Walt Disney World opened in 1971 with a very different footprint than it has today. Certainly a smaller one, anyway! But Walt himself said (of Disneyland) that it would never be finished but would instead be changing and growing over the years. This would naturally apply to his ‘Florida Project’ as well.
So we can’t, or shouldn’t, really complain when one of our favorite rides, shows, or attractions goes M.I.A. on us. We were forewarned! But it’s OK to miss them. And what about those classics that we never got a chance to experience before they too were gone?
With that in mind, here are the Top Five things that are gone that I think they should bring back at Disney World:
No. 5 – River Country. I’ve seen pictures of this great little Water Park just to the side of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground.
Although it obviously didn’t have the extreme theming of a Blizzard Beach, it had a charm all of its own!
I’ve often wondered why Disney decided to simply scrap River Country when Fort Wilderness has such awful and bland swimming pools! Why not make it a special place for FW Guests? From my dream to your ears, Mickey!
No. 4 – Dreamfinder. Performer Ron Schneider was the first man to take on the persona of Figments handler at EPCOT’s Imagination! Pavilion. Ron wore the purple outfit from Park opening until 1987 and enjoyed thrilling Guests with imaginative interaction 5 days a week!
In its present incarnation, I could do without the Journey Into Imagination With Figment attraction. Apparently the little dragon’s goal is to capture our imagination. OK Figment, you can have it, IF… you bring back the Dreamfinder!
No. 3 – Fort Wilderness Train. I want more trains! Yes, I’m a steam train fan and never miss an opportunity to ride one, whether at WDW or Greenfield Village, or wherever one can be found! This great little railroad steamed along for a short time and was discontinued after a storm damaged large sections of the track.
Economics and not Guest experience prevailed and we lost another classic perk at the Campground!
No. 2 – Discovery River. This long-gone boat ride around the river of Disney’s Animal Kingdom was an awesome idea! Just as with the Train at the Magic Kingdom, it gave a beautiful preview of the Park in a relaxing and fun way. Apparently Discovery River was discontinued because of long lines and wait times, which should have told Disney just how popular this experience was!
You could see things on this boat ride that you couldn’t see anywhere else. Now that would have been worth the wait! The only thing left of this ride now is a smoking area.
No. 1 – The Diamond Horseshoe Revue. It all started with a two-week contract for Wally Boag and others over at The Golden Horseshoe Revue in Disneyland, but it soon whooped its way to Disney World. Thankfully we have archival photographs and video segments of this Guinness Book of Records wonder, and one TV special that never fails to get a laugh!
At least we still have the similar Hoop-De-Do Musical Revue over at Fort Wilderness, so the pangs of separation aren’t quite as strong for this missing show. And the DHR is still open for snacks!
Wow! That was a hard Top Five to write. There are so many great rides, shows, and attractions that we’ve had to say goodbye to over the years. Don’t let your favorite go unmentioned! What do you want Disney to bring back into the World?
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I also miss River Country. A visit there is one of my earliest memories of Disney. I also miss Horizons. We discovered it a few years before they closed it to make way for Mission Space, and it was kind of sad. I also have some dim memories of Mission to Mars. I’d kinda like to see that one, just to remember why so many people would sit in that room to visit Mars through a screen in the floor and some on the walls. My absolute favorite though, was the World of Motion. I love Test Track, but it was incredibly sad to me that World of Motion had to be sacrificed to bring it to us.
River Country was awesome, I went there on my own for a day. It was lovely, swimming, sliding, reading in the sun. It was my first ever experience with a water park, went with 3 friends who lived in Florida (I live in the Pacific Northwest), that day was also an amazing experience. One thing I really liked about it was that it wasn’t huge, almost a cozy feeling compared to Typhoon or Blizzard.
I would also like to add these 5:
5. Swan Boats in Magic Kingdom
4. Cranium Command – EPCOT
3. Communicore – making dining reservations in front of a tv screen with a CM, it was fun – EPCOT
2. Backlot Tour – that actually goes somewhere and is cool instead of lame – HS
1. Horizons – EPCOT
I agree with River Country 100%. Just t provide some insight, though, the reasoning all came down to legalities. The park was closed with the intention of possibly revamping it, certainly giving it a good spit and polish, around the same time that legislation was being passed more closely regulating swimming places that were based on “natural” bodies of water in the wake of new findings regarding bacteria in such pools and parks. The amount of money and effort involved in isolating and filtering River Country’s pools and water sources was considered prohibitive and ultimately the closure remained permanent. What IS really weird though is the way it was left to fall into ruin. Die hard Disney nerds may already be aware of the pictures available online of an “unauthorised field trip” some folks took over the walls where RC is being reclaimed by swamp, time, and weather. If not, Google “River Country abandoned” and enjoy the creepy chills as you browse the photos. Oh! and by all accounts, music is still playing and the lights still come on at night. Cree. Pee. My first husband and I went there for our honeymoon and seeing those pictures is really sad in many ways.
I loved river country, it was disney 1st waterpark, they closed it from what i believe was because of the bacteria in the lake . Totally stinks, wished they could have dammed the water and built a pool type park and give it the disney magic to make you think its part of the lake. so sad its gone!