The next five years are shaping up to be some of the most exciting times for Disney Park fans in recent history. Spearheaded by newly named CEO Josh D’Amaro, the Disney Experiences division is set to invest up to $60 billion in a “supercharge” effort to improve the parks and experiences worldwide.
At Walt Disney World, three of the four theme parks have several projects currently underway, including several new lands such as the first-ever Villains Land at the Magic Kingdom, the first of its kind Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the Tropical Americas coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, among many other projects.
Additionally, out at the Disneyland Resort, guests will see many new projects come to fruition at Disney California Adventure, including two new attractions at Avengers Campus, the first-ever Coco-themed attraction, and the second Avatar-themed area.
On the seas, Disney Cruise Line will welcome another ship of the Wish-class this year, the Disney Believe, and also launch a new ship with the Oriental Land Company (the owners of Tokyo Disneyland).
As for resorts, Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is set to open in 2027 on the site of the former River Country water park.
However, with new attractions and experiences on the horizon, unfortunately, Disney fans had to say goodbye to many of our long-standing attractions. At the Magic Kingdom, we saw Tom Sawyer Island, the Liberty Square Riverboat, and the Rivers of America all suspended operation to make way for Piston Peak and the previously noted Villains Land. All of these have been mainstays at the Magic Kingdom for more than 50 years.
While these new experiences might become fan favorites, the simplicity of the original Frontierland will always linger in the hearts of nostalgic fans.
Over at EPCOT, guests saw many classic attractions shut down over the past 20 years, including Universe of Energy (Ellen’s Energy Adventure), Malestrom, and Innoventions, among others, during the park’s massive overhaul that began in 2019.
At Hollywood Studios, guests said their final goodbye to Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D in 2025, which entertained guests for nearly the entire history of the park. While it was not an “opening day” experience, this show entertained guests since 1991 and was the final project the legendary Henson ever worked on. Earlier in the mid-2010s, guests saw the Backlot Tour and the Streets of America shut down to make way for Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Over at Animal Kingdom, the opening-day land Dinoland U.S.A. closed earlier in 2026, and the original attraction DINOSAUR (formerly Countdown to Extinction) took its final interdimensional joy ride, eventually making way for an Indiana Jones attraction in 2027.
As Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world.” Even if our favorite attraction shuts down, in the spirit of Walt’s optimism, the parks continue to evolve.
However, sometimes we lose an attraction, and years down the line, it returns. The most notable example is the original, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, which returned to the Magic Kingdom in 2011, following the closure of the Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management). More recently, later in 2026, the Magic of Disney Animation is returning (in a slightly different form) to Hollywood Studios. This experience was an opening-day attraction at the then-MGM Studios and offered guests a firsthand look at the animation process.
Several Disney animated features were animated in this very space, including Mulan and Lilo and Stitch, and seeing Imagineers look to the past to update it is a wonderful surprise.
With that being said, let’s take a look at three lost attractions Walt Disney World fans still mourn to this day, given their massive impact on their respective parks. When these experiences shut down, the park’s overall theme and messaging have shifted tremendously. We will also attempt to determine if there is an outcome in which these legendary experiences return one day.
The Great Movie Ride
Let’s start this list with the former centerpiece attraction at Disney-MGM Studios. When this park opened on May 1, 1989, its theme was to showcase the illustrious history of filmmaking and explain the intricacies of the art through interactive exhibits in a fully functioning studio.
At the end of Hollywood Boulevard, guests were greeted by (and still are today) the Grauman’s Chinese Theater, which housed The Great Movie Ride. This massive show building housed the park’s marquee attraction, which was synonymous with the park’s theme of paying homage to the Hollywood that never was and always will be.
This was a slow-moving dark ride that not only featured elaborate sets and animations but also live cast members in acting roles, making it truly one-of-a-kind. With a host waiting for you at the loading area to lead you through your journey through the movies, guests began their journey through the movies, moving past scenes honoring some of the most well-regarded musicals, such as Singin’ in the Rain and Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins.
