The WDW News Today Podcast - Episode 10: The Worst Disney Attractions in History

Tom and Eric discuss the worst Disney attractions in history. This was part of our live 50 Hour Marathon Show supporting Toys for Tots on Thanksgiving Weekend, 2023.
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[@susantownsend8397]

Reasons to do Tiki Room: 1. Sit down 2. Cool off 3. Bonus: charming & nostalgic

[@DisneyMike23]

4. You can eat in there

[@mike3889]

Tom “I’m not going to rant here about runaway railway”. *2 minutes later*. “Rants” You’re welcome Tom, I’m the one that suggested it on your behalf . I knew this would make a few good minutes 😂

[@klutzz85]

I am usually very open to varying opinions, however, if you think Casey Jr or the Storybook Canal boats are 'bad' attractions you are a monster.

[@LARKXHIN]

"I guess we've live, Tom!" Tom: 😒 that honestly made me laugh so much.

[@aterrill18]

I understand your frustration with Runaway Railway, but I love it. It’s fun for everyone to ride! Everyone from my little ones to my parents just have fun on this one. I know this is definitely an unpopular opinion, but I actually like it better than Rise of the Resistance. I’m sure it’s not anywhere near as technically interesting, but since I don’t love Star Wars that much, to me, it’s just more fun. But I understand your points! And I am so enjoying these podcasts! Thanks for sharing all of your thoughts and opinions! Even when I disagree with you, I appreciate the thought and care you put into these discussions!

[@michellee1190]

Also here to scream from the rooftops STORYBOOK LAND BOATS IS MY FAVORITE RIDE! (Especially at night.)

[@Nonfiction79]

Tom, you need to do a Figment Christmas service. Those of us that are apart of the Church of Figment were requesting it during the auction and we hope that you do it. As the head of the Church of Figment you are the best person to do a service.

[@MrMda5]

Video starts with the old Six Flags commerical music. I guess thats fitting for these attractions 😂

[@EEvtg]

Tom, GOLDEN DREAMS was a very serious/sincere (and good) attraction in opening yr DCA as well; it reminded me of something you'd find at Epcot. There were some other more "serious" aspects of the park in the golden state area too, but not necessarily legit attractions. Paradise Pier's kitschy-ness was oddly charming to those that liked the ironic puns lol, and very tacky to those who didn't. I still miss the Beach Boy's music! And I feel Superstar Limo could've been slightly better if it was a faster ride like originally intended, that way you wouldn't notice the terrible animatronics lmao. Also, I disagree with Eric that everything 1.0 was below Disney standard (especially when compared to DHS [or WDS!] of the same year lol)...ofc it paled in comparison to DL, but it had some high points: Bug's Land was a great kids area; I preferred the theming (and shade) to modern copy-paste Toy Story Land at DHS, and definitely to Avengers Campus. Grizzley Peak was always awesome, as was Pacific Wharf and most of Golden State area aside from the farm. The SOAP OPERA BISTRO was also amazingly themed inside for what it was! There were not enough good points, but still there were some. DCA peaked in 2012-2015

[@EEvtg]

ope you did mention Soap Opera Bistro later...it was indeed great!

[@callmechia]

I also forced my family to go on Delta Dreamflight over and over. My favorite ride at Disney! Edit : more than once, we were on the ride and there was no line.. so the CM let us stay in the car and go again. We definitely did it 3 times without getting out of the vehicle at least twice

[@RetraCarteR]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned Goofy's Playhouse at Disneyland, specifically the version after they removed the bounce house floor but before the big Toontown update earlier this year. It was literally just an empty house with nothing to see or do inside, and it inexplicably stayed that way for over a decade.

[@susananthony6071]

Eric, you have infinite patience. I love your commentary! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is really fun and clever. and Kali River Rapids is one of my favorite rides. So, to each his own…

[@bdchiaccio]

I love both of their interactions together

[@Nonfiction79]

The auction was indeed wild. I knew when I saw the title of this video that Steve was going to show up.

