8. The Living Seas

Opened in: 1986
Closed in: 2005
Replaced by: The Seas with Nemo & Friends

When Michael Eisner took over as Disney CEO in 1984, he decided that the company's former policy of "playing nice" with its neighbors in Florida was no longer appropriate. Instead, he sought to take on the competition directly. In 1986, The Living Seas Pavilion opened at Epcot, taking clear aim at SeaWorld Orlando (it didn't work: SeaWorld registered record attendance that year).

The Living Seas hosted the largest saltwater tank in the world, holding an incredible 5.7 million gallons of water. The attraction took guests under the ocean to "Sea Base Alpha" via a "hydrolator" (a mock elevator), where they viewed a short movie about the oceans dubbed The Sea. They then boarded "Seacabs", traveling along an underwater tunnel through the aquarium. Finally, they could take a look around a host of multimedia displays.

The Seacabs closed in 2001, and in 2003 work began on a major overhaul of The Living Seas. Eventually, the Seacabs were replaced by "Clamobiles", and the entire attraction was converted into The Seas with Nemo & Friends.

7. World of Motion

Opened in: 1982
Closed in: 1996
Replaced by: Test Track

Sponsored by General Motors, World of Motion was the anchor attraction of Epcot's Transportation Pavilion from 1982 to 1996. The classic Omnimover dark ride took guests through scenes populated by audio-animatronic figures that told the story of the evolution of tranportation, from the invention of the wheel to modern automobiles.

These days, the site is occupied by Test Track - a much faster-paced take on transport technology.

6. Universe of Energy

Opened in: 1982
Closed in: 1996
Replaced by: Ellen's Energy Adventure

The original Universe of Energy pavilion at EPCOT Center featured a roof that was covered in 80,000 photovoltaic solar cells. These partially powered the ride vehicles for the attraction within, which transported guests by following guide wires rather than a traditional track. On their way, guests viewed various film sequences about energy production, as well as a diorama featuring audio-animatronic dinosaurs.

In 1996, the attraction was replaced by Ellen's Energy Adventure, an updated version starring Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye "The Science Guy".

5. Wonders of Life Pavilion

Opened in: 1989
Closed in: 2007

Wonders of Life opened in 1989, and hosted a variety of interactive attractions such as a personal health quiz and bicycle simulators. The highlight, though, was Body Wars - a simulator ride through the human body. This was joined by Cranium Command, a humorous show about the importance of the human brain.

Elements of the Wonders of Life Pavilion are still in place and it is used for seasonal events. However, Body Wars and Cranium Command have not operated for many years.

4. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

Opened in: 1994
Closed in: 2010
Replaced by: Captain EO

Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, based on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, was a 3-D show housed in the Imagination Pavilion. It saw guests shrunk down to a tiny size, and featured a host of "4-D" effects such as spraying water and shaking floors. Ironically, it was replaced by the same show that it had itself replaced: Michael Jackson's Captain EO.

3. Journey Into Imagination

Opened in: 1982
Closed in: 1998
Replaced by: Journey into Your Imagination

EPCOT Center was designed to offer a completely different type of experience to the Magic Kingdom. For that reason, Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were initially banned from the park. While this decision made sense on many levels, it also left kids without a recognisable character to connect with.

Faced with this problem, Disney's Imagineers created a new, original character - one in keeping with the park's theme. That character was Figment, the icon of the Imagination Pavilion. Together with Dreamfinder, Figment hosted the pavilion's headline attraction: Journey into Imagination, which eventually opened five months after the rest of the pavilion (which was subsequently renamed as the Journey into Imagination Pavilion).

The original version of Journey into Imagination operated until 1998, when it was overhauled to become Journey into YOUR Imagination. This version of the ride came in for stinging criticism, and only survived for two years before it was itself replaced. It was themed around 3-D movie Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, which was also hosted in the same pavilion, and saw guests passing through numerous areas of the fictitious Imagination Institute.

In the face of overwhelming demand from fans, Disney brought back Dreamfinder and Figment. Unfortunately, the resulting attraction - Journey into Imagination with Figment - remains very, very unpopular.

2. ImageWorks

Opened in: 1982
Closed in: 1998
Replaced by: ImageWorks: The What-If Labs

ImageWorks was the post-show to the original Journey into Imagination attraction. It hosted a variety of games and hands-on exhibits, such as Magic Palette (a digital drawing station), Lightwriter (using lasers to write and draw) and Bubble Music (a projection that moved in time with sounds). The most famous of these was the Rainbow Corridor, which assigned a color to each guest and followed them throughout.

1. Maelstrom

Opened in: 1988
Closed in: 2014
Replaced by: Frozen Ever After

This forward/backward flume ride in the Norway Pavilion took guests in Norse viking ships on a cruise through a troll-inhabited swamp, past Nordic polar bears, and into the oil refinement industry of present-day Norway before culminating in a short film on the region's contributions to technology.

The closure of Maelstrom was surely the most controversial ride closure in Epcot's history, simply because of the nature of its replacement: A Frozen-themed boat ride

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