11 Permanently Closed Disney Attractions Park Guests Wish Would Make A Comeback

Anyone who has been lucky enough to experience Disney Parks through the decades knows the magic just keeps getting better with each new generation of cast members and Imagineers. Far more than just run-of-the-mill theme parks, Disney Parks offer a treasure trove of top-tier experiences from quality dining to sneaky little Easter eggs and secrets hidden throughout each destination as even the nauseatingly long Disney World lines have become points of interest. But as the parks have improved and expanded, adding all-new attractions or rebranding old favorites, many beloved rides, events, and even entire theme parks have been pushed aside in the name of progress.

While a few long-cherished Disney faves like Splash Mountain and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are still hanging on at one Disney park after getting replaced at another, Reddit is filled with nostalgia for once-favorite attractions that can only be found in old Kodachrome and VHS reels. But as fans of the Main Street Electrical Parade with its cheery, synthy tune "Baroque Hoedown" can attest to, there's always a chance an old Disney favorite could make a comeback. While there are loads of dearly missed Disney attractions, here are some of the most pined-for attractions fans say they would love to see get a well-deserved revival tour.

Long before Ariel sang about becoming part of the human world, non-merfolk could check out King Triton's domain with the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage ride. Based on the 1954 Disney film (adapted from the 1870 Jules Verne sci-fi novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas"), the Walt Disney World Florida Magic Kingdom ride lasted a whopping 20 minutes and was a significant upgrade to the Disneyland Submarine Voyage in Anaheim, California.

From 1971 to 1994, the Fantasyland ride featured steampunk submarine-style boats that would "dive" below the surface after guests boarded. Gliding around the lagoon on rails, each sub was equipped with portholes just below the water line that allowed guests to peer out and get a glimpse of the fantastical world beneath the "ocean" surface using forced perspective and bubbles to create a sense of marine depth.

According to WDW Magazine, the ride filled about a quarter of Fantasyland at its 1971 opening, making it quite the draw for intrigued park guests. As the ride sailed through the sea, guests would spot mermaids, sunken treasure, and even a sea monster along the way. Since the ride's closure, that space has held a playground, a grotto, a mine train, and a restaurant. Although a similar ride with the same name and theme can be found today at Tokyo DisneySea (here's what to expect when visiting Tokyo Disneyland), the water is simulated and the ride bears little in common with the original.

Back in the day, Epcot was not a place Disney guests associated with thrill rides — particularly the World Showcase side of Epcot, where the few attractions to be found there tended to fall on a spectrum from ASMR to educational in terms of thrill level. But tucked away rather nonchalantly in the Norway pavilion was Maelstrom, a charming edutainment-style dark ride with an unexpected drop that made it one of the best surprises in the Disney Parks during its nearly three-decade run from 1988 to 2014, when it was so rudely pushed out by Elsa and Anna. Maelstrom was a favorite for some guests throughout its run, with many lamenting its loss when it was replaced by Frozen Ever After, which reimagined the classic dark ride as a "Frozen" experience.

In a similar setup to the Mexico pavilion's El Rio Del Tiempo dark ride, Maelstrom began in an adorable replica of a Norwegian seaside community where they boarded log ride cars designed to look like Viking longships. As they floated through the dark tunnel, a disembodied voice spoke of ancient Norse gods. The boats traveled through pieces of Viking history and legend, past trolls, creatures of Norway's magnificent Arctic wilderness, and lovely little elements of Nordic lore. At one point, the boats would reach a "maelstrom" in the North Sea, sending them backward and down a sudden 28-foot drop, with the ride ultimately taking them back to the harbor, where they could experience an educational film after disembarking the ride. 

Easily one of the most epic dark ride experiences at the Walt Disney World Resort in its time, the interactive Great Movie Ride could be found inside the replica of Grauman's Chinese Theatre at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which old-school Disney park guests will remember as the artist formerly known as Disney-MGM Studios. A massive theater-style dark ride with a capacity of 70 riders per vehicle (similar to the old Universe of Energy), the Great Movie Ride gave guests a chance to travel through some of the greatest films Hollywood ever made, replicated with detailed sets and animatronics.

Although the ride was a bit cheesy and felt dated almost from the moment it opened, there was something wonderfully charming about the experience as it took guests through the history of Hollywood from its early days to the contemporary era of massive budgets and special effects. Animatronic actor doppelgängers helped seal the illusion as guests traveled through films of all genres from classic Hollywood westerns to sci-fi flicks. There was James Cagney as a menacing gangster in "The Public Enemy," Gene Kelly swinging on a lamppost in "Singin' in the Rain," and more. Some of the ride's more epic scenes include a Xenomorph showdown with Ripley from "Alien," the Munchkinland scene from "The Wizard of Oz," and a snake-filled chamber from "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Unfortunately, licensing for many of those films proved a constant headache, with the ride closing for good in 2017.

