Tag Archives: Closed

December 24, 1971 – The Flight to the Moon Attraction Opens in Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland

“Our Flight to the Moon takes place sometime in the future, when travel to outer space will be an everyday adventure.”

On December 24, 1971, the Tomorrowland attraction Flight to the Moon opened in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park. The attraction was based on the original Disneyland attraction, which opened in 1967. After men had already been to the moon, the attraction lost popularity due to it being dated, and was closed on April 15, 1975. The attraction was then replaced with Mission to Mars, which opened on June 7, 1975.

November 21, 1994 – The Timekeeper Attraction Opens in Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland

“It worked! And they laughed at me back at university! Maybe it was because of the tutu.”

On November 21, 1994, the Tomorrowland attraction The Timekeeper opened in the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World. It was adapted from the Disneyland Paris attraction Un Voyage à Travers le Temps, and used the Circle-Vision 360° film technique, along with Audio-Animatronics, to tell a narrative. Guests would wait in the lobby and meet the invention known as 9-Eye (voiced by Rhea Perlman). Guests would then enter the theater and meet the Timekeeper (voiced by Robin Williams), an inventor who created a time machine. He then sends 9-Eye back in time to record her experiences in important times of the past. The attraction became a seasonal attraction on April 29, 2001, closing for good on February 26, 2006.

October 2, 1971 – The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat Begins Operation at Frontierland in Walt Disney World

“Take off on a scenic half-mile adventure into the wilds of old America aboard a steam-powered paddler wheeler.”

On October 2, 1971, the riverboat attraction The Admiral Joe Fowler began operating in Frontierland of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The riverboat was named after Admiral Joe Fowler, who was hired to be in charge of construction of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The riverboat was retired in 1980, but its sister ship, the Richard F. Irvine remained, and was renamed the Liberty Belle in 1996.

July 23, 1956 – The Junior Autopia Attraction Opens in Disneyland’s Fantasyland

“The design of the Junior Autopia sport cars is not likely to be out of style soon.”

On July 23, 1956, the attraction Junior Autopia opened in Disneyland’s Fantasyland. An adaptation of the Autopia attraction which opened in 1955, a block of wood was added to the gas pedal to allow younger guests to drive. A center guard rail was also added to this attraction. Junior Autopia closed in December of 1958, and reopened in 1959 as a part of the expanded Fantasyland Autopia.

April 23, 1957 – The Fantasyland Attraction Midget Autopia Opens

On April 23, 1957, the Fantasyland attraction Midget Autopia opened in Disneyland. The attraction was meant for children who were too small for the Autopia attraction. However, Walt Disney supposedly disliked the fact that only children could ride this attraction, and it was closed on April 3, 1966. When it was removed from Disneyland to be replaced by the walkway for it’s a small world, the full attraction was donated to Disney’s hometown of Marceline, Missouri, although it has not been in operation for several years

October 14, 1971 – The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Attraction Opens in Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland

“We are underway and proceeding on a course that will take us on a voyage through liquid space. En route, we will pass below the polar ice cap, and then probe depths seldom seen by man.”

On October 14, 1971, the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction opened in Tomorrowland of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The underwater submarine ride was based on the hit 1954 film, rather than the Disneyland version of the ride, which was based on the nuclear submarines in the news of much of the 1950s. The ride became highly popular, and was one of the biggest and most expensive Disney attractions. The ride, however, was closed on September 5, 1994, and was replaced with Pooh’s Playful Spot in 2005.

August 6, 1961 – The Flying Saucers Attraction Opens in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland

“Even to this day, you hear people talking about, ‘When are you guys going to bring back the Flying Saucers?’” – Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President, Creative Development, Walt Disney Imagineering

On August 6, 1961, the Flying Saucers attraction opened at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. The attraction consisted of individually controlled “flying saucers” (giant inner tubes) that floated on air, similar to an air hockey table. While the attraction was highly popular, the technology was, unfortunately, not perfected at the time, and was constantly breaking down. Some of the problems included smaller children not being heavy enough to move the ride, and the number of people it took to maintain the ride, about 13 to 17 individuals at one time. The attraction closed on September 6, 1966, and has not been replaced.