10 Attractions That Aged Poorly at Disney World
Many masterpieces of Imagineering age like fine wines, getting better and becoming even more iconic over time. However, there are a lot of rides at Walt Disney World that have not fared so well, instead becoming increasingly outdated or even obsolete. This list covers the attractions–both big and small–that are in need of overhauls or outright replacements.
There are a range of reasons that some attractions at Walt Disney World age better than others. A trio of Magic Kingdom classics–Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jungle Cruise–all exemplify rides improving with each passing year, becoming beloved by a whole new generation of fans.
It would be easy to attribute that to one commonality, that all have received movie adaptations to keep interest high. While that’s certainly true of the Johnny Depp and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson helmed franchises, it’s not fair to say the same applies to Haunted Mansion. It didn’t enter the cultural zeitgeist thanks to a movie adaptation no one saw that scored 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. But who knows, maybe the upcoming adaptation featuring *checks notes* Jared Leto will be what finally puts Haunted Mansion on the map!
Aging poorly is not necessarily indicative of an attraction’s quality. To the contrary, many rides on this list once were great, and still are in spite of that datedness. The commonality isn’t that they’re bad, but rather, that time has passed them by. This usually means technology has made them obsolete. There are plenty of examples of older attractions receiving redos that inject then-current technology, and incongruity appears between the original and updated components over time.
In other cases, attractions take a very contemporary approach to technology that simply does not hold up years later. We might call this “The Mummy Returns Effect.” That 2001 film leaned very much into bleeding edge (at the time) CGI, and the result is Dwayne Johnson’s Scorpion King now looking like it was rendered by a Sega Dreamcast. Meanwhile, older films like Jaws, E.T., Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and other old films still hold up because they didn’t get carried away.
It’s a similar story with some of the attractions on this list. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Instead, we’ll dig into the list of 10 attractions at Walt Disney World that have aged poorly and are urgently overdue for an overhaul or at least some updates…
Spaceship Earth — This slow-moving dark ride through Audio Animatronics-heavy scenes showcasing the advancement of communication feels like it’s stuck in the past. Spaceship Earth was scheduled for a reimagining a few years ago, which was desperately needed. The track is in rough shape and the descent gives off abandoned mall vibes, with random black light triangles (rad!) and a sea of curtains cordoning off unused areas.
For an attraction highlighting how human communications have evolved, the way in which the ride communicates to guests–especially in the finale–likewise feels antiquated. One might argue that aspects of the attraction, ironically enough, fail to connect with guests with storytelling that’s clunky and a conclusion that fails to inspire. Humanity’s shared story is a compelling one and the ride’s location inside Epcot’s iconic geodesic sphere is really cool, but Spaceship Earth squanders so much of its potential.
Purists might cringe at these criticisms, themselves (understandably) not wanting to rock the boat and lose the last of Epcot’s Audio Animatronics-heavy attractions. However, the current state of the second-half of the attraction is embarrassing, the script is tired, and the cheesy screen-based ending is atrocious. Spaceship Earth deserves better, and diehard fans shouldn’t have to fear a refurbishment because the end result might, somehow, be even worse.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – We probably could save a decent amount of time and keystrokes with one entry for all of Tomorrowland. I want to love Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. I love the idea of it as a shooter ride that actually uses physical show scenes to make it engaging for guests who want to enjoy the attraction passively. Some of the staging, props, and Audio Animatronics are really cool. The interactivity is fun, and Walt Disney World could use more attractions like this.
With that said, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is essentially proof of concept…that did prove the concept. As other interactive shooters have followed in its footsteps, this tired dark ride hasn’t been modernized in over two decades. It’s still a reimagined ride of another reimagined ride (with some remnants of its predecessors, Delta Dreamflight and If You Had Wings, still in place). The parks in Anaheim, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai have all since iterated upon and improved the Buzz Lightyear shooter ride, and it’s long past time for Magic Kingdom to follow suit.
Tomorrowland Speedway – Plenty of Walt Disney World fans will argue that Tomorrowland Speedway should be demolished and replaced, as it takes up too much prime real estate in Magic Kingdom. That perspective contends that the concept is outdated, and that the ride is noisy, stinky, and simplistic.
