What’s next? Will these classic Disney attractions survive?

With the internet filled with doom and gloom, are more classics on the Disney chopping block?

We recently lost Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith. It was a staple of Disney’s Hollywood Studios for almost 3 decades. Thankfully, we will still get the overall thrill of the ride when The Muppets takeover, but that is not the case for many classic Disney attractions.

I have been – for the most part – good in recent months about biting my tongue. I understand that people are upset about changes that have come and are coming to Disney. Even as I’m personally excited about the future of the parks, I want to acknowledge other guests who have lost – or will lose – a part of the parks they hold dear.

Will I miss MuppetVision, DinoLand U.S.A ., or Rivers of America? Yeah, to varying degrees. But none of those were parts of the parks to which I was especially attached. And – mostly – I really like what Disney has planned for the future. I believe – in the long term – the parks will be changed for the better.

And again, we should respect those who are rightfully mourning lost favorites.

But we must also acknowledge that there are those who are feigning hurt to gain attention. People who are trying to score political points somehow or who just enjoy stirring the pot. There are also those on the internet, who gin up controversy to get more clicks which can equal more dollars.  I’m shocked,  shocked, to find that gambling is going on here, if you’ll forgive a reference to another long-lost classic attraction.

If they can take out Rivers of America, is anything really safe?

Yeah. I think the castle is probably in good standing, and I don’t anticipate them giving the mouse the boot. But it did get me thinking. What could be next as Disney works on massive overhauls in Orlando?

Which attractions have we lost or will soon lose for sure?

In the Animal Kingdom, DinoLand U.S.A. is gone. Also gone is the It’s Tough to be a Bug! show which was replaced by a Zootopia: Better Zoogether!

In Hollywood Studios, Muppet Vision 3D and the Muppets courtyard is gone, making way for a new Monsters Inc. land and ride – which in fairness looks awesome. The Muppets won’t be completely gone. As previously mentioned, Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith will be rethemed to the Muppets – specifically Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

In Magic Kingdom, where some sensitivities remained due to the whole Tiana’s Bayou Adventure retheme, Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island closures to make way for a Cars themed attraction.

Are there other attractions that could be in danger?

I think certainly so. I don’t think we have to worry about major classics like Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s a small world, or Peter Pan’s Flight, but I do think there are some places – especially in Magic Kingdom – that could be in for renovation or replacement. Judging by what Disney has done so far, the formula seems to be space + popularity/wait times.

There is a science to operating a theme park and places like Disney and Universal have so much more data than they did even 15-20 years ago. The goal is to maximize experience – therefore maximizing dollars and they don’t want a park where people are waiting in line for two hours – as can be the case in Animal Kingdom’s Flight of Passage.

People in line excessively make for unhappy theme park guests and unhappy theme park guests don’t spend as much money. And – even with the advent of mobile ordering – people in line are not buying snacks, drinks or souvenirs.  That was essentially the problem with Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer’s Island. It was classic and beautiful, but it took up a lot of space and was underused. As other parts of the park have advanced – think Tron Lightcycle / RUN and even Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – that part of the park was not keeping guest attention as necessary to provide balance.

We don’t have to like it. But that appears to have been the biggest driving force in the move. The attractions we have lost have been low wait times and relatively large spaces.

If we are being kind to the Disney planners – and no one seems too interested in that – I think we can say the goal is to create better park balance so you don’t have a couple of heavy hitters with massive wait times and large parts of the park basically unused.

Without any specific knowledge, let’s rank the possibilities.

No. 1 Carousel of Progress – Magic Kingdom

There would be howls if Disney World decided to do something else with this Tomorrowland attraction. It does fit several of the criteria that was seemingly used in eliminating other classic attractions. First, it is not very popular. If you ever see a wait time more than 10 minutes, something very strange is happening at the park. This ride is almost always a walk-on.

Why would people be upset? It’s a classic attraction with roots in the very things Walt was trying to do at his parks. It debuted at the World’s Fair while Walt was still alive and was at Disneyland before coming to Orlando. It is one of the most direct connections to Walt remaining in the park. Also, the space isn’t that big. It would be hard to update it with anything substantial.

