Take a nostalgic journey through the most memorable theme park attractions that are no longer with us. From thrilling drops to imaginative adventures, these beloved rides captured our hearts before saying goodbye. Join us as we remember these incredible experiences that shaped theme park history.
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00:00And we store these marvelous ideas right here in the dream park.
00:05Can we see them, Dream Fighter?
00:07Well, I don't know, Big One.
00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:10And today, we're counting down our picks for those gone but not forgotten theme park memories
00:15that still live within our childhood hearts.
00:17We're really happy to be here in Florida and we'll be here forever. Thank you.
00:23Number 10. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Disney California Adventure.
00:28I'm sorry, we don't have any vacancies. When will we? Let me check.
00:42Sometimes it's only a certain version of a ride being decommissioned,
00:46while other iterations remain active in different parks.
00:49The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror drop rides do still exist in places such as Tokyo Disney and Disneyland Paris,
00:55while the original is still operating at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
00:59One stormy night long ago, five people stepped through the door of an elevator and in one nightmare.
01:07That door is opening once again.
01:09However, the version that once thrilled park-goers at Disney California Adventure
01:14was scrapped to make way for attractions tying into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
01:17Specifically, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was replaced in May of 2017
01:22by Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout.
01:25And a friendly word of warning. Something you won't find in any guidebook.
01:29The next time you check into a deserted hotel on the dark side of Hollywood,
01:33make sure you know just what kind of vacancy you're filling.
01:36Number 9. Adventure Through Inner Space, Disneyland.
01:39Tomorrowland is not just the realm of outer space.
01:43One of the most unusual new attractions is the Adventure Through Inner Space.
01:48Pay no attention to the fact that the Disneyland attraction Adventure Through Inner Space
01:52was brought to park-goers by the much-vilified Monsanto company back in 1967.
01:57The makers of Roundup lent their name to this once-popular omnimover attraction
02:01that simulated the shrinking down of its visitors to the molecular level.
02:04For centuries, man had but his own two eyes to explore the wonders of his world.
02:11Then he invented the microscope.
02:13Adventure Through Inner Space ran until Star Wars fever essentially burned so hot
02:17that Disney abandoned the attraction in favor of George Lucas' star tours,
02:21which coincidentally also went the way of the dodo.
02:24The park stayed open around the clock.
02:26For three straight days.
02:28Because no one had ever seen anything like it.
02:31That said, Adventure Through Inner Space enjoyed a solid run that lasted nearly 20 years.
02:36Do I dare explore the vastness of its inner space?
02:42No, I dare not go on.
02:44I must return to the realm of the molecule before I go on shrinking forever.
02:50Number 8. Journey Into Imagination, Epcot at Walt Disney World.
02:55Look, a rainbow! I'll use that for painting!
02:58Come on, everybody, let's go!
02:59If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
03:01This was essentially what Disney fans had to say
03:03when the original Journey Into Imagination was shuttered back in 1998.
03:08The ride was reimagined and reopened with a new title,
03:11Journey Into Your Imagination, for about two years,
03:14until entering its final form, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, in 2002.
03:19The issues many fans had with the reinvention remained, however,
03:22specifically the omission of a character named Dream Finder
03:25from the original Omnimover experience.
03:27Oh, hello there! I am the Dream Finder.
03:30I search the universe for sounds, color, ideas, anything that sparks the imagination.
03:36You never know what kind of figment you may come up with.
03:39Here's my favorite, a figment of imagination!
03:43Disney apparently underestimated the power of nostalgia with this one,
03:46although it should be said that the new version at least references its heritage with the Figment character,
03:51as well as a reference to the Dream Finder.
03:53Bye-bye! Say goodbye, Figment!
03:56Goodbye, Figment!
03:58Number 7. Kongfrontation, Universal Studios Florida
04:03Kongfrontation is a colossal experience and terror.
04:09It sort of seems like a no-brainer, right?
04:12Why wouldn't you want a ride featuring the eighth wonder of the world, King Kong, on your park grounds?
04:16Her tram dangles before the howling fury.
04:19We are face to face with her, as he threatens to send us careening down the road.
04:25There's no turning back.
04:28Still, that didn't stop Universal Studios Florida from removing its highly popular
04:32Kongfrontation attraction back in 2002.
04:35The strange thing was that Universal simply replaced one monster with another,
04:39since Kongfrontation was sidelined in favor of Revenge of the Mummy.
