20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
One of the most innovative, yet difficult to maintain attractions ever created for the Disney theme parks was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. An “E-Ticket” attraction since its opening day on October 14, 1971, the ride closed exactly 23 years to the day after it opened.
Guests boarded Captain Nemo’s submarine (remember how they were numbered using Roman numerals?) from the Disney film of the same name and traveled under the sea through coral reefs, dark caverns, and into unexpected danger. The tank which housed the attraction held an impressive 11,500,000 gallons of water.
Sadly, the ride closed in 1994 with almost no notice to guests, not due to lack of popularity, but because of constant ride breakdowns, loading difficulties (the subs were not handicapped-accessible), long lines, and the high costs of maintenance (including keeping 11.5 million gallons of water clear enough for guests to see through.
For some time after the attraction had closed, the subs remained “docked” in the lagoon, leaving distant hope that the ride would be refurbished and reopened. However, the subs were soon removed and the lagoon drained. The queue area is now used as a character greeting area, and the banks of the lagoon are now used for Ariel’s Grotto (a play area for children with water jets, and a meet-and-greet area for Ariel – since she’s a mermaid and can’t “walk” around the park).
For years, rumors of a “Little Mermaid” attraction swirled, and in 2003, with the success of “Finding Nemo,” similar, yet unsubstantiated rumors began to surface.
The 38 passenger (39 with the Cast Member “Captain”) subs used in the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction based on the Disney film of the same name were distinguished by their Roman numeral markings on the outside. They were built in a shipyard in nearby Tampa, and then brought over on flatbed trucks to Walt Disney World. When the ride was closed, they were stored for some time in backstage maintenance areas, but have long since been removed to parts unknown…
When “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” was open, the 24 subs that operated at Walt Disney World and Disneyland gave the Walt Disney Company the 5th largest submarine fleet in the world!
Legend of the Lion King
The Legend of the Lion King was a Fantasyland attraction in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. It opened on July 8, 1994, and closed on February 23, 2002.
The Legend of the Lion King was a live, 25 minute puppet, animation and special effects show located in Fantasyland. It took place in the 500-seat theater that was once home to The Mickey Mouse Revue and Magic Journeys. The attraction, which served as an inspiration for the Broadway version of the Lion King, closed in 2002 to make room for Mickey’s PhilharMagic 3D show, which opened in October, 2003.
In the former “Legend of the Lion King” show, Disney “Humanimals” are manipulated by human “animateers” hidden from audience view, and were larger and more lifelike than any other puppets. Giant sets in the 125-foot wide theater provided the stage for the larger than life Humanimals. Not just puppets, they were an extension of the live actors controlling them below the stage.
“The Legend of The Lion King” was a popular (although not popular enough, I guess), musical puppet show which played at the Fantasyland Theater until 2002, when it closed to make room for Mickey’s PhilharMagic, which opened in October, 2003. Mickey’s PhilharMagic takes a great deal of inspiration from one of the theater’s previous shows, the Mickey Mouse Revue. In that show, which was moved to Tokyo Disneyland, dozens of Audio-Animatronic Disney characters performed your favorite Disney songs. The new show is a “4-D” film, meaning that in addition to the 3D movie, there are special effects inside the theater to delight the guests’ senses, as well as characters and songs from Disney movies such as Beauty & The Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan, and Aladdin. The show is presented on a 150-foot wide canvas screen – one of the largest ever created for a 3-D film.
FAST FACT:
With the addition of Mickey’s PhilharMagic to the Magic Kingdom , each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks now has its own 3D film! Can you name the others?
This show predated the popular Lion King show on Broadway, which also uses puppet animals.
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
“Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” one of the original Magic Kingdom attractions, was removed and replaced by “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” in the late 1990s. When it was announced in 1997 that the attraction was to be closed in 1998, it was met with not just silent objections, but actual protests. “Toad-Ins” became commonplace in Fantasyland, as fans rallied to try and save Mr. Toad from Winnie. Toad supporters were often sighted wearing T-shirts with slogans like, “Ask me why Mickey is killing Mr. Toad.” Fans could not understand the removal of this classic attraction in favor of one that was more marketable (Disney knew they would sell a lot more Pooh merchandise than they ever could sell in Toads! Not only that, but Toad’s final scene, one in which you are hit by a train and sent to Hell, was fodder for criticism over the years). Disney gave just one week’s notice of the ride’s last day of operation, September 7, 1998.
Fans of Mr. Toad can still see their lovable green friend hidden away in the cheerful Pooh attraction. He can be seen handing over the deed to the property on the left wall of the scene in Owl’s house – one of the first scenes in the new ride. And, in a final gesture of remembrance, Cast Members in the Magic Kingdom have named one of their break rooms the “J. Thaddeus Toad Memorial Room.”
Mr. Toads Wild Ride took guests on a wild and crazy trip through the 1949 Disney film “The Adventures of Ichabod Crane and Mr. Toad”. It operated since the Magic Kingdom’s grand opening on October 1, 1971 and closed much to the dismay of fans, on September 7, 1998. It has since been replaced by “The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh”. During the three-minute ride, guests sat in old cars as they crashed through Toad Hall, barns, a gypsy camp, haystacks, and eventually a train, only to end up in Hell.
When ticket books were still used in Walt Disney World, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride required a C ticket. The attraction was (unfortunately for some), replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1999. Mr. Toad still currently rides on in Disneyland, although the ride is different than the Florida version.
