A couple of years ago, I discussed how several high-profile theme park attractions were being completely rethemed with ride updates.
Disney had just announced the closure and retheming of Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The basic ride systems would be kept in place. However, the attractions themselves would be rethemed as needed to use Disney’s Princess and the Frog IP, forever dropping the Splash Mountain name to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (pictured, top).
At the time, there was quite a bit of controversy over this proposal. And, to be honest, there are still many out there that prefer Splash Mountain the way it was.
Go back a decade, and Disney ruffled more feathers in California by announcing changes to Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror. This was given a Marvel makeover and became Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
As you might expect, the Disney purists were furious at the time. Still, unlike with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the Guardians makeover of the former Hollywood Tower Hotel quickly found an audience. Many fell more in love with the current version than the former Twilight Zone-themed version.
Jumping back to the present day, we’ve been seeing several projects going “under the knife” for one reason or another. No matter if it is Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Merlin or even Six Flags, when faced with an aging attraction, there are typically three lines of thought about what can be done.
Ride updates: remodel or replace
The first two examples I mentioned would fall under the “Remodel” concept. I would consider “Replacement” to involve the removal of the attraction itself, or at least the ride hardware, followed by the construction of an entirely new attraction.
Meanwhile, when choosing to “Update” an attraction, the basic attraction remains. It may receive technical upgrades, or possibly even thematic updates to some of the scenery or storyline.
Disney itself is well-versed in updating several of its classic attractions over the years. Disney’s audience is often very protective of the chain’s major attractions. Typically, rather than a remodel, Disney will ‘imagine’ ways to upgrade or ‘plus’ some of its existing attractions.
A great example was done in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Disneyland on 17 July. This was the addition of a new final verse to the famous song in the finale scene (where all the costumes are white) of Disney’s “It’s a Small World” attractions in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Haunted Mansion
Disney’s Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean attractions have also received numerous ride updates over the years.
In late 2023, the Disneyland version of the Haunted Mansion returned the Hatbox Ghost to the attraction. The Hatbox Ghost was designed as a major scene and special effect for the original version of the attraction. Upon opening, the effect was not as visually compelling as Disney had hoped. The Hatbox Ghost was removed and became the stuff of myth and legend over the next 50 years.
It wasn’t until Walt Disney Imagineering decided to do something about it that a modern working version of the figure and special effect were created. The popularity of the move also inspired the creation of a second Hatbox Ghost scene. This was added to the Walt Disney World version of the attraction the following year.
Not so successful ride updates
Not all upgrades are met with such enthusiasm, however. A new update for the Disneyland mansion earlier this year changed the entire mood of the attic scene. The replacement of the so-called “Black Widow Bride” animatronic was not well received.
The changing of the dark tone of that particular scene also has Mansion fans worried about other rumored future “updates”. This includes the rumored proposal to remove the “hanging man” from the stretching room.
This is where things get a bit tricky. The idea behind the proposal to remove this classic element was reportedly because the effect can be “triggering”.
Of course, this is the Haunted Mansion we are talking about. The entire concept of an attraction about death, ghosts, the undead, and a macabre celebration of the afterlife would be “triggering” to a number of guests anyway. Still, after 56 years, Disney doesn’t seem to be planning on shutting the attraction down.
Pirates of the Caribbean has undergone several ride updates over the years. Some well-received, others disliked, and others falling somewhere in the middle. Classic gag scenes from the original attraction have been altered over the years. Perhaps none more than the chase scene, where the pirates used to chase the village women around in circles.
No one blinked an eye for decades. However, once the more politically correct public mindset became aware of exactly why the pirates were chasing the woman in the first place and the implications of what was likely to happen if they were caught, Disney knew it had to make some changes.
Changing Pirates
I believe that at first, the initial modification was to change the women figures to be carrying food and some treasure. This was to make it look like the pirates were really after their possessions. Before too long, this was changed again by swapping places. Now, the women chase the pirates, some of whom are now carrying the food and treasure items.
Of course, one interesting fact that has remained the same throughout all the other politically correct-inspired ride updates was the final turntable scene where the overweight woman has been chasing the skinny pirate ever since the attraction first opened.
Another significant change that occurred more recently was the complete overhaul of the “auction” scene. The former “Take a Wench for the Bride” auction with the “We Wants The Red-Head!” cat-calls is now gone forever. “Red” is still there. But now she’s a pirate too, leading the new auction where they’re selling off the loot from the pirate raid.
Other changes over the years have been more IP-inspired. As the attraction itself led to the creation of a hit movie series, Disney, in turn, flipped the switch and added animatronic figures of the characters, Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa, to the attraction. In a later update, projections of the Davy Jones and Blackbeard characters were also added.
Remodelling attractions
When it comes to remodelling an existing attraction’s ride system into a new attraction, Disney may be the king.
The Submarine Voyage at Disneyland was transformed into the current Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in 2007. The former California Screamin’ coaster at Disney California Adventure was updated to become the Incredicoaster in 2018. Maelstrom at Epcot was transformed into Frozen Ever After in 2016.