[@EEvtg]

They need to turn Magic Kingdom's Speedway into the electric version of Autopia that was at Hong Kong! I think it was a mistake to remove that version, it was the best one!

[@johnking2522]

Count me all in for Tripping Balls Week at WDW, Eric!

[@sandpiper8991]

I like Tiki Room Under New Managament lol, I’ve NEVER heard anyone else say they didn’t hate it. I grew up with Aladdin and love(d) Iago so it played to my niche pretty well and the story was cute. 🤷🏻‍♀️ :)

[@bigal5395]

I think someone said Casey jr just to troll Tom 😂

[@kallieblumberg9977]

I need Domestic Disney Dork merch like right now please! XD

[@michaelpepe105]

15:40 I fully agree, Hong Kong is beautiful. My favorite Disney park, because it's the only park that captures the intimate yet fantastical elements similar to Anaheim.

[@davyannajones]

In 2012 there was a walkthrough exhibit at studios that was about Walt and the history of Mickey Mouse. At the end there was a show that you could sit and watch. It was just a short of Mickey Mouse and the gang. In the short Mickey is beating Pluto! Does anybody remember this?

[@lyndakorner2383]

What are the "problems" with Splash Mountain? How is Br'er Rabbit's voice "offensive"? The Br'er Rabbit folk tales are an authentic part of African-American culture, certainly more so than "The Princess and the Frog" is.

[@WDWNT]

It’s a stereotypical Black southerner voice

[@Mkelm444]

For a company that owns National Geographic they should be able to do amazing films about nations that is worlds beyond Beauty and the Beast sing along

[@laurynnnsmith]

I loved tiki room under new management!!!

[@VideoGamePhilosopher]

I just rode ratatouille in Epcot for the first time and I thought it was an incredible disappointment.

[@melvinlee9263]

Thank you for defending Impressions de France...it's my favorite EPCOT film.

[@bdchiaccio]

Watching this show makes me nostalgic for my childhood because I loved it. To be honest, the new fireworks show is probably going to make me spend my time seeing more of it because the clip shows are terrible.

[@CastawayRJ]

Where will I begin? Journey into YOUR Imagination, Rocket Rods, Superstar Limo, and those are the ones I can think of at the top of my head.

[@occheermommy]

The only one I disagree on is Rocket Rods. That ride was great. It had mechanical issues and was down a lot. If they had been able to fix the ride it would never have made a worst list.

[@CastawayRJ]

@@occheermommy it replaced Disneyland’s PeopleMover, it was causing issues to the structure, because it was built reusing the existing PeopleMover support structure, and the existing PeopleMover support structure was not designed for the much greater speed, and weight of Rocket Rods, causing the structure to weaken, the tires for the ride vehicles were worn out at a quick rate, and all of these mechanical issues, leading to constant downtime, which resulted in the attraction permanently closed in April 2001.

[@occheermommy]

@@CastawayRJ I know the history. I just dont think it is a “worst” ride. The ride itself was great. I rode it several times in the short time it was around. If it had not had all the mechanical issues, it would be considered a great ride. Thats all Im saying

[@lyndakorner2383]

All of the shooting-gallery-on-wheels things are junk.

[@user-fe8uq9zp2g]

this!!! idk how they didn’t remove those things 10 years ago. they feel like cheap fun fair games.

[@skipbreakfast]

New Management was like watching my childhood destroyed in less than 10 minutes.

[@Wong2k]

As a kid, I loved that show! I thought it was funny and wacky.

[@laurastedman2771]

I remember making my friends watch that in college because I had loved Tiki Room growing up. I had no clue it was "Under New Management" and I was so embarrassed and disappointed.

[@nathanearl2586]

I was enjoying this until you dissed Magic Journeys. I absolutely love the song and the film is essentially one of my kids telling me their dream they had, where one thing flows into another. Love love love Magic Journeys.

