What are the absolute worst WDW attractions?

[LyricSaison]

I don't mind that the Mexico ride isn't exciting, but I find it very disjointed and cheap-looking. I think I'd prefer more of a narrative.

[innerSpaceman]

Well, in looking over the contents of this thread, it appears that most people have focused in on Epcot as the prime culprit. You'll get no argument from me on that one, as everything they've done to FutureWorld since 1994 has been a complete desecration.

But, IMHO, the absolute worst WDW attraction is Pirates of the Caribbean. I often wonder if the folks who built this version (after mucho guest complaints about its initial absence from the MK) ever even saw the original Disneyland version. Ok, so there's no need to drop down a waterfall to get to the show building, but why eliminate the entire cavern section that is probably the most atmospheric environment of the original attraction? And the pathetic night sky effects over the Caribbean village are just unbelievable. I mean, how can you make an attraction this bad when there's an existing model of how to make it good? The whole thing just feels like an abridged, readers-digest, shoe-string budget version of a famous gem.

[Nigel2]

Its funny most of the bad attracions are in EPCOT, but I like EPCOT the most. MK is just a waste of time for people who go to disneyland since most of our versions of attractions are either the exact same, or just slightly better to us. But there are exceptions of course that make your park just as fun.

[Crispy]

Well, (in my attempt to redeem Epcot) one of the best Disney Attractions is in Epcot...... the American Adventure. I've always been impressed in the way animatronic figures were really used in an emotive way in that attraction.... far different from the way they are used in other attractions. I've always loved this attraction, and am hoping that the patriotic wave is this country has caused a rise in attendance levels.

There would be one more great attraction in Epcot if Disney had screwed up Journey into Imagination. Sorry, if i keep beating that topic like a dead horse.

Okay, well, I put my $.02 in, once again.

Mr. Crispy

[innerSpaceman]

Ok, Crispy - American Adventure is one of the best attractions ever created. Period. And World Showcase is still charming. Unchanged, yes, but charming still. A lesson to be learned for the other half of Epcot. Has there been anything in FutureWorld that hasn't been ruined? Any attraction there that is not worse than its forebear?

Spaceship Earth? Jeremy Irons better than Walter Cronkite? The new descent better than the original? I don't think so.

Universe of Energy? Anyone for Ellen? Give me a break!

The Land? Better without "Symbiosis?" Hardly.

Journey into Imagination? Don't get me started.

Horizons? Is a big hole in the ground better than the best FutureWorld attraction that ever was? I wanna cry.

Test Track better than World of Motion? Please.

I hate stagnation as much as the next guy. And I can understand the urge to keep updating the future-themed attractions. But you'd better be sure what you're doing. Let Disneyland's Tomorrowland and WDW's FutureWorld be a lesson -
sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone. And it's always better to leave fabulous alone.

[Crispy]

Spaceship Earth? Jeremy Irons better than Walter Cronkite? The new descent better than the original? I don't think so.

I actually like the updated Spacehsip Earth better. The new soundtrack, as well as Jeremy Irons narration, I think, gives the attraction some extra drama. The ending of the ride needed to be updated also, since the Internet wasn't really something used by the general public back in 82 when Epcot opened. The new ride has an awsome score, too!

Universe of Energy? Anyone for Ellen? Give me a break!

At first when I heard that Universe of Energy would be replaced by "Ellen's Energy Adventure," I thought it was just some laughable internet rumor. But I was actually surprised by the way it came out. I kinda miss the preshow with the "kenetic" flipping screens, but there's a lot of little things I like about the new show. The Ellen animatronic figure is cool (although many swear it looks like Michael J. Fox) and I like how they feel in a lot of that dead time, where as before you had to wait in the last room for all the vehicles to arrive. Now they have the neat radio station tower in the background and time travel weather updates. The updated version of this attraction also features a really awesome score!

The Land? Better without "Symbiosis?" Hardly.

I have to admit, I never saw "Symbosis." I never stopped in that theatre until they started showing the Lion King film in there. However, I think that it's a rather minor attraction as part of the Land,..... especially when you consider how many films there are at Epcot. The boat ride in the Land feels kinda lacking now that the "Listen to the Land" themesong has been removed. Still a cool attraction, though. Don't get me started on "Food Rocks," however. Kitchen Kabaret was much more enjoyable.

