Attractions that used to be popular but now aren't?

[tsaintc]

Almost all of them had ups and downs. Maelstrom when it first opened was a long line.

Back in the mid 80s, there were long lines for everything in EPCOT Center. I can vividly remember waiting close to 2 hours for O' Canada.

 

[sublimesting]

Horizons, World of Motion, Mr. Toad;s Wild Ride all used t have very long lines....now not so much.


Seriously though. Spaceship Earth, PoC, HM, IASW are a few I thought of.

 

[Zweiland]

Horizons, World of Motion, Mr. Toad;s Wild Ride all used t have very long lines....now not so much.


Seriously though. Spaceship Earth, PoC, HM, IASW are a few I thought of.

PoC and IASW both had moderately lengthy waits when I last went. And that wasn't even in the crowd season.

 

[rob45]

Muppet 3-D seems to have lost it's fizz. I remember waiting in line to see it.

 

[lego606]

Disneyland's PeopleMover

 

[sublimesting]

PoC and IASW both had moderately lengthy waits when I last went. And that wasn't even in the crowd season.

Sometimes IASW can have a wait but I've never not walked onto PoC.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I suppose I like the reality that there are some attractions that have fallen in popularity.

Figment and COP are some of my favorite attractions and the reality is I have never waited for them, at least not in the last 5 years. I'd personally hate Disney if everything was an E ticket quality.

 

[Kyled48]

There is a fine line between old and classic. Old rides will occasionally draw crowds but classics will always draw crowds!

 

[ddbowdoin]

Sometimes IASW can have a wait but I've never not walked onto PoC.

I have been lucky enough to experience this, May of 2010. It was before the southern public schools were out, MA schools were still in, and so the park was pretty slow. It was pretty damn awesome just walking right on, then being able to do the same thing again right after. I've also had this experience with the HM, which I have found hit or miss.

 

[Sneezy62]

Hello!!! Just wondered what attractions you noticed have not been popular that used to be really popular, eg. Figment (i know it changed, but still).

What got me thinking of this was the Carousel Of Progress. I wondered if that had ever been popular? I know it was on of Walt's favourites so i wondered if there was a time when it was ever really busy.

I think a lot of the older shows have lost the contemporary context that made them so popular when they first opened. Country Bears parodied popular shows like The Grand Ol' Opry and The Renfro Valley Gatherin'. If you don't know who Roy Acuff was you can still enjoy the show, but it made a lot more sense and was much funnier to people who heard him host the Opry on WSM every Saturday night.

Likewise the Tikiroom struck a chord with WW2 veterans and their families. Polynesia was a fixture in movies, on TV and even Broadway.

Hall of Presidents was an absolutely stunning show. The theater was enormous and always packed. The presidency itself was untarnished, Civil Rights and patriotism were topical. Historical novels about Civil War times filled bookstore shelves. I don't know how many people today know who Carl Sandberg or Alex Haley are today, but they were just as popular as Stephen King was in his heyday, or John Grisham in his.

My family WAS the CoP family. When we were there with my grandma I remember her saying that the wood stove looked exactly like the one she grew up with. My mother related to the radio being the center of the living room and we had a black and white TV at the time and gossiped about could our neighbors afford the new color one they had.

I'm not sure how to restore any of these shows to the cultural relevance they opened to. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it if Disney does make them relevant. I do know I want to bore the heck out of my kids by making them ride them over and over.

 

[MissM]

Though it's not there any longer, I think the fact that it's shuttered kinda helps prove my point: Body Wars. When it was new, it was the big, new thing. It graced the cover of the Epcot map and it was really pushed as exciting. Heck, the entire Wonders of Life pavilion was a big, shiny new star for Future World. But it just did not maintain it's popularity and the once long lines dwindled to nothing and eventually, the entire pavilion was dismantled.

