I was in a bit of a nostalgic mood Monday night after dinner. We got to talking about all things Disney, especially some of our favorite trips to Disney World.

I grew up in Florida, about ninety minutes away from Orlando and the Walt Disney World Resort. When I was growing up, we went to Disney about twice a year: one multi-day trip, and at least one day trip. We mostly stayed on property, in some of the various resorts (which is a subject for another day).

In all my years of going to Disney, I grew to understand Walt’s dream of an ever changing theme park, one that would continue to grow and evolve as years past. So, I get why old attractions would be closed and rethemed or completely removed and something new would take its place.

It doesn’t mean that I have to like it.

So, here are five defunct Disney World attractions that I still miss.

Lights, Motors, Action!: Extreme Stunt Show, Hollywood Studios

First on my list was a show that still to this day was one of my favorite experiences at Hollywood Studios. Lights, Motors, Action! was a fast paced stunt show, primarily featuring cars, though motorcycles and a jet ski also made appearances. In the theme of Hollywood Studios, it was a show designed like an action movie set, with moving cameras, stunt coordinators, and big explosions.

I absolutely loved the stunt show. I loved the speed, I loved the tricks that these drivers could get these cars to do. Everything was so choreographed that it pretty much always worked… except sometimes not. One of the features of the show was that the Hero on the motorcycle would grab onto a netted bag, which would swing him onto the jet ski. Unfortunately, one time he didn’t have the enough speed, and he fell. The Hero was fine! But it really showed the audience how dangerous real movie sets could be.

The stunt show was closed in 2016 due to the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. To this day, I’m still really sad about it. I actually went to one of the final shows a few says before the closing, and you could see the actors putting their heart into every moment of it. It was one of the few attractions in Hollywood Studios that shows the production of film, the other (and only surviving) being the Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular, which is still operational. I think. Damn pandemic.

Food Rocks!, Epcot

I can almost guarantee that most people don’t remember this. Food Rocks was an audio animatronic musical show inside the Land Pavilion in Epcot. It was a show designed to promote healthy eating, while also making parodies of famous songs and musical artists.

Okay, it wasn’t that great. It barely lasted ten years, and it was starting to really break down before it was removed in early 2004 to make way for Soarin’. But I really enjoyed this little show, even if it was just a good twenty minute break. What can I say, Epcot is big!

Studio Backlot Tour, Hollywood Studios

Have you ever taken a tour of a studio backlot? Well, that is what this attraction was. A combination walking and tram tour, park guests got to see bits and pieces of what goes on in a studio’s backlot, including where different departments work, as well as how some stunts are set up.

I was always a fan of this, because I was interested in the movies. Seeing the boneyard, where different vehicles were left to sit until being needed again, to walking through prop warehouses, to seeing the outside of one of the animation studios (before the entire animation department moved back to California) was always a big hit for me.

Unfortunately, the Tour suffered simply due to the park changing and growing. It was constantly being shortened due to the needs of the park. One whole section was closed off for the Stunt Show, while several of the soundstages became parts of Toy Story Midway Mania. The ultimate killer, however, was the decision to use the area (and the Streets of America around it) as part of both the Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land expansions. As of that announcement, the Tour had already been “temporarily” closed for nearly two years, but was effectively killed. It was a product of moving forward.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, Magic Kingdom

When Disney announced they were going to do and interactive card game at Magic Kingdom, I was ecstatic. You play a new sorcerer apprentice to Merlin who has to help stop Hades from taking over the Magic Kingdom, by defeating other Disney villains in various parts of the park (Main Street USA, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland/Liberty Square). Using the spell cards of (mostly) Disney heroes, you are able to take down the villains and save the Magic Kingdom.

The game was surprisingly intuitive. You could choose from three difficulty levels. Easy was more of a matching game, where you would use a card’s spell class and attack type to defeat enemies in a rock-paper-scissors type style. Medium brought in the stats that were included on the card (attack, boost, and shield), as well as the ability to use several cards at once. Hard randomized the strengths and weaknesses of villains and enemies.

I collected most of the card over the years, though I’m still missing some of the most rare cards (61-70). It was a fun little game, though it unfortunately was ended due to decreased popularity and the effects of the pandemic. Maybe one day I’ll due a write up on it, because I had a lot of fun, especially when I would help out younger kids (with their parents’ blessing, of course).

The Great Movie Ride, Hollywood Studios

Okay, this right here still hurts.

The Great Movie Ride was a look into the history of film (primarily MGM, because they helped fund the park when it first opened). It was a day one ride, and was considered amazing, though somewhat dated by its closing in 2017.

Guests would sit in a large vehicle and go through the history of film, from the 1930’s Footlight Parade (whose set piece was actually broken), through classics like Singin’ in the Rain and Mary Poppins, into gangster films and westerns, and then onto Alien (and the biggest jump scare in the ride), to a series of rooms that represented adventure films, including Raiders of the Lost Ark. From there, the ride would touch on horror films, then onto Tarzan and Casablanca, give a nod to Fantasia, and then to The Wizard of Oz and forward to the finale, which was a onscreen montage of over 150 film clips set to music.

This was one of my favorite rides. Because the tour driver was a real cast member, each experience was different. Some of them could really get into the role, while others… not so much. But it was always a favorite of mine, and my mom, who considered it one of Disney’s best rides. When it was announced that it would close in 2017 to make way Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, we were crushed. So much so that we both took a few days off of work during it’s final three days in operation, bought the “Great Movie Ride” farewell t-shirts, and rode it as many times as possible. In fact, the last time we rode it (which was about four cars ahead of the true final car), ours broke down in the finale scene and I was able to record the entire thing. We still watch it occasionally.

So there you have it. Five attractions that I miss from Walt Disney World. Of course, there are reasons for the closures and the need to move forward, but these left me gutted.

But here, before I close, I have one more for you.

The One Walt Disney World Attraction I was HAPPY to See Go

Stitch’s Great Escape!, Magic Kingdom

Talk about a horrible experience. Stitch’s Great Escape was an attraction that took the place of ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, a theater-in-the-round dark show that was deemed “too scary” for Magic Kingdom. Stitch was what we call a retheme. The new “ride” reused about ninety percent of Alien Encounter‘s set pieces and pretty much the entire ride show. It opened to mixed reviews (especially by guests who were over the age of, like, twelve). More memorable is how Disney chose to celebrate the ride’s opening… by TP-ing Cinderella Castle.

This is one of the few ride that I can say have actually hurt me. At one point on the “ride”, Stitch would escape his holding tube in the dark and jump on various people’s seat harnesses. When he jumped on mine, it jammed into my neck, leaving me sore the rest of the day. It really hurt my Mom, who already has a bad back. We only went on it once. It also was the first time Mom ever sent a complaint email to Disney (which I went on to call a nasty-gram, because she sent a few, for good reasons).

Seeing it move into seasonal operation was calls for celebration. But when they finally announced the permeant closure, I danced in my seat at work. Also, it had the weirdest closing. It was apparently only supposed to be a temporary closure, but then someone snuck backstage in October 2018 and discovered the remains of the Stitch animatronic and the pre-show area was completely dismantled. It took over two years before Disney finally confirmed the ride was dead and gone. The ride’s final day of operation was in January 2018, but it took until July 2020 for the announcement to come out, with signage finally being removed in August of 2020.

Alright, I’ve talked enough Disney World today. But there’s so much more I could talk about. Who knows when though.

Until next time!