[darthstich]

With the rumor of Narnia finally closing it got me thinking of other closed attractions from the Studios history. My first visit to Disney World was in 2004 so my nostalgia only goes back 7 years, but still there are a few attractions I miss. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Play it! was one of my favorite attractions when it was around. I loved that everyone could play along instead of just watching one person. Also, the Stars and Motor Cars Parade! While Block Party Bash was fun, I still miss the "celebrity" motorcade will all the characters of Studios past plus new one. I gotta wonder what it would be like now with the addition of Phineas and Ferb and Winnie the Pooh. What are so attractions you miss? What are some attractions you were happy to see taken out?

[IlluminatEpcot]

I hardly remember it but Horizons is one of my all time favorites and the original Living Seas. Two things I wish would return at Epcot that I thought were THE example of what Epcot Center was to be.

[darthstich]

I never got to experience Horizons but I've heard many people claim they miss it. Didn't they close it because of a sinkhole in the foundation though? And the original Living Seas is missed as well, though I do enjoy the Nemo Dark Ride and Turtle Talk

[sarahzy]

My favorite closed Studios attraction is Superstar Television. I wanted to get picked to be in it SO badly! My most lamented closed attraction is the original Figment. RIP Dreamfinder.

[sarahzy]

OH! And I miss when the used to film MMC at the Studios. You had to be 10 to be in the audience and my sister was 9. Mom REFUSED to let us lie about her age and wouldn't let me go on my own. Do I still hold this against my sister? You betcha!

[IlluminatEpcot]

sarahzy, on 29 August 2011 - 04:08 PM, said:

OH! And I miss when the used to film MMC at the Studios. You had to be 10 to be in the audience and my sister was 9. Mom REFUSED to let us lie about her age and wouldn't let me go on my own. Do I still hold this against my sister? You betcha!

I miss when they actually filmed at the Studios. I remember doing the Backlot Tour and seeing the soundstages (I remember them filming the Mortal Kombat TV show when we were on the tour), the giant bee you got to "fly on". I'm sure Matt totally gets where I'm coming from on this one

[ADP]

Millionaire for sure and probably the way the Backlot Tour used to be. I actually spent close to a full day inside the Millionaire attraction just playing along and trying to get into the Hot Seat. I think I may have taken a lunch break along the way.

[QuickGold]

My fave attraction that is closed at DHS is definitely Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It. I loved playing that every day.

[MJMcBride]

Horizons for me

[HDLady]

There are quite a few attractions I miss but my most missed would be the first version of Journey into Imagination, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride & and the original walking part of Backlot Tour. I thought it was nest to be up on the catwalk of the soundstages where you might get to see something being filmed. I saw a Mickey Mouse Club being flimed one time. Also was in the audience for a taping of pro wrestling once at DHS. My MOST missed venue is The Adventurers Club at PI. Good memories.

[yulilin]

I know I'm probably the only person here to say this, but; I miss Tarzan Rocks! at AK. We loved the show, the energy of the performers, the music. We don't hate Finding Nemo but it's not the same without Tarzan Rocks.
And more recently I miss the theater area where Mickey and the Princesses are now at MK. Just sit there watch old Mickey cartoons in A/C and the photo ops there.

[Skippy]

If we're talking about Disney-MGM Studios specifically, then I miss Backlot Tour. What is currently there just makes me sad. Same with the animation tour, sad.

If we're talking WDW as a whole, then I miss the original Journey into Imagination and Horizons the most. EPCOT Center had some truly great attractions, despite having some boring eduction based ones, and I'm REALLY sad that they're gone. Horizons was creative, imaginative and inspirational, it represent Futureworld. It's replacement is basically an unimaginative simulator you'd expect to find at the Kennedy Space Center, not EPCOT (well, maybe you'd find it in Innoventions but it's just soo damn big). Same with Imagination, the replacement belongs on a fair grounds, not Disney. I also miss Wonders of Life, which is basically a wine tasting center now. Once again, WTF is happening at EPCOT, none of this is painting a positive vision of the future.

Luckily, these were incredibly popular attractions and fans are virtually recreating these in interactive simulations:

Horizons: Resurrected

Journey Back into Imagination

I suggest any fan of these lost gems check out these links. Very cool!

yulilin, I also miss Tarzan Rocks! at AK. I wish they would've inclosed the theater and added air-conditioning but kept the show the same. My only complaint with Tarzan was with how hot the theater got.

