Disneyland opened in 1955 and since that initial opening day we have seen many different attractions come and go. As Walt Disney himself said, “As long as there's imagination left in the world, Disneyland will never be complete.”
While the growth of Disneyland continues, especially with the Disneyland Forward project on the horizon, there are a number of attractions and shows that we wish would return to Disneyland.
Most of these attractions cannot return for logistical reasons but there are some on this list that could be brought back by Disney and those are the ones we specifically highlight as some of the most sorely missed!
1. PeopleMover
One of the most missed rides at Disneyland is the PeopleMover. This transport attraction in Disneyland's Tomorrowland opened in 1967 and closed in 1995. Guests boarded small trams that ran on tracks through Tomorrowland for a view of the land from above.
This attraction still exists in Walt Disney World with their PeopleMover attraction passing through Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.
All of the remaining infrastructure remains for the PeopleMover in Disneyland's Tomorrowland which is part of the frustration for many guests as to why Disneyland hasn't made moves to bring back this nostalgic attraction. Disney is aware of this heightened demand for the return of the Disneyland PeopleMover but stricter regulations than those that existed in the past will require more extensive construction to bring the PeopleMover back to Disneyland. While this demand has been acknowledged at events like D23, there are no active plans to bring the Disneyland PeopleMover back to life.
2. Paint the Night Parade
Paint the Night is one of the most popular parades Disneyland has ever done but it had an incredibly short run. This parade took place in the evenings at Disney California Adventure and debuted in 2015. The parade last ran in the summer of 2018.
Paint the Night was inspired by the Main Street Electrical parade with the use of LED lights on parade floats and the costumed performers. The parade utilized over 1.5 million LED lights, special effects, and 76 performers. This stunning parade was a hit amongst guests for its brightly colored floats and was truly one of the best nighttime parades we've ever seen Disneyland do. Parade floats featured characters from Peter Pan, Cars, Monsters, Inc., The Little Mermaid, The Incredibles, and Beauty and the Beast.
There have been plenty of rumors over the years for why this parade hasn't returned with the most common one we've heard being that the LED costumes for performers were too heavy and impacted their physical wellbeing. I hope that Disney can recognize the demand for this parade and make adjustments, if that rumor is true, to bring the parade back in the future.
3. Country Bear Jamboree
Country Bear Jamboree opened in Disneyland in 1972 before ultimately being replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 2001. This was the first attraction in Disneyland that was duplicated from an existing Walt Disney World attraction.
While logistically Country Bear Jamboree cannot return to Disneyland as it was replaced by the more timely bear of the moment (Winnie the Pooh!) I can't help but always lament the loss of this fun attraction. Luckily, guests can enjoy Country Bear Jamboree at Walt Disney World which is currently in the process of a reimagining to continue to remain relevant for guests.
You can still see some of the past Country Bear Jamboree characters on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Disneyland though! You can still see the heads of Max, Buff, and Melvin from the former attraction mounted on the wall in the room after the Heffalumps and Woozles scene. Just look behind you to see them as you pass into the next room.
4. Mickey and the Magical Map
Mickey and the Magical Map was a live stage that ran at the Fantasyland Theatre from 2013 through 2020. It was one of the entertainment options we never saw return after the pandemic.
This 25 minute stage show starred Mickey Mouse in his role of Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia along with songs from a number of different animated Disney films. As Mickey journeys through his magical map he would come across these different characters and their choreographed musical moments.
This show performed daily at the Fantasyland Theatre and since it's discontinuation shows at the Fantasyland Theatre have only been for a limited time and lack consistency. Mickey and the Magical Map was a great stage show with a mix of classic Disney characters and recent stories that kids loved, I always hope we will see this fun stage show return especially to establish a consistent show at this theatre once again.
5. Disneyland Skyway
The Skyway at Disneyland originally opened in 1956 and was bought from Switzerland by Walt Disney Imagineering. The Skyway was a gondola system that traveled to and from Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
The Skyway closed in 1994 due to stress cracks inside the metal supports with the only way to fix the classic attraction requiring the interior of the Matterhorn Bobsleds being opened up to fix the metal fatigue. While this attraction was such a neat visual component to Disneyland, it is understandable that it's return is not feasible.
It would be great to see the Skyway return to Disneyland but in the meantime, guests looking for a Disney gondola experience can travel to Walt Disney World and experience the Skyliner gondola system instead!
