Appreciation of Closed Attractions in Hindsight?

[nickys]

Thankfully, for everyone who either misses a particular ride, or never saw it in the first place, there is always this option.

http://www.martinsvids.net/

Courtesy of @marni1971

 

[TheDuke]

Well, GMR was one of my top 5 Disney attractions. Even with the continually deteriorating state of HS, I would always want to go there every so often just to do it. Don't really see the need anymore. It closing was a gut punch for me. Waits could get around 45 minutes in the afternoon and the capacity was very good, so it wasn't like it was a terribly unpopular ride.

Maelstrom wasn't one of my absolute favorites, but it was a good, solid ride. I think a lot of people's issue with it is IP's in the WS beyond smaller stuff like character appearances.

Agree that the sudden Universe of Energy nostalgia was random. Hadn't done it in more than a decade when it closed and had no desire to do it again. I also didn't know that Horizons had this big cult following prior to using this site. I don't remember it ever having a significant wait in the mid/late 90's and there were plenty of other dark rides I liked better.

 

[Andrew_Animatronic]

While Maelstrom wasn't the showstopper everyone made it out to be when it was announced to close, I still felt it was a classic. I don't agree that frozen should have replaced it but it happened, and I guess I can live with it.

 

[bhg469]

don't forget toad, snow white, and 20,000 leagues. I still say if they were in existence today people would be complaining.

I think speedway if its ever removed will be added to this nostalgia/hindsight view

I don't see stitch ever joining this conversation though.

I rode submarine Voyage at Disneyland a few months ago and while it is totally obvious how the ride operates, watching kids on that is really incredible. Do not tell them the ride is not real.

As long as those attractions are very much alive, I am ok with it. Since going to Disneyland for the first time, I will always balance my trips from here on out. I waited far too long to enjoy DL.

 

[justintheharris]

don't forget toad, snow white, and 20,000 leagues. I still say if they were in existence today people would be complaining.

I think speedway if its ever removed will be added to this nostalgia/hindsight view

I don't see stitch ever joining this conversation though.

Oh god the speedway... I totally agree with you on that. Although I wasn't around to see Mr Toad, it seems to hold up fine at Disneyland and Snow White was a classic so I think that one might actually go with The Great Movie Ride in my opinion as attractions that probably shouldn't have closed if it was solely based on popularity. Although I can see people complaining that 20,000 Leagues is a massive waste of space and resources if it was around in 2018.

 

[justintheharris]

While Maelstrom wasn't the showstopper everyone made it out to be when it was announced to close, I still felt it was a classic. I don't agree that frozen should have replaced it but it happened, and I guess I can live with it.

The closure of Maelstrom is what really made me think about this topic because I never waited for Maelstrom and when its closure was announced, suddenly it was everyone and their mother's favorite ride of all time. Universe of Energy was pretty much the same story.

 

[justintheharris]

I rode submarine Voyage at Disneyland a few months ago and while it is totally obvious how the ride operates, watching kids on that is really incredible. Do not tell them the ride is not real.

As long as those attractions are very much alive, I am ok with it. Since going to Disneyland for the first time, I will always balance my trips from here on out. I waited far too long to enjoy DL.

Well I think that might also be due to the IP and be one of the PROPER uses of IPs at the a Disney park. It took a ride that little kids should be enjoying and replaced the original story with an IP that would really appeal to kids. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea probably wouldn't have been enjoyed by children as much as Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.

 

[bhg469]

Well I think that might also be due to the IP and be one of the PROPER uses of IPs at the a Disney park. It took a ride that little kids should be enjoying and replaced the original story with an IP that would really appeal to kids. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea probably wouldn't have been enjoyed by children as much as Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.

To be fair, the ride system is totally unique as well. There really is nothing else like it.... Like Newfoundlands, I mean they're the best dogs ever, and everyone who thinks otherwise is wrong.

 

[Gainesvillain]

With this in mind, do you think one day people will miss Stitch’s Great Escape?

Um, no.

 

[Gainesvillain]

Putting the square peg into the round Norway pavilion was the off-puting part of that update. I don't think that there would have been as much outcry if they updated Maelstrom, but left the Norway theme.

Universe of Energy?! Is there an outcry over losing it? Again, here a GOTG ride just feels out of place in that park. For now. Maybe Disney will make it feel like a perfect fit.

 

[danheaton]

The closure of Maelstrom is what really made me think about this topic because I never waited for Maelstrom and when its closure was announced, suddenly it was everyone and their mother's favorite ride of all time. Universe of Energy was pretty much the same story.

I think it's also a case where an attraction may not draw the masses but has dedicated fans. There are attractions that everyone rides and most people like, but few people love. With Maelstrom, it didn't have long lines, but it's such a goofy ride that it's easy to see why it had huge fans.

I'm also heard this comment about Horizons, which didn't have big lines in the end. Part of that issue (and with Universe of Energy too) is that it had a HUGE capacity. There's a big difference in having a modern attraction that's four minutes and only can take 1,200 people an hour versus a 15-minute attraction that can take 2,500. It's easy to look at something and see the lines without thinking of why they're in place. FastPass also makes the Standby lines much longer across the board.

 

[ppete1975]

I think it's also a case where an attraction may not draw the masses but has dedicated fans. There are attractions that everyone rides and most people like, but few people love. With Maelstrom, it didn't have long lines, but it's such a goofy ride that it's easy to see why it had huge fans.

I'm also heard this comment about Horizons, which didn't have big lines in the end. Part of that issue (and with Universe of Energy too) is that it had a HUGE capacity. There's a big difference in having a modern attraction that's four minutes and only can take 1,200 people an hour versus a 15-minute attraction that can take 2,500. It's easy to look at something and see the lines without thinking of why they're in place. FastPass also makes the Standby lines much longer across the board.

living with the land has always been one of my favorite things to do in epcot even when I was a little kid, when I went back after a long break and found out wom was gone the original figment horizons the seas was totally bastertised (I told you it was a long break 1993-2012) I was a bit shocked it was still there. I think a lot of people who do it now are either people who love it, got a fast pass to it, or don't know what it is, but if it was to be rumored to be replaced it would be a mass outcry and tshirts made... second thought.. forget that last part.. I don't want Disney to realize that closure makes souvenir money