Disney Faves We Lost in 2024
Change is hard, which is why everybody fears it.
Well, that’s true unless we know that something better is right around the corner, which is the case with Disney this year.


Photo: orlandoattractions.com
Disney has broken ground on a comprehensive theme park expansion plan, one that will improve virtually every park.
Sadly, to make Disney even better than ever, we must sacrifice some of our beloved attractions.
Here are some Disney favorites we lost in 2024.
The Boneyard
I’m starting with The Boneyard to point out an important distinction here.
Several of the Disney experiences we lost in 2024 haven’t happened yet.
Instead, in some instances, Disney announced the impending doom of a handful of attractions.
Park officials thoughtfully provided fans with a grace period to experience these things one last time before they vanish.
In other instances, something has closed to allow Imagineers to create something better.
Alas, that’s not the case at The Boneyard. Since the early days at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, this glorified playground has done its job.
In truth, this place serves one purpose: it’s glorified babysitting. But we’re losing this dinosaur playground within the year.
The DinoLand USA closure begins in January 2025, and Disney will take a phased approach.
So, The Boneyard isn’t long for this world, and families with happy memories should return here while they still can.
A Bug’s Life
Similarly, this attraction based on A Bug’s Life will go away quite soon.
Disney is creating a new show based on Zootopia, and it will go in this space.
Given the timeline we know, A Bug’s Life might be down to its final couple of months.
Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama


Photo: Whatculture.com
Here’s another attraction that is dying soon. In fact, it’s ending the soonest of everything listed here.
This attraction is one of the first three up against the wall as Disney starts demolition at DinoLand USA.


Chester & Hester’s
You have less than a month to do all the happy little things here before the Dino-Rama disappears.
Nobody’s quite sure what this means for the character experiences yet.


Donald’s Dino-Bash
I presume Disney will add some others in a different part of the park.
If not, it’s a short-term loss in the number of character greetings available here.
Country Bear Jamboree


Disney
Here’s the loss we’ll feel the least or the most, depending on your perspective.
Those of you who adore classic Disney experiences will wince over the closure of Country Bear Jamboree.


Photo: Disney Parks blog
You know that Walt Disney himself planned this show to anchor the ski resort entertainment at Mineral King.
After his death, Disney built it as an opening day experience at Magic Kingdom instead.
The show remained until January 2024, but then Disney shuttered it in favor of a new experience.
Country Bear Musical Jamboree is objectively superior, but it’s not the original. That will always bother some people.
DINOSAUR


DINOSAUR
I may chain myself to this building to prevent Disney from closing it.
Yes, I’m acutely aware that many of you consider DINOSAUR to be a substandard Disney thrill ride.


Dinosaur
How can I say this politely? You’re wrong, and I’m right. Neener, neener. I meant that from the heart.
DINOSAUR is one of the hidden gems of Walt Disney World and a must-do for my family during each park visit.
Sadly, we have less than 12 months to enjoy DINOSAUR before it closes for good. It’ll be the final casualty at DinoLand USA.
Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade


Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade
Few guests were aware of it, but Disney hosted an entertaining shooting gallery at Frontierland.
This experience was free to guests, and it shared the same macabre sense of humor as Haunted Mansion.
You just had to pay attention to notice. Also, it was shockingly modern for something called “Shootin’ Arcade.”
Still, this place was never popular. So, Disney is currently converting it into a DVC Lounge.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
Here’s a show that has already ended, much to my chagrin.
I’ve been a strong proponent of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy since it opened five years ago.


Photo: Disney
Frustratingly, I was in the minority on this one, as the whizbang action of this show never quite appealed to adults.
So, they tended to keep the show a secret from their kids, the ones most likely to drag them to watch it.


Photo: Disney
Really, the writing has been on the wall here for years now. Even during the pandemic, the crowds never rushed to this show.
That’s a time when Disney attractions were either closed or wildly crowded.
People had incentive to visit Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy but still wouldn’t.
That’s why Disney is doing the smart thing here. It’s replacing this unpopular show with one based on Disney Villains.
Everyone instinctively knows that the new show will prove night and day more popular.
Muppet*Vision 3D
I know, I know. This one hurts. A lot.
When Disney hosted the 2024 D23 Expo, Josh D’Amaro took to the stage and announced the totality of Disney expansion.


Photo: Disney
The presentation was impressive, but one part stood out like a sore thumb.
Disney revealed that Monstropolis was coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.


Photo: Disney
However, nobody ever said where the themed land would go, which seemed weird.
We later learned why Disney kept quiet about that part. Monstropolis was taking over Muppets Courtyard.


Muppet*Vision 3D
That’s like meeting the person of your dreams when you’re already in a healthy relationship.
You know that there’s gonna be pain and tears, and that’s the sensation many of us are feeling right now.


Muppet*Vision 3D
Jim Henson famously worked on Muppet*Vision 3D as his final major project. It’s his legacy and lingering proof of his genius.
Now, we’re going to lose that ride in a trade for a Monsters, Inc. door roller coaster and some other fun experiences.
Everyone knows that Monstropolis will be amazing, and kids will adore it. Still, the loss of Muppet*Vision 3D is gonna sting.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
But fear not, Muppets fans! The characters aren’t vanishing from the parks! No, they’re going on tour instead.
Disney recently announced that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will permanently close at a later date.
This move has grown more and more necessary due to a couple of factors.
The primary one is that Aerosmith can no longer tour due to the vocal problems plaguing Steven Tyler.
There’s also some overhead involving Tyler himself, but that’s not the driving impetus here.
Basically, Disney is trying persuade fans to forgive the closure of Muppet*Vision 3D by giving them this roller coaster instead.


Photo: Disney
So, the Muppets will rock out at some point down the line…but Muppet*Vision 3D will be gone quite soon.
This move may prove satisfying in the long term, but it really stings right now.
TriceraTop Spin
Finally, we have the ride people will miss the least.
I’m not saying that to be mean. There’s math behind it. Each week, I track Disney’s average attraction wait times.


Photo: Disney
TriceraTop Spin isn’t just the least popular ride at Animal Kingdom. It’s arguably the least popular at Walt Disney World.
A lot depends on how you compare show attractions to rides, but I consider TriceraTop Spin crowded when it has a 15-minute average wait.


Photo: Disney
That’s the equivalent of walk-on at Disney World, which is what TriceraTop Spin has been throughout its existence.
I’ll never understand why this version of the ride is so much less trafficked than its twins at Magic Kingdom.
So, there you have it. These are the Disney attractions and experiences we’ve either already lost or will lose soon.
Please don’t be sad, though. I promise you that much better stuff is just around the corner!
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