Abandoned Attractions

[ChrisFL]

Those were some seriously creepy pictures....why doesn't Disney just tear that stuff down? If a building has been unfinished for 8 years it seems highly unlikely they could just go back and finish it. Weird!

Because they don't care how it looks

 

[ChrisFL]

Cheer up - nobody thought the Treehouse Villas would be up and running again.

Never say Never.

The Treehouse Villas had been used for a while...for international CM's

 

[snowpixiemn]

Some have on this thread have speculated as to whether or not Disney would be able to go back and even pick up the construction on the now defunct Legendary Years' buildings at POP. The answer is yes. If I saw on the YouTube video correctly it looked like they only did the basic bones of construction on most of the property. IE: Laying piping for sewage and water and for the actually constructed buildings it looked like they only did the concrete skeleton. Since Disney and most commercial properties in FL (and all around) use concrete it would be easy to clean the out the rooms and spray down the concrete and start up again. It would have to be torn down if there was any wood but since it looks like its all concrete it is all good.

 

[doconeill]

There was a lot of underground pipe work, several concrete slabs, two guest building shells and the main hall done at the Legendary years. There was no doubt the could build on the slabs and other prepped areas with a little work, but most of the questions were around the guest building shells.

A couple of years ago, they went back to the shells and closed them up with windows, so it would appear that they were still sufficiently viable that they put in the windows to at least prevent further problems. However, no plans have yet been unveiled, only blue sky rumors.

 

[Robo]

...no plans have yet been unveiled, only blue sky rumors.

 

[Dan Murphy]

It's sad to see the buildings at POP that were never finished. I wonder why they never finished them....

Disney was in the midst of construction of POP when we experienced 9/11. The travel industry as a whole, including Disney, took a huge hit with tremendous reduction in tourism. POP was on schedule to open in 2002, if I recall. Construction stopped for a period of time on the Classic Years, as well as the Legendary Years. When construction resumed, it only did on the Classic, not the Legendary. Classic opened very late 2003, just in time for the Christmas Season, about two years late. They felt is impractical then, and apparently still do, to complete the Legendary section of POP. For some time, about half of Port Orleans was also closed after 9/11, better to shut it down than to have that many vacant rooms for an extended period of time.

 

[JennyMP03]

This thread is interesting, but abandoned buildings are rather creepy to me. Abandoned structures in theme parks are even more disturbing. For instance, the Six Flags in New Orleans remains standing and unused. I shudder when we drive by it-- those huge roller coasters looming over the trees, inoperative since Hurricane Katrina.

Maybe too many Saturday morning cartoons taught me that abandoned theme parks are the best place for supervillains to hatch their dastardly schemes.

Just adding this link about Six Flags New Orleans in case anyone is interested: http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/abandoned-six-flags-orleans

Really creepy. Toys and pictures left on shelves, even... yikes.

 

[puntagordabob]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Planogirl View Post
Didn't WDW also have two person swan boats? I seem to remember those... It could have been at the Swan and Dolphin instead?

Yes, Magic Kingdom had the boats in the early years.....

 

[Robo]

Didn't WDW also have two person swan boats? I seem to remember those... It could have been at the Swan and Dolphin instead?

Yes, Magic Kingdom had the boats in the early years.....

I don't recall MK offering two-person Swan Boats.

The boats that I remember had CM skippers.

 

[ReelRedHead]

I have such fond memories of River Country and Discovery Island from the 1980's. When I went back on my Honeymoon in 2004, I actually thought I was imagining Discovery Island.....did it actually ever exist??
Well, I guess so! HaHa

 

[disneyfreak89]

This thread is interesting, but abandoned buildings are rather creepy to me. Abandoned structures in theme parks are even more disturbing. For instance, the Six Flags in New Orleans remains standing and unused. I shudder when we drive by it-- those huge roller coasters looming over the trees, inoperative since Hurricane Katrina.

Just adding this link about Six Flags New Orleans in case anyone is interested: http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/abandoned-six-flags-orleans

Really creepy. Toys and pictures left on shelves, even... yikes.

Thanks for sharing this link.....very creepy indeed!

 

[shaniadobie]

the unfinished pop buildings look awful! I never noticed this until now. What a waste! The club house looks like it is finished outside, too bad they just dont finish that and tear down the room part. I would make a entertaiment spot for guests at POP century. Keep the theming at 00-40. Miss the River Country used to go there when i was a kid!