Additionally, I would also add Universe of Energy to that list too. I remember waiting for a VERY long time when I was a kid for that ride. Ellen's Energy Adventure revision rekindled some attention but I seriously cannot recall the last time I rode it.

 

[KCheatle]

This is a toughie for 2 reasons: (1) my only point of comparison is from when I was a kid and 15 minutes felt like 2 hours, and (2) when I was a kid we always went the 3rd-4th weeks of May and now I go either the first week of May or in September (i.e., large crowd difference). That being said, obviously figment was packed when I was a kid - the ride and the upstairs area. The Haunted Mansion was always a long wait too when I was a kid and now when I go it always seems to be a walk-on or max 15 minute wait. The race cars as MK (blanking on the name) were also packed when I was a kid - terrible wait! And now they don't seem to be as bad.

 

[BiffyClyro]

Almost all of them had ups and downs. Maelstrom when it first opened was a long line. Then a walk on for quite a few years. Then they were using Fastpass for it. Now it's back to a walk on. It depends on the mood of people would be my guess.


Since 2005 for a ride as old as Carousel (1964) is not an indication.

Hence why i stated since 2005.

 

[KCheatle]

Oh! Also, The Animation Studio and Backlot Tours were HUGE when I was a kid, as was the Honey i shrunk the kids playground, and now it's all pretty easy to access.

 

[luv]

The first year the safari opened, there were still 3 hour waits, mid-afternoon, in the fall. That is something you just do not see now.

Mission:Space was wildly popular at first. Not sure why it isn't now, except that there were a few reports of people dying on it and then Soarin opened, which gave everyone a new New Thing.

 

[BiffyClyro]

Mission:Space was wildly popular at first. Not sure why it isn't now, except that there were a few reports of people dying on it.

It seems like a bit of a dated ride, even though it's not been open for a really long time.

 

[BiffyClyro]

I think a lot of the older shows have lost the contemporary context that made them so popular when they first opened. Country Bears parodied popular shows like The Grand Ol' Opry and The Renfro Valley Gatherin'. If you don't know who Roy Acuff was you can still enjoy the show, but it made a lot more sense and was much funnier to people who heard him host the Opry on WSM every Saturday night.

Likewise the Tikiroom struck a chord with WW2 veterans and their families. Polynesia was a fixture in movies, on TV and even Broadway.

Hall of Presidents was an absolutely stunning show. The theater was enormous and always packed. The presidency itself was untarnished, Civil Rights and patriotism were topical. Historical novels about Civil War times filled bookstore shelves. I don't know how many people today know who Carl Sandberg or Alex Haley are today, but they were just as popular as Stephen King was in his heyday, or John Grisham in his.

My family WAS the CoP family. When we were there with my grandma I remember her saying that the wood stove looked exactly like the one she grew up with. My mother related to the radio being the center of the living room and we had a black and white TV at the time and gossiped about could our neighbors afford the new color one they had.

I'm not sure how to restore any of these shows to the cultural relevance they opened to. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it if Disney does make them relevant. I do know I want to bore the heck out of my kids by making them ride them over and over.

Actually, the Hall of presidents has been packed when i've been. I've noticed at night it gets more popular. Not sure why that is. In the day it's dead.


EDIT: Actually... I think i may have gone on 4th of july...Mystery solved

 

[Nemo14]

Actually, the Hall of presidents has been packed when i've been. I've noticed at night it gets more popular. Not sure why that is. In the day it's dead.


EDIT: Actually... I think i may have gone on 4th of july...Mystery solved

or lots of tired feet by the end of the day....

 

[Sneezy62]

HoP also gets a new AA every 4-8 years .

 

[Magenta Panther]

It's always been about 50+ minutes when i've been in the summer. Lowest i've ever seen it was 30 minutes.

Last time I went to the World, Maelstrom was a walk-on until my last night, which was Saturday...then it had a 20 minute wait.

Obviously it pulls in tourists...so why the heck did TDO let it deteriorate the way it has? Shameful.