Journey into Imagination? Don't get me started.

I think this has been covered. And from the exit polls at Epcot, I'd saw that you aren't alone.


Horizons? Is a big hole in the ground better than the best FutureWorld attraction that ever was? I wanna cry.

I miss Horizons, too. Like I said earlier, I miss the whole animatronic genre of attraction of which Spaceship Earth seems to be the last example in Epcot. But we'll just have to wait and see what Mission Space is like and if it's a worthy replacement.

Test Track better than World of Motion? Please.

I didn't find Test Track all that enjoyable, but thought it was okay. I really didn't like the waiting area. That whole kind of industrial motif puts you in that feeling of the outside world, instead of the feeling of being removed from it. There were segments of the ride that were neat but not really a part that "wow'ed" me like Indy or Twilight Zone. It's kinda hard to compare Test Track to WOM, because they are both so different. I do however mourn the passing of the tradition of animatronic based attractions at Disney (have I said that enough? hehe) Test Track was my boyfriend's favorite attraction in Epcot, however. And there are many people who like it.

Let Disneyland's Tomorrowland and WDW's FutureWorld be a lesson - sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone

Well, I'd say the lesson is, don't replace something unless yu can replace it with something BETTER, or at least, just as good. But don't tear out an attraction and put in something worse, and think that people will like it, just because it's "new." But, hey, why replace attractions at all when you can just close them down? Look at Timekeeper att he Magic Kingdom. Good attraction.... but sitting there closed for no reason.

Mr. Crispy

[Sheila]

Originally posted by innerSpaceman
Universe of Energy? Anyone for Ellen? Give me a break!

I make it a point to go on this ride at least one or two times every trip. Her preshow just cracks me up. "And you just think about it because YOU'RE late!" :D

FWIW, I think Ellen's Energy Adventure qualifies as the best combination of entertainment with education, which is to me the whole point of Epcot.

Sheila

[Andrew]

Originally posted by LyricSaison
I like the Conservation Station at DAK. Every time we're there Jesse talks on excitedly about how he's going to see the goats. Mind you, Jesse isn't my child. He's my 29 year old boyfriend.

There are.. goats at Conservation Station?!? I had no idea! We'd always skipped it... (I love baby goats)

[Nigel2]

MMMMMMmmm. Goats, a little salt and pepper. Wait. I think universe of energy is so cool in the concept of a moving theater. Yes I do agree that the ellen AA looks rather mannish in appearance. Journey into... has some cool parts (Hey I like Eric Idle) like the upside down room, plus the line has props from various movies in it. Also the ending is so cool in design. Sure it's cheap, but it fools you when you ride it for the first time. I don't know why, but I think that it's kind of a cop out that the US gets the biggest and best attraction, even though its a great attraction it still seems like they are trying to be dominate over everyone even though the WS is supposed to convey a message of unity. Then again they have the least spectacular food there so I guess it kind of evens out. It is understandable that they built a larger building so it could look in proportion to the rest of them though. Plus test track isn't bad at all, the whole factory theme is supposed to draw you from one world into another, if you worked in an auto testing lab then it would be understandable that the magic would be gone but anyone else feels like they are in another location compltely.

[LyricSaison]

There are.. goats at Conservation Station?!? I had no idea! We'd always skipped it... (I love baby goats) [/B][/QUOTE]

And a llama and pigs and other small animals thought they're not usually out for petting. Sometimes a cast member will bring out other animals for "play". The Conservation Station is great if you give it time and really explore.

[9oldmen]

Wanna hear something funny related to the "Ellen AA/Micheal J. Fox" resemblance? I was reading an article in the L A Times during the summer about celebrities doing voices for animated films. They had these pictures of the Atlantis voice cast. A friend of mine looked at the pictures, pointed to the rather thin bespectacled ball cap wearing Micheal J. Fox, and asked, "Who's that woman?".

