Disney Parks are constantly changing places and rides are always closing to make way for new experiences. But rarely, an experience that had already disappeared forever comes back to the Disney Parks even after a long absence.
Today we look at five times that a Disney ride has closed and then returned after a lengthy absence.
1. Carousel of Progress
The Carousel of Progress is a classic Disney attraction is one that has closed and reopened several times in Disney history. First, it would close at the 1964 Worlds Fair to be moved to Disneyland upon the closure of the fair, before it would eventually close there as well to be moved to the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
Most recently, the ride would enter seasonal operations following 9/11. This is typically a death sentence for a Disney ride, but this attraction survived it and reentered normal operation.
2. Enchanted Tiki Room
The Enchanted Tiki Room in the Magic Kingdom closed in 1997 to be replaced by a reimagined version featuring Lion King and Aladdin characters. This was not received well but it still ran at the park for over a decade.
Then in 2011, a fire struck the attraction in its revised format. It was decided in the aftermath that it would be better to restore the original show rather than rebuild the unpopular revised version. It would reopen as the Enchanted Tiki Room in 2011.
3. Space Mountain
Space Mountains around the world in recent years have been replaced with Hyperspace Mountain, a Star Wars-themed overlay of the classic attraction. But in all but one instance, this has become a relatively permanent addition, still operating at Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
But in Disneyland, this would be a temporary addition, although the original Space Mountain was unavailable for around two years. Hyperspace Mountain still occasionally pops up from time to time around May 4th for short runs.
4. It's A Small World
It's a Small World is one Disney ride that has closed and returned in another location similar to the Carousel of Progress. It closed in the 1964 World's Fair to be relocated to Disneyland, where it would open up in a new section of Fantasyland.
During this, the entrance of the attraction would be entirely reimagined into the current iconic form that has also been cloned around the world.
5. Disneyland Submarines
The submarines of Disneyland have been a part of Tomorrowland for most of its history, but they almost did not survive, with the original version having closed in the 1990s. It also went through a failed proposal that would have saved the submarines, a proposed retheme based on the Disney film Atlantis that was called off when the film underperformed at the box office.
The lagoon would sit empty for almost a decade before eventually another nautical-themed film would give Disney a reason to save the subs. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage would open in 2007 using the same basic layout and ride vehicles. It saved a classic Disneyland attraction that still operates today.
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