Disney World: Attractions That Need to Go

Eli Rafail

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(Photo Credit via thedisneyblog.com)

Walt Disney World is an amazing place for children, adults, and families alike to come together and escape reality. It is definitely an enjoyable vacation spot, but nothing is perfect. Even the most magical place on earth has its flaws. There are some attractions that are in Disney World that either didn’t hit the mark or they have overstayed their welcome. These attractions should be removed, renovated, or replaced due to their lack of popularity with the public or another factor. So here are Disney World Attractions that need to go.

Stitch’s Great Escape! (Magic Kingdom)

When Stitch’s Great Escape first came to the World, many people thought that it could be a great addition to the Magic Kingdom. Stitch was a highly popular character at the time, so it only made sense that he would get his very own attraction. However, Disney Imagineers completely missed the mark on this one. They gave Disney fans the gross, alien version of Stitch. The ride starts by guests entering a circular theater around an animatronic Stitch and being locked in extremely uncomfortable seats. The main plot of the attraction is Stitch getting out of the pod in the middle of the room, and then the guests are “treated” the effects such as the seat moving or smelly air moving on the back of their neck, creating the illusion that Stitch is right behind them. This ride just simply isn’t popular, nor does it really it the theming of Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. It is now only opened seasonally, which is all the more reason it should go. The space could be used for a much more useful, fitting, and entertaining attraction.

Ellen’s Energy Adventure (Epcot)

When an attraction that includes a film featuring Ellen Degeneres, Alex Trebek, and Bill Nye the Science Guy, you’d think it’d bring nothing but success, right? Well, that’s the complete wrong notion to have when it comes to this attraction. Being the only ride in the Universe of Energy pavilion in Future World, Ellen and company have been failing for a number of reasons. Future World itself needs a bit of work, but this is just about one attraction for now. This ride puts guests through a combination of a film and a display of animatronics, that account for a total of 45 minutes. Let that one sink in: 45 minutes. That is far too long for a basic attraction in Walt Disney World. A dinner show? Maybe. But an attraction? Not a chance. Because of its length, people tend to lose interest in the attraction. In fact, this ride has become notorious for people to escape the heat and take a 45 minute nap. On top of all that, as entertaining as the film can be, it is just dated. It was originally filmed in 1996, and even though all three of those people are still relevant today, it still needs an update. Future World needs some fixing, and Ellen’s Energy Adventure should be the first to go.

Muppet* Vision 3D (Hollywood Studios)

It’s the Muppets. They’re pop culture icons. How can an attraction featuring them fail? Well, it’s just not entertaining. Disney purchased the Muppet property a few years after the turn of the century and it seemed like a good move at the time, and honestly, it could still be considered a good move. They’ve put out a few movies and they have this attraction, but that’s about it. This attraction may have been a good idea for the original concept of Hollywood Studios, but this park will soon be changing. This attraction is the only attraction housed on Muppet Courtyard, and if it wasn’t for Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land taking over the park in the upcoming years, maybe it would be a good idea to expand on it. That just isn’t in the cards for Disney at the moment. With that major factor, plus the factor that the film showed for the attraction isn’t exactly all that entertaining, Muppet Vision needs to go. Perhaps this area could be used in their expansion of the park, but for now, guests still have to live with the only Muppet themed area on property.

DinoLand U.S.A. (Animal Kingdom)

Here we are the the Animal Kingdom, and instead of one lone attraction, an entire area of the park needs to go. This area of the park is the exact opposite of what Disney Parks should be. Walt Disney wanted to create Disneyland and later Disney World so that there was a park where families and people of any age could come to enjoy themselves, escaping things like carnivals. Well, DinoLand U.S.A. looks like a carnival. It includes sideshow games, a small roller coaster, and smaller version of Dumbo with a dinosaur theming. When guests go into this area of Animal Kingdom, some may feel like they aren’t even in Disney World anymore. Like any ride or area, DinoLand surely has its supporters. It just feels like it doesn’t belong in the park. Keep the marquee attraction in DINOSAUR that is located just outside of DinoLand and remodel the rest of it. It is definitely nice for Animal Kingdom to feature dinosaurs, but not in this capacity. DinoLand U.S.A. needs to improve one way or another. Whether if it’s with a remodel or a complete replacement.

So Disney World isn’t perfect, but it’s still a fantastic place. Although there are a few attractions that need to go, there are also amazing attractions and lands that are very enjoyable. There are more attractions that need to be on their way out, but these should be the first to go. For now, Disney fans should be excited for the new expansions in the forms of Pandora, Toy Story Land, and Star Wars Land.