If you’re looking for a stroll down memory lane, Disney World and Disneyland are THE places for it!

From the iconic rides to the classic hotels and timeless snacks, they’re PURE nostalgia, which is why they’re beloved by so many people around the world! Disney memories, like a fine wine, just get better with age.

When it comes to tapping into those cherished memories, what better way to relive the wistful moments than through photos?!

If you’re looking for a DEEP dive into Disney nostalgia, we’ve rounded up some Disney photos that are guaranteed to unlock some core memories you TOTALLY forgot about!

The Sorcerer’s Hat From MGM Studios

If there’s one Disney park that’s undergone a LOT of change since its opening, it’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios. For one thing, it used to be called MGM Studios! For another thing, the SYMBOL of the park is GONE!

From 2001 to 2014, the Sorcerer’s Hat was the icon of the park — it was to MGM what Spaceship Earth was to EPCOT, located at the end of Hollywood Boulevard near the entrance.

It functioned as a gift shop primarily, but the one major problem was that it blocked the even MORE iconic Chinese Theater! So it eventually had to go, to clear the way for what is now Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

This Giant Ant

Speaking of BIG changes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, remember when you could ride a giant ant at the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Play Set?!

This larger-than-life immersive playground featured super-sized things like film canisters, redwood-esque blades of grass, and yes, bugs. That slide through a canister of film, anyone?! (“film,” for those of you growing up primarily in the 21st century, is this stuff we used to take photos on before iPhones. 🤣)

For some, this bygone attraction might be a jarring memory, but a core memory nonetheless!

The Chuck Wagon S’mores

If you were a kid visiting Disney World, there’s a chance you stayed at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. In which case, there’s a chance you had the great fortune of attending a campfire sing-a-long with Chip ’n’ Dale and…S’MORES! 

The image of the Chuck Wagon, a retrofitted RV loaded with s’mores fixins is permanently engrained in our brains as the PERFECT Disney campfire memory.

Aside from the s’mores, the Chuck Wagon itself is the RV of our Goofy Movie dreams.

These Balloons

Riddle us this: which short-lived Disney souvenir has some of the LONGEST-lasting memories? We’re talking, of course, about BALLOONS.

Unlike bygone rides or wistful memories, balloons are still very much a fixture in Disney World and Disneyland, and despite the fact that they have a short lifespan, they’re about as iconic a sight as it gets. You might have fond memories of these pre or post the addition of the clear mylar bag (the clear exterior helps the balloons stay inflated for significantly longer than without).

Even if you’re not in the parks, gazing at photos of balloons on Main Street is enough to tug on the heartstrings!

The Figaro Fries

Ready for a deep cut? While balloons may be universally renowned and adored, there’s ONE snack that’s SUPER obscure, which we miss dearly! 

For serious snack historians, the Figaro Fries are a special treasure, once served as a nacho-like heap of cheesy goodness at Pinocchio Village Haus in Magic Kingdom before the park took it away and traumatized us. They were basically all the toppings of a good bacon cheeseburger plus ranch dressing on fries. And they were glorious.

Fortunately, Magic Kingdom revived them (sorta) as Loaded Plaza Fries at The Plaza Restaurant, but the singular memory of eating Figaro Fries — which just sounds BETTER — at Pinocchio Village Haus is a moment we’ll cling to.

Check out Plaza’s “Figaro Fries” now here!

The Vikings From Maelstrom

Listen, nothing against Elsa and Anna, but we (still) miss their predecessors. We miss the vikings! 

Before Frozen Ever After in EPCOT, there was Maelstrom, a decidedly darker and grungier version of an indoor boat ride in the Norway Pavilion. And to be honest, we miss the grunge! This ride was, to put it lightly, WEIRD. In the best way possible, though. There was creepy tree trolls, three headed trolls, your boat hung out a waterfall, and more. We still hear those trolls hollering “DISAPPEAR, DISAPPEAR!”

The format of the ride hasn’t changed much, but looking back at photos of Maelstrom is a pleasant float down a watery memory lane.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

One of the rides we occasionally think about and immediately pine for is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an epic aquatic romp in Magic Kingdom! Or at least it used to be. 

The submarine attraction was an amazing, immersive excursion through a lagoon, to the “North Pole,” and into combat with a Giant Squid!

An opening day attraction in Disney World, it closed abruptly in 1994, and we’ve had a submarine-shaped void in our hearts ever since. Voyage of the Little Mermaid moved in where this once stood, while the Disneyland equivalent is still holding strong — albeit with a different theme. You can still take a trek through “liquid space” on the West Coast, only you’ll be going on an adventure with Nemo and his pals now. 

This Weird Time at The Enchanted Tiki Room

The Enchanted Tiki Room in Magic Kingdom is still very much a thing, and still very much a jolt of pure nostalgia whenever we experience it. But there was another brief time in history when the ride got even WEIRDER. 

We’re talking about that time in 1998 when the attraction was rebranded as The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management), and Zazu from The Lion King and Iago from Aladdin would show up during the show and try to steal the spotlight!

LOL WHAT! It wasn’t a success (we know, you’re shocked the two most annoying Disney birds DIDN’T improve the show 😂), which might explain why Disney put a stop to it, but looking back at the archival photos sure is a silly time.

When the Skyway Existed

Before the Disney Skyliner, there was another (say that in Yoda’s voice, plz). Remember the ol’ Skyway?

You use used to be able to hop on at either the Tomorrowland station near Carousel of Progress or the Fantasyland Station (where the Tangled restrooms are now!) and take a quick ride across the park. If you look hard in that picture you can spy a ticket booth as well, for those of you old enough to remember having to buy tickets for each ride you wanted to experience (hmm…why does that sound so familiar?).

Old-School Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean, with rides in both Disney World and Disneyland, is a timeless treasure that’s never anything short of nostalgia and warm, fuzzy memories. But said memories get even fuzzier when we look back at the ride in its most old-school form! 

This is especially true for the Magic Kingdom rendition, which previously had pillaging scenes, and since it pre-dated the film franchise, there weren’t appearances from Jack Sparrow or Captain Barbossa. Remember when there was a not-so-clothed lady inside the barrel scene and not Jack Sparrow?! (K, maybe that scene was in need of an update!) What about if we holler “we wants the redhead?” Any feels there? 

 

Of course, the jail scene with the dog holding the key will forever be IT for us. It’s been DECADES and they still haven’t got that darn key. Poor guys. Keep trying, we suppose? 😉

Disneyland History Photos

One surefire way to rustle up some core memories is by sifting through an auction of historical items and photos! Duh! 

For a BIG blast from the past, take a gander at this BONKERS auction of Disneyland history photos, which depict vintage signs, attractions, costumes, trinkets, and more!

It’s a throwback to Disney at its MOST nostalgic, and MOST classic, and an apt reminder of how timeless the parks — and their lasting memories — truly are! Before we go, one last punch right in the feels department:

You’re welcome. Haters gonna hate, but it’s hard to argue the 25th-anniversary cake castle wasn’t memorable!

This is just barely scratching the surface of Disney memories we don’t want to forget! What other fond memories of rides, shows, and more have permanently taken up a spot rent-free in your brain? Let us know and we’ll dig up some photos!

8 Times Disney Totally CHANGED Iconic Rides!

What is your MOST nostalgic Disney memory ever? Let us know in the comments!