04:43On one hand, we totally get why Universal wants to honor its monster heritage.
04:47But why do so at the expense of cinema's most beloved Simeon?
04:50Everyone is roaring about King Kong.
04:53It was humongous.
04:55It was as big as the whole building.
04:56The way they were shooting at him and the fire.
05:02Dream throw was awesome.
05:04Perhaps it was because Kongfrontation was based upon the 70s King Kong film,
05:07and Peter Jackson's CGI remake was then on the horizon?
05:11Who knows?
05:11Never seen anything like it.
05:13The damn ape just went ape.
05:16Number 6.
05:17Extra-Terrorrestrial Alien Encounter.
05:19Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
05:21Nah, this is Disney.
05:22There couldn't be a real alien inside.
05:25The culture behind Disney theme parks today seems to straddle a fine line between family-friendly
05:29entertainment and the sort of thrills adults want to experience sans children.
05:34This is not good.
05:35I mean, it's great, but it's not good.
05:37There's something loose in here.
05:39The extra-Terrorrestrial Alien Encounter was actually produced in conjunction with George
05:45Lucas' Lucasfilm, containing themes that some parents claimed scared their kids.
05:49When a futuristic teleportation demonstration doesn't go exactly as planned, the results are
05:55a little scary.
05:56And thanks to some state-of-the-art imagineering, your encounter with this extraterrestrial
06:03won't be soon forgotten.
06:05The complaints regarding the content of the extraterrestrial alien encounter were part of the reason why the
06:10attraction was closed down back in 2003.
06:13This theatrical production had a decent eight-year run at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, but
06:18it's sort of telling that a ride tying into the Lilo and Stitch franchise emerged in its
06:22place.
06:22Here at the Magic Kingdom Park is Stitch's Great Escape.
06:25Your favorite alien from the Disney animated movie, Lilo and Stitch.
06:30Number 5.
06:31Kingda Ka.
06:31Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey.
06:34For exclusive rides on Kingda Ka.
06:36The tallest, fastest coaster on the planet.
06:38This thrilling roller coaster almost celebrated its 20th birthday in 2025, but alas, it was
06:44not to be.
06:46It's skydiving, it's drag racing, it's rocket launching, it's everything that you've ever
06:51thought of as an extreme activity, and it's all wrapped into one thing.
06:59Kingda Ka was a fan-favorite attraction from Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in New
07:03Jersey, a strata coaster with an immense drop.
07:06It was awesome!
07:07456 feet straight up, then back down and around.
07:12Kingda Ka even provided riders with a momentary feeling of weightlessness as it was winding
07:16down, thanks to an airtime hill during the final descent.
07:20The coaster also achieved speeds over 120 miles per hour, but nothing good lasts forever.
07:26Kingda Ka was closed in 2024, being officially demolished in January and February of 2025.
07:3720,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
07:49Fantasyland.
07:51And here, it's only an imaginary step from the heights to the depths.
07:56For a submarine journey, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
07:59A fantastic voyage where strange undersea creatures may be encountered at every turn.
08:04It speaks volumes that a book from 1870 could be adapted into a 1954 film, and further developed
08:10into a ride that will last from 1971 to 1994.
08:1420,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage took visitors on a dark ride that simulated a descent
08:20into the briny deep.
08:21Welcome aboard the Nautilus.
08:24We are proceeding on a course that will take us on a voyage.
08:2820,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
08:31The ride would utilize music, animatronics, and other visuals to achieve this end, culminating
08:36in a recreation of the film's climactic encounter with a giant squid.
08:40Emergency speed.
08:41All engines.
08:51It took a lot of money, time, and people power to keep 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine
08:57Voyage operational, however.
08:59It was permanently closed for, quote, maintenance in 1994.
09:03Number 3.
09:04Horizons.
09:05Epcot at Walt Disney World.
09:07Hey, Mom, what if I float away?
09:09Your father will get you after he gets your shoe.
09:12Look, Mom, I'm flying.
09:13Why don't you try?
09:14The legacy of Walt Disney's Epcot experiment has always been this nexus point of entertainment
09:19and education.
09:21Horizons certainly achieved this goal when it opened at Walt Disney World's Epcot back
09:24in 1983.
09:26This omnimover attraction suspended guests in the air, showing them visions of the future,
09:31potential scenarios involving everything from everyday family life to exciting
09:35new ways of communication.
09:36The Horizons Pavilion draws on the wisdom and countless scientists and visionaries to present
09:41a view of the future with an ending that you get to choose.
