Thames River Cruise: Epcot Center's Cancelled Attractions Part 22

Epcot Center's Cancelled Attractions

Epcot Center was planned to have many more rides than were actually built, with most being canceled because of lack of sponsorship or budgetary reasons.

With the UK Pavilion getting a Mary Poppins attraction soon what better time is there to look at the originally proposed attraction for the UK Pavilion, known as the Thames River Cruise.

Welcome back to Epcot Center's Cancelled Attractions for the last article of this year. Don't worry we return for the last three articles of this series in the new year followed by an all-new series replacing this series. If you missed any previous articles be sure to check here.

Most canceled attractions that were planned for the opening day of Epcot have some kind of remnant left in the park that did actually get built. The entrance of Rhine River Cruise. The entire Meet the World show building. Not Thames River Cruise.

No, this ride has nothing in the park from it and the above concept art is really the only evidence that this ride concept ever existed.

In all likelihood, this was from a version of the UK pavilion that never got built and was replaced by the current version of the rid. There is really no room for a ride in the layout of the current pavilion, especially not one the size of an elaborate water ride like this concept would have been.

This looks like it would be similar to a water omnimover as opposed to a Pirates of the Caribbean style ride system. Again we really don't know a lot about this ride, which is a shame as the concept art looks like it would have been pretty elaborate for a water ride with no drops.

This ride wouldn't have been a flashy E-Ticket attraction like most of the things we have discussed, but it would have given World Showcase a second opening day ride-through attraction and another ride system in the park.

Thanks for coming back to Epcot Center's Cancelled Attractions. If you missed any of our previous entries be sure to go here. Also, be sure you come back early next year for our next entry in the series, The Venezuela Pavilion.