They’re right and wrong. Like Dumbo and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Tomorrowland Speedway is a rite of passage attraction that is deserving of its place in Magic Kingdom. For kids, sitting in the driver’s seat and steering through a car course is really cool. However, children do not author blogs like this one (despite what the writing quality, or lack thereof, might suggest) so that perspective isn’t often voiced.
Nevertheless, if Tomorrowland Speedway is deemed ‘culturally significant’ (or whatever) and worthy of so much space in Magic Kingdom, it needs to be differentiate itself from dime-a-dozen go-cart rides. Replacing the fleet with modern vehicles having striking design styles and show scenes with personality would be a start. Make the cars fun for all ages, and the scenery worthy of a Sunday drive.
Journey into Imagination with Figment — If you’re visiting EPCOT for the first time today, it’s impossible to understand how what appears to be a Spyro knock-off and his underwhelming attraction have such a fan following. You might just chalk it up to Disney Adult idiosyncrasies, much like I assume people like Dunkin’ Donuts because they’ve never had any other doughnuts or coffee. In both cases, there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Figment is popular not for the existing attraction in its current sorry state, but for the original Journey into Imagination. If anything, the fact that the ride and its star character still have a powerful hold on adults of a certain age decades after they disappeared speaks volumes about the indelible impression they left on the youth of the 1980s and 1990s.
The original Journey into Imagination was mesmerizing. Above all else, it was imaginative, as cliche as that might sound. As a young child, I was spellbound by the original, its characters, and the evocative scenes they inhabited. I remember it in vivid detail not because my family rode it over and over (although we did!), but because it was a timeless attraction that captivated guests, sparked their imaginations, and forged lifelong Walt Disney World fans.
The replacement, Journey into Imagination with Figment, seems like it strives to annoy rather than inspire. Ironically enough, it showcases the power of imagination…with the least imaginative and obnoxious attraction possible. What was once an okay band-aid between the Figment-less Journey into Your Imagination and a new attraction has now outlived the original, and is looking really worse for wear. Everything about it is outdated, the the first three-quarters of the ride-through feels like something is missing. What’s missing is imagination.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh — I’m going to say what everyone is thinking: Winnie the Pooh is a baller. No, you weren’t thinking that? Well, only because the Walt Disney Company has absolutely squandered the potential of Winnie the Pooh, sidelining he and his posse’s potential for pranks and tomfoolery.
In a just world, it would be Winnie the Pooh and not Paddington who is beloved by generations. Think about it, what does Paddington possess that Winnie the Pooh does not? Preserved jam sandwiches? Give me a break. Winnie the Pooh is a straight-up honey fiend, risking life and limb for a taste of the sweet stuff. Pooh is just as laid back, chill, generous, and deferential as Paddington. On top of that, Pooh rolls deep, with a crew more pure of heart than AFC Richmond.
But I digress. The point is not to disparage Paddington, himself an international treasure, but to question why Winnie the Pooh does not receive more love among Americans? This ride, that is why. It is rudimentary and dated (despite not being that old), failing to showcase the heart and charm of these beloved characters. An attraction based on Winnie the Pooh should be timeless, filled with childlike wonder, and more popular than Peter Pan’s Flight. We know a Pooh-centric attraction can reach these heights because there is an older one that is exactly all of these things…but it’s at Tokyo Disneyland.
Peter Pan’s Flight – Speaking of which, this is bound to be a controversial pick. That’s especially true given the enduring popularity of Peter Pan’s Flight and the fact that it commands some of the longest wait times in all of Walt Disney World. It’s also bound to be controversial because Peter Pan hasn’t exactly aged well as judged against contemporary cultural and social standards. But that’s not why Peter Pan’s Flight makes this list–although I do think there’s one easily-updatable scene that’s overdue for replacement.
