Nostalgia: Would it have kept around the extinct attractions today?

[Walt Disney1955]

What makes Disney great is that they have one foot in the past and one in the present and future. That should never change. So if people don't think nostalgia can save a ride they haven't been to Disney World. I would think that if Mr. Toad opened up today it would do well. It still kills at Disneyland.

 

[geekza]

I think Jungle Cruise may be the end (for now) to theme park attraction-based films. The Pirates films are the only ones that were successful and the last few of them have seen pretty steady declines in box office. Jungle Cruise was just far enough along and Dwayne Johnson is popular enough (he is awfully likable) that it is going ahead. Haunted Mansion, Country Bears, Tomorrowland (though I am one of the few who loved it), and Mission to Mars were all costly flops. I don't know that there are any other non-IP attractions that can be turned into films at this point, save for Space Mountain and Disney already has their own space-based franchise.

 

[ppete1975]

Imagination.. They could have fixed the ride issues it had, and over time improved the animatronics (although how often do they do that on a running ride) I also think its one of the rare ones they regret and now they have a ride nobody cares about and the reride is much smaller. But how much of that building isn't the same due to the top floor being closed.. could they have made that work with ADA.
The original gift shop in epcot centorium
Disney land I'm sure wishes they would have kept their people mover as rocket rods was a huge mistake and now its just tracks

 

[Mickey5150]

If you are going to bring an old attraction back you have to do what the car manufactures did with the retro cars, bring them up to date, not just small updates, but new tech and round the corners. If WDW did this than those old awesome attractions would be a big hit with the older crowd and the new shiny crowd.

A Mr. Toads Wild Ride VR Roller Coaster would work for me.

 

[danheaton]

I think that nostalgia is only part of why we long for extinct attractions. There's also concerns with the replacement (that's part of it with Frozen) and what it signifies for the park. Looking beyond that side of it, I think you could insert new versions of beloved attractions with better technology and they would succeed. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride could be super popular if it returned as a trackless attraction with new effects. Horizons would still work with additional thrills and updated AAs to match the time. I know that Disney won't do it, but it's still fun to think about the possibilities.

 

[geekza]

Imagination.. They could have fixed the ride issues it had, and over time improved the animatronics (although how often do they do that on a running ride) I also think its one of the rare ones they regret and now they have a ride nobody cares about and the reride is much smaller.

I think it may have been in one of @marni1971 's videos where I saw that part of the reason for the complete redo was that, when it came time for Kodak to re-up their sponsorship, they weren't exactly in the same financial situation that they were when they first sponsored the pavilion back in 1982. They were going to end their deal, but agreed to stay on if the pavilion got a full overhaul. Of course, we all know that Kodak's fortunes didn't improve and we're left with a needless and ill-advised replacement for a beloved attraction.

 

[ppete1975]

I think it may have been in one of @marni1971 's videos where I saw that part of the reason for the complete redo was that, when it came time for Kodak to re-up their sponsorship, they weren't exactly in the same financial situation that they were when they first sponsored the pavilion back in 1982. They were going to end their deal, but agreed to stay on if the pavilion got a full overhaul. Of course, we all know that Kodak's fortunes didn't improve and we're left with a needless and ill-advised replacement for a beloved attraction.

That is correct that and the turntable or something didn't work right. But that's one they prob wish they had fought more with Kodak.