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6. Hyperion Theater Stage Shows
Frozen- Live at the Hyperion was a stage show musical inspired by Frozen that took place at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure from 2016 through 2020. This was another show that unfortunately we did not see return after the pandemic. This show was run on a consistent basis which provided guests reliable entertainment in Disney California Adventure.
Prior to Frozen-Live at the Hyperion, the stage show Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular at the Hyperion took place. This is another show we'd love to see return to the Hyperion Theater. This musical stage show featured some of the most iconic songs from Aladdin including one of the best stage adaptations of the Genie we've ever seen.
The Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure as a whole is something we'd love to see a consistent daily show return to. Aside from a limited run of Rogers The Musical which ran in the summer of 2023, we have not seen a daily show run consistently since 2020. Whether Disney brings back Frozen, Aladdin, or Rogers The Musical- we hope SOMETHING returns to this currently empty theater.
7. Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple
Jedi Training Academy ran at Disneyland from 2006 through 2018 in Tomorrowland. Kids would sign up for sessions throughout the day to be Jedi Younglings and then participate in lightsaber training sessions. Kids were given lightsabers and Jedi robes to use during the performance and then were shown a couple of simple lightsaber attacks. During the training, the children would be surprised by different Star Wars villains like Darth Vader and Kylo Ren.
The appearance of the Star Wars villains was extremely impressive with them coming from the center of the stage surrounded by smoke. My son participated in this experience more than once and the way his jaw dropped when he saw Darth Vader standing in front of him is something I will never forget. This show was discontinued much to our disappointment in 2018.
This was such a fun interactive show for kids but it also provided great entertainment for guests in Tomorrowland to watch. This is just one more example of entertainment we'd love to see brought back to Disneyland.
8. Chip ‘n Dale's Treehouse
Chip ‘n Dale's Treehouse was a part of Toontown from 1993 until 2020. This treehouse was a walk through, interactive attraction for kids to climb and play while parents could sit on nearby benches.
Chip ‘n Dale's Treehouse was in need of a bit of a refurbishment as past aspects of the attraction, like a closed slide and “acorn” style ball pit still remained present but inaccessible. Rather than rebuild parts of the treehouse, it would not reopen after 2020 and was demolished in 2022 as part of the Disneyland Toontown renovation.
While the renovation of Toontown was impressive and created many more accessible and interactive elements, I wish we could have seen the treehouse saved as this was in a nice, shady area of the park that provided a great place for kids to climb while parents could relax.
9. Big Thunder Ranch
Big Thunder Ranch was part of Disneyland from 1986 through 2016. This was a Western themed area to view the Disneyland horses that pulled the carriages and Main Street vehicles along with a BBQ restaurant, petting zoo and a place to host seasonal events. At one point a stage show based on The Hunchback of Notre Dam took place on the stage in this space.
Big Thunder Ranch closed in 2016 to make space for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge which is a worthy replacement for this space. However, it would have been great to see some aspects of the Western theme remain or at the least a place to still interact with the Disneyland horses which was always such a fun treat for guests.
Over at Walt Disney World, guests can visit Tri-Circle-D Ranch to visit the Disney horses and even meet some of the ones that pull the Main Street vehicles and see how they live their lives in luxury on their days off.
10. Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
The history of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is a fun one as it is an attraction that began at the 1964 New York World's Fair before being housed in Disneyland from 1967 through 1973. In 1973, the iconic attraction was sent to Walt Disney World and at Disneyland was replaced by America Sings which ultimately closed in 1988.
Since then the space that housed Carousel of Progress and America Sings is what we now call Star Wars Launch Bay. Star Wars Launch Bay has remained closed since 2020 and currently part of this space is reserved for Disney Visa Cardmember Meet and Greets with Darth Vader.
While I'm not suggesting Disneyland should take Carousel of Progress from Walt Disney World (put down the pitchforks!) I think it would be wonderful to see this iconic attraction replicated for Disneyland. At the very least, we need something to fill the space that Star Wars Launch Bay used to be as this area is so underutilized.
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I would love to see Bear Country Jamboree return to Disneyland. I have to believe that Disney is regretting the change because there is never a line for Winnie the Pooh. The attraction just doesn’t draw in Disneyland. I think that would be the easiest to bring g back, especially since Max and Buff already remain in the attraction.
Another easy return would be America Sings. Since the majority of the animatronics were relocated to Splash Mountain, and are now no longer needed there, relocating them to their original space, which is currently vacant, shouldn’t take that much work.
These are both beloved attractions that leave fond memories with great music for generations of Disney Park fans. There is no reason that should not continue.