[@AliceMae23]

Oh wow!!! I'm so glad Tom meantioned the Captain Jack Sparrow experience thing!! I totally thought I had imagined that as a kit 😂 That attraction was way too cool!!

[@DisneyFrenzy2584]

❤❤❤ loving this series so much! It better not go anywhere! 😅 Excited about learning all about my WIG benefits! 🎉😊😊

[@Nonfiction79]

I’ve ridden 90+ roller coasters across the country and Space Mountain at MK is in my top ten. It still holds up as one of the bests to this day.

[@djdef5521]

I really loved the tiki room under new management, it was so much fun & had energy. The original version is too relaxed & is great for a nap and the ac.

[@briancalifornia]

As a kid Rocket Rods was my favorite ride.

[@seanstein8313]

I loved captain EO, I saw it for the first time when it came back and watched it over and over again. Also magic journeys soundtrack is very good, although the song is definitely strange at times LOL. Under new management tiki room is a guilty pleasure.

[@occheermommy]

I was there opening weekend in California. They stayed open for 72 hours straight. I was up for 22 hours. That day. It was great. They dont do cool openings like that anymore.

[@himynameiscorey]

I know just what they should do with the land from Tomorrowland Speedway, replace the land with a small lake used for outdoor shows at night like a fantasmic or world of color, with outdoor seating around the west, south, and east ends. Not only would the area look nice with a waterfront, especially alongside the Tron display, but a small nighttime show could really complete the area, I’m thinking show being a medley of all the Tomorrowland featured characters between the Carousel family, Tron lightcycles, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch, maybe throw in a few more characters like Baymax or Wreck it Ralph

[@bradhagen4594]

opinionated worst ride: Country bear Jamboree Tom: you're going to Hell. this needs to be a t shirt somehow.

[@DiaryofaRollerCoasterGirl]

I'm REALLY surprised that nothing from Walt Disney Studios made it into this video 😆

[@WDWNT]

I forgot Crush’s Coaster lol

[@DiaryofaRollerCoasterGirl]

@WDWNT oi, you can leave Crush alone. 😆 It's not in the same category as Goofy and Primeval, as at least they gave it a nice theme for the station and dark ride. Yeah the main ride area is a little disappointing but I still really enjoy it! 😆 I was leaning more towards RC Racer, Armageddon and to an extent, Ratatouille...

[@figmentfan81]

I really miss Monster Sound Stage Show. Always have a great time in that attraction. I also have the privilege to ride Rocket Rods.

[@matthewnelson5699]

The speedway needs to go. Cant stand it snd dates everything so bad. I know some people enjoy it but I challenge them to just go ride real go karts. Its very loud, smells, and just eats space.

[@occheermommy]

There could put at least 2 better rides in that space and Autopia in Disneyland. I hate them. It’s a very old concept for kids and there is so much more they could do for kids. I also think the Nemo Subs in Disneyland need to go too. There is so much more they could do with that space.

[@EEvtg]

I prefer the original true "flumes" at Splash Disneyland. Of course you get splashes of water coming in on your whole body Eric, it's Splash mountain! The other two versions you don't even get splashed, you get sprayed in the face/torso at the end, and it feels artificial in comparison. Also, the seating style is more comfortable for me without the lap bar, and it adds to the THRILL, especially when you're a kid sliding around lol. I agree that the storyline/scenes were more coherent at WDW, but there were scenes that DL had, like the singing possum momma from America Sings that sets up the spooky climax that are noticeably missing at WDW. I don't think it was truly a worse attraction at DL, it wasjust apparent that they were recycling great animatronics and making them work in a new story. As a result it had like 20, yea 20 more animatronic critters at DL! That's awesome.

[@matthewgorgone3828]

Were any rides/attractions NOT mentioned in this episode? 🤣 People need to learn the difference between “worst” and “personally not enjoyable to me.”

[@WDWNT]

Hundreds in fact lol

[@michellee1190]

I think the Pack Mule ride was a good ride because it's a great story even if the ride itself was probably less than great.