Mr. Toad took his last Wild Ride on Monday, September 7, 1998, less than one year after it was announced that the ride would be replaced. Attempts to save the attraction by fans, both online and in the park, proved unsuccessful.
Guests could (at one time), hop in to one of J. Thaddeus Toad’s motorcars and speed off to “Nowhere in Particular,” in this wild ride based on the novel “Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. “Nowhere in Particular” was also the name of the theme song that played throughout the attraction. (It was also known as “The Merrily Song”).
Mr. Toad, Ratty, Moley and Mac Badger come from a 1949 Disney adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s “The Wind In The Willows,” which was first published in 1908. These characters live near a river bank and the Wild Wood, and were constantly disturbed by their neighbor Mr. Toad’s love of cars. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride stood in Fantasyland for almost 17 years before being replaced, although the original Disneyland attraction is still in use.
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride closed in September 1998 and was replaced by The Many Adventures Of Winnie the Pooh in May 1999. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea closed in 1994 was replaced by Ariel’s Grotto, while the Skyway was closed in 1999, with its support pylons throughout Fantasyland and Tomorrowland eventually removed.
The names of the cars on the dual ride tracks came from the 1949 Disney adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind In The Willows, which was first published in 1908. The cars were named after characters from story, and included Mr. Toad, Toady, Ratty, Moley, Mac Badger, Cyril, Winky and Weasel.
At one time, this attraction required a C ticket
Skyway to Tomorrowland
The Skyway closed on November 10, 1999, joining its counterpart in Disneyland which closed on the exact same day in 1994. The Disneyland Tokyo Skyway closed in November 1998.
One of Walt Disney World’s original attractions, the Skyway was a 5-minute long cable-car style ride that ran between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, passing over the Cinderella’s Golden Carousel tent, and the Grand Prix Raceway. The ride was listed twice on park guide maps – it was listed as the Skyway to Tomorrowland from the Fantasyland terminal, and as the Skyway to Fantasyland from the Tomorrowland terminal. Guests boarded the Skyway from a loading area themed like a Swiss chalet in Fantasyland, and from an area west of Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. The ride was open year round, and closed temporarily during rain storms or high winds. The one-way ride required a “D-Ticket” and took an almost 90-degree turn as it passed near the Grand Prix Raceway. On November 10, 1999 , the Skyway closed for good, joining its Disneyland counterpart, which closed exactly five years earlier. The Skyway in Tokyo Disneyland closed in November, 1998.
So, why did it close? Well, despite rumors that it had closed for safety reasons after a guest fell from a ride car, the Skyway closed for more practical reasons. First, it was a very slow-loading and unprofitable attraction. Second, it was also extremely difficult to accommodate guests with disabilities, unless wheelchair-bound guests left their chair on the loading area and took a round-trip ride. However, reports that there was a death on the Skyway were in fact true, although it was not a guest who lost their life. In February of 1999, a part-time Cast Member, while not wearing any protective equipment or safety harness, was working in the loading area when he accidentally fell to his death
The Walt Disney World Skyway was notable for having a 90-degree turn as it approached Tomorrowland
The Skyway required a D ticket before closing in November of 1999.
Mickey Mouse Revue
An Audio-Animatronic Mickey Mouse led Disney characters as they performed in an orchestra pit.
According to the pre-show fil, the attraction was originally going to be called the Mickey Mouse Musical Revue.
The Three Little Pigs performed Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. Snow White sang I’m Wishing to forest animals and the Seven Dwarfs played the Silly Song .
This attraction at first required an E ticket before being demoted some time later to a D ticket attraction.
The fun, musical show closed September 14, 1980 and later moved to Tokyo Disneyland, where it continues to play (dubbed in Jjapanese, of course) The theater was empty for a few years, only being used to occasionally show Disney cartoons before being used for the Magic Kingdom showing of Magic Journeys. The space later became home to Legend of the Lion King which closed in 2002 to make way for the 3-D film Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
After the show closed, the theater remained empty for some time, occasionally showing Disney cartoons, before Magic Journeys occupied the theater. The film originaly was showin in Epcot, but was seen in Fantasyland from December 15, 1987, until December 1, 1993 when it was replaced by Legend of the Lion King.
The Seven Dwarf figures from the show were saved and in the 1994 Snow White’s Scary Adventures ride renovation.
Plaza Swan Boats
The graceful Plaza Swan Boats operated seasonally from May 1973 until August 1983 in the canal surrounding Cinderella Castle and through parts of Adventureland. The seventeen-minute ride was guided usually by a young, female Cast Member who gave a tour past numerous points of interest. There were twelve, 26-passenger boats in the fleet, including one which was used solely to clean the canals. They were powered by natural gas, and used a water jet propulsion system. Although originally suppose to run on an electronic guidance system, it never worked correctly, and the boats were steered manually. The boats were named after heroines from classic Disney films, such as “Tinker Bell, “Flora,” “Fauna,” and “Merryweather” from Sleeping Beauty. The ride required a “D-Ticket” up until 1980, when the ticket books were discontinued. The green-roofed dock on the water’s edge between Cinderella Castle and Tomorrowland, still exists today, although the boats are long gone, having been sold by Disney after the ride’s closure.
The
Swan Boats that traveled the canals of the Magic Kingdom were originally supposed to be controlled by an electronics guidance system that never worked properly. The navigational system was quickly abandoned due to mechanical issues in favor of two water jets below the hull.