Rather, Peter Pan’s Flight makes the list despite its popularity. As good as the attraction premise is and as special as it is to fly over the streets of London and Neverland, it still has unrealized potential. Plussing the ride to integrate projection mapping or other lighting effects–as has been done in Anaheim, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo–could be a gamechanger. Overhauling the ride system so the flight is less jerky and more smooth would help with suspension of disbelief.
Imagineering got it right with Peter Pan’s Flight decades ago, and it is a truly timeless attraction that will be enjoyed by generations of guests to come. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t little ways to enhance the attraction to keep the icon fresh. Imagineering has done exactly that with Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean over the last several years. It’s about time Peter Pan’s Flight left its datedness in the dust and got a chance to soar higher.
Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage — This stage show retelling Beauty and the Beast in condensed form is literally as old as the animated movie itself. It’s enjoyable, doing an adequate job with choreography, performances, and dramatic styling. And in fairness, not every theatrical production needs to be edgy or envelope-pushing to grab guests’ attention. Sometimes simple-but-good is more than enough.
Those are fair points, but this just feels old. I can’t quite articulate why or how, but pretty much everything about it just gives off 1990s vibes. In isolation, it’s difficult to point to any specific element that gives the show away as being dated. It’s the totality of it all, and how it contrasts with newer adaptations of animated movies that gives it away. So many more modern productions have come and gone at Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line that could be plugged into DHS and would be a breath of fresh air, comparatively speaking.
Space Mountain — I’ve long defended Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain, which remains my favorite even compared to the newer versions at Disneyland and beyond. Although it lacks audio…and a smooth ride…it makes up for that with more personality in the queue, post-show, and the ride itself. However, I’m very cognizant of the fact that this is the nostalgic in me speaking.
The datedness of this dark roller coaster is going to be thrown into even starker relief once TRON Lightcycle Run opens directly next door to it. I don’t know what the solution is, and I’d hate to lose Space Mountain and all of its history and iconic qualities, but having two in-the-dark roller coasters right next to one another was always going to result in side-by-side guest comparisons, and the circa-1975 Space Mountain is woefully outdated as compared to the circa-2016 TRON Lightcycle Run.
Dinosaur — Dinosaurs deserve better. Scientifically speaking, they are the awesomest animal of all-time (edging out hammerhead sharks, which are basically aquatic dinosaur reboots). It’s honestly hard to believe that creatures so cool ever roamed the earth. I can see why dinosaur deniers are a thing, because it’s easier to live in a world where they never existed than one where we never got to see their glory and grandeur IRL.
Imagineering had the opportunity to rectify that, bringing dinosaurs to life in a way that would inspire, educate, and possibly result in world peace. There are dozens of slam dunk ideas involving dinosaurs in theme parks, and pretty much anything that causes suspension of disbelief in guests would’ve been wondrous to behold.
Instead, they gave us a crappy carnival and a knock-off of Indiana Jones Adventure, but with 75% of the ride in darkness. What a joke. Technically, this hasn’t just aged poorly–it was always a matter of hugely squandered potential. (But the CGI from 2000’s Dinosaur definitely does not hold up!)
Soarin’ Around the World — Another pick that’ll undoubtedly be polarizing given the popularity of this hang-glider simulator ride. I’m not particularly averse to Soarin’ Around the World, but the CGI, cheesy animals, and distortion has worn on me over time. With each passing year, either it looks worse or I get grumpier. Probably both, but stick with me here.
You know how someone looks younger right after they’ve had a facelift (or whatever cosmetic surgery is in fashion these days), but over time, their skin starts looking fake and plastic-like? Meanwhile, the person who embraced their laugh lines and crow’s feet appears to age gracefully? It’s the same idea with Soarin.
I had the chance to catch both versions days apart earlier this year, and felt that Soarin’ Over California has aged far better. To be sure, it doesn’t look brand new and there are little clues that it was shot in the late 1990s. However, OG Soarin’ benefits from its footage being real film, whereas CGI Soarin’ already looks dated as compared to newer visual effects.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Do any attractions at Walt Disney World strike you as particularly outdated or obsolete? Think there are any newer rides that have aged poorly by virtue of leaning too heavily into evolving technologies? Anything you think our list “snubbed” that belongs among WDW’s outdated rides? Do you agree or disagree with our list? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
The only one I really agree with is imagination – but I only want the original back!!
