Disney World is constantly bringing in new updates. Just look at Epcot’s Future World right now!
Construction wall central!
Future World During Flower and Garden
Still, some of the oldest parts of Disney have a good dose of charm to them that we just can’t pass up. Today, we’re taking a look at seven outdated things at Disney World that we’re TOTALLY cool with! Check them out!
1. Country Bear Jamboree
Ok look, it’s not a huge stretch to say that Country Bear Jamboree is a wildly outdated attraction, but you know what? That’s OK with us. The audio-animatronics are an interesting mix of cute and kinda scary and the dialogue is SO outdated yet charming!
Country Bear Jamboree
Like a glimpse into a bygone era, it actually fits pretty perfectly in its Frontierland setting. Plus, the Jamboree was one of the very last attractions that Walt Disney personally helped develop! It was originally planned for a never-built Disney ski resort in California. NEAT!
Click here to learn about Country Bears Jamboree and MORE opening day attractions!
2. Tom Sawyer Island
Next up, we’ve got Magic Kingdom’s Tom Sawyer Island! This attraction is based on the classic Mark Twain book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, that inspired the 1973 Disney film, Tom Sawyer. This island, located across the water from Frontierland, is brimming with creative theming and many kids love exploring here.
Tom Sawyer Island
Guests of all ages can take a raft over to the island to explore a lost era of forts, dark mining caverns, and more. It’s basically a giant playground with interactive elements like a waterwheel, a barrel bridge, and plenty of rocks to crawl on!
Plus, it makes for a great escape from the crowds! If you’re visiting Disney World during a crowded day, take a trip over to Tom Sawyer Island for a nice respite. If Aunt Polly’s is open (the seasonal restaurant on the island is typically only open at Disney World’s busiest times of year) you can even grab a yummy biscuit slider or a root beer float!
Click here to learn more about Aunt Polly’s!
3. Enchanted Tiki Room
Over in Adventureland, we gotta give some love to the totally outdated Enchanted Tiki Room. Experiencing this attraction is like stepping into a time capsule from the days of early audio-animatronics. The animatronic birds were one of Walt’s earliest visions for the audio-animatronic technology he helped pioneer. And, yes, WE LOVE THOSE ROBOTIC BIRDS.
Not only is this an opening day Magic Kingdom attraction (it was called Tropical Serenade when it first opened), but we’ve seen it get a huge change in the past that PROVED that we prefer the Tiki Room as is.
Enchanted Tiki Room
Remember Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) with Zazu and Iago? Maybe you’ve blocked it out of your memory (no judgment!). It was a very unique take on our beloved way to hear the “birds sing words,” and a large number of fans were not in favor of the change.
This version lasted from 1998 to 2011 when a fire closed the ride, leading Disney to reopen the attraction in its original form, which fans welcomed back to the park. We’ll take our outdated Tiki Room just like it’s always been, please!
Take a peek at the new Enchanted Tiki Room Minnie Mouse merch coming soon! Click here!
4. Character Costumes in Beauty and the Beast — Live on Stage!
Hollywood Studios might be the park with the NEWEST stuff right now, like the amazing Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but it’s also got some seriously outdated gems. One of these is the Beauty and the Beast — Live on Stage! show on Sunset Boulevard.
©Disney
Obvi the story of Beauty and the Beast is timeless, but those character costumes are CERTAINLY not. They’re pretty big and clunky compared to the representations we see in other spots in the parks, like Enchanted Tales With Belle in Magic Kingdom. It’s true, Chip, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth could probably stand for a little bit of an update, but we like them the way they are. 🤷
5. Future World Music
You might not KNOW that you’ve heard this outdated thing before but if you’ve been to Epcot, you certainly have! We’re talking about the music in Future World! Seriously, listening to the speakers in the front half of Epcot is like taking a trip back to the ’80s.
