Which Disney Attractions Can Never Close?
We’ve just experienced a shocking 12 months at Walt Disney World.
A year ago, Splash Mountain provided guests with their final Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.
Almost a year to the day later, Disney shuttered Country Bear Jamboree, although its change won’t be dramatic.
Disney will completely convert Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, while the Country Bears will merely get a new soundtrack.
Still, we’re all left wondering whether any sacred cows remain at Disney theme parks…and the answer is yes!
Which Disney attractions can never close? I can name six.
Here’s my rationale for each one.
Haunted Mansion
Did I ever tell you about the time I won the perfect attendance award at my high school?
When the principal called out my name, he realized I wasn’t there.
Attendance wasn’t mandatory that day, and I’d done my time. So, I bolted.
I’m thinking about that while I discuss Haunted Mansion, an attraction that can never close…but is currently closed.
Yes, Disneyland recently shut down the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.
We won’t experience Haunted Mansion there for several months, as Imagineers expand the attraction queue.
So, I understand why I sound like I’m delivering a mixed message when I say that Disney cannot shut down a currently closed ride.
You should recognize my point, though. Disneyland officials planned Haunted Mansion before the park even opened.
Debates ensued for a decade as plans flip-flopped between a museum attraction, a scary ride, and a silly ride.
Ultimately, we got this charming mix of silly and scary that continues to delight generations of fans.
If Disney ever threatened to close Haunted Mansion, more than 999 unhappy haunts would angrily protest. It’s a non-starter.
Instead, Disney is doing exactly what it should. Imagineers are expanding the Haunted Mansion campus and enriching the story.
We need more and better Haunted Mansion stories because fans have become more connected to the attraction recently.
It’s a Small World
Walt Disney receives all the credit for everything we encounter at the parks.
In reality, the businessperson delegated many of the decisions and even some of the construction at Disneyland.
For example, Disney outsourced classic attractions like Mad Tea Party and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride to Arrow Development.
Since Walt Disney worked on most of the movies that inspired the rides, he still deserves much of the credit.
Uncle Walt can claim only one attraction as his in every way.
During the lead-up to the 1964 New York World’s Fair, Pepsi and Joan Crawford asked Disney to create an attraction.
Disney was already working on three historic attractions, each of which would redefine the theme park industry.
The Imagineers laughed at the thought of adding more to their workload. Walt Disney had other ideas.
In fact, the inventor immediately came up with an idea for a “little boat ride” that would become synonymous with Disney.
That’s why park officials can never close It’s a Small World.
No attraction is more synonymous with Walt Disney himself.
Pirates of the Caribbean
You’d be hard-pressed to name an attraction more directly connected to Disney than Pirates of the Caribbean.
In fact, the ones listed before and after it are probably the only two in the conversation.
When you say the name Pirates of the Caribbean, everyone knows you’re discussing Disney.
That one title establishes an entire tone as people quickly envision a boat ride through pirate territory.
Disney changed a rather dated scene a few years ago, and some fans lost their ever-lovin’ minds.
Think about what they’d say and do if Disney ever talked about closing Pirates of the Caribbean.
Space Mountain
This discussion comes with an interesting wrinkle.
At Tokyo Disneyland, Space Mountain WILL close and change forever.
The park officials there recognize what the rest of us do, even though we’re unwilling to admit it.
Space Mountain, the pride of Tomorrowland, has gotten somewhat dated.
I realize that statement borders on blasphemous to Disney fans, and yet…
Space Mountain set the stage for the roller coaster arms race that has driven this industry for decades.
Once everything else started mimicking it and improving on the core concept, Space Mountain fell behind the competition.
But it’s still Space Mountain!
At Magic Kingdom, I just don’t think Disney can change the original roller coaster the way Tokyo Disneyland will.
The situations are different, as one lacks the legacy of the other.
You can modernize one of the later versions of Space Mountain, but not the Magic Kingdom one.
Spaceship Earth
Here’s another attraction where Disney can change parts of it, but the show MUST go on.
After all, when you enter EPCOT, Spaceship Earth is always there to greet you.
The landmark signifies the greatness of the entire theme park. It’s a remarkable construct towering above the land.
Disney built a monolithic sphere rivaling anything of its kind on the planet.
If you know where to look, you can see Spaceship Earth from miles away – and even from your airplane!
As for the ride itself, well, that part could change. In fact, Disney had intended to modernize Spaceship Earth.
Before the pandemic, park officials confirmed a modified theme based on a story light that will shine throughout the various sets.
We never got that version of the attraction, which is probably for the best.
Had Disney made that change, Spaceship Earth would have closed for multiple years…and nobody wants that!
Instead, we’re all perfectly fine appreciating the structure and enjoying the relaxing ride.
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
Here’s the other World’s Fair pavilion attraction that became permanent.
In fact, the version you’ll discover at Walt Disney World is the same one that Imagineers once installed at the World’s Fair.
Disney transferred Carousel of Progress from the World’s Fair to Disneyland. Then, it transferred east to Magic Kingdom.
So, the history of this attraction dwarfs any gains Disney could make from reclaiming the space for a different experience.
Carousel of Progress tells Walt Disney’s story, as its three settings show how modern life improved throughout his lifetime.
While Disney can and sometimes does update the final scene to make it more reflective of today’s society, that’s it.
Everything from those first three scenes must remain largely the same due to its accuracy.
That’s a chronicle of Walt Disney’s life as well as a sure sign of why he admired technology and innovation so much.
Uncle Walt watched the world get better, and he built this attraction as a love letter to societal progress.
I suspect grandma playing the virtual reality headset would blow his mind, but everything else would still feel the same to him.
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