[@drewchaboo719]

thank you for talking how the ride is bad and not put lot money in the budget!

[@davyannajones]

I enjoy the Country Bears. My wife HATES it. I never felt the exclusionary element but I can understand why someone would.

[@tonyburk6413]

Tom, glad that I mentioned to Jason about Florida Resident Edits,,, seems like WDWNT has escaped their wrath,,, so far,,,,

[@terrysux4638]

FYI Spotify is playing last weeks episode under todays title.

[@michaelflaherty3202]

Pocket casts had the same problem

[@LoganAnderson-j4z]

Fair point about goofy's sky school. However.... no one pays the entry fee to ride this. Just like no one does to ride monsters inc, ariel, etc. What is the option if they don't have goofy's sky school ride? What can they fit in that space? Its a good call kepping goofy's sky school in my opinion.

[@user-fe8uq9zp2g]

stitch is one of my favorite characters and the promo they did for him at WDW and for the movie was amazing but the ride was just so bad 😭 I’d say he’s one of the most iconic Disney characters probably in top 5 and they gave him such a bad ride. splash mountain was also in such bad shape im actually glad they are changing it too. i love the ride but happy they are changing it. also country bears is so bad but SO bad 😭 i love Disney and grew up with it but im gen z and it has no affect on me I even remember the movie sucking. its just creepy and unfunny. but I get that older people still want it there.

[@Dr_Marsh]

Odd as the original recording may be, I still love the instrumental version of Magic Journeys that shows up in the old pavilion music loop (which I think is still playing today in the Imagination restrooms?)

[@jdslyman1720]

It still is. I was at that pavilion in late November (to give Figment a big hug 😁), and used the restroom twice. Not only is it very clean, but it is very special to me to know a piece of the iconic 1983 ride is still there after so much has been removed.

[@laneyoftheshire]

Your chemistry together cracks me up. Tom: rants Eric: tries to talk Tom down and provide other perspectives, even if he agrees Tom: no. Eric: moves along because it’s useless.

[@user-fe8uq9zp2g]

kali river rapids is so unforgettable. i forget it everyyyyytime. not memorable.

[@moneymanD871]

Nick I totally agree with you about Astro Orbiter. Bad ride

[@moneymanD871]

I love the honest back and forth with the honest review of both. One issue I have with Tom’s statements is that he is stuck in the past and acts as if no one else can understand Disney unless they are nostalgic for the 50s. Come on Tom I love Disney as much as anyone. But i will be honest life in the 50s was not as great as you continue to try and present it to everyone now. Funny how right after Casey he says that TSM and BL are past there time. Charm is a concept of personal opinion. But please never change. It is refreshing to have objective opinions. Toms opinion is a little stuck in the past. But he is a genuine Disney fan just like Nick. Tom I think sometimes forgets about the true magic of Disney is being inviting to All!

[@WDWNT]

There’s so many things I didn’t say in this comment, I don’t know where to start…

[@moneymanD871]

@@WDWNT actually you emphasize if we do not like certain rides you loved we do not get or understand Disney. BTW, don’t get all in your feelings. Love you and the show.

[@laurynnnsmith]

I mean I agree with Tom, they've stripped a lot of the stuff from the original parks and also the 50s is often looked back on fondly from the people who were apart of it in my experience

[@moneymanD871]

@@laurynnnsmith You are proving my point. We can agree to disagree that the best years of Disney are in the past. I am 52 and me and mine love Disney. Going for multiple times a year for the last 9 years. Annual Passholder finally as soon as available again. We do not live in Florida so we choose to go because of what Disney means to us. How can you act as if your Disney Magic is better than mine because yours is from some by gone era that has a lot of issues. Real Talk, but honestly no need for this because i love Disney as much if not more than you!

