Andrew C
You know what's funny?
Wow. Obviously you hadn't been paying attention on the past several years. It was also on the first tier for Fast Pass. The "little attraction" even had t-shirts and other merchandise dedicated to it in the last couple of years before it closed. That, right there, tells you that TDO knew of its popularity.
Yeah. I saw long lines from time to time. But it wasn't because it was a great ride. It was just okay. It was short. The lines were long sometimes because there aren't that many rides in Epcot to begin with and it was like the only one in world showcase. Not to mention it had a low capacity problem.