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Credit: DisneyA popular spot at Walt Disney World has reportedly been abandoned.
Walt Disney World is home to four theme parks, two water parks, and Disney Springs, a massive multi-experience destination. Over the years, Disney World has only gotten bigger, bringing in bigger and better rides, newer shows, and some truly imaginative food along the way.
One of the biggest changes happening at “The Most Magical Place on Earth” can be found at Magic Kingdom, with work well underway on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
This new ride is inspired by Disney’s classic animated film The Princess and the Frog (2009). The new ride will feature a brand new story as well as new animatronics and music. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to open sometime in 2024 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. However, most of the changes happening in Walt Disney World can be found at the resort’s second theme park, EPCOT.
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EPCOT is home to some of Disney World’s most iconic areas and attractions. By far, one of the coolest rides in the entire park is Spaceship Eart, a slow-moving dark ride that literally takes guests inside the huge EPCOT “ball.” Along the way, guests will learn about the history of communication and why it’s so crucial to the advancement of humankind. This is the goal of EPCOT itself: to not only provide fun for guests but to educate them on important topics. While this goal has been maintained somewhat, it’s mostly been abandoned.
Another great educational attraction is Living with the Land. Again, this slow-moving dark ride takes guests on a journey where they will learn about agriculture and the importance of conservation. Disney actually uses food grown here throughout its parks! While these may not be as exciting as Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or TRON Lightcycle/Run at Magic Kingdom, these rides are a crucial part of the Walt Disney World experience.
While there are many EPCOT attractions, part of why this Disney park is so special lies within its distinct lands, too.
These lands have undergone significant changes in recent years, with EPCOT being in the middle of a major revamp project. Along with new rides and attractions, EPCOT also received new lands as a part of this project. EPCOT is now comprised of the following areas:
- World Showcase.
- World Celebration.
- CommuniCore Plaza
- World Nature.
- World Discovery.
Within these new lands, guests will find all sorts of new things to discover. In October, EPCOT will welcome a brand new attraction called Journey of Water Inspired by Moanoa, a walkthrough experience inspired by, well, Disney’s Moana franchise. However, what’s made ECOT so special to so many guests over the years aren’t the big changes but the little details sprinkled throughout the park. Our favorite examples can be found at the former Imagination Pavilion.
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Sure, while Journey Into Imagination with Figment may be one of the most divisive attractions at the entire Walt Disney World Resort, this special area is home to a lot of incredible work by Walt Disney Imagineering. One of our favorite things to see at Disney World is the incredible “backwards waterfall” just in front of the pavilion. Along with this waterfall are some fun fountains that jump over guests’ heads.
This has become a pretty iconic spot at Walt Disney World, but unfortunately, the maintenance has been lacking with this area being abandoned by Disney. Normally, the fountains shoot one by one over guests’ heads, creating the illusion that the water is actually traveling from spot to spot. However, as revealed in a new post from @Savethedmagic, these fountains have certainly been better days.
The water is completely missing its target, with several eras rotting away. With EPCOT focusing so heavily on the water with Journey of Water Inspired by Moana, it’s certainly ironic to see another water-based attraction fall so behind.
It’s incredibly disappointing to see the state of some of the older locations across Walt Disney World, especially with new attractions seemingly taking priority. It’s always troubling when your favorite ride or attraction is abandoned, but that’s just the way things go sometimes. The budgets of these new projects keep on increasing, too, with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle/Run both costing Disney millions.
We can only hope these somewhat neglected areas will receive touch-up eventually as Walt Disney Imagineering and The Walt Disney Company become aware of them.
Where’s your favorite area in Walt Disney World? Do you enjoy visiting EPCOT?