If every ride was updated with newest technology it would become boring and “Samey” maybe that’s because I am older and can only do 1 or 2 “spinny” rides a day ( like Remy) or else I would be carried out on a stretcher!!
Re Soaring – we actually enjoy seeing the “leaning tower of Eiffel”!!!
After going on Men in Black at Universal, which is totally AWESOME! We did not stand in line for Buzz Lightyear.
Totally agree, but I honestly think the main issue 1st. is maintenance and 2nd. update all animatronics to move as smoothly as the Avatar on the Navi River 3rd. Discovery Island, Tortuga…Pirate Island, Pirate ship, Disney imagineers, once again call me, I have a million ideas!!!!!
I’ve not yet been to WDW as our park is DLP, but nothing I’ve seen about Speedway has made me excited to ride it when we go next year. At DLP, Autopia is a retrofuturistic view of driving, with greenery complemented by billboards for robot cleaners, road signs to tomorrow, beautiful clunky pathways and glowing lights. Speedway is… a grey track. Perhaps an accurate show of American highways, but not a fun ride.
Carousel of Progress?
Must have missed “ Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros”- Epcot Mexico. Wow. Please re-imagine with Coco!
Sadly that won’t be happening any time soon. Walt Disney World actually did look into the feasibility of it, but determined there was not enough queue space (even if they got rid of the adjacent gift shops) that would be needed if the ride were more popular.
Also, I happen to like Gran Fiesta Tour as-is. It’s quaint but charming. 🙂
Oh no, I love that ride just as it is! It’s so charming!
I am just going to talk about one. Winnie the Pooh is one that could be reimagined to make it so much better and yet when I went to the park this year you could not find a Tigger or Piglet to buy for the grandchildren, only Winne the Pooh and Eyor. To me it did not make sense to not find one because in the past they were all available. Even Kanga and Ms Roo and Owl too.
We stand in line for Peter Pan at WDW for the queue! The one in Anaheim is just as long of a wait, without anything to look at except all the small children and their parents having meltdowns in Fantasyland. The interactive queue at WDW is just as fun as the ride itself!
Agree!!
We just watched the 30th anniversary Beauty and the Beast on television (after seeing the DHS show for the first time in at least a decade this summer) and I turned to my husband and said “wow this just makes the DHS version look so sad. Maybe it’s all the PINK that just screams 90s?
I love the DL Small World and I think the addition of the Disney characters is seamless and subtle and would be a great addition at WDW.
The Autopia is also significantly better and the WDW version could definitely be plussed (it’s still one of my kids favourites)
Totally agree about all of this.
I only wish that the WDW version of IASW could have the same facade as the Disneyland version. I know that’ll never happen due to the way it was built and Florida weather, but I’d still love to see a different/better facade.
Mostly agree but disagree on the following:
Pooh- I love this ride more then Peter pan which I also enjoy.
Space Mountain- I don’t even like roller coasters much anymore and even less those that are so rough like Space Mountain but it is nothing but joy for me when I’m on this attraction.
Soarin- This is Epcot to me. We always make sure to sit in the middle to avoid the distortion.
Wow what a list Tom where do I even start. I feel like I need whiskey and like 5 hours to address all of this. I will go on record and claim that Buzz Lightyear is to me the number one thing on this list that is horrible. It desperately needs tweaking and seems like such an easy thing to do. Even a copy and paste of the Disneyland one would do wonders.
Selfishly I would love Journey into imagination to receive a trackless attraction update. If anyone needs a newer experience it is our beloved Figment. Just imagine a Figment attraction with projection mapping and the power of a trackless vehicle.
Lastly Tomorrowland Speedway. They had the perfect opportunity to address this over the past 30 years of the TRON construction. A new roadway that isn’t just a circle would have been amazing around TRON, and TL in general. The placement of TRON behind it is awful, and they could have opened it up nicely with a new Tomorrowland Speedway track, and electric cars!