If you look up old images of Disneyland or Walt Disney World, some of the coolest vintage vibes are the ones with Skyway, a wonderfully retrofuturist gondola ride in a cheerful array of mid-century modern primary colors. Although it might feel like something of a thrill ride for folks with a fear of heights, the Skyway served mostly as a mellow way to travel from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland or vice versa, taking in the sights of the Magic Kingdom from above along the way. And there's really no better way to relish the fact that you're in the happiest place on earth than with a dreamy panoramic vista from the gently rocking four-seater gondolas.

When the rides closed in the 1990s, loads of Disney park lore sprung up surrounding both Skyway closures. The Disneyland Skyway, which shut down in 1994, was allegedly due to a litigious park guest who jumped from a gondola, hoping to sue the company. While the bad guest did exist, park execs blamed prohibitively extensive metal fatigue repair issues for the California Skyway shutdown. Likewise, when scuttlebutt blamed a park death for the Florida Skyway's closure, the Disney folks cited a much more mundane reason: a low interest to capacity ratio.

These days, a Tangled-themed restroom sits at the old Skyway entrance site at Walt Disney World. A pretty blue gondola — number 51 — can be found at Disney Springs if you look up while shopping the DisneyStyle store.

For kids visiting Epcot in the 1980s, there was nothing cooler than experiencing Captain Eo, the 17-minute 4D Sci-Fi fantasy film and attraction that saw Michael Jackson lead a cargo-running space crew on a world-changing mission. First premiering in 1986, the 3D "Captain Eo" was a brilliant hypercolor concoction with everything that was good in the '80s: Epic Michael Jackson dance numbers, quirky and kid-friendly George Lucas aliens, Anjelica Huston at her most frightening, a cute little mascot puppet to cancel out the nightmare fuel, corporate-sponsored world peace vibes, and loads of gratuitous special effects. Add a few extra "4D" effects like fans and smoke, and you've got a seriously impressive production.

Michael Jackson played a version of himself (if he was not trying very hard to cosplay Mal from "Firefly") as he lead his crew to deliver a gift to the Supreme Leader's dieselpunk world. The whole thing was Gen-X gold and made a wildly fun addition to Epcot's Journey into Imagination. Unfortunately, time stands for no one, and Captain Eo closed in 1998.

Disney brought Captain Eo back for a few years in 2010. Although folks who experienced both versions may not have noticed, the revival omitted some of the original effects while adding in the hydraulics and water sprayers used in Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

Like Captain Eo and Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Muppet*Vision 3D (sometimes referred to as Muppet*Vision 4D) used a combination of 3D film and special effects to create an immersive theater experience. The attraction, which rolled out in 1991 in Disney's worst-rated Hollywood Studios park and was added to California Adventure in 2001, found the Muppets up to their usual shenanigans again, with the situation ultimately going completely awry to a hilarious outcome. 

The premise finds Kermit the Frog leading the audience on a tour of Muppet Studios, as all the various Muppets are preparing their various song and dance numbers (or in Fozzie Bear's case, jokes) for their big Muppet production. Everyone is present: Statler and Waldorf, Rizzo, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, even Bunsen and Beaker. As the Muppets get closer to production time, their exploitation of cheap 3D tricks continues to escalate, with the audience experiencing everything from soap bubbles to smoke as the production comes completely unhinged. The attraction ran for 17 minutes (not counting the pre-show), and ended in summer 2025 to make room for a "Monsters, Inc." attraction, much to the chagrin of pigs and frogs everywhere. 

Walt Disney World in Florida has been home to a couple of fairly sizeable water parks for a few decades now, with the whimsically themed Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon considered by many to be some of Florida's best family-friendly water parks. However, there once was a time when the only water park available was the much smaller River Country, an old-fashioned swimming hole-inspired water park adjacent to Fort Wilderness Campground. Although the water park opened in 1976, it wasn't well-known among park guests, and many had no idea the place even existed. 

Although fairly small compared to its successor parks, River Country featured a handful of pools and water slides, a lazy river for tubing, and a couple of kids' zones. It wasn't flashy; it was just good, old-fashioned watering hole-style fun. Guests who visited the park tend to remember the rock drop slides with a special fondness. 

Plenty of rumors about the reasons behind the park's demise made their way around the internet back when it closed, but it's likely the park simply couldn't compete with its big younger siblings. For decades after its closure, the park sat abandoned, serving as a point of fascination for urbex lovers. However, Disney's Lakeshore Lodge is currently under development on the site and set to open in 2027. 

Discovery Island is yet another one of those super cool Disney attractions of yesteryear that many Disney Park fans never even realized existed. Situated on a small island in the middle of Bay Lake near Fort Wilderness and River Country, the tiny, verdant island once used as an animal sanctuary had the aura of a secret island hideout Tom Sawyer might have discovered in the middle of the Mississippi. This is perhaps why it was originally christened Treasure Island before getting a name change (to Discovery Island) in 1977. 