Guests would then enter a scene that pays tribute to classic gangster films, where the attraction would take a different turn. Your attraction vehicle was “hijacked” by a live gangster, by a cast member named Mugsy, who would take part in a live “shoot-out” and interact in sync with the animator as if you were in the center of a true gangster film.
This new cast member would then serve as your “host” for the following scenes before they meet their ultimate fate in the Anubis scene.
However, some readers may remember the attraction playing out differently. Depending on the vehicle you were in, you may have passed through the gangster without a takeover, instead witnessing a Western bank robbery in which a cowboy or cowgirl would play the role of the “hijacker.”
With either temporary host, you would pass through a scene dedicated to the science fiction genre, where you would pass through the Nostromo spaceship from Alien and come face-to-face with the Xenomorph.
You would then enter an Egyptian tomb featuring the iconic scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, where Indiana Jones and Sallah attempt to lift the Ark of the Covenant. As noted earlier, you would then reach a large altar tributed to the Egyptian god Anubis. Your hijacker would catch the eye of a large jewel, but once they attempt to reach for it, they would meet their end. The temple guard would then reveal themselves as your original host, just to show that anything can happen in the movies.
Your journey would then progress through various scenes, including Tarzan and Casablanca, before reaching Munchkinland from The Wizard of Oz for the final show-stopper. Guests would become the star in the iconic scene where the Wicked Witch of the West makes her famous entrance once Dorothy reaches the land of Oz.
The animatronic of the Wicked Witch of the West was groundbreaking at the time, as it was Disney’s first “A100” audio-animatronic, featuring lifelike movements and fluidity, as if a cast member was playing this role.
However, in March of 2020, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened at Hollywood Studios, replacing The Great Movie Ride. While an attraction dedicated to Mickey Mouse should exist, the Great Movie Ride was an icon and the backbone of this park.
Currently, Hollywood Studios is attempting to balance several themes, as many “old” remnants of the original park still exist, now sitting alongside Galaxy’s Edge and the soon-to-be Monstropolis, which aims to put you in the heart of the story rather than look back at the history of filmmaking. This attraction was the park’s hypothesis statement; without it, Hollywood Studios lacks a core theme and a true “icon.”
Given the current state of licensing fees and Disney’s decision to rely on its own expansive IP library, a Great Movie Ride “2.0” is very unlikely. However, if it were to come back one day, it would likely exist as the Great Disney Movie Ride and feature iconic scenes from their catalog, with likely nods to the 20th Century Fox Films they acquired not so long ago. Runaway Railway will entertain guests for decades, but when it is time for an update, Imagineers should look to the past and bring an attraction that is a love letter to movies back into the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
A Great Disney Movie Ride would fit seamlessly with the current direction of this park while paying homage to the original tenant of this space.
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
There were many nighttime spectaculors to choose from for this column. While we all miss The Main Street Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic at the Magic Kingdom, Happily Ever After has become a fan-favorite and more than worthy of being the daily finale at the world’s most visited theme park.
With Fantasmic! still showing daily at Hollywood Studios (and not going anywhere), we will turn our attention to EPCOT. IllumiNations existed in many forms during its run at EPCOT, debuting in 1988 after the nighttime shows (Le Carnaval de Lumière, A New World Fantasy, and Laserphonic Fantasy) concluded. After several iterations of this program, the most well-known version, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, debuted in 1999 and ran until September 30, 2019.
This version of the show debuted during Walt Disney World’s Millennium Celebration as IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth, then dropped “2000” from the title after its massive success. This nighttime spectacle was no unique as it did not rely on Disney IP music to tell the story. Instead, it leaned heavily into the themes and ideas of EPCOT Center, which made it unforgettable.
The show began with an introduction from Jim Cummings, who delivered the opening preamble before each torch around the World Showcase was gently blown out, symbolizing the start of the show.
During the show, guests would travel through the journey of our planet, from the creation and evolution of life, nature, and science. Through the show, specific pavilions would interact with lighting effects.
However, the highlight was the finale when the original song “We Go On” was played as each torch around the lagoon was re-lit. The large rotating globe in the middle of the lagoon would then open like a lotus blossom, revealing a unity torch showing how all of humanity around the globe is united as one.