[@laurynnnsmith]

@@moneymanD871 I never said you didn't love it as much as me, I'm just saying you can't say he's stuck in the past with his opinions when he clearly just loves all ages of Disney. We should keep parts of the parks from opening and the early days, even if they aren't our favorite attractions, while growing the parks around it. Tom's mostly joking when he says you can't be a real Disney fan and love it anyways lol

[@KhurtKhave669]

The Pixar Pal-A-Round swinging gondolas are ***NOT*** family friendly!!! I could barely hold onto my kids to keep them from sliding off the seats and across the gondola, and there are no seat belts or even some kind of handle/safety bar to hold onto; I was barely able to keep myself on the seat. I can't believe they haven't been sued for an injury on the ride. Dismantle the whole thing.

[@breezywithkids]

No stitch deserves a proper attraction!!!

[@occheermommy]

I have been going to DCA since before it officially opened. My husband won tickets on the radio for one of the preview nights. The National park stuff was there from the beginning. Monsters inc was just an overlay of the limo ride. You can still see some of the characters if you look. It really needs to be taken down with a wrecking ball. Say what you want about Avengers campus but it is actually a fun area. The little shows are great. I love that street shows in the parks. They just need to do more with Avengers campus. Mickey and Minnies is ok but it should NOT have replaced the Great Movie Ride. That was a great ride. It could have been updated with Disney owned properties but it should not have gone. Stitch was horrible. The problem with DCA was that they didnt put a good amount of money into it so it appeared like they were making fun of California when that wasn’t their intention. The concept was a terrible one in the first place. People aren’t going to skip seeing the red woods because they saw something at DCA. They arent going to skip San Francisco because they went to a fake pier at DCA. The idea was just dumb. What upsets me more than anything is that there is not one opening day attraction at Hollywood studios. Rocket Rods was a great ride but it was a huge failure as far as always being down. It’s a shame it didnt work because it was a really great ride.

[@seanhaugh4232]

I'd love to see more info about the tiki bird kit

[@SaltyGreene]

No fair condemning the nostalgia of gas fumes and lousy ride vehicles in the speedway if you insist on preserving the injurious and backbreaking discomfort of Space Mountain and Rock’n Roller Coaster ride systems. They haven’t aged well and maybe I haven’t either, but i love coasters and regretfully can’t enjoy those attractions because of the outdated ride systems.

[@davyannajones]

I don’t see the issue with Mission Space. I’m too fat ride it now. I think I can physically fit in it but I wouldn’t. However I loved it back in the day.

[@laurynnnsmith]

I remember being told superstar limo was supposed to be a fast ride based on you being a celebrity and needing to outrun the paparazzi- but then princess Diana died fleeing the paparazzi and they did a quick change and slowed it down

[@weaseljavelin9443]

My name is Craig Dennis happy holidays to you👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@moneymanD871]

Speedway - What about the Nostalgia Tom?? Lol I agree with you on this one because it is garbage steering and control.

[@annette4833]

Monsters Inc is a fun ride

[@occheermommy]

It’s superstar limo with a monster overlay. The guy with the time cards is the one that had the tickets. There are so many more. My grandkids liked it but I hate that ride.

[@rayyezefski973]

Mission Space Shuttle wrote it

[@rayyezefski973]

Mission space you should have Road it won the first opened

[@davyannajones]

Captain EO was GREAT! Did it suck? Yes. But was it awesome? Yes.

[@Kayla-qe8vj]

High disagree on Stitch's Great Escape. I love that attraction and miss it every time I go. It was always a must do for my familyand I just couldnt help but smile at all of it

[@BrettVano]

Hey now--I like both Midway Mania and Astroblasters. I don't think Midway is any better than Astro though, because I still like physical sets and props. My eyes WANT to see physical environments. I'm okay with screens too. I do love Star Tours (I know a lot of people don't like that one either). Maybe fix the guns or whatever. Or take the ride out if you want, but I won't accept Midway being "better."

[@occheermommy]

I agree completely . I like the Buzz ride at Disneyland better because you can move the guns. I think they could modernize the guns so they are more like MIB at Universal but my husband and I and the rest of our family are super competitive so we have a blast with those. I also like Web Slingers even though many hate it. There isnt much to it but i love the competitive aspect of it.

