7 Disney Attractions You'll Never Ride Again

Several Disney park attractions have closed over the years, whether from ongoing technical issues or dwindling guest interest. Some rides were only up and running for a few years before they were shut down, while other classics stood the test of time—that is, until they didn't. We've compiled a list of the rides you knew and loved that you'll sadly never be able to go on again. Read on for a look back at seven closed Disney attractions.

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Once located in the Norway pavilion of Epcot at Disney World, Maelstrom had guests board a Viking-style boat. The indoor ride showcased Norwegian history and mythology, but its 26-year tenure ended when the attraction officially closed on Oct. 5, 2014, per the Miami Herald.

But although Maelstrom was shut down, the Norwegian theme was reimagined when it was replaced with Frozen Ever After in 2016, inspired by the hit film Frozen.

Some weren't thrilled with the fact that the new ride is set in Frozen's fictional Norwegian kingdom of Arendelle—as Maelstrom was part of the World Showcase, which is meant to educate guests about countries' authentic history.

However, the original ride wasn't erased entirely. Inside the Magic reports that one piece of Maelstrom lives on in the form of its small puffins. Eagle-eyed guests noticed that Maelstrom's puffins can still be seen at the finale of Frozen Ever After, paying homage to the original ride.

Splash Mountain was a mainstay at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, dating back to 1989, and later opening at Disney World in 1992. But in 2020, the ride was enmeshed in controversy thanks to the 1946 film that served as its inspiration, Song of the South.

The film has been criticized for decades due to its portrayal of Black characters and for "romanticizing" the Antebellum South, per Deadline, which eventually prompted a Disney spokesperson to confirm that the ride would be shut down and transformed into Tiana's Bayou Adventure, inspired by The Princess and the Frog. (The spokesperson also stressed that these plans had been in the works since 2019.)

Both the Disneyland and Disney World rides closed earlier this year, with renovations ongoing ahead of Tiana's Bayou Adventure's anticipated opening in 2024. However, while you may not be able to ride Splash Mountain at Disney parks in the U.S., the controversial ride is still open at Tokyo Disneyland.

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Back in 1956, the Skyway gondola ride opened at Disneyland, carrying guests above the park between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. The Disney World version opened at the Magic Kingdom 15 years later, in 1971. According to Inside the Magic, at Disneyland specifically, the highlight of the ride was traveling through the Matterhorn Bobsleds mountain.

The gondola ride saw its final day at Disneyland in 1994, but the Disney World version remained open until 1999. All Ears reports that the Magic Kingdom Skyway was too expensive to maintain, and as for the Disneyland version, Inside the Magic says that the "official answer" was declining popularity and the need for space to build Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

Disney's first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, of course deserves a place at Disney parks. But while it may have been well-intended, the original attraction was simply terrifying.

Snow White and Her Adventures opened at Disneyland in 1955, as a dark ride which included a special-effects landscape, the Tampa Bay Times reported. But it was actually pretty frightening, and in 1983, the ride was renamed Snow White's Scary Adventures, giving guests a bit more of a heads-up before getting in line. A tamer version of that ride still exists at the park, having been re-themed once again as Snow White's Enchanted Wish in 2021.

A similar attraction opened at Disney World in 1971, and again, terrifying images—including those of the film's villain, the Evil Queen—prompted complaints from guests. Changes to make the ride less nightmare-inducing continued, including a refurbishment in 1994, but the fearful ride did close at Disney World on May 31, 2012, Tampa Bay Times reported.

It was demolished and replaced by The Princess Fairytale Hall and the more kid-friendly Snow White-themed ride, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

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The Great Movie Ride was a truly beloved attraction in Hollywood Studios (formerly known as Disney/MGM Studios) at Disney World, located inside a replica of Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theater, per All Ears. The ride ran guests through the history of motion pictures, including scenes from films like The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, and Mary Poppins.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

The popular and beloved ride closed in 2017, replaced by Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. According to All Ears, fans of the attraction were less than thrilled, as the ride was the last of the original opening-day attractions at Disney/MGM Studios.

At the former Wonders of Life pavilion at Epcot, Disney World guests were treated to an exhilarating and educational ride. The motion simulator Body Wars was first opened in 1989. Guests were "shrunken down" and taken on a trip through the human body.

According to All Ears, the ride was successful when it opened, but once MetLife pulled its sponsorship of the Wonders of Life pavilion—which was geared at promoting health and fitness–in 2001, things took a turn for the worse.

Body Wars was operated seasonally in 2004, but both the pavilion and the ride were shut down for good in Jan. 2007, according to All Ears. There have been many different plans for the defunct pavilion, including a conversion to an interactive pavilion called "Play!" However, as of 2023, no additional details have been announced.

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If there's one attraction you'll truly never see at Disney parks again, it's the ride that many consider the worst of all time: Superstar Limo.

The concept behind the dark ride was that guests would be riding in a "limousine" through Hollywood, trying to escape the paparazzi. The ride was already in construction at Disney's California Adventure when Princess Diana died in 1997, creating a sensitivity issue, as she had died in a limousine accident related to an alleged paparazzi chase, SFGATE reported.

As a result, the ride itself was slowed down, eliminating the speed associated with a "chase," and designers also installed figures of celebrity likenesses, instead of animatronics, along the way.

According to All Ears, construction was done on a tight budget—and it showed. In fact, the ride was met with so much criticism it only lasted for one year. Fans thought it was cheap and not up to Disney's standards, and The New York Times called it "probably the schlockiest attraction" at Disneyland, SFGATE reported.

The ride was later replaced by Monsters Inc.: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue!, inspired by the hit Pixar film. Oddly enough, the new ride still includes some components of its disastrous predecessor: The celebrity figures are now in HAZMAT suits, "masquerading as monsters in Monstropolis."