Two iconic Disneyland attractions recently reopened from extended refurbishments, debuting new ride changes that were not announced by Disney. These ride changes alter the guest experience and have prompted a viral debate on whether one of these changes was for the best or was a mistake from Disney.
It’s unusual for Disney to make a major change to an attraction during a closure without announcing it, so one of these changes caught many Disneyland fans by surprise. Let’s get into all these new changes, including the debate from fans. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including another permanent store closure at Disney Springs and the May list of Disney ride closures.
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Disney Changes Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin just opened after refurbishment on May 1, debuting a major change that was not previously announced. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin is a spinning, dark wheel attraction located in Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland.
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On this ride, you board a yellow toon cab and follow Roger and Jessica Rabbit on their plans to stop the villainous Toon Patrol Weasels. This has traditionally been an interactive ride featuring a wheel that spins to give guests control over how fast their car spins, similar to how the spinning works for the Mad Tea Party teacups.
Upon the ride’s reopening, guests discovered that the ride vehicles can no longer be spun manually and instead have an auto-spin feature in certain parts of the track. This was not previously announced and has been a surprise change, especially since the wheel is still present even though it no longer controls the cars.
We reached out to Disney and they shared a reason for the change directly with Mickey Visit. A Disneyland official shared with Mickey Visit that they are continually making updates to attractions based on guest feedback and behavior. In this case, the ride change now means that they can offer lap sitting for younger guests on Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin by making modifications to the steering wheel component of the attraction.
They also shared that the update is part of general efforts to mitigate downtime on the attraction and to allow more guests to experience the ride as part of their ongoing goal to improve ride uptime and maintenance.
You can see the before and after of what the wheel looks like now below, noting that there are no longer arrows to indicate that you can spin the wheel within the yellow circle on the wheel.
For the first time in over 30 years, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin is now without it’s iconic spin function.
All references to the spinning have been removed across the queue and even the wheel itself.
The ride’s spinning is now automatic and no longer controlled by the rider. https://t.co/FLhxBj6tHm pic.twitter.com/MnIR7QGiuE
— Shishagumi (@Shishagumi) May 2, 2026
This news disappointed many guests and prompted a Reddit thread with over a thousand comments voicing their opinions on the unexpected change. Some expressed their sadness at losing a ride that featured an immersive experience, especially for kids. Others pointed out the issue of motion sickness and no longer being able to keep the spinning light for those who are sensitive to it. But some guests praised the move, saying it keeps the ride an easier experience without that extra work.
A Disneyland cast member also commented on the thread explaining how the ride operates now, “Toontown CM here: the ride vehicles still spin, the update just removed the ability to control the spin, the spinning is automatic now.”
Jim Shull, a retired Disney Imagineer, even chimed in on X, stating: “Having worked on the ride the point of the vehicle is that guests could spin it. The concept was tested using a tea cup car riding through the #HauntedMansion and the spin element sold the concept. Without the spin it’s just another dark ride.”
Here’s an updated video of the ride via DAPS Magic, who first reported the spinning change.
Jungle Cruise Ride Effect Not Active
Another ride that underwent unexpected changes during its extended refurbishment was the iconic Jungle Cruise attraction in Adventureland. The Jungle Cruise closed on February 17 and reopened on April 24.
This attraction features spinning piranha fish that come out of the water at the start of the ride, which are meant to suggest the fish are attacking the boat. This feature of the Jungle Cruise breaks quite often, so many guests were wondering if this would be addressed during this longer refurbishment.
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According to WDWNT, the fish were not visible in the water when they rode on reopening day, although cast members told them that the fish were just not working that day. But in previous experiences, even when the fish aren’t working, they can still be spotted in the water.
It’s unclear whether this is a permanent change. We will check into this ride soon to see if the change is permanent or if the fish are working again.
This may be a similar situation to earlier this year when Big Thunder Mountain reopened with the water fall effect on the first lift hill missing. The effect was restored at some point after the ride was already open. We may see the same thing happen with the Jungle Cruise change.
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