I think that Disney should complete the pop buildings and make a majority of them family suites... makes me said to see them like that..

 

[If U Had Wings]

Here's a few pictures I had in my photobucket account of maybe not rotting ex-attractions, but things that aren't around any longer or that look really different. I still suffer from disappointment that I never got to go to River Country because my brother refused to learn to swim.

At the Magic Kingdom:

2,000 Leagues - I hate that they got rid of this!

Not really an old attraction, but a sign of a different time. Behind my family to the left is the old tobbacoist sign. I can't even imagine a tobacco store in the middle of the MK anymore. Also if you look at the castle there's a straight view through. No stage.

At the old MGM Studios:

The original pre-hat view of Graumans

The old entrance to the Backlot tour, back when it was a real tour.

The making of the bee scene from the backlot tour -

At Epcot -

The World of Motion -

The upper level of the Imagination Pavillion -

The color tunnel at the Imagination Pavillion -

And a tombstoneless entry plaza at Epcot -

 

[Belle_princess]

WOW!

This is so sad. I had no idea the POP had another never-finished-section. Wow! Those pictures are creppy. . .however, I have a story brewing in my head. Hmm. . .

I vaguley remember the Swan boats.

Cranium Command. . .how I miss you. . .:crying:

I just can't get over the pictures of River COuntry. I never went there, but how awful that it is just rotting away.

Wow! Come on Disney. . .revitalize those once awesome things or create something new- don't just leave it!

(I'll have to look at old pictures to see what I find! Mayb I can post them soon!)

 

[Philagoofy]

Hey "IUH Wings", great photos, brings back some great memories of how things used to look.

I was never at River Country, only passed by on a boat but was wondering about the depth. In some of the photos posted here, looks like there's a very deep hole in the middle?

Also, how did they keep the crocs away?

 

[MommyPoppins]

Seems like for being in a down economy Disney has had no problems building 2 brand new DVC resorts and finishing Saratoga Springs. Seems to me in a down economy it would make sense to have more available value rooms.

As a family who has been hit very hard by this economy, we could NEVER afford to buy DVC and would book a trip to stay in a new value in a heartbeat.

I don't think we'll ever see anything done with Pop. Disney knows if someone wants to come, they are going to upgrade to a mod or deluxe if there are no value rooms available.

 

[Robo]

River Country... how did they keep the crocs away?

Croc-eating Ogres.

 

[bamamolly]

Didn't there used to be big "pin tables" in the Imagination building? They were huge tables where you run your hands under it and push the pins up to get the imprint of you hand or whatnot. Whatever happened to those?

 

[eugeniuss]

This thread is interesting, but abandoned buildings are rather creepy to me. Abandoned structures in theme parks are even more disturbing. For instance, the Six Flags in New Orleans remains standing and unused. I shudder when we drive by it-- those huge roller coasters looming over the trees, inoperative since Hurricane Katrina.

Maybe too many Saturday morning cartoons taught me that abandoned theme parks are the best place for supervillains to hatch their dastardly schemes.

Just adding this link about Six Flags New Orleans in case anyone is interested: http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/abandoned-six-flags-orleans

Really creepy. Toys and pictures left on shelves, even... yikes.

awesome info here... thanks for posting...

 

[BuzzBiteyear]

Disney was in the midst of construction of POP when we experienced 9/11. The travel industry as a whole, including Disney, took a huge hit with tremendous reduction in tourism. POP was on schedule to open in 2002, if I recall. Construction stopped for a period of time on the Classic Years, as well as the Legendary Years. When construction resumed, it only did on the Classic, not the Legendary. Classic opened very late 2003, just in time for the Christmas Season, about two years late. They felt is impractical then, and apparently still do, to complete the Legendary section of POP. For some time, about half of Port Orleans was also closed after 9/11, better to shut it down than to have that many vacant rooms for an extended period of time.

Yeah, DW and I decided to head to WDW in 11/02. We wanted to stay at POP, but found out later it would not be completed for our stay due to the construction stoppage following 9/11. Ended up at All-Star Sports (I had to spell that out after abbreviating at first), and looking back now the crowds were eerily small (we didn't know any different at that time).