- Mar 13, 2024
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There are several locations in Disney World that are in desperate need of some TLC.
Expedition Everest
Over the years, some Disney World attractions, restaurants, and shows have been closed, never to be seen again. The sad part is when those former homes stay abandoned after the fact. And right now, there are a few spots that we’d love to see rejuvenated and used again.
Starting out at EPCOT, we have GOT to talk about the Wonders of Life Pavilion. This building is located in World Discovery between Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Mission: SPACE, and it used to be home to Body Wars and Cranium Command. After those attractions closed in 2007, the pavilion served as the festival center at EPCOT for more than 10 years. In 2019, it was announced that Wonders of Life would be turned into a new concept — the PLAY! Pavilion.
Wonders of Life in 2019
The PLAY! Pavilion was part of EPCOT’s original transformation plans and was set to open for the 50th Anniversary of Disney World in 2021. The pavilion was supposed to feature several interactive games, Disney characters, and what looked to be some very cool digital technology. The concept art was incredible!
©Disney || Play Pavilion Concept Art
But due to the pandemic, the plans were delayed, and the project was put on pause. A few years later, mentions of the PLAY! Pavilion were removed from Disney sources, and we haven’t received any updates since. Now, the building sits empty, tucked away from the main path.
On to one of Disney World’s more controversial attractions. Stitch’s Great Escape opened at Magic Kingdom in 2002 (with toilet paper fanfare), but closed permanently in 2018. For a little while afterward, its show building was used as a Stitch meet-and-greet area, but since the pandemic, it has been basically abandoned.
Where Stitch’s Great Escape used to be. (Construction photo from 2020)
Before housing Stitch’s Great Escape, this building was home to the famously frightening ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. The two shows shared much of the same technology, so it’s possible Disney could use this space for a similar theater-in-the-round show in the future, or they could scrap it and do something new. Fingers crossed for a new attraction!
This next one is an “abandoned” space you can actually still visit. Discovery River Amphitheater is the large outdoor theater in front of Expedition Everest, facing the Discovery River. It’s made to house large crowds for big shows, and it has been used for a few different things over the years.
Discovery River Amphitheater
In more recent times, this theater was where you could watch Rivers of Light at nighttime, pre-COVID. The nighttime show in Animal Kingdom used water effects and animal-themed floats instead of fireworks, and oddly enough, it closed a couple of months BEFORE the pandemic hit.
Rivers of Light: We Are One
Then, in 2021, this theater was where you could catch Disney KiteTails, a lively 10-minute show with giant animal kites and puppets that arrived for the 50th Anniversary. The show ran for exactly 365 days before it closed permanently as well. Since then, the theater remains open for guests to sit in, but no entertainment (besides the flotillas that ran through the river for a while) has been performed here.
The poor Morocco Pavilion has been THROUGH it since the pandemic. An area that was once vivacious and full of life has been kinda…dead the past few years. One poignant loss is Restaurant Marrakesh, which never reopened as a dining location after the closure in 2020.
Restaurant Marrakesh
This space has been used for a lounge on several occasions. During the past few Food & Wine Festivals, it has been a lounge sponsored by Florida Blue. Then, during the early summer, it’s often open for Annual Passholder appreciation days with snacks and a special photo op. We would love to see it back to its former glory, though!
Finally, we’ve got to chat about the far side of Disney’s BoardWalk — the side closer to Hollywood Studios and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. While the near side of the BoardWalk has seen additions recently — The Cake Bake Shop, BoardWalk Deli, BoardWalk Ice Cream, and Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs — the far side of the BoardWalk has mostly seen losses.
Disney’s Boardwalk
It started with the closure of Big River Grille in early 2024. The restaurant shut down with only a few days’ notice (ironically, within a week of when I had gone there to review the dinner menu for Disney Food Blog!), and the space has been vacant since. However, recently, a project has been announced on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District website for this location. We’re interested to see what comes next.
Big River Grille & Brewing Works
Then, the dueling pianos bar, Jellyrolls, closed permanently in 2025. Nearly a year later, it was announced that Jellyrolls would get a new location off Disney property, and now, its former home is under construction. Disney hasn’t shared yet what’s coming next, but we’re keeping an eye on it.
Old Jellyrolls building
There’s a LOT of real estate in Disney World, and there are a wide variety of projects that Disney could take on to fill it. We’ll be interested to see what they do with these spaces in the future!
Which of these spots would you love to see Disney fix up? Tell us in the comments!