[Nathan1097]

Unfortunately, one of the worst single rides in WDW is the train around MK -
Hey now..... we're all complaining about classic attractions being shut down and you're going to slam one that is still running? Mr. Toad had to go and my kids will never see it (unless we make it out to CA one day), along with the Skyway, and COP, and Horizons and many other classic attractions. My eldest son LOVES trains and I'm looking forward to riding it with my kids next time we go- about 3 years from now. Its still relaxing even though there isn't much to look at most of the time- the breeze is nice and cool, for one thing. Which reminds me- I was just saying to my husband yesterday that it seems WDW is taking out the slower "relaxing" attractions in favor of the big, loud, wild ones. The balance between the two is getting WAY off. If they are trying to compete with Six Flags or Cedar Point, forget it. That's not what WDW is! I'm going ot sound old now, but I LIKE the slower attractions. They give you a chance to sit, rest, and cool off. Like the hall of presidents for one, and RIP COP. We used to love Tiki Birds- but now that they've changed the show, I don't know. My mom says its still good, but again- another place to sit and relax and be in familiar surroundings.

[Nathan1097]

By the way am I the only person that misses horizons? I mean I am looking forward to space, but I did like the other show too.

Nope! My dh and I miss it, too. I have video, speaking of, of us on the skyway, followed by us standing outside Horizons before we go in, in Feb. 1996. For that matter, it shows us in line for Mr. Toad, too!

[Nathan1097]

Could someone tell me what was so special about "The Land" that it always had a huge wait that was almost as long as test track.

Ho hum....... Yet another one of our favorites. :( I have always liked the farm scene with the house, the desert..... Sitting in the restaurant above is really neat too. Yet another place to sit and take in the info without it being rockous.

[Nathan1097]

well, about that Mexico attraction, i like it. it reminds me of "take flight." One thing that gets me is that people want all these flip you around rides, etc. While I like these, I also enjoy the calm and quiet ones. Walt Disney wanted to have a place that parents and kids could enjoy together. Let's not lose this philosophy.

Exactly. As the beginning of my "Walt Disney World Explorer" "says", "A place where parents and their children can laugh, play, and learn together". What the BEEP happened to that??? Blah. Efoxx is right- its all about the money now it seems. Just like everything else.

[Nathan1097]

But, IMHO, the absolute worst WDW attraction is Pirates of the Caribbean.
*sigh* Yet another of our favorites being malaligned..... If this is what Eisner et al are hearing, its no wonder the way the parks are going!

[Nathan1097]

Bravo, innerspaceman! I completely agree with your post. These attractions are what have KEPT us coming back! I guess Eisner only wants "a lot" of new people to visit once for a day, vs. "quite a few" of us one-time devoted WDW-lovers who try to get back every year or every other year for 2 weeks.

[Nigel2]

I find the ride itself ok, but for god's sakes change the scenes a little, (like with canada's movie) they are so out of date they almost are offensive. It is ok if it was a slow boat ride still but it looks like a ride featuring stuff in a tourist promo video.

[twistedmickey]

What has happened to all the rides at Epcot??? World of Motion---GONE. Horizons---GONE. Instead of leaving those rides and adding on they have destroyed them and taken years and years to build new stuff. Why couldnt Horizon have been left where it is and Space be placed somewhere else??? Epcot is becoming a graveyard. Another thing Epcot lacks is nostalgia. Ellen being added to Universe....the song from the Land attraction removed.... Maybe one day they will change the color of Spaceship Earth to orange and have the Florida Tourist Board sponsor the ride. I think I am going to be sick!!! :eek:

Ok, enough about Epcot. The worst attraction for me is Kali River Rapids. Disney still has not mastered the river raft ride. I find that ride so boring even though it does have potential.

