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Disney Cancels 7 Historically Game-Changing Park Expansions, Production Halted

in Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland

Posted on by Alessia Dunn 1 Comment
A large crowd of Disney fans walks towards Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland

Credit: Nicholas Cole, Flickr

Disney theme parks are known for turning dreams into reality — but not every dream makes it past the drawing board. Across the globe, grand ideas have been scrapped due to budget woes, shifting priorities, or early park failures. While the American parks have seen their share of canceled concepts, some of the most ambitious — and heartbreaking — abandoned projects were destined for Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney Resort.

A fairy tale castle with ornate spires and turrets stands behind decorative gates, hosting eager theme park goers. The scene unfolds under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds, creating a whimsical and magical atmosphere reminiscent of Disney World.
Credit: Thomas Domachowski, Flickr

Related: These 14 Disney World Attractions Will Be Closed on Your Next Trip

From underwater restaurants to ice caverns and futuristic cities, here are 7 incredible international Disney projects that were never built — but could’ve changed the game if they had been.

1. Discovery Mountain (Disneyland Paris)

Before Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune became a hit in 1995, it was supposed to be part of something much bigger — Discovery Mountain, an enormous steampunk mountain complex inspired by Jules Verne.

The original plan was for a massive indoor land housing not just Space Mountain, but also:

  • A full-size Nautilus submarine in a lagoon

  • An underwater restaurant

  • A clone of EPCOT’s Horizons ride

  • A Disneyland Railroad station

  • A drop tower based on Journey to the Center of the Earth

Unfortunately, due to EuroDisney’s disastrous 1992 launch and spiraling financial losses, the mountain was scaled back to just the roller coaster, leaving the rest of the dreams inside the mountain to fade into legend.

2. Lava Lagoon Water Park (Disneyland Paris)

As part of its original vision, Disneyland Paris also planned to build a tropical-themed water park called Lava Lagoon, tucked behind the Sequoia Lodge and Newport Bay Club hotels.

The water park was to feature:

  • The Big Kahuna volcano centerpiece

  • Indoor and outdoor slides and raft rides

  • A wave pool and lazy river

  • A beach area with seasonal activities

The idea was scrapped early on when the resort’s financials crumbled. A true shame — Lava Lagoon might have made Disneyland Paris a year-round resort destination.

3. Splash Mountain (Disneyland Paris)

While Splash Mountain made a splash at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Disneyland, a Paris version was planned for Frontierland but never materialized.

Land was reserved for the ride pre-opening, but the park’s shaky debut meant no budget to go forward with it. Ironically, a log flume ride system is finally coming to the resort in the form of a Lion King-themed water attraction under construction at Walt Disney Studios Park (soon to be renamed Disney Adventure World).

4. Sci-Fi City (Tokyo Disneyland)

In the late ’90s, Imagineers dreamed up a radical Tomorrowland overhaul for Tokyo Disneyland called Sci-Fi City. Inspired by anime, The Jetsons, and Buck Rogers, this futuristic land would have featured:

  • A reimagined Space Mountain with on-board audio and new show scenes

  • A “Rocket Bikes” E-Ticket ride

  • A “Lunar Racers” thrill ride

  • An animatronic-filled “Sci-Fi Zoo”

The revamp was ultimately canceled when focus — and funding — shifted to the then-upcoming Tokyo DisneySea.

5. Mickeyville (Tokyo Disneyland)

Before Mickey’s ToonTown became a reality, Mickeyville was being developed as a whimsical village inspired by Mickey’s “medieval” cartoons like The Brave Little Tailor.

Plans included:

  • A massive live show theater

  • A dark ride launched from Donald’s boat

  • Candy and music shops themed to Minnie and Mickey

The project was dropped in favor of the more slapstick, Saturday-morning-cartoon-style ToonTown built at Disneyland and eventually Tokyo as well.

6. Glacier Bay (Planned for Tokyo DisneySea & Hong Kong Disneyland)

One of the more unique lost lands, Glacier Bay was proposed for two Disney parks — Tokyo DisneySea and Hong Kong Disneyland — but was never built in either location.

The Hong Kong version was especially detailed:

  • Guests could jet-ski through a glacial lake

  • Ride a snow coaster through Glacier Peak

  • Explore ice caverns and interact with digital “research outposts”

Despite its promise, the icy wonderland never made it past concept art.

7. Scandinavian Port / Arendelle (Tokyo DisneySea)

Originally announced in 2015, this Frozen-themed land was meant to recreate the Kingdom of Arendelle at Tokyo DisneySea. The plan was to introduce:

  • A Frozen dark ride

  • Themed restaurants and shops

  • A new “port” for the park set in a snowy Scandinavian landscape

However, the project was shelved in favor of Tokyo Disneyland’s Fantasyland expansion. Fortunately, many of the ideas were reimagined and folded into the Frozen Kingdom section of Fantasy Springs, which opened in 2024.

A Look Into the Multiverse of Disney Dreams

Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort
Credit: Disney

Some of these projects were wildly ambitious. Others were just ahead of their time. But they all share one thing: they could have reshaped the Disney parks abroad in massive ways.

While it’s bittersweet to see what could have been, Disney fans can only hope that some of these ideas might still find life in future expansions — or come back reimagined, as Fantasy Springs has proven is possible.

One thing’s for sure: when Disney dreams big, even their discarded ideas are magical.

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