Expedition Everest
Over the years, some Disney World attractions, restaurants, and shows have been closed, never to be seen again. The sad part is when those former homes stay abandoned after the fact. And right now, there are a few spots that we’d love to see rejuvenated and used again.
Wonders of Life Pavilion
Starting out at EPCOT, we have GOT to talk about the Wonders of Life Pavilion. This building is located in World Discovery between Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Mission: SPACE, and it used to be home to Body Wars and Cranium Command. After those attractions closed in 2007, the pavilion served as the festival center at EPCOT for more than 10 years. In 2019, it was announced that Wonders of Life would be turned into a new concept — the PLAY! Pavilion.
Wonders of Life in 2019
The PLAY! Pavilion was part of EPCOT’s original transformation plans and was set to open for the 50th Anniversary of Disney World in 2021. The pavilion was supposed to feature several interactive games, Disney characters, and what looked to be some very cool digital technology. The concept art was incredible!
©Disney || Play Pavilion Concept Art
But due to the pandemic, the plans were delayed, and the project was put on pause. A few years later, mentions of the PLAY! Pavilion were removed from Disney sources, and we haven’t received any updates since. Now, the building sits empty, tucked away from the main path.
Stitch’s Great Escape
On to one of Disney World’s more controversial attractions. Stitch’s Great Escape opened at Magic Kingdom in 2002 (with toilet paper fanfare), but closed permanently in 2018. For a little while afterward, its show building was used as a Stitch meet-and-greet area, but since the pandemic, it has been basically abandoned.
Where Stitch’s Great Escape used to be. (Construction photo from 2020)
Before housing Stitch’s Great Escape, this building was home to the famously frightening ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. The two shows shared much of the same technology, so it’s possible Disney could use this space for a similar theater-in-the-round show in the future, or they could scrap it and do something new. Fingers crossed for a new attraction!
Discovery River Amphitheater
This next one is an “abandoned” space you can actually still visit. Discovery River Amphitheater is the large outdoor theater in front of Expedition Everest, facing the Discovery River. It’s made to house large crowds for big shows, and it has been used for a few different things over the years.
Discovery River Amphitheater
In more recent times, this theater was where you could watch Rivers of Light at nighttime, pre-COVID. The nighttime show in Animal Kingdom used water effects and animal-themed floats instead of fireworks, and oddly enough, it closed a couple of months BEFORE the pandemic hit.
Rivers of Light: We Are One
Then, in 2021, this theater was where you could catch Disney KiteTails, a lively 10-minute show with giant animal kites and puppets that arrived for the 50th Anniversary. The show ran for exactly 365 days before it closed permanently as well. Since then, the theater remains open for guests to sit in, but no entertainment (besides the flotillas that ran through the river for a while) has been performed here.
Restaurant Marrakesh
The poor Morocco Pavilion has been THROUGH it since the pandemic. An area that was once vivacious and full of life has been kinda…dead the past few years. One poignant loss is Restaurant Marrakesh, which never reopened as a dining location after the closure in 2020.
Restaurant Marrakesh
This space has been used for a lounge on several occasions. During the past few Food & Wine Festivals, it has been a lounge sponsored by Florida Blue. Then, during the early summer, it’s often open for Annual Passholder appreciation days with snacks and a special photo op. We would love to see it back to its former glory, though!
The Far Side of BoardWalk
Finally, we’ve got to chat about the far side of Disney’s BoardWalk — the side closer to Hollywood Studios and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. While the near side of the BoardWalk has seen additions recently — The Cake Bake Shop, BoardWalk Deli, BoardWalk Ice Cream, and Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs — the far side of the BoardWalk has mostly seen losses.
Disney’s Boardwalk
It started with the closure of Big River Grille in early 2024. The restaurant shut down with only a few days’ notice (ironically, within a week of when I had gone there to review the dinner menu for Disney Food Blog!), and the space has been vacant since. However, recently, a project has been announced on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District website for this location. We’re interested to see what comes next.
Big River Grille & Brewing Works
Then, the dueling pianos bar, Jellyrolls, closed permanently in 2025. Nearly a year later, it was announced that Jellyrolls would get a new location off Disney property, and now, its former home is under construction. Disney hasn’t shared yet what’s coming next, but we’re keeping an eye on it.
Old Jellyrolls building
There’s a LOT of real estate in Disney World, and there are a wide variety of projects that Disney could take on to fill it. We’ll be interested to see what they do with these spaces in the future!
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Which of these spots would you love to see Disney fix up? Tell us in the comments!
