Extinct Attractions #1

Over the years, Disneyland and Disney World have had attractions come and go. This is the Top 10 Extinct Disney Attractions.

• The People Mover

This elevated train used to glide above the streets of Tomorrowland. According to Theme Park Tourist, visitors stood on a moving ramp to board the ride, which took them up to a continuously moving floor. From there, they’d step onto a slow-moving train and witness stunning views of the park as they were transported to their next location. With its continuous boarding process, the PeopleMover had an hourly capacity of 4,885 guests and took a total of 16 minutes to travel through Tomorrowland. However, the train took its last trip in the mid-1990s. But luckily, you can still ride the People Mover at Walt Disney World in Florida.

• Submarine Voyage

In 1959, just four years after Disneyland’s grand opening, an expansion of Tomorrowland was completed, including a new attraction called Submarine Voyage, according to Theme Park Tourist.  The Cold War industrial-style submarines used early animatronics to simulate underwater life and recreated the feeling of diving deeper beneath the water. Sunken cities, shipwrecks, mermaids, and sea serpents could be viewed through the portholes. In 1971, a similar ride inspired by the 1870 novel by Jules Verne would open at Disney World: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. While both attractions were incredibly popular, operating expenses led the Disney World ride to close permanently in 1998, while Disneyland’s Submarine Voyage was turned into a new ride based on Finding Nemo.

• Flying Saucers

Prior to Space Mountain opening in the late ’70s, a different sort of space adventure could be found at that location, according to Disney. Flying Saucers was a futuristic bumper car attraction where the saucers were pushed around by gusts of air, the goal is to bump into as many people as you could. But like all retro rides, it had its issues (particularly when larger guests tried to ride) and was open for just five years before closing in 1966, according to Mental Floss.

• Skyway

This aerial attraction ferried guests in colorful buckets between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland for almost 40 years. The suspended gondola ride traveled across cables through an opening in Matterhorn Mountain and was a thrilling experience because of the way the wind swayed the cars, according to Disneyland Diehard. However, the Skyway made its last trip in 1994, as it was not compliant with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

• Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland

You’re probably familiar with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, one of the most popular coasters at Disneyland today, but its roots go back to 1956, when it opened as Rainbow Caverns Mine Train, according to Disneyland Report. A few years later, it was revamped and renamed the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. Carrying guests all over Frontierland, the train offered views of various ponds, landscapes, and animals, along with the impressive Cascade Peak, a towering mountain with roaring waterfall, until it closed in 1977.

• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

Based on the goofy 1989 movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, this Disneyland attraction had guests put on 3D glasses to watch an awards ceremony in which the audience and the theater became “shrunk,” according to Insider. It replaced Captain EO, a 3D sci-fi film starring Michael Jackson that later returned to the theater after the pop star’s death. Since 2014, the theater has been left unused.

• Adventure Through Inner Space

In Tomorrowland, a popular attraction called Adventure Through Inner Space once stood where Star Tours is today. Adventure Through Inner Space opened in 1967, and it gave visitors the chance to visit “inner space” by traveling through a “mighty microscope” and into the realm of a snowflake, according to Disney. The process involved “shrinking” to molecule size (a common theme in many old Disney rides). While the sci-fi adventure was consistently popular, it became outdated as science and space travel progressed and it was closed in 1985.

• Body Wars

Inside the Wonders of Life pavilion at Epcot, there was once a futuristic thrill ride called Body Wars, which was based on the idea that humans could shrink themselves down to cellular size to go into the human body for research, according to Theme Park Tourist. Guests were pulled into an adventure through the human body, where they would ride their way through the circulatory system and use lasers to stun white blood cells. While Body Wars was once one of Epcot’s premier attractions, it shut down in 2006 due to decreased popularity—many people experienced extreme motion sickness during the ride.

• Maelstrom

This Norwegian-themed boat ride at Epcot closed fairly recently, but not without controversy. The attraction, which had faithfully showcased the culture of Norway since the ’80s and featured an array of polar bears, waterfalls, and trolls, was closed in 2014 to be replaced by a new Frozen-themed attraction, according to The Week. Fans of Maelstrom were beside themselves, arguing that the ride represented what Epcot is all about: celebrating other cultures, not promoting Disney films. While fans of the mega-hit Frozen will probably not miss the old-fashioned ride, Maelstrom’s cult following will always hold the attraction close to their hearts.

• Flight to the Moon

Opening in 1967, Flight To The Moon was a flight simulation ride in Tomorrowland where visitors would experience a “trip to the moon,” which involved vibrating chairs and screens that showed images of the moon as they approached, according to Mental Floss. In 1975, the ride was renamed “Mission to Mars,” as humans had, of course, landed on the moon in 1969 and the ride had to be kept futuristic. But in 1992, the ride was closed and replaced with a pizza joint—Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port. Today, you can still see the rocket that was used for Flight To The Moon next to the restaurant.