What might they do with it? They just debuted a Walt Disney animatronic attraction and show at Disneyland. If it is successful, the Carousel of Progress might be a good location for that show to reside in the Magic Kingdom.

No. 2 Swiss Family Treehouse – Magic Kingdom

I love the Disney Swiss Family Robinson movie. My kids are all attached to the treehouse in Adventureland. But I would hazard a guess to say that less than 10 percent of guests under the age of 40 have seen, or remember seeing, the movie. It’s essentially climbing stairs and looking at sets from a movie that debuted in 1960. Again, you aren’t waiting in line for this attraction.

Why it might be safe? Again, it’s a connection to something Walt Disney had a direct connection to, and it doesn’t take up much space. It’s not especially costly to maintain.What could Disney put in that spot to attract bigger crowds and remain cost-effective? I can’t think of anything really that would work.

No. 3 Tomorrowland Speedway – Magic Kingdom

A lot of fans wonder why Disney didn’t use Tomorrowland Speedway as the location for the new Cars ride. It is a little surprising, because the Speedway was an opening day attraction with a connection to Walt Disney himself.

I think the Speedway remains a little too popular for a dramatic overhaul – but could they speed the cars up a bit? Wait times are rarely excessive, but the ride maintains a steady queue.

There is enough space here that if Disney wanted to add a ride with a bit more pizzazz, this might be the location. I think it’s too classic and loved for Disney to remove it.

No. 4 Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – Hollywood Studios

With an Indiana Jones ride coming to Animal Kingdom – replacing DINOSAUR – it might be time for Disney to come up with a new show in this space.

However, one of the things people complain about is that Hollywood Studios has very little Hollywood left in it. The stunt show – which takes guests behind the scenes of a Raiders of the Lost Ark-style movie shoot – is one of the few “Hollywood” attractions remaining.

No. 5 Hall of Presidents – Magic Kingdom

I have a hard time believing Disney would actually close this one, but the political climate being what it is, I could see a massive refurbishment focusing on Presidents of the past like Washington and Lincoln. A refurbished show that downplays any current politics would probably remove quite a few headaches for Disney execs who believe Disney has spent enough time as a political volleyball.  It’s also another possibly location for the Walt Disney animatronic show.

No. 6 Star Tours – Hollywood Studios

We stay in Hollywood Studios for another attraction that never has a wait time. In the days before Galaxy’s Edge, Star Tours would build up a significant queue.

But today, it’s almost always a walk on.

As a Star Wars guy, this one would hurt me personally, but I get it. It’s weird to have a Star Wars attraction outside of the Galaxy’s Edge – same for the Launch Bay across the park.

If I were Disney, I’d figure out a way to connect Star Tours to Galaxy’s Edge and free up all that space for more Monster’s Inc. content or something entirely new.

I would also bring back the Jedi Academy , but that’s probably just me.

No. 7 Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor – Magic Kingdom

This is an interesting one. Like MuppetVision 3D, we’re talking about a popular IP theatre attraction that doesn’t ever have much of a wait. With a Monsters, Inc. mini-land replacing the Muppets in Hollywood Studios, does this attraction still have a place in Tomorrowland?

It doesn’t really fit with the Tomorrowland theming, but it does offer a nice air-conditioning break.  

It’s also interesting that Stitch’s Great Escape right across the street closed in 2018 and still sits empty. If there’s no interest in doing anything with that unused space, you’d have to think the Laugh Floor is fairly safe for now.

No. 8 Nothing – EPCOT

There’s really no need to close anything in EPCOT while the former Wonder of Life Pavilion remains unused. Disney has all the room it needs to add an attraction, show, or restaurant there.

I do wish they’d revisit adding Cherry Tree Lane, and a Mary Poppins ride to the UK Pavilion, but I don’t think they’d need to close anything to do it.

Also, there is space to add more pavilions to the World Showcase. More options from the Southern Hemisphere would be welcome.