In a resort that’s landlocked and looking at ways to expand creatively, it’s amazing that there are still unused or underutilized spaces at the Disneyland Resort.
We can address Disney California Adventure later (Stage 17…I’m looking at you), but they may be working to address some of those issues. So, let’s start with the original…Disneyland Park.
The Golden Horseshoe
This venue used to host live shows several times a day, including the classic Golden Horseshoe Revue. Now the building is relegated to being a quick-service location that features many of the same items that are available right outside at the Stage Door Cafe.
With the recent announcement that the Diamond Horseshoe in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom would be getting a new show for Cool Kids’ Summer, could there be hope that we might see something new here at Disneyland or is that just a stop-gap measure to compensate for the construction happening elsewhere in their Frontierland?
This space is a classic and needs to not meet the wrecking ball…but also needs a great idea from a young Imagineer.
Tomorrowland Theater/Magic Eye Theater
This former home to Honey, I Shrunk the Audience and Captain EO before that (and after that) lies dormant much of the year, with just an occasional Star Wars preview screening pencilled in on its calendar.
What though should really be done with this space? The novelty of 3D or even 4D movies has waned, so that’s out. That said, the footprint really isn’t that large and you can’t really go vertical because of the Space Mountain queue, so a major attraction might be out of the question.
Let me circle back to this one…I might have an idea.
Starcade
The former two-story Tomorrowland arcade currently only exists due to the sign outside that continues to tease us. The upstairs area was closed off many, many years ago and the downstairs area is only used occasionally for meet and greets during special events.
The space is fairly small, so I’m sorry to say that it just needs to be annexed into the Star Trader or the restroom facilities on the other side. Please just do something though so that sign can be retired.
Star Wars Launch Bay
This circular and (formerly) rotating building has been home to many things over the years, first Carousel of Progress, then America Sings. It sat dormant for many years before we got a watered-down West Coast version of Innoventions in that space.
Eventually, the building became the Launch Bay, but even that has been dumbed down to just a Star Wars meet and greet. Much of the additional space is currently used as a Disney Vacation Club lounge. The second-floor balcony plays home to the Tomorrowland Skyline Terrace, where unsuspecting tourists overpay for average treats and an under-average fireworks view.
I’m all about maintaining a sense of history in Walt’s Park, but this building needs to go. It has a fairly large footprint that could play home to a decent D-Ticket attraction.
The Disney Vacation Club Lounge will need to go somewhere, of course, but a gutted Tomorrowland Theater (see above) might just fit the bill.
Fantasyland Theatre
You see evidence of the cuts being made to the Disneyland entertainment budget all over the resort, but one of the most glaring examples is this once bustling space.
The venue began its life in 1985 as a dance club meant to compete with a similar project that had been recently opened at nearby Knott’s Berry Farm.
Eventually, the theater became the home to a series of live shows, including Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage (1992-1995), The Spirit of Pocahontas (1995-1997), and Snow White: An Enchanting Musical (2004-2006).
From October 2006 to August 2012, this was the home to Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, where guests could meet their favorite Disney royalty.
In 2013, entertainment returned to the venue in the form of Mickey and the Magical Map, which played to crowds for almost seven years before the curtain fell due to the pandemic. It never returned.
Aside from the Tale of The Lion King show that ran for just over a year, the venue has been cycling through various seasonal meet and greets ever since.
The upcoming Bluey’s Best Day Ever appears to be more of the same, with pop-up performances, games, play areas, and character appearances.
Disneyland needs to return to what it does best and bring live theater back to the Resort. With Avatar enveloping Hollywood Land, the Hyperion Theater at California Adventure may never reopen, so the Fantasyland Theatre may be our only hope.
Honorable Mentions
There are other areas that could’ve made the list, but I tried to stick with things that made the most sense to me.
The former Motor Boat Cruise area is definitely underutilized, but using that space would be complicated given the Disneyland Monorail track circling above it.
Doing anything with the former PeopleMover track and loading area (plus the remnants of the old AstroOrbiter above it) would require a major Tomorrowland construction project and we all know that isn’t happening anytime soon.
Are there any projects on my list of five that you would like to see made a priority? Is there anything you’d like to add to the list? You never know…the Imagineers might be listening.