And what is with those tombstones at the entrance of Epcot....OK i will stop!!!! ;)

[Nathan1097]

:p twistedmickey- I agree. Why not have Minutemaid sponsor SE? Update the inside to be a wild rollercoaster with a subtle orange grove theme? Totally- graveyard- including the gravestones! Aren't those a fire hazard? Or don't they get enough people into the park anymore? :p

[Nigel2]

For only 25 dollars you can come up to a machine have it take your picture, kill you in one of 10 exciting way, and then drop you into a machine where your phospherous and other minerals and also your water are removed to serve many things throughout the park. Then your image is inscribed with a lazer onto a metal plate connected to the tombstone.:D

[kennyhues]

I made a really quick half-day swing through Epcot in 1999 (that was all the time I had, and I'd never been before) and saw the "ruined" JIYI. Like someone else posted I like Eric Idle, so that helped. But I didn't know what I was missing. Taken on its own, I rather liked it. If they really sold a lot of Figment merchandise, how in the world did the ride ever get re-done?

Even if we put good sense aside and say that the great public love for Figment wasn't a good reason to leave the ride as it was, the warped internal reasoning of the Disney Company should have looked at brisk Figment merch sales and left the ride alone. I don't think we'll ever figure this one out, gang. It's just a giant corproate "doh!"

Made a real visit to WDW Oct 5-13. Didn't get to do Dinosaur - it broke down just as we were walking up to it (Oct 11, no lines).

We got on the Conservation Station train and then, too late, realized that it'd probably be just goats and whatever. Understandable on the one hand, but then why bother with the petting zoo at all? I wanted to maybe touch a tiger cub or somethin. It's very ordinary.

I liked El Rio del Tiempo (yeah, it is a little dated), but thought Maelstrom was a joke. From the hosptial-sterile queue hallways to the too-short ride (the 180 is sort of cool since it's unique), it's a disappointment. I sorta liked the oil rig. How embarrassi ng.

Have to say though, that the Stave Church really stopped us in our tracks. Being Christians it had some significance for us that it might not have had for others, but the combination of the undisturbed silence (crowds were low, and the entry door doesn't really scream "come in here!") and the tranquil music playing made the wooden Christ figure, with a deep crack across its face, unexpectedly powerful. Got to me in a way I didn't see coming. Walt Disney World was the last place I expected to have a moving spiritual experience! LOL!!

Say, would anyone here have a photo of that wooden Christ figure? I'd love to have one. I was too caught up in the moment to snap one while I was there.

[Horace Horsecollar]

Whew! The opinions are sure sprouting like dandelions (not that that's a bad thing). Here's my little weed of an opinion.

EPCOT: Journey Into Your Imagination--if you like riding around in the dark with almost nothing to look at, this ride's for you (but I do like the interactive "lab" that you exit through). You have to wade through a lot of lame stuff before you get to the dinos in Ellen's Energy Adventure (but seeing the animatronic Ellen fend off a rather phallic snake creature with a stick is almost worth the wait). Rio di Tiempo is pretty lame, but I do like Maelstrom. And be sure to see Cranium Command (a great little show--easy to miss if you're not careful). I miss Horizons, too. (Whew! didn't mean to dump so much on EPCOT here--I actually do like the place.)

Magic Kingdom: The new Tiki room--a mistake.

DisneyMGM: Sounds Dangerous is no great shakes, but it is a good place to relax (fairly funny, too). The Indiana Jones stunt show was a big disappointment, I thought--the pacing is terrible (could've been an off day).

Animal Kingdom: Tarzan Rocks--call it "Tarzan Sucks." (But I'm not a big fan of theme-park stage shows in general.)

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Nigel2
For only 25 dollars you can come up to a machine have it take your picture, kill you in one of 10 exciting way, and then drop you into a machine where your phospherous and other minerals and also your water are removed to serve many things throughout the park. Then your image is inscribed with a lazer onto a metal plate connected to the tombstone.:D


Perfect! That should be the last word on that subject!

[Iceman]

Greetings from a newbie! I don't know how people normally introduce themselves around here, so suffice it to say that I'm a fairly major Disney fanatic who plans to be an Imagineer someday. Pleasure Island is my favorite part of WDW, with EPCOT my favorite theme park.

For the most part, there are attractions I like and others I don't enjoy, but very few I would describe as "bad". To be bad, an attraction has to have no redeeming qualities; it must be downright miserable to be forced to endure it. The new "Journey Into Your Imagination", however, is bad. B A D with capital letters bad.

I'm hard-pressed to think of any others. :)