5 Best Things You Won’t See at Disneyland Again

Have you ever visited a Disney park after a long break and realize it’s nothing like you remember? You run to your favorite ride only to find…it’s gone. Change is a part of life, and unfortunately (despite my protesting) Disney is now different. Even right now there’s construction happening at multiple parks – and it often happens without much warning. While the new attractions are undeniably awesome, there will always be a few long gone favorites we can’t get over.
Here’s our list of the 5 best things you’ll never see at Disneyland again.

People Mover

The People Mover opened in 1967 and was closed in 1995. The ride was similar to the monorail, but with open carts that seated just four people each. While it was a cult classic for many fans, Disney felt technology had grown and the People Mover was outdated. Imagineers made several attempts to reinvigorate the ride by branding it to popular movies and manufacturing the appearance of speed. But ultimately, failing infrastructure sealed the deal. Parts of the track are still visible in Tomorrowland, but it’s not likely to be rebooted.

Skyway

The Disneyland Skyway opened in 1956 and closed in 1994. The ride was a fun twist on in-park transportation between lands in the park. The open-air gondolas even made their way through the Matterhorn. Disney cited failing infrastructure, yet again, as the reason for closure – however, many believe liability was the driving factor. As you can imagine in a world where teenagers eat laundry detergent for fun, that open ride vehicles 50 feet up could lead to some poor choices. It’s a shame that the attraction was taken down, but a similar (closed cart) system is being built in Disney World right now – so perhaps there’s hope.

Honey I Shrunk the Audience!

This 4D experience was built in Tomorrowland, it opened in 1998 and closed in 2010 to be replaced by Captain EO, a Michael Jackson tribute. The video based attraction took you through the “Inventory of the Year Award” show, where a series of professor Szalinski’s experiments all go wrong culminating in the audience being shrunk and shenanigans ensue. While it wasn’t anything really worth writing home about, it was a fun way to take a little break and sit down for a few minutes. The Captain EO Tribute offers a similar experience, but it’s just not the same.

Aladdin’s Oasis

Never was there a tale of such woe, than that of Aladdin and his Oasis. Oh.
Over the years Aladdin’s Oasis has been several different things. It originally opened as a dinner show in 1993, however the show was quickly discontinued and in 1995 it became solely a sit-down restaurant. However, it still wasn’t very popular and just 2 years later became a story-telling meet and greet with Aladdin and Jasmine. Disney recently announced the space will be re-vamped as The Tropical Hideaway, a dining location with a more open air feel. Although it never quite found it’s persona, we can’t imagine a visit to Disneyland without seeing familiar sight.

Submarine Voyage

This one in particular is near and dear to my heart. The original Disneyland Submarine voyage opened in 1959 and closed in 1998. Riders boarded a semi-submerged submarine and traveled around the Tomorrowland lagoon. During the attractions peak cast members dressed as mermaids and swam around the ride vehicles, this was short lived however as many of the young women’s health was affected by the vehicles diesel output. Disney opted to close the ride, citing high costs in relation to the low capacity. After several years of sitting idle, the ride was re-vamped and became the Finding Nemo attraction you can find today. Luckily the same ride vehicles, including 1 Walt himself rode, are still being used. Fun Fact – at the time the attraction was opened Walt owned the 8th largest submarine fleet in the world.

Like this article? Be sure to check out the 7 most unique attractions at Disneyland and California Adventures