This concept hasn’t always been successful, especially when more drastic changes are made to the ride system itself. The loss of the original Journey Into Imagination ride at Epcot (1983-1998) resulted in a size reduction. The ride experience was rebranded as “Journey into YOUR Imagination” from 1999 to 2001.
High guest dissatisfaction feedback about this move quickly prompted a third iteration of the ride. “Journey Into Imagination with Figment” was born in 1999 and remains in operation to this day. Even so, guests still long for the original attraction.
Other hit-and-miss ride updates that led to complete transformations for Disney include the original Mission to the Moon attraction. This was later updated to become Mission to Mars.
When this became hopelessly dated, Disney came up with something new and spooky for the venue. This reopened as the infamous ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter in late 1994. It retained the basic premise but underwent a more family-friendly makeover in 2004, becoming Stitch’s Great Escape. It never became as popular as the original Alien Encounter.
Hit or miss?
Another of the ride updates for the “miss” column is the closing of the Peoplemover and CircleVision attractions at Disneyland. These were merged to reopen as the Rocket Rods in 1998. Unfortunately, the Rocket Rods proved to be so problematic that Disney closed them down in 2000 to reassess the new ride system. It was finally confirmed to be closed forever in 2001.
Unfortunately, the former network of track supports for the Peoplemover/Rocket Rods attractions still exists today as a stark reminder of what once was.
Epcot is perhaps home to the most instances of this, where original attractions were lost and either replaced outright with something new or updated due to a unique sponsorship arrangement for various attractions that dates back to the park’s opening.
Attractions like Spaceship Earth, The Living Seas, and Universe of Energy saw gradual updates. These changed the focus of their attractions to better tie into new sponsors. In contrast, others, such as Horizons, World of Motion, and later Universe of Energy, were gutted or completely demolished to make way for new concepts, including Mission: Space, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Test Track.
Test Track itself has been in the headlines this year, as after rising from the ashes of the former World of Motion attraction, the third version of Test Track opens this week, as part of an ongoing sponsorship with Chevrolet.
Copying successful ride updates
Disney’s has had some huge successes come from this over the years, however. An old, slow-moving airline-sponsored dark ride in Tomorrowland in Walt Disney World that started as If You Had Wings for Eastern Airlines and later Dreamflight for Delta Airlines, serving as the platform for the very first Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin attraction.
The concept proved so successful that, eventually, every Disney theme park resort around the world had a version. Later this summer, Disney plans to close the original attraction until sometime next year to upgrade it with features and advancements built into later versions of the attraction elsewhere.
Star Tours could be considered the best example of a gift that keeps on giving. When the original 1987 ride was closed and updated into “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” in 2011, a wild and very open-ended aspect of technology was added.
Star Tours continues
While the original film-projector-based ride film was replaced, new digital technology was introduced into the upgraded simulator cabins, allowing Disney to create several different mini-ride film chapter possibilities. These were then added to a randomizer program. So, every time you rode the new version of Star Tours, it would offer a slightly different experience.
Over the years since it opened, new sequences have been added to the randomizer featuring entirely new destinations and characters from the Star Wars universe. A flight through the junkfields of Jakku was added in 2015. This was followed by flights to the planets of Crait and Batuu in 2017 and two more worlds in 2019.
With the launch of Disney+ and newly expanded Star Wars programming like Ahsoka, Andor and The Mandalorian, even more video sequences were added to the randomizer in 2024. Mix everything together, and it is said that the attraction currently has about 1,500 possible combinations for guests to encounter.
Ride updates by other operators
Now that I’ve discussed Disney extensively, I want to note that theme park competition is always very active, and numerous other projects have been underway in one form or another at other parks far removed from the Disney empire.
Currently, SeaWorld San Diego and Orlando have closed their Journey to Atlantis attractions. The San Diego version is still expected to reopen later this summer with some technical and thematic updates to enhance and update the story.
Meanwhile, a guest survey from the Orlando park posed the idea of a complete restoration of their version that would bring back the effects and storyline of the original that were lost over the years as various bits of technology decayed and were lost.
The SeaWorld parks have also been busy with some full replacements of former attractions, transforming the park’s old simulator ride, which started as Mission: Bermuda Triangle and was later updated to become Wild Arctic, into entirely new attraction concepts.
Ride replacements
The San Diego version of Wild Arctic was reopened last year as a new family-launched straddle coaster called Arctic Rescue. This summer saw the Orlando version of the attraction gutted to become the chain’s first Flying Theater attraction under the name Expedition Odyssey.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg has also undergone a fair share of ride updates and replacements. Most recently, the park’s former DarKastle dark ride was gutted and replaced with an indoor launched family coaster experience. It retained the same theme as the dark ride, and was renamed the DarKoaster in 2023.
