When a Disney ride opens these days, it’s often themed around a popular film or character – and that makes sense, given the immense popularity of films like Star Wars, Frozen, Ratatouille or Avatar.
But back in the day, there was far less rhyme or reason to the attractions Walt and his amazing team of Imagineers designed for the very first Disney theme parks – other than that they had to enchant you.
And while some of these original rides may now look a little dated, and no longer attract the crowds, every Disney fan has that one attraction they’d be heartbroken to lose.
We’ve already said goodbye to Splash Mountain, The Great Movie Ride and countless other classics – but some attractions feel integral to the parks.
Here are 10 attractions we hope are here to stay, as the Disney parks would not be the same without them:
1) It’s A Small World
Few Disney attractions divide opinion quite like It’s A Small World. Some guests find it charming and nostalgic, while others think those singing dolls are far more terrifying than anything in Guardians of the Galaxy.
But love it or hate it, this is one attraction Disney should never lose.
Originally created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair before finding its permanent home at Disneyland, California, It’s A Small World represents something bigger than just a boat ride through colourful scenes and an endlessly repeating song – it reflects Walt Disney’s original belief that the parks should inspire optimism, wonder and a sense of connection.
Its message of global unity may feel overly-optimistic, but that sincerity is exactly what makes it special. In a modern Disney landscape dominated by blockbuster franchises and screen-based attractions, rides like this remind us where the magic started.
It still attracts huge crowds – in part, thanks to its classic-ride status.
And while it may not have a spin-off movie franchise or a host of character merchandise, Walt Disney World would lose part of its heart without it.
2) The Carousel of Progress
Located in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom, the Carousel of Progress is one of Disney’s most historic attractions – and one that no longer draws the crowds it once did.
Guests sit in a revolving theatre as they follow a classic American family through different eras of technological change, guided mainly by the father figure as he introduces the “marvels” of each new age. The attraction also features a song by the Sherman Brothers, whose work includes some of Disney’s best-known music.
There’s no denying it feels dated in places. Some of its family dynamics and viewpoints reflect a very specific mid-20th-century perspective – not least the father’s attitude to his wife and daughter!
And yet, this attraction carries a direct link to Walt Disney’s vision of Tomorrowland – one rooted in optimism, invention and his belief that progress would continually improve everyday life.
It may not be the most popular attraction in the park, and it could certainly benefit from an update, but it would be a shame to completely lose that connection to Disney history.
3) Spaceship Earth
This is Epcot’s centrepiece ride, being located in the giant golf ball that is the landmark feature of the whole park. While Epcot has done something of a clear-out of all the animatronic rides that had run at the park since its opening under Walt’s brother Roy, we don’t think they’ll get rid of this one any time soon.
For one thing, it still pulls in reasonable crowds and, for another, it would be tough to design another ride that would fit so perfectly inside a globe-shaped space.
This is basically a solemn tour of world history and humanity’s inventions and progress that reaches a crescendo when you reach the apex of the ride and find yourself in space (Disney space).
As a child, I remember thinking it could do with a bit of a fun injection, but as an adult I love it, particularly the ever-changing cast of narrators (see our piece on the narrators of Spaceship Earth).
4) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
One of Disney’s most perfectly balanced thrill rides, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad appears in Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, and it remains a masterclass in how to make a rollercoaster feel uniquely “Disney”.
Rather than relying on huge drops or intense inversions, it focuses on speed, movement and storytelling. The ride constantly shifts direction through a chaotic runaway mine train in the middle of a desert landscape, creating the feeling of being thrown around a living environment rather than simply riding a track.
The theming is what elevates it above a standard rollercoaster. Every turn, tunnel and explosion of scenery reinforces the story of an abandoned goldmine still shaking itself apart. It’s thrilling, but never intimidating – the kind of ride that works for both first-time coaster riders and seasoned thrill seekers.
That balance is exactly why Big Thunder has endured. It sits in that rare space where excitement meets accessibility, and it’s hard to imagine a modern replacement that could improve on that formula without losing what makes it special.
5) Tiki Room
If you thought the Small World theme song was repetitive, just wait until you hear the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room song!
This show, located in the Magic Kingdom, Tokyo and California, is based around animatronic birds and flowers crooning along to a variety of songs. The magic of this has waned a little down the years, but it’s a really good one if you get caught in a Floridian thunderstorm – the queues and the attraction itself are all under cover.
It’s not an attraction that relies on thrills or cutting-edge effects but in a park era dominated by high-energy franchises and blockbuster experiences, it can feel like a quieter, more old-fashioned corner of Disney history.
And while adults may yearn for Avatar-style thrills, this attraction can be lovely for wide-eyed kids – our son, aged seven, loved it.
It may not be essential to most guests’ day – but it would feel like a small piece of Disney history disappearing if those birds ever stopped singing.
6) Pirates of the Caribbean
Nowadays, Disney parks are largely built around films – but Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the rare attractions that flipped that relationship entirely.
First created for Disneyland and later added to Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Paris, this is a ride that became so iconic it ended up inspiring the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – rather than the other way around.