Much like River Country and the various outdoor attractions available for Fort Wilderness guests, Discovery Island offered a decidedly lo-fi experience when compared to the long days (and lines) to be had at the theme parks.  The park featured an exotic bird sanctuary and many species of animals who called the island home. Admission pricing to the zoological park was also very affordable, making Discovery Island a great add-on for families wanting to spend more time at Disney without taking out a second mortgage for park tickets. Like Fort Wilderness, the island was reachable by ferry from the Magic Kingdom.

The park ultimately closed when its animal population was moved into Disney's Animal Kingdom park in 1998. However, plenty of guests still long for the days of more intimate animal encounters without all the hypercapitalist theme park branding. Like the old River Country site, the abandoned theme park has been a draw for urbex explorers, despite Disney's efforts at deterrence. 

Nightly fireworks displays have been a quintessetial part of the Disney Parks experience since they first debuted in the 1950s. And if you've ever waited to watch Tinkerbell take her flight from Cinderella Castle, you know that there's nothing quite like a DIsney fireworks display. Well, there wasn't, until Disney took their pyrotechnics display to the next level in 1999 with Epcot's IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, the jaw-droppngly stunning nightly production that integrated fireworks, fountains, lasers, moving searchlights, barges, a globe, pyrotechnics, and a whole range of effects synchronized to an inspiring emotional soundtrack in the center of the World Showcase Lagoon. 

Unlike most other Disney shows, it was practically impossible to pick a bad spot for viewing Illuminations. It was an incredibly moving experience. If you took a moment to glance at the faces around you, it wouldn't be unusual to catch a glimpse of someone with tears streaming down their face as they watched. The production ran for a couple of decades, ending in 2019. Although it has been replaced by some pretty spectacular light shows, some IllumiNations fans say there's no substitute for the original show. The fireworks are still a must, and you don't even need to visit Disney to experience them, as this rooftop bar in Anaheim does the job.

The history of Alien Encounter is one of the most fascinating of any Disney park attractions. This Mr. Toad's Wild Ride of a story begins in 1955 with the Disneyland rocket simulator attraction Rocket to the Moon, which positioned guests around a screen on the floor of the theater to recreate the sensation of flying away from (and then back to) the Earth. In 1967, with the advent of the Apollo program, the attraction got a slight name change and upgrade. Nearly another decade would pass before it got yet another upgrade. As lunar travel had gone from sci-fi to history, Disney upgraded to a loftier goal using the same general concept with Mission to Mars, which ran from 1975 through 1992. 

Things started to get weird, however, after Mission to Mars closed to make room for the 1995 ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. A product of CEO Michael Eisner's efforts to make the Magic Kingdom just a little more thrilling, this version used binaural sensory experiences in total darkness to create scares that were so intense it was far too scary for many guests. But after the attraction was retooled as Stitch's Alien Encounter, some fans say it was the perfect mix of scary and cute ... just like Stitch!

Hollywood Studios might not be the coolest among the Walt Disney World theme parks, but one Disney park experience that was always worth waiting in line for was the Studio Backlot Tour. In an endless ocean of Disney dark rides, this comprehensive tour offered an authentic opportunity to see behind the curtain of professional TV and film productions. The original Disney-MGM Studios version was a two-hour experience that included both walking and riding a tram, checking out props and a prop warehouse, and driving through sets while learning about the production process along the way. 

Learning about Hollywood-style productions and TV shows was always part of the fun. But for most guests, the best part was always the tram ride through Catastrophe Canyon where they got to see firsthand (and up close and personal) how film crews recreate torrential downpours, fires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters. 

The tram portion of the tour could also be a nice break after a long day of park-hopping. As one guest recalled on Reddit, "I remember absolutely loving the backlot tour! After a day of bouncing between Tower of Terror, Rockin' Roller Coaster, and a sprinkling of MuppetVision and Star Tours, it was a nice way to relax for a bit and just enjoy some time off our feet ... I just remember loving the vibes." Unfortunately, the experience closed in September 2014.

As an '80s kid, I started my research for this piece thinking about my own experience growing up at Disney parks. I've been fortunate enough to experience Walt Disney World in a handful of decades, and I have loved every era of Disney park fandom as much as I have enjoyed having the opportunity to take my own kids to Walt Disney World. 

After thinking about my personal favorite long-gone Disney rides, I took to Reddit to see what other Disney park fans miss from days gone by. I quickly learned that there despite having been closed for years or even decades in some cases, many defunct Disney rides still have active devotees. After creating a list of the most popular, I spent some time combing through fan sites for old Disney attractions like Yesterland and Defunctland and researching old blogs recounting vintage Disney days. I also spend some time delving into my own Birnbaum's Disney guides from the 1980s and 1990s and old photos I took with my purple 35 mm camera as a kid.