Top 10 Closed Disney World Attractions

Many classic older attractions at Disney World have fallen by the wayside over the years as Disney replaces them with newer (and occasionally better) ones such as Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney-MGM Studios; The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot; and Stitch’s Great Escape at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Here’s a brief list of some “long gone” but not forgotten Disney World attractions:

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Despite an extensive “Save the Toad” campaign, Disney’s Magic Kingdom replaced Mr. Toad with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1998.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. One of the original attractions at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, 20,000 Leagues closed in 1994 and has been partially replaced by a Winnie the Pooh playground and Disney character meet & greet area.

If You Had Wings. Sponsored by Eastern Airlines, If You Had Wings was one of the few rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom that rarely drew a line. It was replaced by If You Could Fly in 1987 and now Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin stands on the site.

Captain EO. A big-budget 3-D movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Captain EO starred Michael Jackson and Anjelica Huston. It closed down in 1994 and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience now stands on the site in Epcot’s Future World.

ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. This thrilling attraction opened at the site of the former Mission to Mars in Tomorrowland in 1995. ExtraTERRORestrial gained a cult following but has since been replaced by Stitch’s Great Escape.

World of Motion. Sponsored by General Motors, World of Motion was one of Epcot’s original attractions. The ride offered a humorous look at the history of transportation and closed in 1996 to make way for Test Track.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire – Play It! Based on the hit ABC TV show, this Disney-MGM Studios attraction closed in 2006 along Mickey Avenue. A new, yet-unnamed attraction is scheduled to occupy the soundstage in the near future.

Plaza Swan Boats. Opened in 1973, the D-ticket Plaza Swan Boats embarked from two Magic Kingdom loading docks: one near the entrance to Tomorrowland and the other near the Plaza Restaurant. The Plaza Swan Boats stopped running in 1983.

Mickey Mouse Revue. One of the Magic Kingdom’s original attractions, Mickey Mouse Revue opened in Fantasyland in 1971 and featured an audio-animatronic orchestra of popular Disney characters singing such classics as “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee.” The Mickey Mouse Revue closed in 1980 and was shipped to Tokyo Disneyland. Mickey’s PhilharMagic now occupies the site.

Flight to the Moon. Hosted by Mr. Tom Morrow, this “state-of-the-art” Tomorrowland attraction opened on Christmas Eve, 1971 and became hopelessly outdated by 1975 when it was replaced by Mission to Mars. Stitch’s Great Escape now occupies the site.

HONORABLE MENTION: Horizons. This Epcot ride made its debut in 1983 and closed in 1999 to make way for Mission: SPACE. It has developed somewhat of a cult following over the years, although I remember it as a mediocre Future World attraction that dated very quickly.