A look back at Disney World rides that have closed

Steve Liebman May 28, 2012

3 minutes read

When “Snow White’s Scary Adventures” closes at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World on May 31 to make way for the new Fantasyland expansion, it will join a growing number of attractions that have disappeared since the park opened in October 1971.

The landscape at the Magic Kingdom has seen swan boat rides, alien encounters and submarine voyages come and go. Here are some attractions that were once in the Magic Kingdom:

THE PLAZA SWAN BOATS

If you ever wondered why there is a boat landing on the hub in front of Tomrrowland it’s because there was once a boat ride around the hub. The Plaza Swan Boats was a seasonal ride that operated between May 1974 and August 1983 around the hub. Twelve different swan boats would make the trip around the hub.

DAVY CROCKETT EXPLORER CANOES

The canoe ride opened in Frontierland as a C ticket ride when the park opened. After boarding a 35-foot canoe, guests would paddle around the Rivers of America. The ride closed in 1994.

MICKEY MOUSE REVUE

This was an original E-ticket attraction in Fantasyland featuring audio-animatronic performers. The show closed Sept. 14, 1980.

MR. TOAD’S WILD RIDE

Another original attraction, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride allowed guests to board a jalopy and take one of two wild rides. On the first track, guests passed through the countryside into a town where a police officer orders Mr. Toad to court for speeding. In the courtroom, Mr. Toad is found guilty and heads to jail, but drives through the jail to the countryside onto a railroad track and gets hit by a train. The final scene brings the car to Hell.

If you rode the second track, you got to see Toad’s trophy room and a camp. The car also does not go to court but instead heads to Winkie’s Tavern.

The ride was closed in 1998 to make room for The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh.

THE SKYWAY

The famed gondola lift took passengers between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The ride was closed Nov. 10, 1999. The Fantasyland station, which is now used for stroller parking, will soon be demolished to make way for expanded restrooms. The Tomorrowland station was demolished in 2009.

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

The ride opened Oct. 14, 1971, two weeks after Disney World opened because of problems with the lagoon. The attraction, which took up almost one-fourth of Fantasyland, took guests a ride with Captain Nemo on his submarine.

IF YOU HAD WINGS

This four-and-a-half-minute ride was more a promotion for Eastern Air Lines than anything else. The ride, which opened June 5, 1972, took people to various destinations throughout the Caribbean and closed on June 1, 1987.

DELTA DREAMFLIGHT

Two years after If You Could Fly closed, Delta Dreamflight opened on June 23, 1989. This attraction was sponsored by Delta Air Lines and took guests on a history of flight. It closed on June 4, 1996.

FLIGHT TO THE MOON/MISSION TO MARS/ExtraTERRORestrial ALIEN ENCOUNTER

The Flight To The Moon, sponsored by McDonnell-Douglas, opened Dec. 24, 1971, and took people on a trip to the Moon. It was revamped June 7, 1975, becoming a Mission to Mars.

On Oct. 4, 1993, Mission to Mars closed. The building was transformed and reopened June 20, 1995, as ExtraTERRORestrial. This ride was like no other Disney built; it was designed to scare you. While the opening segments were light, the main part of the show featured a carnivorous alien being teleported into a dark chamber. It kills a maintenance worker and then jumps around the guests, breathing on people’s necks and dripping saliva on them. Many people thought this was a bit over the top. The ride closed on Oct. 12, 2003, and was replaced by Stitch’s Great Escape!, which uses many of the same set-ups and technology.