Abandoned Areas at Disney World That Need New Life!

There’s no shortage of abandoned buildings all around Walt Disney World. Restaurants, rides, shows, shops, and other spaces at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, and the resort hotels that the company is basically hoping fans have forgotten about.

In Disney’s defense, there are fewer vacancies now than even 5 years ago. Fans have given executives a lot of grief about their “underutilized capacity” comments when it comes to killing off fan favorites like the Rivers of America and MuppetVision 3D, but this same mentality is helping replace truly abandoned areas of the parks, too.

If we were making this list a couple of years ago, there are several other spots that could’ve made the cut. The old Voyage of the Little Mermaid building (now home to a new show), Star Wars Launch Bay and most of the rest of Animation Courtyard (currently being reimagined into the Walt Disney Studios Lot), for that matter.

That’s just one corner of one park–here are a handful of other once dead locations that are getting a new lease on life or outright replacements:

• 1900 Park Fare
• Grand View Tea Room
• Pirates League
• Aunt Polly’s Restaurant
• Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser
• River Country/Reflections
• NBA Experience/DisneyQuest
• Stage 1 Company Store
• Bonfamille’s Cafe/Scat Cat’s Club Lounge

All of these have now been reimagined or are in the process of being replaced. In some cases, that’s a bit bittersweet, as the replacements are not exactly what we’d like to see, but it’s nevertheless have these spaces put to new use.

With that in mind, here are other locations at Walt Disney World that could stand to receive the replacement, revitalization or reimagining treatment…

Tomorrowland Terrace & Tortuga Tavern

Magic Kingdom’s dining scene is weird. Not only is it bad, but some restaurants are notorious for overcrowding while other locations sit dormant despite having perfectly functioning kitchens.

I’m not even sure that overall dining capacity at Magic Kingdom has increased since 1971, despite the park expanding during that time and attendance exploding. And things are actually better than they were about a decade ago, when even more venues sat dormant.

For a while, Tomorrowland Terrace and Tortuga Tavern had revolving door concepts that changed every year or so. The high points were probably the ‘Noodle Station’ and ‘Taco Bar,’ respectively, but each have had a variety of low points (more than highs), as well. With our expectation that Pecos Bill will get a reimagining at some point before Piston Peak opens, it would make sense for Tortuga Tavern to make a comeback.

World ShowPlace

For those who are unfamiliar with the World ShowPlace, it was the Millennium Village, the primary home of Walt Disney World’s Millennium Celebration from 1999 to 2001. The venue housed over 50 countries that didn’t have a permanent presence in World Showcase, including Brazil, Chile, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Namibia, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and Switzerland.

World ShowPlace offers over 40,000 square feet of flexible function space and has capacity for approximately 2,000 guests. That’s higher than the hourly throughput of most rides in EPCOT! World ShowPlace is the world’s largest indoor group facility located within a theme park according to Walt Disney World. We believe that. It’s massive.

Given that CommuniCore Hall has flopped as a festival center, maybe it’s time to revisit putting World ShowPlace to its full use. Given that this was previously the Millennium Village, it’s safe to say that this space could house an entire festival if properly staged. It could be home to a half-dozen or more food booths plus tables plus entertainment.

That could be valuable during the summer months, which are currently Diet EPCOT. It’s our understanding that one of the big impediments to Walt Disney World during a fully-fledged summer festival at EPCOT is the high heat and working conditions in the individual outdoor booths. Reimagining World ShowPlace as a permanent World Showcase Village could solve that! It could also add new countries to World Showcase for the first time since the Millennium Celebration. Win-win!

Discovery Island

Discovery Island is located in Bay Lake at Walt Disney World, and permanently closed in 1999, shortly after the opening of Animal Kingdom. It was originally called Treasure Island and was a lush tropical paradise with exotic animals–one of many “Vacation Kingdom” offerings found at Walt Disney World that offered counter-programming to the hustle and bustle of the parks.

Discovery Island has become a popular spot with urban explorers and other hooligans over the years. From what I’ve watched…it’s no “tropical paradise” anymore. Even back in the day when it was operating, I don’t recall being exactly enamored with Discovery Island. My memory of it is Tom Sawyer Island but with parrots and without forts and fun play areas. (Granted, I was young.)

Truth be told, I don’t have the slightest inkling what “new life” could come to Discovery Island. Perhaps a dinner show? Honestly, maybe letting nature reclaim this lush island is the best option. It’s just one of the most prominent examples (an entire island!) of an abandoned area at Walt Disney World, and we’d be remiss to not mention it on that basis alone.

Tangaroa Terrace

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort used to be home to Tangaroa Terrace, which is a stout building over by the monorail tracks and near-ish the bus stops. Although Tangaroa Terrace closed way back in 1996, the building was still used after that for group events and, more notably, the Neverland Club and Lilo’s Playhouse until 2018. To the best of my knowledge, it now serves as a space for Cast Members, including storage and offices for housekeeping.

