Throughout the past 67 Years Disney parks have given us unforgettable experiences that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Many wonderful rides and shows that still stand the test of time like It’s A Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and many more. But sadly there are rides and attractions that close either due to “updates” or technical issues. But among those closed rides are some experiences that are so missed by those who were there when they were still avalible that fans continue to express their desire for their return. Let’s look at five of those unforgettable experiences right now.

1 – Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon (Disneyland Paris)

When Disneyland Paris, originally Euro Disneyland, first opened its gates it was not a success. In fact it was so far from a success that Disney actually lost a lot of money. This “failure” was so bad it affected multiple branches of the company.

But in later years the park was eventually profitable thanks in part to Imagineering with Disncoveryland, an area inspired by French Author Jules Verne. The primary attraction was Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon, opening in 1995. This attraction was themed after the 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon.

The attraction was the most unique of all the Space Mountain rides with guests flying past asteroids and space mining equipment, it is also the only Space Mountain to have an inverted loop. Sadly the unique experience was “Updated” in 2005 to Space Mountain: Mission 2 which took a more “modern” approach where you just flew across space without the unique Victorian Era inspiration.

In 2017 the ride was retimed once more to Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain. To this day guests still long for the old fashioned world of Jules Verne and hope someday they will bring back this unique version of Space Mountain. Where else can you fly through space and be greeted by a winking moon?

Here is a rough POV video from ilian96 on YouTube:

2 – Horizons (EPCOT)

Opening 1983, this ride gave guests a glimpse into various possible futures and what tomorrow may hold. Combining elements from Spaceship Earth and Carousel of Progress, guests would venture through a segment of past visionaries guessing what the future may look like, including Jules Verne.

Then we see what the 1800s thought the 1930s would look like with bronze robots and automatic cleaning devices. Further on we see what the future of the 1950s would look like, mostly neon lights and flying cars.

Finally we see what the future would look like according to 1983 with space colonies, holograms and interstellar travel. This was a fun experience where you would see what the past thought the future might look like and what the future might actually hold many years from now.

Sadly the ride torn down and was replaced by Mission SPACE. The ride has a cult following and many wish they could once again get that small glimpse into a possible tomorrow. 

Here is a POV from ResortTV1:

3 – The Great Movie Ride (Hollywood Studios)

An opening day attraction for Disney Hollywood Studios, originally known as Disney-MGM Studios, this ride took guests through various sequences across many iconic films from the 20th century. From witnessing Indiana Jones finding the Arc of the Covenant, to seeing Ripley battle Xenomorphs in space, or watching Clint Eastwood smoke a cigar in the Wild West, watch as Tarzan swings across vines in the jungle and be interrupted by the Wicked Witch of the West. You also had the chance of your ride vehicle being hijacked by wither a 1930s mobster or a Wild West bandit.

One of the most unique ways to experience the true wonders of the silver screen. Sadly this iconic representation of Hollywood was changed to fit a “modern” audience with Mickey’s Runaway Railway, themed after the recent Mickey mouse series of shorts on the Disney Channel. Without this iconic piece of history some wonder why bother calling the park “Hollywood Studios” anymore. The Chinese Theater exterior still exists, so hopefully someday we will see the classic ride return, albeit with a few possible changes due to licensing issues with MGM branded films.

Here is a 4K POV from Blog Mickey on YouTube:

4 – Timekeeper (Magic Kingdom)

Timekeeper was an attraction that originally opened in Disneyland Paris in 1992 but the most well known version was the one in Magic Kingdom that opened in 1994. Located in Tomorrowland, Timekeeper, or sometimes known as From Time to Time, was a Circle-Vison attraction where the Timekeeper (Voiced by Robin Williams) and his assistant Nine-Eye (Voiced by Rhea Perlman) would take guests on a journey through time. Starting in early history with the Dinosaurs, 12,000 years in the past.

Later guests would visit other time periods like 1450, 1503, 1763 and more, even encountering Jules Verne and a small glimpse into a possible future. The attraction lasted until 2006 and was replaced by Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. Many fans of Robin Williams wish to see this attraction return as he gives a wonderful performance for a simple time travel ride. Many also love the idea of a place called “Tomorrowland” giving you a glimpse of futuristic technology.

Here is a POV video from Mousesteps/ JWL Media on YouTube:

5 – Journey Into Imagination (EPCOT)

Perhaps one of the most well known “extinct” attractions, Journey Into Imagination opened in 1983 and was one of the more popular rides at EPCOT. The ride took guests on a journey with the Dreamfinder and his little purple dragon friend named Figment.

Guests visited a wide world of different experiences that broadened the horizons of imagination and creativity. However in 1998 things changed when the ride was closed for a re-theming. In 1999 Journey Into YOUR Imagination opened in its place. Guests now went on a journey through the different senses such as sound, sight and smell with Dr. Nigel Channing (Played by Eric Idle). The re-theme was met with heavy criticism as many didn’t want the update. In 2002 the ride was then re-themed to Journey Into Imagination With Figment that addresses some of the issues guests had, but not all was resolved. Many still hope that the Dreamfinder will one day return to the land of the Giant Golfball. 

Here is an old POV video from widenyourworld on YouTube:

If Disney someday decides to bring back some of these rides physically or make a Virtual Reality experience where you can ride older attractions then you can bet I’ll be first in line.