I still cannot believe that Disney didn’t use the opportunity to significantly alter the course at Tomorrowland Speedway and give TRON Lightcycle Run more sensible placement. It seemed like a short-term decision at the time that would facilitate faster construction…but we all know how that story ended. (Well, not really, since TRON still has not opened.)
100% agree on the Tomorrowland Speedway redo. I really wish they opened that area up a bit for the TRON entrance and added some fancy landscaping and lighting at night to really make that area come to life, as well as an easy redo on an old ride. Here’s hoping there’s a part 2 that hasn’t been announced yet! I also wish they would’ve extended the Tomorrowland Transit Authority to include TRON. I think that would’ve been a great addition and upgrade to Tomorrowland as a whole.
OMG if Speedway had electric sports cars that would be awesome! Like Tesla but without having to pay Elon for their use. :D. I loved Space Mountain and just went on it for the first time last year, so I don’t think that’s nostalgia speaking. It’s a Small World grates for me because their portrayal of Africa is so pathetic compared to other regions–it turns out there’s more than one culture, and it’s not all circular huts. But I work on Africa and have been to many countries (17, I think?), so I recognize that I have more insight than the average WDW tourist. At least it’s equally reductive of European and Asian cultures.
“It’s a Small World grates for me because their portrayal of Africa is so pathetic compared to other regions–it turns out there’s more than one culture, and it’s not all circular huts.”
There’s actually a recent story related to your specific complaint, and it’s leading to updates in ‘it’s a small world.’ I hope Walt Disney World shares the story when all is said and done–they might not because it could reflect poorly on them, but I think it more accurately shows that they’re responsive to feedback. And it’s not the type of change that a certain segment of the population will criticize as being too buzzword-driven.
I would like to formally submit Enchanted Tales with Belle for consideration. Although it has yet to reopen, so maybe this attraction avoids this list due to a technicality. But the show building is so cool, brimming with details and the Lumiere animatronic is absolutely stunning, yet the attraction is meh. Even for the target demographic, it feels like a “one and done.” Should love to see Disney re-imagine this attraction to appeal to a wider audience.
Also tom- you didn’t mention the elephant in the room …. Country bear jamboree…. *shudders….
😉
Country Bear Jamboree is *still* ahead of its time. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s removed in the not too distant future for being insensitive towards Southerners, but I think that would be a mistake.
CBJ pokes fun at stereotypes in ways that should be inoffensive, and utilizes irreverent humor to great effect without ever actually being mean-spirited. If it can survive the next few years, I think it’ll eventually be appreciated as the type of humor that finds the middle ground between extremes.
I tease 🙂
Maybe speedway should have electric cars? And better scenery. I love space mountain but could see where the argument could be made. Buzz is my least favorite so yeah. Pooh snd peter pan I see as mainly little kids rides so they get a pass. The nemo ride is super dated. The muppet show also very dated. I have a soft spot for spaceship earth. Dinosaur only survives because AK has no rides lol.
“Maybe speedway should have electric cars? And better scenery.”
Absolutely. Disneyland updated its scenery in the last few years and it’s a considerable improvement. Still not great, but definitely better.
Also , I hate soarin’- not because of it being dated but I hate height and I dunno if it’s because I’m tall but I always feel like im going to fall out of seat- man do my sons and wife tease me because of this ride
Finally someone said it about Peter Pan and Soarin’! Their popularity is not on par with their quality, and updating either would be relatively straightforward (as opposed to something like Figment which needs a more drastic overhaul).
I went to the Paris parks recently and begrudgingly stood in line for Peter Pan because I wasn’t sure if it would be pretty much the same (like their Pirates) or way different (like their Haunted Mansion). An hour later I was shocked at how much more I enjoyed it than the WDW version; the whole thing just feels much fresher/more current despite being basically the same layout and scene order. I felt like I finally “got” the appeal of the ride after spending years baffled by the long lines down in Florida.
Literally every version of Peter Pan’s Flight is better than the WDW one. Same goes for Buzz Lightyear.