With the opening of Island Tower, the Poly badly needs more dining capacity. Restoring Tangaroa Terrace as another counter service restaurant, lounge, dinner show, or Moana character dining experience would be a huge win. Island Tower should’ve been built with a rooftop restaurant, but since that ship has sailed, this is the best consolation prize.

Given the popularity of literally every dining option at the Polynesian and how Great Ceremonial House is bursting at the seams with demand and crowds, having Tangaroa Terrace as a release valve on the other side of the resort just makes sense. The resort has far more dining demand today than it did back in 1996.

Discovery River Boats

Animal Kingdom’s most infamous opening day attraction is the Discovery River Boats. These were a typical transportation attraction, offering a leisurely cruise around the waterways of Animal Kingdom. Think something similar to the FriendShips in World Showcase, Walt Disney World Railroad, or any other scenic attraction.

This isn’t to say the Discovery River Boats were without anything to see. To the contrary, Imagineers created geysers and hot springs near Africa, craggly caverns and rockwork along with a fire breathing dragon, other water features, and (allegedly) a unicorn figure.

The problem with the Discovery River Boats was guest expectations. Lines were persistently long when Animal Kingdom opened, which became a self-fulfilling prophecy that even improved messaging and a renamed attraction could not solve. Guest satisfaction was low and complaints were high for a boat ride to nowhere, with no thrills and minimal entertainment. (It’s a small miracle the Wildlife Express Train and Rafiki’s Planet Watch have survived for similar reasons.)

In any case, the Discovery River Boats is an extinct attraction that makes this list of abandoned areas because the docks and all the scenery are still there. The former are snack seating or meet & greet spots, whereas the latter are overgrown but still visible. Oh, and the boats still can be spotted around Walt Disney World, often in the Seven Seas Lagoon during peak season.

With Animal Kingdom light on attractions and guest messaging easier than ever thanks to the internet, it’s time to revive these abandoned areas and this extinct attraction for its original purpose. I would love a leisurely transportation ride and boat ride to nowhere–it would instantly become our #1 attraction at Animal Kingdom!

Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration Stage

You may not recognize the name, but you’ve certainly seen the stage. Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration was basically CommuniCore Plaza, but 15 years earlier. This Tomorrowland stage show opened back in 2009, as an indirect replacement for the Galaxy Palace Theater that closed that same year.

Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration was fairly forgettable, featuring Elvis Stitch along with a few dancers and screen-based interactivity. We only saw it once. What was most memorable about Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration was scorching in the sun. Like several Walt Disney World projects since, its designers didn’t account for Florida weather and built no shade structures. That resulted in the show lasting less than 2 months, with the stage only being used intermittently since.

The longest-running production on the Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration stage was actually “A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show” during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We’d go as far as dubbing that a cult classic, but it has also since been retired. Now the stage is just used for dance parties during hard ticket events and, occasionally, character encounters.

This largely defunct venue doesn’t occupy enough real estate for a meaningful replacement. We’d be satisfied with an interactive fountain or splash pad here, quite honestly. What’s really needed is (still) an indirect replacement for the Galaxy Palace Theater. On that note: It’s Time to Revive Magic Kingdom’s Abandoned Main Street Theater Project.

Jellyrolls & Big River Grille

The 2020s have been rough for the BoardWalk. Although there have been a few new additions, there have also been several losses and the bigger picture strategy has been lacking. Last year, Big River Grille & Brewing Works permanently closed. Walt Disney World was seemingly caught off-guard by this abrupt closure, and scrambled to fill the void with food trucks.

A little over one year later, Jellyrolls Dueling Piano Bar closed in April 2025 after nearly 30 years on the BoardWalk. According to Jellyrolls management, the decision was made to move to a new location in Orlando. This didn’t come as a huge surprise, as Jellyrolls had been struggling for a while and Walt Disney World rent is expensive.

Most recently, the Promenade Fine Art Gallery closed permanently in October. This shop is located between the lobby and Screen Door General Store. No word yet on a replacement for that, either, but it’s very telling that Walt Disney World has had 3 businesses go bust at BoardWalk in the last 2 years, and several more before that.

That side of BoardWalk is starting to have dead mall vibes, and Walt Disney World would be well-advised to fill at least one of those voids. We have some ideas: Top 10 Restaurant Replacement Concepts for Disney World’s BoardWalk.

Wonders of Life

Remember the Play Pavilion? The interactive EPCOT addition was previously announced as coming “in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary” in 2021. Fast forward to today, and the Play Pavilion has been paused for several years. All Walt Disney World has said is that they’re reevaluating the concept, but there’s growing reason to believe the whole pavilion is doomed.

Play Pavilion was planned for the old Wonders of Life pavilion, which was subsequently a festival center. Walt Disney World already did a lot of work fixing the roof and other infrastructure issues with the pavilion and this is a prime piece of real estate now that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is drawing people to this corner of the park.

