Last month, we toured landmarks left over from dearly departed Disney attractions in Florida. In Anaheim, however, the artifacts are even easier to find. It’s difficult to walk 20 paces without running into some not-always-inconspicuous reminder of yesteryear.
Nostalgia has always been a major component of the Disneyland experience. Walt anticipated his audience’s craving for the Good Old Days when he proposed recreations of the Main Street of a half-century earlier and the Wild Frontier of the 1800s. Since then, the company has seen its audience begin craving for the Good Old Days of Disneyland itself. The park’s two most profitable years were 1996, when families clamored for one final opportunity to recapture the Electrical Parade of their youth, and 2005, which spotlighted the park’s Golden Anniversary.
Nowadays it’s not unusual for Imagineers to throw park-eologists a bone, whether by hitching a 50-year-old stagecoach alongside the Big Thunder Trail, bronzing a Midget Autopia car in the current Autopia’s “car park,” or incorporating subtle tributes to displaced attractions into their successors, such as on the Innoventions mural.
You can also still visit actual components of other late, great attractions—E-tickets no longer required:
1. House of the Future (Pixie Hollow)
The futuristic house is long gone, but its surroundings survive. The queue leading to the House was remodeled into the path to Pixie Hollow (after being remade into walkways through Alpine Gardens and Triton’s Gardens), and a portion of the concrete foundation for the cross-shaped plastic House still exists. Look at the entrance for Pixie Hollow, right behind the sign with the miniature houses on top. Although it is landscaped over and painted green to help it blend in, there is still a concrete wall that served as part of the foundation for the stairs that led into the House.
2. PeopleMover/Rocket Rods (Tomorrowland)
The mammoth loading platform is Disneyland’s own “elephant in the room.” It sits quite visibly in the smack-dab center of Tomorrowland. Just in case you somehow overlook that, the ride’s entire track winds up and around you as a constant reminder. Bring it back.
3. Rocket Jets (Observatron)
Forget the AstroOrbiter. The Rocket Jets were better, because they didn’t seem like just another Dumbo rip-off. They sat on top of the old PeopleMover station, spinning wildly 70 feet above the blurring lights of Tomorrowland. The entire feeling was different—and potentially harrowing. Its mere positioning transformed a kiddie ride into a thrill ride. The Rocket Jets’ metal “skeleton” was turned into the Observatron, a kinetic sculpture that used to spin around to music. Unplugging it has been an improvement, since we’re not reminded every 15 minutes that we can’t ride it any more.
4. America Sings (Innoventions, Star Tours, Splash Mountain)
Innoventions moved into America Sings’ carousel theater more than 10 years ago, but you can still watch most of the original performers at other attractions. Two of the geese were stripped down and became the G2 repair droids in the Star Tours queue, while the rest of the geese relocated to the banks of Splash Mountain, along with assorted frogs, fowl, rabbits, reptiles, raccoons, opossums, felines, and dozens of others.
5. Motor Boats (Fantasia Gardens)
Although the mini-cruise lost much of its river to the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage construction, you can still enjoy its concrete queue dock, metal roof, and loading pond—so long as you smoke.
6. Light Magic (Small World Mall)
Nightmares are not the only things that remain from 1997’s ill-fated street spectacular. Small World Mall was completely redesigned with terraced viewing areas and large light projection towers. The light towers added to Main Street are also still around and still active. They are used to light parades at night and retract out of sight on the buildings’ roofs.
7. Skyway (Fantasyland, Tomorrowland)
The Fantasyland Skyway Station’s wooden chalet still sits in the woods to the west of Casey Jr. Much of the old Tomorrowland Skyway Station was removed, but you can still find several flights of metal stairs behind the Winner’s Circle store. The door behind the store across from the Autopia used to be the entrance.
8. Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland (Big Thunder Mountain)
Big Thunder Mountain is filled with and surrounded by cast-offs from the beloved old Mine Train ride, including sections of the track, tunnels, animatronic animals, the Rainbow Ridge town facades, and an abandoned train. Nature’s Wonderland’s jumping fish still leap in the pond along Big Thunder Trail. And, if you’re particularly eagle-eyed, you can spot a bit of the old Pack Mule trail that runs over the tunnel beyond the pond. A larger section of the Pack Mule trail—not visible to guests—runs from the former spot of the McDonald’s Fry Cart to behind Big Thunder Ranch, but has been covered with asphalt for use by maintenance workers.
9. Mike Fink Keel Boats (Tom Sawyer Island)
For the last six years, the Gullywhumper has been moored along the southwest edge of Tom Sawyer Island, as a static prop, long devoid of any guests. Similarly, a bit farther down the river you can spy the Burning Settlers Cabin, long devoid of any burning or any settlers.
10. Country Bear Jamboree (Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)
Look above and behind you as you enter the “honey room.” Above the archway you’ve just passed through, you’ll spot the animatronic mounted heads of Max the elk, Buff the bison, and Melvin the Moose—in exactly the place they spent nearly 30 years presiding over tens of thousands of “Bear Band” performances.
11. Swiss Family Treehouse (Tarzan’s Treehouse)
The Family Robinson must have left in a hurry, because they left behind many of their belongings, including their stove, ship’s wheel, some furniture, books, and “Mind Thy Head” branch. And that catchy “Swisskapolka” tune sounds familiar, too.
