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With No Regard for History, Fans Wonder What Disney Will Destroy Next

in Disney, Disney Parks, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World

Posted on by Rick Lye 23 Comments
A group of six men in suits stand closely together, looking and pointing at a large unfolded paper one man is holding. They appear to be discussing its contents. The background shows an outdoor setting with a vehicle and other people in the distance.

Credit: Disney

It’s been over a week since the D23 expo and Disney’s announcements about new rides and attractions coming to Walt Disney World. But after the dust and excitement settled about all the latest rides, Disney fans were left to wonder where all this new stuff would be placed at each park.

Concept art of the Cars attraction at Disney World
Credit: Disney

Related: With Liberty Square Next on the Chopping Block, Haunted Mansion is Left to Stand Alone

Speculation was rampant on social media as every Disney fan wondered if perhaps the new Monsters, Inc. land would replace Muppet Vision 3D at Disney Hollywood Studios or what exactly “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” meant at the Magic Kingdom.

Disney fans quickly found some answers to their questions, with the fate of Muppet Vision 3D still hanging in the balance. But as for “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain,” Disney fans know what they will have to give up, and some are concerned about the historical ramifications of that sacrifice.

Disney announced that Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island would have to be permanently removed to accommodate a new Cars Land. Rivers of America was an opening-day attraction with a storied history at the Magic Kingdom.

A scenic view of an amusement park in Magic Kingdom featuring a wooden dock and charming buildings beside a shimmering body of water. In the background, a rocky, mountain-like structure towers under a bright blue sky scattered with clouds. Visitors are visible strolling around, enjoying the day.
Credit: Inside the Magic

Related: Even After D23 Announcements, Fans Still See Universal Passing Disney By

Rumors quickly spread that Disney may remove all of Liberty Square to make way for the new land, leaving only the Haunted Mansion as a reminder of what was.

With the news of what was leaving and rumors of what could be leaving Disney World, Disney fans took to X to lament the loss of another classic attraction and worry about what other Walt Disney World classic attractions could be next on the chopping block.

@DisneyGlimpses wrote on X:

Attractions that I think are truly in danger. I fully expect all of these to be gone or slated for replacement, closure or overlay by the end of the next decade (some quite soon):

– Racing Academy – Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster – Muppet Vision 3D – Star Tours – Hall of Presidents – Tomorrowland Speedway – Buzz Space Ranger Spin – Tower of Terror – The Land (Soarin’, Living with the Land) – Mission Space – Kali River Rapids – Indiana Jones Epic Stunt.

Among the list of rides included by fans for possible demolition or retheming at the Walt Disney World Resort, included a number of opening day attractions like Tomorrowland Speedway at the Magic Kingdom and Living with the Land at EPCOT.

However, some of the rides make sense like removing the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular after Indiana Jones makes its debut at Animal Kingdom. Guests also hypothesized that Kilimanjaro Safaris as Animal Kingdom could go, with one person writing on X:

Iger-stan / Pixie Duster “Logic”: Can you believe they use 200 acres for Kilimanjaro Safaris!? What a waste of space & it’s SO boring! Bulldoze & put in a Zootopia land. My 5yr-old will love it.

Walt never walked there so it means nothing. Those animals won’t miss it. 

The overriding opinion of nearly every Disney fan was that the current theme park expansions have no respect for the history at each Disney park, and that Walt Disney Imagineering has been restricted in its operations by the higher ups watching the costs.

Disney Parks need slow rides that allow for a moment of relaxation or areas where guests can simply sit and watch the world pass them by for a moment. Without these areas and respect for the past, the Disney experience isn’t the same. It would be a shame to lose that.

What rides at Walt Disney World do you see on the chopping block in the future? 

in Disney, Disney Parks, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World

Rick Lye

Rick is an avid Disney fan. He first went to Disney World in 1986 with his parents and has been hooked ever since. Rick is married to another Disney fan and is in the process of turning his two children into fans as well. When he is not creating new Disney adventures, he loves to watch the New York Yankees and hang out with his dog, Buster. In the fall, you will catch him cheering for his beloved NY Giants.

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