For our part, we’d love for this to be an interactive kid-friendly offering. My dream is for a revival of the ‘Health Pavilion’ concept featuring Baymax and an assortment of other characters (a Big Hero 6 simulator ride could be awesome), such a concept is probably fraught with controversy.

Another option would be to leverage Disney’s new partnership with Epic Games and planned partnership for Fortnite Universe for Disney IP. Yet another would be some sort of Marvel pavilion; there were rumors of a Wakanda Tech Expo even before Play Pavilion, and that could be good.

There have been rumors of a leaky roof and other issues with the building’s integrity for years. Given those, it wouldn’t surprise us if the eventual replacement for the Wonders of Life is a brand-new build. Perhaps that’s the best option at this point, especially if it’s going to be more ambitious and not just a low-dough interactive experience.

Restaurant Marrakesh

Walt Disney World took over operations of the Morocco pavilion from Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant LLC. That third party operating participant that previously ran all of the restaurants and retail in the pavilion was no longer financially viable, with the closure and low crowds post-reopening being the last straw. Hence all of the changes to the pavilion in the last few years.

Unfortunately, Restaurant Marrakesh remains closed and reopens only during various festivals as a free lounge for Florida Blue members and guests. It’s a great offering, and one we use regularly. Still, it’s not the highest and best use of the space. A restaurant is. The problem is the tucked away location and cuisine that was previously too adventurous for average guests. I don’t see how Walt Disney World can increase the location’s popularity without turning it into a character meal.

Even as a (recovering) EPCOT purist and one who loved the old Restaurant Marrakesh, this doesn’t bother me in the least. Just imagine a hijinks-centric “street rat” character meal during which Aladdin and Abu run around the restaurant playfully pickpocket from guests or take from their plates. Families would probably pay big bucks for that experience, and management is likely salivating at the idea of charging guests more to steal from them.

Empty World Showcase Spaces

Walt Disney World has a long and rich history of unbuilt World Showcase pavilions that came so close to happening. Most notable are Equatorial Africa, Spain, and Israel, all of which were actually announced by Disney. If you’re not familiar with these concepts, there’s a lot about them in Walt Disney’s Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow. At the time this book was written, it was still believed that these pavilions were coming to EPCOT Center, so the book spends time discussing them.

More recently, the buzzed-about pavilion was Brazil. Rumors of that pavilion’s imminent announcement flew furiously from 2017 to 2019, to the point that an announcement during the latter year’s D23 Expo was believed to be a done deal. While we’ll never know what happened for sure, even more rumors afterwards suggested it was a timing issue and Disney not wanting to announce during the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires. Then, of course, 2020 happened.

These are not abandoned spaces in the traditional sense of the term, even if the expansion pads for all of those pavilions do still exist around World Showcase and are largely unused. But if unused expansion pads counted as abandoned, there would be a ton more neglected corners of Walt Disney World on this list.

As for something that actually is abandoned, there are the unused show building spaces in Japan and Germany. Back when there were ambitious expansion plans for more World Showcase pavilions, so too were there goals for more attractions. The Rhine River Cruise was slated for Germany, with an entrance behind a wall near Biergarten (see All About Germany in EPCOT’s World Showcase for more).

When it comes to Japan, there were a lot of ideas tossed around, from a Shinkansen simulator to a Mount Fuji coaster, and even just a “simple” travelogue in the White Egret Castle show building that was built for Meet the World. (You can get a look at the blueprints here—the second image is the theater.)

Stitch’s Great Escape

Stitch’s Great Escape permanently closed as the popularity of its titular character waned. Stitch was no longer the cultural phenomenon is in the early aughts and the attraction was a net negative for guest satisfaction. It made more sense to shutter the attraction without replacement than continue subjecting guests to it.

Then came along Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” remake, which is the year’s top-earning movie and first $1 billion release. The film has been hugely popular with audiences. Stitch has a multi-generational fanbase, seeing a resurgence with younger generations and staying power with millennials. It’s been such a smash success that a sequel has already been greenlit.

It’s time for another sequel: Stitch’s Great Escape 2.0. My unpopular opinion is that Stitch’s Great Escape had the bones of a good attraction. It had a solid pre-show set-up and a great Audio Animatronics figure. The problem was the writing, and Stitch’s Great Escape being a product of its time. With some rewrites and TLC, Imagineering could inject fresh life into this attraction a la Country Bear Musical Jamboree and the Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.

Stitch’s Great Escape 2.0 wouldn’t be a world-class attraction, but it would be yet another win for Tomorrowland alongside the enhancements to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Carousel of Progress. It’s certainly better than the status quo of using this space as a storage and break room. A new show here would breathe new life into this space and restore lost capacity to Magic Kingdom.

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YOUR THOUGHTS

Do any abandoned areas or attractions at Walt Disney World strike you as being ripe for replacement? Anything you think our list “snubbed” that should be given a second lease on life or better utilized? Do you agree or disagree with our choices? 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!