been replaced by an arguably worthy successor, while in other cases… not so much. But, in either case, the original is still one I think about wistfully.

Journey Into Imagination

Let’s begin with, perhaps, the most controversial ride replacement in Disney history. The original Journey Into Imagination, which opened in 1983, was arguably the most popular attraction in the original EPCOT. Headlined by Dreamfinder and Figment, the dark ride and its “One Little Spark” theme song became intrinsic parts of the park for almost 15 years. This made it all the more surprising to many when the ride closed for a complete refurbishment in the late 1990s.

When the ride reopened as Journey Into YOUR Imagination 1999, Dreamfinder and Figment were removed, the ride was shortened, and the storyline was altered to tie into the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience attraction. This refurbishment was unpopular… to say the least. In fact, Disney fans were so upset by it that the company closed the ride within two years to refurbish it again into Journey Into Imagination With Figment. As given by the name, this version of the ride jammed Figment in, but otherwise hewed close to the 1999 version. The ride has remained essentially unchanged since, much to the chagrin of many fans.

Horizons

Remaining in EPCOT — a running theme of defunct Disney attractions that many fans miss — there’s Horizons. The iconic dark ride provided an optimistic view of the future of humanity and served as a “thesis statement” for the park in that it combined the themes of its fellow Future World pavilions. It was also technologically revolutionary for the time, mainly thanks to its use of two massive OMNIMAX screens, as well as an ending sequence that featured the first interactive simulator ending in theme park history.

All of which is why many fans are still angry that the attraction was shuttered permanently after just over a decade of operation. Horizons fell victim to several factors, mainly structural issues with the building and sponsor General Electric choosing not to renew its agreement. Instead of refurbishing the attraction, Disney tore it down and instead built Mission Space in its place. That… hasn’t gone well.

ExtraTERRORestial Alien Encounter

Next up, we have the most frightening Disney theme park experience, the ExtraTERRORestial Alien Encounter. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Disney’s Imagineers began planning to add an experience based on the Alien franchise — which the company had theme park rights to at the time, thanks to a deal with MGM — to the Magic Kingdom. Plans were for it to be a terrifying experience; however, a group of older Imagineers didn’t feel like the R-rated franchise belonged in the park. Those Imagineers eventually recruited George Lucas to their side, who in turn, convinced Michael Eisner to let him spearhead the development of an original storyline instead.

The attraction, which opened in 1994 and was then closed almost immediately to be retooled again before opening in 1995, was met with a split response. On the one hand, a cult following of fans professed how much they loved the terrifying experience, and its characters — especially the adorable and toyetic alien Skippy. However, on the other hand, even with the simplified storyline and heavy emphasis on how scary the attraction was, Disney continued to receive complaints from parents and other guests about just how scary the attraction was. This clash led to the planned Disneyland version of the ride, as well as potential future additions to the Paris and Tokyo resorts being canceled. The Magic Kingdom version closed in 2003, when it was replaced by… sigh… Stich’s Great Escape.

The Great Movie Ride

The Great Movie Ride might be one of the most important attractions in Disney history. The concept was originally designed as part of a planned Hollywood/moviemaking pavilion earmarked for EPCOT. However, the massive dark ride was such a potential draw that it became the centerpiece around which the Disney-MGM Studios theme park was built.

Located in a massive recreation of Hollywood’s famous Chinese Theater at the end of the park’s recreation of Hollywood Boulevard, the attraction was without question one of the most unique Disney has ever conceived. Utilizing the “moving theater” ride vehicles first used at EPCOT’s Universe of Energy, the attraction took guests through massive recreations of iconic film scenes from Mary Poppins, Alien Tarzan, the Indiana Jones Franchise, and others, each filled with animatronic recreations of some of Hollywood’s best-known characters and actors including John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. The ride’s massive finale recreated Munchkinland from The Wizard of Oz. This finale scene was arguably the ride’s biggest highlight, as it featured dozens of animatronics, including one of the Wicked Witch that was constantly upgraded to showcase the newest in Imagineering technology. Following this Wizard of Oz sequence, the ride featured a final love letter to cinema, in the form of a massive montage of cinema history.

The attraction was beloved by fans for well over two decades, but was closed in the summer of 2017. Now granted, it was replaced by Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which even the most ardent Great Movie Ride fans would agree is a worthy replacement and magnificent attraction, but that hasn’t stopped many fans from mourning this last of its kind attraction.

Maelstrom

Appropriately enough, we return to EPCOT for the final attraction on this list. Opening as part of the Norway Pavilion in 1988 – still the most recent country added to the World Showcase – Maelstrom was a traditional chute-the-chutes boat ride themed around the idea that “those who seek the spirit of Norway face peril and adventure, but more often find beauty and charm.” The ride touched on many elements of Norwegian culture, including the Norse god Odin, historical Vikings, myths of trolls and living trees, natural glaciers, a Polar bear, and even an oil rig. The ride’s somewhat thrilling elements, including a backwards portion that teased falling out of the show building and a flume drop, made it the park’s first “thrill” ride and opened the door for further exciting attractions to be added to the park in the future.

The attraction was a staple of the World Showcase until 2014, when it was closed to be retrofitted into Frozen Ever After, based on Disney’s animated juggernaut. While that attraction has received mostly positive reviews from fans, there are still many who would trade it for a return of Maelstrom in a heartbeat.

Despite being closed for years – sometimes decades – these defunct Disney lines remain on the tip of the tongue of many Disney Adults to this day. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney history.

I Can’t Be the Only Disney Adult Who Thinks About This Abandoned Ride in the Middle of the Night

Which of these defunct Disney rides do you miss the most? Let us know in the comments below.

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