Abandoned Attractions

[SunnyP4Disney]

Discovery Island

The Fairway Villas (remember they actually had a cul de sac of homes you could rent?)

Disney Village and how we could drive our golf carts to the Village and park there. I refuse to call the Marketplace anything but the Village.

World of Motion (I was in the training video for cast members. I remember going to Epcot while it was still under construction for the taping of it. I got to ride on the ride while they were still putting it together. One of the animatronic robots didn't have his skin on yet and it creeped me the heck out! I was only five and I STILL remember it vividly to this day).

I actually miss the giant arcade at the Contemporary where the Wave is located now. I lined in the are and we would go there on the weekends and hang out and play air hockey at 2 in the morning.

 

[desert_starr_57]

We had the old Epcot cassette that had the songs from Horizons, Journey in Imagination, World of Motion, Kitchen Cabaret, etc.....I still remember all the words and can hear them all in my head.

 

[bamamolly]

ok...i think this was in the Land at EPCOT...does anyone remember the show with the dancing fruits and veggies that talked about eating a healthy lunch and stuff...it was hokey but i always loved it...i really miss it!!!

i also miss the REAL animation studio! i can't remember what movie they were working on when i first to MGM went but it was May the year MGM opened....anyone have any ideas????

I remember that show! It was great!

 

[bamamolly]

Oh yeah, that ride was nasty.

 

[bellenbuzz]

Robo...your pix of unfinished Pop at the beginning of this thread are something else.......Was that really going to be a New Resort ???

It looks so sad.....

Now, I have to go back and read thru the rest of this thread.....

So interesting!!

 

[anjalee6]

We had the old Epcot cassette that had the songs from Horizons, Journey in Imagination, World of Motion, Kitchen Cabaret, etc.....I still remember all the words and can hear them all in my head.

We did too. I loved that cassette tape. I loved listening to all the songs on it. I love reading this thread. My husband never went to Disney as a child so he never has any idea what I am talking about. When we go, I always, say, "This used to be and that used to be" but he can't relate. It's nice to read and relive memories here.

 

[DisneyDude_82]

Maybe that's where Dr. Doofenschmirtz will strike next!

Or maybe even....Dr. Horrible?

*Crosses his fingers hopes someone gets it*

 

[doconeill]

Or maybe even....Dr. Horrible?

*Crosses his fingers hopes someone gets it*

Only if there is a song involved...

 

[splashmountainjaxson]

River Country ...my goodness, I really just loved that place.
We never did DI -- what did you 'do' on the Island? What years was that in operation?

I do miss Kitchen Cabaret, "veggie veggie fruit fruit"
I do miss the Diamond Horse Shoe Revue Show
I remember talking to some robot in Innoventions.
I remember making the 'floor light up with music' -- assuming upstairs at the Journey to Imagination.

I remember my dad making dining reservations at SpaceShip earth via a dining reservation agent on the TV. What was that?

I miss the original Top of the World Lounge
I miss the movie theater at the Contemporary Lounge
I miss Horizons
I miss World of Motion...

I guess I miss my youth..........

 

[MichelleinMaine]

We never did DI -- what did you 'do' on the Island? What years was that in operation?

I have only vague memories of visiting it in 1977 (I was 6.) It was sort of a wildlife refuge place, you could walk around and look at birds, etc. I remember a spot where you could hold various parrots, etc.

It was very nice (calming!) but I suppose not a tremendous money maker for WDW.

 

[Robo]

I have only vague memories of visiting it in 1977 (I was 6.) It was sort of a wildlife refuge place, you could walk around and look at birds, etc. I remember a spot where you could hold various parrots, etc.

It was very nice (calming!) but I suppose not a tremendous money maker for WDW.

They closed the island and moved many of the animals from there to DAK, when they built the new theme park.

 

[txaggie94gigem]

so what was the Disney Institute?

 

[Robo]

so what was the Disney Institute?

One of the biggest miscalculations of guest's desires that Disney ever made.

Sitting on the grounds of THE most popular theme parks on the planet, they decided
guests would rather spend their vacation days doing arts and crafts and hands-on classes of the kind
found at Community Colleges in any part of the country.

Wow. Just wow.

 

[MOmousefan]

This thread has brought back some good memories.

Food Rocks back in 1995.

Imagination in 1995 with a visit upstairs.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

I can only imagine how much money was spent on the Disney Institute-I was lucky enough to be a travel manager at that time and had an all expense paid trip to go to the Institute just prior to it's opening. On the grounds of what is now Saratoga, they had a rock climbing wall, very fancy demonstration kitchens for cooking classes, a greenhouse where your could make topiaries, an animation studio with classes, etc. Some of the facilities around the lobby are still there, although are not being used for what they were designed for. The old villas you stayed in were great-so quiet and spread out over lovely grounds. As said, I can only imagine how much money was spent, and it really didn't last long at all!

 

[txaggie94gigem]

OK...yeah what were they thinking??? i am betting the imagineer team that thought of that one works elsewhere now?! "i am going to WDW next week...what parks am i going to visit? that is a waste of my time! I am going there to learn something really important!"

ok...i thought of another abandoned "attraction"! THE BIG RED BOAT! of course its replacement is MUCH better!!!

not an attraaction, but i am glad they brought the treehouses back....we saw them a few years ago by boat and they were so rundown, it was really sad...

i know nothing stays the same but it is fun to remininsce about lost places to explore...I also miss the original figment! much beter than the one now...also i miss the face to face reservation system at epcot! that was so unique and a really fun thing to do!!!

 

[PDJPrinceCharming]

Comedy Warehouse at the former Pleasure Island(just rebrand & call it all Downtown Disney if you're not re-opening the clubs, makes it easier on those of us who miss our old PI)......although I have heard rumors it might re-open in some capacity.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

What changes were made to Pleasure Island within the last couple of years? I used to enjoy the "Adventurer's Club"...they also used to have some cute stores right around there that are no longer there, or no longer cute!

 

[doconeill]

I think DI was a good idea...it just didn't fly though. I would have loved to have done it.

Also, "A Bug's Life" had its genesis in the animation course there...

The Big Red Boat was a license agreement with Disney as the "official cruise line", but that fell apart and Disney decided to create their own cruise line.

 

[MartDM]

ok...i thought of another abandoned "attraction"! THE BIG RED BOAT!

I actually saw the Big Red Boat a few years ago in Freeport, Bahamas. At least one of the crew members said that's what it was. It sure looked like I remembered it but it was rusting away amongst a bunch of old industrial vessels. Sad!