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Credit: Disney ParksDisney World is undergoing a massive transition over the next five years. Major attractions and fan favorites are leaving to be replaced by new lands and intellectual properties.
Disney fans are concerned over some of the ascetic changes coming to the parks, especially Magic Kingdom with the removal of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. While others are going to miss the iconic Muppet Vision 3D, as a Monsters, Inc. land will replace it.
At Animal Kingdom, Disney fans don’t seem concerned about the loss of DinoLand U.S.A., especially when the more aptly themed Central/South American Encanto-land replaces it.
Then there are the “Save Splashers,” who still believe that somehow Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will leave and their beloved Splash Mountain will return.
With these changes, one social media user asked, “What rides/attractions are on the Mount Rushmore of closed Disney World rides?” To be on any Mount Rushmore, it best be the four best of anything; just look at the actual Mount Rushmore.
After much deliberation, here are the four rides Disney fans believe should be on the Mount Rushmore of closed Disney World attractions.
The Great Movie Ride
When Hollywood Studios first opened at Disney/MGM Studios, the Great Movie Ride and the Backstage Tour were the main attractions. Sadly, both have been lost to the annals of history.
The Great Movie Ride took hundreds of guests through the movies of the past, including Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, and Alien. The highlight of the ride had to be the cast member steering your ride, who would be replaced by a movie character from the 1920s gangster films or the Westerns from the mid-1900s. And yes, you were either a gangster or a Western fan.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad has since replaced the ride. While that is a fantastic journey, nothing beats the nostalgia of The Great Movie Ride.
The Maelstrom
Before Frozen took over Norway, the entire pavilion belonged to Norse tradition and folklore. The Norway Pavilion opened in 1988; since then, no other pavilion has opened at the World Showcase.
The slow-moving boat ride, including the drop, had almost the same track as Frozen Ever After. The ride took guests through the history of Norway, including the trolls and Vikings.
The Maelstrom shoved off for the final time in 2014 to be replaced by Frozen Ever After.
Horizons
Staying at EPCOT was the ride that was considered the sequel to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress: Horizons. The slow-moving dark ride took guests through the future for every aspect of life, including how people treated the land and sea.
Horizons opened in 1983 as a part of EPCOT’s phase II and perfectly complimented the “educational” themes of the early park. The ride closed in 1999, but remnants can be seen throughout the park, including at Space Mountain.
The area once dedicated to Horizons is now Mission: Space, but bringing back Horizons would sure make some fans happy.
Splash Mountain
Perhaps it is a recency bias, but Splash Mountain was on the top of nearly everyone’s list. Splash Mountain opened in 1992 and closed for good in 2023.
The controversial ride has since been replaced by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which has had its own issues.
No other rider, perhaps in Disney’s history, has divided the Disney fanbase and caused such outrage when it closed. To this day, it still has a dedicated fanbase.
What ride/attraction would you put on your list of the Mount Rushmore of closed Disney World rides?