As Disney Fans get closer and closer to the day they will have to say goodbye to Splash Mountain–at least, in its original form–Walt Disney Imagineers are making it clear that Disneyland and Magic Kingdom attractions thought to be āuntouchableā are not safe from potential retheming or outright replacing. The same thing is happening across the Pacific as the Tokyo Disney Resort gets set to completely revamp its Space Mountain variant to where it will essentially be a completely different ride.
Related: Last Days of Splash Mountain: What to Expect from Disney Adults
Now, Splash Mountain is not the first āuntouchableā attraction to be targeted in the history of the two first Castle Parks. Magic Kingdom Park has already seen its version of Mr. Toadās Wild Ride replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Disneyland Park lost the original WedWay PeopleMover for the ill-fated Rocket Rods and rethemed the iconic Submarine Voyage after Pixarās Finding Nemo.
But as we look ahead to the next 50 years of Disney magic, especially at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, here are three other āuntouchableā attractions that I am fine with seeing going the way of the Dodo.
Tomorrowland Speedway
Related: Eight of the Most Overrated Rides at Disney World
Okay, this one is probably a given and most likely not even that much of an āuntouchableā attraction, but this is the first thing that needs to go. Yes, the Tomorrowland Speedway at Magic Kingdom Park is a fun, sometimes relaxing experience that allows kids to get behind the wheel of their very own race car. But it is in need of a complete overhaul and could easily be replaced with something new and cooler (so long as its construction does not take as long as TRON has taken). At the very least, Walt Disney Imagineers should update it to have it be representative of Tomorrowland once again and replace the gas-powered cars with electric engines or use maglev technology to create some type of hover car. Personally, readers, I have no replacement ideas to sell you on at this point. But if Disney Parks announced that they were closing the Tomorrowland Speedway for good to make way for a brand new Tomorrowland attraction, I would not be disappointed at all.
Tom Sawyer Island
I have never understood why Tom Sawyer Island has remained relatively untouched for so long, especially at The Walt Disney World Resort. From what I can tell, it is nothing more than a glorified playground. Sure, it allows kids the chance to run around and explore an adventurous landscape and can help Cast Members tremendously in matters of population control, but I donāt get it. The area takes up a significant space of the Theme Park and reeks of untapped potential. Walt Disney Imagineers should rehash this whole area with either a new attraction or create a new organized immersive experience for Guests, taking what theyāve learned from Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Country Bear Jamboree
Back on the āmainlandā side of Disneyās Rivers of America sits a show that should have been gone a long time ago: The Country Bear Jamboree. But, I am not offended by any of the showās āoutdatedā content or its admittedly hilarious portrayal of certain stereotypes. I stand with the other Disney Fanatics in simply saying that it is an old show that has lost its connection to its potential audience. No one really knows what the Country Bears are, and their show served as inspiration for one of the worst movie adaptations in the wake of the meteoric success of Disneyās Pirates of the Caribbean.Ā It should make way for a successor show. While, once again, I am without an idea of what exactly that replacement should be, my only condition is that it continues the Jamboreeās tradition of featuring original Park characters instead of being yet another way Disney is able to incorporate its pre-existing IP into its Theme Parks.
Bonus: Cosmic Rayās Starlight Cafe
While this is not necessarily an attraction, Cosmic Rayās Starlight Cafe is a Magic Kingdom staple that is in dire need of a complete overhaul. Sonny Eclipse has been playing the same set for decades, and the ambiance is a worn reminder of the ā80s and ā90s. I am not saying that Disney World should get rid of Sonny or necessarily put in a new restaurant. This is the best spot for chicken nuggets on property. But, after seeing how the Imagineers were able to create Space 220 at EPCOT, there is no reason why Cosmic Rayās canāt become a truly out-of-this-world quick service experience.
Last Thoughts
What is the point in keeping all of these ancient attractions as they were when they were first created decades ago? Seriously, are we just keeping things the same simply to appease our own nostalgia, or do we genuinely think that the current version of the attraction is the best version that can ever be made? Look at Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland, for example, compared to Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Look at the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at the Shanghai Disney Resort compared to the museum piece that is Disneyās Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom. Look at how Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT soars above Space Mountain. The magic-making capabilities of Walt Disney Imagineering are only getting better, and while more recent adaptations are arguably tainted by over-zealous political correctness, there comes the point where we need to trust them to take the experiences that we love and go to the next level.
If I were to pick two attraction that could not be updated in any meaningful way and should be preserved how it is, save for increased quality in the prop display, it would be āit’s a small worldā and “Peter Panās Flight.ā
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the writerās and may not reflect the sentiments of Disney Fanatic as a whole.