Future World
And…we love that. The tunes are really iconic and fun synthesized versions of classic Epcot tunes. Listen closely and you’ll hear bits of “One Little Spark” (from the original Journey Into Imagination), “Golden Dream” (from the American Adventure), The original theme from The Living Seas (now The Seas With Nemo and Friends), and even the theme from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!
Next time you’re navigating the maze of construction at the front of Epcot, slow down and appreciate these classic tunes. You’re hearing early Epcot at its finest. We’ll have to see if this nostalgic music survives the Epcot Transformation!
Love Disney parks music? Click here!
6. Muppet*Vision 3D
Next on the list is Muppet*Vision 3D over in Hollywood Studios. We will NEVER pass up an opportunity to check out this show even if it is starting to show its age a bit. The theater feels a bit older, the 3D is outdated by today’s standards, and the animatronics are definitely on the earlier side when compared to newer technology like Hondo Ohnaka just steps away in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Muppet Vision 3-D
Still, this show is a TON of fun — especially when Sweetums comes out and bubbles start flying! We’ll go see the Muppets anytime we can. Can you blame us? They rock!
Click here to learn about the Muppet*Vision 3D refurbishment and reopening!
7. Journey Into Imagination with Figment Queue
Ok this one might be one of our favorite outdated things in Disney World. The queue for Journey Into Imagination with Figment is FILLED with the movie references of yesterday. Walking through the Imagination Institute, you’ll see reference to Robin Williams as Professor Brainard in Flubber and Rick Moranis as Wayne Szalinski in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, plus references to The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and other Dexter Riley films!
2020 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
Kids of today probably haven’t seen or even HEARD of many of these films. Still, keep your eyes open in the queue and you’re sure to be delighted by some of these outdated references. (There’s even a hidden Buzz Lightyear figure. Can you find him?!) We may miss the original version of the Figment attraction, but this fun and short queue make up for it slightly!
Click here to learn why we think there should be an in-ride photo on Figment!
So you see, newer isn’t ALWAYS better. Sometimes, give us those oldies that have stood the test of time! If you need us, we’ll be heading over to Tom Sawyer Island.
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They are not outdated. They are classic. Attractions with Walt’s own input (at DL versions including Tiki and Country Bears)….or one of Jim Henson’s last projects (Muppets 3D) should ALWAYS be kept and maintained.
Disney history.
They are part of Disney World from Walt himself I visit them every time I go
No love for the Carousel Of Progress?
With (almost) 50 years of heart warming WDW memories , I lean more to nostalgic pleasures rather than thrill ride attractions. It would break my heart to see any of the classic attractions you mentioned go “Under New Management “ 🙁
(PS- don’t forget Carousel of Progress!)
Love every one of them! Toss in Carousel of Progress and the Walt Disney World Railroad and it’s a perfect day!
Newer is NOT always better. When you’re an old fort (spelling?) like me, you enjoy the classics, sometimes more than the new stuff.
Before I retired, from public education, I often advised “If it ain’t broke, DON’T fix it.”
Yes, the kids want the newer stuff and the improved technology, but it’s nice that WDW hasn’t forgotten we seniors who still appreciate things the way they were.
“Love every one of them! Toss in Carousel of Progress and the Walt Disney World Railroad and it’s a perfect day!”
= = = = = =
Oh, yes, to both. Since these old bones will NEVER board a Tron cycle, I’m eager to have the railroad once again in operation.
Definitely Carousel of Progress, although I would love for them to add another slice of the pie shaped theatre for a 2020 scene.
I too was wondering if you were going to mention the carousel of progress. I remember going to the world’s Fair to see that I had seen it on Walt Disney’s wonderful world of color on Sunday evening and that was the one big thing I wanted to see was Disney’s carousel of progress
I downloaded all of the Epcot music loops from the Internet years ago, and I LOVE listening to those loops while I’m at home! The entrance loop, the main Future World loop, the Horizons queue loop, even the Canada loop — all 30-60 minutes long and all wonderful. To me, they’re not “dated,” just atmospheric.