[@jgkidd82]

I didn't like Honey I Shrunk the Audience or Journey into YOUR Imagination. The former creeped me out too much.

[@moneymanD871]

Mickey and Minnie is a fun enjoyable ride. Tom is being so overly critical it is humorous.

[@WDWNT]

You should go see other Disney parks so you can see better things

[@C2CSubCommander]

My girlfriend liked storybook land because of the miniatures. A classic ride. Something for the older and younger set of folks that won't be going on roller coasters. As far as Goodyear and the Tire issue, guess that's another reason not to buy Goodyear tires if they are of such poor quality.

[@alexschwager2645]

I promise you didnt fly an airbus a320 to hongkong thats not a long haul aircraft😂 since you were on united you flew on a boeing 787 dreamliner

[@davyannajones]

RIP Gilbert Gottfried.

[@davyannajones]

Runaway Railway does not belong on this list

[@KingYertle082]

Enjoy you guys but you are dead wrong on Space Ranger Spin. It is my 6yr old's favorite ride. To an adult the attraction is dated and has cheap sets, but to a young child the bright colors and physical sets are so much more dynamic then the screens on Toy Story mania. I would love to see a modern version produced with a real budget!

[@exomake_mehorololo]

I like it and I'm an adult 😂it's much more fun to me than Toy Story because of the fun colours and great props. More imaginative

[@davyannajones]

Demolish the Tiki Room

[@laurynnnsmith]

I think a lot of people want animations shows again

[@CocoW1968]

Lol!!! How do you think you’re going to see up to date live times??? A subscription!!! Duh?

[@rayyezefski973]

I met your space

[@eccentricsmithy2746]

The fact that you still have not disclosed the fact that a subscription fee is needed to see the live time of the Disney wait time clock is making you look shady. Why is is it so difficult for you to mention that you need to purchase a subscription to see the live times? Afraid people wont buy them? For a news agency claiming to be transparent you sure are loving to hide this.

[@Florescent6Muffin]

I agree with you entirely. I was going to get one for my mom for Christmas but I don’t give gifts that requires subscriptions 😐

[@WDWNT]

It’s an ad, you decide if you want to buy the product, it isn’t ours. The fee isn’t hidden.

[@coaks9212]

In the interest of fairness, I’ve seen this same ad on 3 other Disney content creators channels, and none of them mention the fee either. When someone is giving you money for a product, you read the ad they give you usually.

[@mike3889]

It’s called an ad read. Wdwnt isn’t selling the product or own the product, their job is just to help market and gather interest for the company paying them to advertise. Welcome to the internet

[@JNM15]

I missed when based on the ad you are forced to buy it. When you went to buy it and saw the subscription you decided not to purchase. Stop trying to create fake drama and outrage.

[@genedilorenzo713]

Yes it was the worst and it was at the Disneyland resort. I have been to the Disneyland resort. Walt Disney World will always be fair superior and the flagship resort compared to the super star ride Disneyland 😂 I like the music Cheapeak and Iqer believed or believes they are running the up scale Six Flags.

[@genedilorenzo713]

Yes it was the worst and it was at the Disneyland resort. I have been to the Disneyland resort. Walt Disney World will always be fair superior and the flagship resort compared to the super star ride Disneyland 😂

[@WDWNT]

Uh no lol

[@dave67814]

I really dislike the new long form format. I listen to WDWNT as a podcast whilst i'm commuting or running and liked the 10-20 min regular updates. The shows that are 45-60 mins are too long for news headlines

[@Idreallyrathernotthanks]

"Disneyvworld feels dead" ??? G T F O out of here. Absolutely RIDICULOUS statement. You've been to thebparks waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many times to say some BS like that.

[@WDWNT]

Have you been to the other parks?

[@Idreallyrathernotthanks]

@WDWNT Not all of them like you obviously, but California and Paris. I'd never use the word DEAD to describe the Magic Kingdom in a million years.