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One of the things that I love the most about Walt Disney World is that the place is ever-evolving. Being from the UK means I only go once or twice a year (if I am lucky), and I adore the fact that each visit brings something new to experience.
While, for the most part, change is always positive, there are a few attractions that have been lost over the years that I’d love to go and ride just one more time. Remember that this is my list, my journey with growing up with Walt Disney World, and the attractions I can remember. I’m not 30 yet, so please appreciate that there will be a couple of missing attractions on this list!
Oh, and yes, many of these are from EPCOT — it’s my favorite Park.
The Great Movie Ride
Out of all of the items on my list, this is the one that I don’t think I can ever forgive Disney for. The Great Movie Ride was always one of my favorite attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (and MGM Studios before that).
It brought joy and terror (thanks mainly to the horror section) and encouraged my love of multiple genres of movies.
It was a shame to see an attraction with so much history close, mainly when a simple refurbishment with Disney properties would have been fantastic.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a great replacement, but it’s no Great Movie Ride. Disney lost the heart of what made Disney’s Hollywood Studios special when the attraction closed in 2017.
The original Test Track
I love Test Track, and the futuristic setting makes a lot more sense in EPCOT’s current Future World, but boy, was the original Test Track more fitting of the name.
I still remember the first time I rode the attraction with its incredible queue music, tests going off, and pre-show — the storytelling here was just fantastic.
While it’s virtually the same attraction we know and love now, it doesn’t feel quite the same when you aren’t being simulated as a crash test dummy.
Body Wars
What an attraction this was. The same system as the original Disneyland Star Tours attraction, but instead, you’re shrunk down and put inside a body to study the effects of the white blood cells inside a left index finger. Of course, things go very wrong, and you end up exploring the inside of much of the body.
This, for me, was a big part of EPCOT in the heyday, and the legendary Leonard Nimoy directing the movie used in the attraction made this attraction all the more special.
The attraction closed in 2007, and the entire pavilion will be replaced (assuming construction doesn’t get canceled) by the Play! Pavilion.
Studio Backlot Tour
Another shining star among the greats of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While the Studio Backlot Tour had a lot of cringes (don’t get me started on the Pearl Harbor pre-show), the actual attraction was a great insight into movie props.
My favorite part of the attraction was after you left the ride vehicle and stepped inside the warehouse that held some of the most recent and great props from Disney’s latest movies. It was great to see this changing regularly, and I felt like every trip had something new to see.
It was closed in 2014 and has since been replaced by Toy Story Land.
On a related note, if you still haven’t watched Prop Culture on Disney+, watch it!
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
The spinoff of the Honey, I shrunk the Kids movies made its debut in 1994 and was around until 2010, when it was replaced with the return of another item on my list.
This show both fascinated and scared the heck out of me (thanks, giant snake). Growing up, I was a massive fan of the original movie, and seeing Szalinski on the big screen at EPCOT was always a highlight of my trip.
It’s a shame to see the pointless Pixar Film Festival in that space now. It’s not original, and everyone can watch those movies on Disney+ — bring back the Szalinskis!!!
Journey into Imagination
The original Figment attraction, indeed, was something special. Opening in 1983, I was just 7 when it closed in 1998, and I still remember how great it was today.
Created by legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter alongside Steve Kirk, the attraction was focused on the Dreamfinder and his creation, Figment.
Two tiny wings, eyes big and yellow, horns of a steer, but a lovable fellow! From head to tail, he’s royal purple pigment, and there, voila! You’ve got a Figment!
I was hoping that the rebirth of EPCOT would see them bring the Dreamfinder back to the attraction, but alas, no such announcement has been made.
Here’s hoping we don’t have to stay with Nigel Channing for much longer.
Related: Here’s why I think Figment has a long future ahead of him at Epcot
Maelstrom
Every time we went to EPCOT, it was a staple for our family right up until the day it closed back in 2014. A great attraction that celebrated some of the strange folk tales of Norway while also celebrating the country itself.
Though its replacement, Frozen Ever After, is a fantastic attraction that draws far more crowds, it doesn’t do the beautiful country of Norway justice in the same way that Maelstrom did.
Since Frozen was introduced, Norway in World Showcase has lost a lot of its charm, coming from someone lucky enough to visit the actual country several times.
Never again will we hear, “Norway’s spirit has always been, and will always be, adventure.”
Ellen’s Energy Adventure
Soon to be replaced with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Ellen’s Energy Adventure was an attraction that I knew needed to be replaced but still enjoyed on every trip until it closed in 2017.
It’s an excellent moving theater that combines practical effects, animatronics, and screens to capture what EPCOT is all about, learning while having fun!
That said, I can’t wait to see what the Guardians bring when they arrive next year (if construction can be completed on time).
Related: Why Epcot is still worth your time during construction
Captain EO
Going back to my Honey, I Shrunk the Audience entry with the second entry to appear in the exact location! Captain EO debuted back in 1986 at EPCOT and ran its original run until 1994. It was reopened after the death of Michael Jackson from 2010 to 2015.
Worked on by some of the Disney greats and Star Wars creator George Lucas, this indeed was an experience to be enjoyed in a theme Park.
I’d take this or Honey, and I Shrink the Audience in place of the current unoriginal attraction in the space. Yeah, I mentioned it twice. I will not let it go.
Related: Why I think Epcot is the best theme park in the world
Skyway – Magic Kingdom
Opening alongside the Magic Kingdom back in 1971, the Skyway was a perfect way to get across the Park, taking Guests from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland and vice-versa.
Closing in 1999 when I was just eight years old, I still have vivid memories of being allowed to ride back and forth without getting off due to the attraction (and Park) being quiet. It was also a fantastic memory of my late nan, who we visited Disney World with regularly.
Of course, now the Skyway is shut, and Walt Disney World has a more extensive gondola-based system in place with the Disney Skyliner that opened last year.
These are just a few of the attractions I miss the most at Walt Disney World, which I still have fond memories of to this day. Honorable mentions must go to Horizons, The Scary Adventures of Snow White, and World of Motion.
What old attractions do you miss the most at Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this OpEd article do not reflect the views of Inside the Magic overall.