09:44It was a fascinating time capsule, no pun intended, that tied into cultural optimism in a great
09:50way.
09:50Horizons was first closed in 1994, although a four-year reprieve from 1995 to 1999 was all
10:09it could muster before officially becoming a thing of Disney's past.
10:12These journeys into imagination gives you a sense of excitement that life in the 21st century
10:17will exceed our wildest dreams.
10:19Number 2.
10:20Back to the Future, The Ride, Universal Studios, Florida.
10:24The physical element of The Ride comes from a dozen DeLorean cars on hydraulic motion platforms.
10:30Each car is mounted on four pistons, able to rise, fall, and tilt to follow the action on
10:37the screen.
10:38Pop culture enjoys an eternal state of flux, with properties coming and going, ebbing and
10:43flowing with the public interest.
10:44Guess you guys aren't ready for that yet.
10:48But your kids are gonna love it.
10:50That said, we're honestly sorta surprised The Back to the Future, The Ride, couldn't make
10:54it through to the modern day.
10:56After all, it isn't as if this film franchise has disappeared from the public consciousness.
11:00We, as fans, shouldn't have to suffer through poor sequels or shoddy remakes in order for
11:05our favorite franchises to be considered relevant by big corporations, right?
11:09And you're right.
11:10You're right.
11:11Right.
11:12That's why we're gonna say it here and now.
11:14Bring back this awesome motion simulator.
11:16We at the Hill Valley Preservation Society think it should be preserved exactly the way
11:21it is, as part of our history and heritage.
11:23We don't care if you have to hit 88 miles per hour in a DeLorean to do it.
11:27Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:31The Blade, Alton Towers, United Kingdom.
11:34A pirate ride retired in 2024 after a 44-year run.
11:38In Alton Towers you will find
11:41You can leave your cares behind
11:44Here's a new world just for you
11:47There's so much to see and do
11:50Big Bad Wolf, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
11:53The OG closed in 2009, but the wolf could get revenge
11:57I like the part where it looks like you're gonna hit the buildings
12:01When we're way up there and I'm looking down, do I have to go down that thing?
12:04Yes, and I did and I loved it
12:06The Great Movie Ride
12:07Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World
12:10A flashback to classic movies that closed in 2017
12:13The legendary stars, action, and dialogue of Hollywood classics
12:17Are immortalized through state-of-the-art Disney audio animatronics
12:21I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too
12:25But the road to this Oz was a long one
12:29The Skyway, Disneyland, and Walt Disney World
12:32Whoever said a tramway couldn't also double as an attraction?
12:35Look around at the sky and the ground
12:40Every leaf, every tree
12:44Captain EO, Michael Jackson's cinematic collab with George Lucas and Disney
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13:11Number 1
13:13The water slide at Action Park
13:15Just for the thrill of it
13:16Go up into this lip
13:17And if you didn't know how to distribute your weight
13:21When you came out of that banked turn
13:23The thing would flip on you
13:24Number 1
13:25Jaws the Ride
13:26Universal Studios, Florida
13:28Two years old, baby
13:29No!
13:31That's it!
13:31Oh my gosh, that is the scariest
13:33Look out!
13:35Never let them forget what they took from us
13:37Okay, so that might sound quite hyperbolic
13:40But can you really blame us?
13:41Look out!
13:44Look out!
13:44Look out!
13:47We're definitely in hot water now
13:51On one hand, we're really happy that Universal Studios Japan
13:54Not only received the original Jaws the Ride from its original home in Orlando, Florida
13:59But even had the attraction expanded for its visitors
14:02At the other end of things, what about all of the park-goers who came to adore all of the thrills
14:07And photo-ops afforded to them by their Jaws the Ride?
14:10Eat this!
14:11Granted, it's understandable that Universal needed to make room for their Wizarding World of Harry Potter area
14:16But did you have to do it at the expense of Bruce?
14:19Boo, Universal
14:19Boo!
14:21Universal Studios
14:22You want it?
14:25We got it!
14:27Which abandoned or defunct theme park attractions make you the most nostalgic?
14:31Let us know in the comments
14:32You don't want to miss it
14:33Because it's not going to miss you
14:36Anybody seen my shoe?
14:39That's pretty cool!
14:40You
14:41You
14:48You
14:48You
14:50You
14:51You
14:52You
14:55You
14:55You
14:57You
14:59You
15:00You
15:00You
15:02You
15:04You