[loveWDW5]

Skippy, on 16 January 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

If we're talking about Disney-MGM Studios specifically, then I miss Backlot Tour. What is currently there just makes me sad. Same with the animation tour, sad.

I also miss these. Especially the Backlot Tour when it used to go around to the "live" sets.

[QuickGold]

loveWDW5, on 16 January 2012 - 08:06 PM, said:

I also miss these. Especially the Backlot Tour when it used to go around to the "live" sets.

I just miss when the Studios had read production work. That made Backlot Tour and Magic of Disney Animation so much more interesting

[frontiersman87]

I know this is far-fetched, but do you think that we will ever see a return of actual production work taking place in DHS again?

[COH#1fan]

frontiersman87, on 17 January 2012 - 01:07 PM, said:

I know this is far-fetched, but do you think that we will ever see a return of actual production work taking place in DHS again?

Not bloody likely.

[Skippy]

I don't think it's possible. They've just opened up too many of their sets / backlot to the public, they've filled almost all of their soundstages with attractions and they tore out all of residential street. It's a shame really, as I don't think any of those attractions were worth the tour getting butchered. It used to be something worth while.

Just watch this video from about 18min in:



This one has a good shot of the original entrance:



Click the image below to find out more about the attraction:



Honestly, opening New York Street was a waste. Instead of destroying the tour (and consequently the whole theme of the park, I'll get to that in a bit) for new attractions, they should've concentrated all of their efforts on completing Muppet Studios, Maroon Studios, Sunset Blvd, Tower of Terror, Fantasmic, and Theater of the Stars. You can't tell me those attraction wouldn't have satisfied park guests and they definitely had the room to build all this without touching the tour.

As for the theme, it was perfect when the park opened. When Disney-MGM Studios opened, it was themed after an idealized Hollywood - set in the 30s/40s. The Great Movie Ride was themed to you entering a movie theater in that idealized Hollywood and then entering the movies through it. Hollywood movie magic, made sense. Sunset Blvd. was a perfect extension of the idealized Hollywood theme, it just made sense. The original Backstage Studio Tour entrance, where Animation Courtyard now resides, was themed after an old movie studio - set in that 30s/40s idealized Hollywood. You entered off the streets of Hollywood through the arch, like you would any movie studio during that era, and a took a studio tour, which was very common at the time. This studio just happened to be called the Disney-MGM Studios (a fantasy mash-up of two of the largest studios from that era, the Backstage Studio Tour representing MGM - who happened to have the largest backlot at the time - and the Magic Of Disney Animation Tour representing Disney - who happened to have the largest animation studio at the time). So yeah, the arch, the tour, everything used to make perfect sense and complimented the theme of the park. Even opening Mickey Ave. made sense, as it was based on an actual backlot street, keeping with the theme of being in a studio within the park. Muppet Studios, Maroon Studios, once again, made sense that you'd be entering these fantasy movie studios from that Hollywood era. The Backlot Annex area is pretty self explanatory but you're basically on a portion of the Disney-MGM Studios backlot (a studio we've already established as existing in this idealized Hollywood), only you're not taking the front entrance that tourists do (the security gate is all that's left of this theme). Then around the late 90s, Imagineers just quite worrying about keeping a coherent theme (aka around the time all the animated characters were getting attractions in every section of Magic Kingdom).

So I guess what also bothers me about Disney's direction with this park, is that it's directionless in that they no longer have a coherent theme (like WTF does the hat represent?). I miss how well everything went together, it was as if you entered the Hollywood that never was, not whatever we have now.

[Rinjo]

For me it is hard to narrow down one. I mess every dark ride that was based on animatronics. I think Journey into Imagination comes in at #1... but Horizons, Dream Flight and World of Motion all come to mind. I love animatronics, but the rides were more than that. They had catchy tunes... great stories... they were educational. They wraped up everything that Disney did well into one entertaining package.

I miss the late 80's/Early 90's disney very much. I only wish I had been old enough to enjoy the adventurers club properly back then!

[QuickGold]

I'd love to see production return, but I don't see it happening. Maybe if the economy shoots back up and Disney starts raking in the dough (more than they already are) and there's so much demand on the film side that they re-invest here but that's a long shot.

[frontiersman87]

Thanks Skippy. I was only able to see the old Backlot Tour twice, so to watch those videos brought back memories of how great it used to be. I still go on the Backlot Tour, mostly when friends or family visit the Studios for the first time, but it does not have the same appeal to me anymore.