With the exception of Haunted Mansion (and maybe a handful of other rides), it is sadly common for Walt Disney World to have the worst version of any attraction that has been cloned to other parks.
It’s really unfortunate. Walt Disney World should be treated as the “crown jewel” but instead is all too often the “cash cow” of the parks.
That is super unfortunate. Especially for things like Peter Pan and Pirates where the WDW isn’t even the first version built (so they can’t pretend all the others got to benefit from what was learned at WDW).
You forgot Small World! The only way to save that far-beyond-use-by-date ancient turkey would be to turn it into a light rifle shooting gallery like Buzz Lightyear. The bonuses, hard to hit targets would turn off that hyper-annoying song for five seconds. And people think “Let It Be” overstayed it’s welcome? Sheesh!
Lol, I feel like people love this ride but I wouldn’t miss it
I think ‘it’s a small world’ still holds up. The look is iconic and timeless, as is the song and message. I do think the Walt Disney World version would benefit tremendously from doing the holiday overlay, but that’s about it. For what it is, that attraction is perfect and not in need of modernization. To each their own, though! 🙂
I do wish that somehow Disney would tell the backstory to this attraction! I admit to not knowing it myself for years and because of that it was never my favorite. After hearing the story now I “get it” and enjoy it much more.
OMG!! Literally LOL!! Just imagining a shooting gallery situation in a floating boat. Priceless!
Honorable Mention, Finding Nemo and Little Mermaid. Great job Tom you nailed most of them, particularly Space Mountain. We went on it most recently and my children complained of back pain it was so rough!!!
The cake goes to speedway, it has a place like you said, but not in the condition it’s been in for the past 30 years. You would think Disney would have some type of energy efficient car by now. We completely avoid that part of the park. Just breathing the air near it feels like years of your life are being taken from you. I don’t even let my kids ride it, it’s a disgrace. I’m not even a green thinking person.
It would be an investment but they need to get electric cars for the Speedway. That would make more sense for a Tomorrowland at this point, and would make that part of the park way more pleasant to go through whether you planned on riding the ride or not. (I agree with Tom that it is fun for kids to get to drive a car so I’d want it to stay in some form)
Hard one here because even though a lot of rides are dated there is also a nostalgic feel to a lot of the rides. Peter Pan, the flight over the city is still one of my favs. Space mountain, now in comparison, is a bit boring. It is still a favorite for us elder people that remember the thrill from our youth. There are also a lot of rides like Pooh, Soarin’ Spaceship Earth that are great “semi-relaxing” cool dark rides to get out of a hot day. At least there is not brutal repeating song or music that gets stuck in your heat like Small World…
My 9 …actually just turned 10 year old loves space mountain- probably his favorite ride , my 7 year old gets anxiety from it-so you never know lol
“Peter Pan, the flight over the city is still one of my favs.”
That is what makes the attraction and that scene should never be removed. Easily one of the top 10 ‘single scenes’ in any Walt Disney World attraction (hmm…new list idea!). There are ways to improve even that scene, but they are not as badly-needed as updates in the second half of the ride.
(And just to reiterate, this is a list of attractions that need updates, not outright replacements. I do NOT want to see ANY of these rides retired or replaced!)
Agree with most, particularly Soarin. But I disagree strongly with Spaceship Earth. Yes, the descent is awful, but the story of communication kver thousands of years is still relevant, Frankly, adding something with cell phones to continue the story would be enough for me.
To be 100% clear, I love Spaceship Earth! It’s #13 on my rankings of all 88 attractions at Walt Disney World (https://www.disneytouristblog.com/ride-rankings-disney-world/), which I’d imagine is way higher than the average guest would place it.
However, I also think that about one-third of Spaceship Earth is awful and other parts of it could benefit from improvement. We diehard WDW fans shouldn’t just reluctantly accept that because we fear that an update could make things worse. I totally get that fear–and share it–but it’s still well past time to fix the final act of the attraction.
“Pooh rolls deep, with a crew more pure of heart than AFC Richmond.” Another literary gem, thanks, Tom! (And I agree – where is the magic in this weird, trippy ride?)