Disney World has announced some rides and lands they were going to build, that never happened and were canceled for various reason. These are the rides that Disney World announced and didn’t end up building.
Animal Carousel
Animal Kingdom park was going to have an animal carousel as the focal point of the park instead of the Tree of Life that we know and love today. This carousel was going to have three tiers. The bottom would have sea animals, the middle tier would have land animals, and the top tier would have animals that fly.
Dragon’s Tower
Dragon’s Tower was going to be in a new land called Beastly Kingdom in Animal Kingdom park. This whole land was never built though, so as a result, this ride wasn’t built. The ride would have had unicorns, dragons, and other mythical creatures.
Enchanted Snow Palace
Magic Kingdom was going to get a new attraction called The Enchanted Snow Palace in the late 1970s. It would have been based on The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Plans for this attraction were canceled, but some of the concepts for this were put into Frozen Ever After in EPCOT.
Great Muppet Movie Ride
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Disney and Jim Henson were working on plans for a Muppets Land in Hollywood Studios in Disney World. The land was built, but didn’t have everything they originally planned, including the Great Muppets Movie Ride. It’s possible that some of the plans for this ride will be incorporated into the new Rock n Roller Coaster Muppets ride coming in 2026. Read about upcoming changes to Disney World rides here.
Mary Poppins Ride
A Mary Poppins themed attraction was announced in 2019 to be built in the United Kingdom Pavilion in EPCOT. The ride got delayed, then just never happened. It would have been an indoor attraction similar to the teacups ride.
The Excavator
There was going to be another attraction in DinoLand U.S.A. in Animal Kingdom called The Excavator. It would have been a wooden roller coaster that went through the Boneyard area, but it was canceled because of finances.
Play Pavilion
Play Pavilion was going to be new building built in EPCOT’s Wonders of Life. Disney announced it in 2019, then in 2023 said they were reevaluating this project. It would have had a Zootopia game, an arcade, a Monorail Mark X, and drawing lessons from Edna Mode.
Western River Expedition
Instead of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland in Magic Kingdom was going to have Western River Expedition. This would have been a cowboy themed log flume ride through the Wild West. Disney built Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the space for it instead though.
Toontown Transit
Hollywood Studios park was going to get a Who Framed Roger Rabbit themed land. This would have included a ride called Toontown Transit that was going to be a 4D motion simulation ride. This attraction was also going to be in Disneyland. Read about Disneyland rides that were announced and never built here.
Baby Herman’s Runaway Baby Buggy
Baby Herman’s Runaway Baby Buggy was going to be another ride in the Who Framed Roger Rabbit land. Guests were going to be in baby buggies and travel around the hospital like on the short Tummy Trouble.