It is one of the clearest examples of Disney storytelling at its best: slow, atmospheric, and completely immersive, pulling guests into a world of pirate towns, sea battles and mischievous characters without relying on screens or high-tech effects.
The success of the films eventually fed back into the attraction, with Captain Jack Sparrow and other characters being woven into the scenes – a rare case of cinema and ride influencing each other in both directions.
While some purists prefer the original version, there’s no denying its cultural impact. It represents a kind of creative confidence that Disney doesn’t always lean on today – the idea that a ride can be strong enough to create its own mythology.
It may evolve over time, but Pirates of the Caribbean remains one of the clearest examples of why Disney attractions endure long after their opening day.
7) Jungle Cruise
Like Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise is another Disney attraction that eventually inspired a film, though with far less impact than its swashbuckling counterpart.
Originally created for Disneyland and later added to parks including Magic Kingdom, Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, it remains one of Disney’s most distinctive attractions.
What makes Jungle Cruise special isn’t just the scenery – it’s the experience. The attraction relies heavily on the live skippers, whose scripted and improvised jokes turn each journey into something slightly different every time. It’s part ride, part theatre, and part comedy show drifting down a carefully designed river.
The film adaptation added a new layer of characters and mythology, but importantly, it didn’t overwrite the original attraction. The ride has largely remained untouched, continuing to rely on its classic formula of humour, adventure and atmosphere.
In a park landscape increasingly shaped by blockbuster franchises, Jungle Cruise still stands as a reminder that some of Disney’s best ideas were built not around intellectual property, but around storytelling, performance and imagination
As you pass behind a waterfall, be prepared for everyone on your boat to holler: “It’s the backside of water”. We can’t see them losing this one any time soon.
8) Tomorrowland Speedway/ Autopia
Kids driving racing cars! Few people understand childhood quite as perfectly as Walt Disney and Tomorrowland Speedway — or Autopia, as it is known in Disneyland Paris – is one of the results.
The idea is wonderfully simple: children get to climb behind the wheel of their own car and “drive” around a track, experiencing that thrilling illusion of independence for the very first time.
Versions of the attraction exist in Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Paris and California, and despite its simplicity, it remains one of those rides children often remember long after the bigger attractions.
The challenge for its future is obvious: a track full of noisy petrol-powered cars feels increasingly out of step with modern values, and Disney has already explored plans to move towards electric vehicles in California (and the cars are hybrids in Disneyland Paris).
But that should be an update, not a farewell.
The smell of the engines may be part of the nostalgia for older guests, but the real magic has never been the cars themselves – it’s the feeling of being a child and believing, for a few minutes, that you’re driving your own adventure. We certainly hope they don’t go waving the chequered flag on this attraction.
9) Haunted Mansion/ Phantom Manor
This is the most fun you’ll ever have on a ghost ride – largely thanks to the terrible jokes.
Whether you know it as Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, or Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris, this is one of Disney’s most beloved dark rides, and for good reason.
From the stretching room full of ominous portraits to the ghostly ballroom and singing graveyard, the attraction manages to be spooky, funny and strangely comforting all at once. It never tries to be genuinely frightening – instead, it leans into theatrical ghosts, playful storytelling and a sense that the afterlife might actually be quite a good party.
It also became a film, which I haven’t actually seen but I understand wasn’t a classic and it’s also made its way into another film – Muppets’ Haunted Mansion – which is one of our family favourites.
The ride, however, is certainly a blockbuster – silly rather than frightening, which makes it all the better and it’s held in great affection by Disney fans.
I can’t see them ever getting rid of it – to be honest, there have been quite enough untimely demises on this attraction already.
10) Hall of Presidents
Brits don’t generally have a lot of affection for Hall of Presidents – an attraction built around animatronic American presidents is never going to hit quite the same way for international visitors.
But it is undeniably classic Disney.
Walt had a vision for a room full of animatronic American leaders, blending entertainment with education in a way only Disney really would.
Now it’s there (you’ll find it at Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, Florida), they could never get rid of it because it would probably look a little close to being a political statement.
In a country where presidential history is so closely tied to national identity, replacing it would cause far more debate than most attractions ever could.
It may not be everyone’s favourite stop in Magic Kingdom, but it feels like one of those attractions Disney simply can’t remove — and perhaps shouldn’t.
What attractions would you axe and what would you keep?
Disney parks will always keep changing – that has been true since Walt’s very first ideas for Disneyland.
New attractions arrive, old favourites disappear, and every generation has its own version of Disney magic. But some rides feel bigger than nostalgia. They are part of the identity of the parks themselves – the attractions people remember from childhood, return to as adults and hope to one day share with their own children.
Losing them would feel like losing part of what makes Disney special.
Are there any Disney attractions you’d hate to see disappear? Let us know in the comments – we’d love to hear which classics you think should be protected forever.
And if you enjoy our posts, why not subscribe so you never miss a little Disney magic?
Essential reading for UK Disney World planners
- How much does a Disney World holiday cost from the UK?
- How many days do you need at Walt Disney World? — A UK family guide
- Is Walt Disney World worth it for UK families?
- Best Disney World deals for UK visitors
- How to plan a holiday to Walt Disney World
