6 Quiet (and DATED) Ride Changes Disneyland Was Hoping You Wouldn’t Notice

Disneyland is pretty good at hiding its flaws, but there are still some noticeable blemishes we need to talk about.

Featuring some of the BEST attractions anywhere in the world, the Disneyland Resort has come quite a long way since opening in 1955. Since then, plenty of new rides have been added to the parks, while some others have undergone significant changes. However, there are some ride adjustments that Disney may not want you to notice or linger on. Sorry, Disney — that’s exactly what I’m about to do.

Indiana Jones Adventure’s Rotating Doors

Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure is a pillar when it comes to ride innovation (I mean, featuring moving rooms is simply legendary). Over the last few years, Disney has updated the ride with really cool special effects and lighting that have taken the ride to a new level. However, there is one change they made that still bothers me to this day — even if I get why they did it.

A lot has changed with this ride over the years, and not just the ceiling spikes no longer working in the queue…

When the ride starts, you immediately enter the Chamber of Destiny, where riders randomly enter one of three further chambers — the Chamber of Earthly Riches, the Fountain of Eternal Youth, or the Observatory of the Future.  Since the beginning, the Chamber of Destiny had only one actual operating door and corridor, and the room’s walls and ceiling were designed to rotate across the working doorway. A set of four façades was installed so that three doors were always visible.

However, nowadays, the ride uses projection mapping effects, and the machinery used to rotate the room is no longer used. Now, the ride vehicles always enter the middle door, which displays one of the three chambers thanks to randomized video and projection effects.

Ultimately, this is a ride that breaks down A LOT, so I get why Disney might want to limit the risk of needless closures.

Are the new-ish effects cool? Sure, but using advanced machinery to rotate a room is incredibly impressive, and I personally miss the practical effect.

The PeopleMover Is Still Here In Spirit

From 1967 until 1995, Disneyland had its own PeopleMover! This neat transport attraction was briefly replaced by Rocket Rods before shutting down for good. However, its remnants are still VERY visible in Tomorrowland.

Much of the ride track is still up, including the loading station. Some of the track was even repainted in 2005!

Whether you’re riding the monorail or wandering through Tomorrowland, you can still clearly see pieces of the track. Disney may or may not turn it into a modern version of the attraction…but it could also just let it be, as filing new permits and performing any kind of construction would incur more costs than simply leaving it alone.

Rise of the Resistance B Through Z Modes

Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy’s Edge is one of the most impressive attractions ever made…when it’s fully operational.

Unfortunately, because it’s so intricate, not everything runs smoothly 100% of the time. We’ve seen the cannons stationary, Kylo Ren completely skipped over in some scenes or his lightsaber not pierce the lift ceiling, and other effects not working as intended.

If everything is working during your ride-through, consider yourself lucky. However, if you haven’t ridden this attraction a bunch of times like I have or it’s your first time, you’ll likely be none the wiser.

We’re Just Gonna Forget About The Real Bones On Pirates Of The Caribbean

While you’re never in any real danger while sailing along on Pirates of the Caribbean, the ride used to be A LOT creepier…

When the ride opened in 1967, Disneyland tried to use prop bones, but they didn’t look real enough. So Disney Imagineers turned to UCLA’s medical school to obtain REAL human skeletons!

The real bones were used throughout the ride, but over the years, Disney removed them and put in better-looking props.

However, rumors persist that since the new prop bones look so real, some real bones may remain in the ride. Spooky…

Cultural Changes On Jungle Cruise

This next change has been a largely positive one, ironically. Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise has made strides to keep up with the rise in cultural sensitivity. Hilarious reimaginings of famous set pieces that could be deemed offensive have been installed in recent years to a lot of praise — such as the scene with the rhino threatening the adventurers and Trader Sam’s souvenirs being overrun with mischievous primates.

So why doesn’t Disney want you to notice these changes? It’s not so much that it doesn’t want these great additions recognized, but rather, it’s easier if you don’t question why they were installed in the first place.

The additions to this famous boat ride are brilliant and tonally fit the ride perfectly. But their inclusion came from a lot of backlash that the company would like to move on from.

Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters Origin

Cars Land opened in 2012 and elevated Disney California Adventure to a whole new level. One of the featured attractions in the land was Luigi’s Flying Tires, which — essentially — let riders feel like they were floating in a hovercraft amid giant beach balls they could pass around to each other while the ride was in motion.

Yeah, that doesn’t really seem like a great idea, and Disney ultimately agreed when they removed the beach balls after only a couple of months, after complaints and incidents that only made waits longer.

Eventually, the ride was reimagined in 2016 to what it is now — Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters. Instead of tires, the ride vehicles are now smiling cars that spin and move along a trackless base, culminating in a choreographed dance.

We go to Disneyland several times a week, keeping our eye on possible changes that will help you during your next visit!

Which ride changes stand out to you? Let us know and continue to follow us here at AllEars for all the latest Disneyland coverage!

Fans Are Calling Out 3 Glaring Problems That Need to Be Fixed ASAP in Disneyland

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Which Disneyland rides need some big changes? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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