Cedar Point, now part of the Six Flags chain, opted to update the iconic Top Thrill Dragster launched roller coaster, following an incident. Top Thrill 2 added another 420-foot-tall spike track on the backside. It turned the single launch into a new magnetic swing-launch system.
Technical issues forced it to close soon after opening in 2024. After further redesign, the attraction finally opened for the 2025 season.
Changes at Six Flags
Six Flags over Georgia took a page out of the Disney playbook and updated that park’s unique Monster Plantation dark ride. This first opened in 1981. A dark flume ride at a Six Flags park was something very special and loved by the local market. So, when it was showing its age, it was updated and reopened in 2009 as Monster Mansion.
Six Flags has always had a focus on roller coasters, however. So it makes sense that most of its updates from 2011 to the present focused its aging wooden coasters.
With the help of Rocky Mountain Construction, a number were transformed and relaunched as new “hybrid” coasters. These feature RMC’s new iBox steel track technology. This allowed the layouts to be updated to perform incredible new acrobatic maneuvers and even inversions.
Prior to this, Six Flags had occasionally tried its hand at simply retheming some of its existing roller coasters. However, those ride updates that saw Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure and Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England painted purple and renamed as “Bizarro” for about 10 to 15 years were mostly failures. We saw those same rides returned to their original names and themed about a decade ago.
Other efforts saw the chain try to take advantage of some cheaper technological advancements, such as adding fire effects and an onboard soundtrack to X at Six Flags Magic Mountain (now called X2), or quick temporary VR headgear overlays to some existing coasters and drop-tower rides in order to market them as new experiences.
Unfortunately, those experiments ultimately failed and were a short-lived fad.
What about water parks?
The water park market has also undergone a similar evolution over the past few years. Various older slides are being upgraded and modified to feature LED lights, audio systems, or replaced with new enclosed sections that incorporate coloured, semi-transparent patterns to create unique lighting effects inside.
On the extreme end, we’ve seen some parks go very high-tech. For instance, Aquatica in Orlando enclosed the park’s former open-bowl slides with new domes featuring an intense digital projection system. The result on slides like Tassie’s Underwater Twist offers a unique encounter with projections of underwater sea life when they enter the dome.
Ride updates at Universal
Then we have the Universal parks and attractions. While Universal has opted to upgrade and enhance several attractions over the years, this has mostly involved upgrading old projection tech to feature the latest and greatest new projection technology, as many of its attractions did have a heavy focus on screen-based sequences.
The ultimate example of this was the 2011 update of The Adventures of Spider-Man dark ride at Islands of Adventure. The original animation and projection technology from 1999 was completely replaced with an all-new 4K HD projection system. Additionally, the video sequences were completely reanimated from scratch, capitalising on the new 4K resolution.
Universal has been more known for demolishing old attractions to make way for entirely new ones. Yet it has updated a few over the years. The original Back to the Future: The Ride simulator attractions were updated with a new theme and ride film to become The Simpsons Ride in 2008 at both the Orlando and Hollywood parks.
Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and more
By contrast, the former Back to the Future attraction in Japan would be updated to become Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. The original Jurassic Park: The Ride water flume attraction in the Hollywood park would become the only Jurassic World – The Ride attraction by updating all the scenery, yet keeping the same ride system in place.
Elsewhere, the chain has opted to upgrade the technology and ride system of the E.T. Adventure dark ride in Orlando over the years, while keeping the basic ride experience still the same.
Ultimately, I believe that each chain has successfully set a level of expectations for its guests. Universal has previously trained its guests to expect old attractions to be removed and replaced with new concepts. For example, the pending closure and demolition of the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster in Orlando.
Keeping fans happy is a balance
For Disney, when it comes to classic rides that it doesn’t plan on removing, guests have come to expect technological ride updates from time to time. Even if it means enhancing old scenes in a way that might change the feel of the attraction.
Disney, being well… “Disney”, has also taught the world that we can expect to see certain aspects of even these classic attractions subject to change over the years. Especially if those changes are made to address more culturally sensitive topics.
This has happened rapidly, particularly when Disney is trying to erase something that has aged poorly over the years and is now considered to have racial overtones or be culturally insensitive.
I know Disney has not been alone in this regard. Several European parks have also opted to remodel or remove older attractions that featured more stereotypical depictions of other cultures or races.
Personal preferences
I do recall headlines a few years ago when the Africa Cruise attraction at Nigloland in France was asked to be closed and updated. This was due to how some characters were depicted.
More cartoon-like racial character designs, previously featured on a couple of attractions at Efteling, were also found to be offensive to some guests on the Mr. Cannibal and Carnival Festival attractions.
There was never a public issue with Europa-Park’s Pirates in Batavia dark ride. Yet, when it was lost due to a fire, I noticed the park took the time to carefully update all of their character designs and depictions to be more modern and realistic than the previous depictions.
The choice may be based on personal preference. Still, I am curious to know if audiences today prefer to see older rides replaced entirely, updated with new themes, or to update old attractions piecemeal over the years rather than stay stagnant.