As the headliner project in the massive EPCOT over the late 2010s, Harmonious debuted in 2021 as the new must-see nighttime show in World Showcase Lagoon and replaced IllumiNations. However, this show would not be well received by fans and would shut down just two years later, making way for Luminous: The Symphony of Us, which still plays nightly.
While Luminous was a much-needed improvement over Harmonious, this show lacks the heart and message of IllumiNations. IllumiNations was a love letter to classic EPCOT’s messaging. This show demonstrated the importance of our world living as one and showcased the optimism of human development in creating a better future. This show did not rely on Disney music to strike a chord, which suggests how powerful and impactful this show was to have such a long and successful run.
IllumiNations could have used an update, but its messaging lasts forever. While Luminous was a necessary addition given the underwhelming Harmonious, EPCOT’s current nighttime show is lacking the true impact that Happily Ever After and Fantasmic! bring to the table. Unlike the other two titles on this list, IllumiNations (as a concept) could return one day.
Once Luminous nears the end of its run, Imagineers should look to this long-standing EPCOT staple for inspiration for the next good night kiss. This show was the perfect summary of what you experience during your day at EPCOT. Without it, a full day at EPCOT does not feel complete.
The Original Journey Into Imagination
Let’s round this out with the elephant (or purple dragon) in the room. While I wanted to give a shout-out to an attraction at the Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom, no discontinued attraction has had that great an effect on the foundation of the park, or it’s been too early to judge (DINOSAUR/Rivers of America). Instead, we will look to another attraction at EPCOT, this time a more traditional ride.
Journey Into Imagination opened in 1983 and was the brainchild of legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter. This slow-moving omnimover attraction brings you into the world of the Dreamfinder and his purple dragon sidekick, Figment. This duo would explore several rooms highlighting different forms of art, including literature, science, and the performing arts. At the conclusion of the attraction, guests would see Figment participating in several activities and learn that imagination can inspire them to explore the world.
While Spaceship Earth is EPCOT’s mission statement, this attraction was its soul.
However, this fan-loved attraction would make way for Journey into YOUR Imagination in 1999, which would close two years later to make way for the current Journey Into Imagination with Figment. While the current version is far cry from the original edition, this third installment saw the return of Figment and the iconic Sherman Brothers song, “One Little Spark,” which has helped ease the pain. However, the Dreamfinder character has been replaced by Dr. Nigel Channing, played by Eric Idle.
This new version is viewed as a general improvement over Journey Into YOUR Imaginnaiton, but that is not a high bar to clear. The original installment of this attraction was one of the greatest dark rides ever built by Imagineering, as it not only followed a coherent story but incorporated innovative technology and directly supported the idea and theme of the original EPCOT Center.
Over the past few years, Figment merchandise has only continued to soar in popularity, and “Figment hype” reached a new high when a meet-and-greet experience debuted in 2023. This purple dragon receives a new line of merchandise for nearly every EPCOT festival in addition to constant, evergreen t-shirts and accessories during the year.
While there is no doubt that Figment, as a character, is a money-maker for Disney, his attraction still needs some love. Disney has recently teased more Figment content, including Figment paying a visit to Walt Disney Imagineering and former CEO Bob Iger hinting at original Figment shorts coming to Disney+, but has yet to look at a new attraction.
Given his immense popularity, now is the time to look back to the original incarnation of this attraction and announce the long-awaited update at this year’s D23 Expo. Currently, EPCOT is the only park at Walt Disney World without any major plans in the works (and won’t have any once Soarin’ Across America opens on May 26). Imagination and innovation are at the core themes of EPCOT. While current-day EPCOT is far different from the original EPCOT Center, updating this attraction would allow an entire new generation to fall in love with this original character and, more importantly, leave this park feeling inspired, which is the purpose of its existence.
To this day, EPCOT still lacks its soul. While Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind may be at the top of everyone’s must-do list, the Imagineers need to look back at history and give this attraction the update it has needed for nearly 20 years.
