I understand that people enjoy this area and I get concept, but I don't care for it as I've always enjoyed how Disney doesn't show pipes holding up their rides and this just comes across as a lame effort on the designers part.
The main reason I detest this area though is the side games. Yes, every theme park in America had those, except Disney. I used to visit Opryland where they had them. But the concept of these games is that you pay to win a prize. One memory for me, early on when it first opened with my family. My step daughter asked me for money to play a game. I have in and watched her run of to compete for a prize. Before her, a lady had just paid for two entries for herself and her young son. My step daughter ended up winning the prize, and watched the disappointed son and his mother walk away from what would have been a guaranteed win had my stepdaughter not joined in. In my vision of Disney and what Walt intended, no attraction should result in disappointment like this.

Interesting article. Some points I agree whole heartedly. Other points, not so much. But that’s what makes the world go ‘round.

On the “not so much” point, I don’t have a real problem with The Outpost. I do agree that with Africa now well represented in the Animal Kingdom it does seem redundant. I would dearly love to see new pavilions added to World Showcase. But that’s not soon to happen it seems, sad to say. But if the outpost could maybe be rethemed in some way a lot would be gained. It could be simple fix.

I hate the Speedway well. It doesn’t fit visually with the rest of Tomorrowland. That area has always felt .like they ran out of money when they redressed Tomorrowland in the 1990s. And there is nothing unique about it that isn’t at any number of theme parks across the country. It’s just Nascarland. And the smell of exhaust is awful when you go through that area of the park. At the very least give it a whimsical update similar to what was done with the Disneyland Autopia. There’s just not enough “there” there to make it really a Disney attraction.

The problem for me with Dinorama isn’t that it’s a cheesy carnival. It’s that it’s not enough to it. There’s not enough there to make it feel like an actual roadside carnival. Two or three more redressed off the shelf rides would add a lot to that area. A carousel, a ferris wheel, a tit-a-whirl or any of the simple rides they have in DCAs Bug’s Land area would do wonders to flesh out that area. There’s not enough kinetic energy in the area to make it feel authentic and fun. As it stands there are just too many carnival games (Of which I have no real problems with per se.) that seldom have people playing them and not enough actual attractions to really flesh out the area. It’s a fun idea that has always felt like Phase 2 expansion of the area is in the near future. Again, there is just not enough “there” there.

The point which I agree whole heartedly with the author is with The Odyssey and the Wonders Of Life pavilion. Frankly I have the same fear that Inoventions West is going to suffer the same fate and sit vacant for years. Shuttered areas look tacky. It’s like having an empty house sitting in your neighborhood. No matter how well empty property is maintained it still is empty property and makes the overall neighborhood look bad. With the reopening of the Adventureland Veranda restaurant in Adventureland I’m really hoping that the same thing will happen with The Odyssey. Considering how hard it is to get reservations sometimes another restaurant would be a good thing. And the Wonders of Life pavilion s a huge building just mysteriously sitting there to people. It looks abandoned. Imagine what the Magic Kingdom would feel like is they completely shuttered Liberty Square? It just looks bad. Disney you could do LOTS better with these areas.

If they made tommorwlamd speedway more like autiopia at disnyeland

I LIKE Dinorama. It's fun. And I'm 18. I think they could add another dinosaur thing for older people though, but otherwise it's fun.

Personally, I think this whole article is ridiculous because
it's Disneys private property. They can do what they want.

I agree that Speedway does not fit with the Tomorrowland concepts. Its also a very noisy place. Unfortunately, it is popular....couldn't they upgrade it based on the movie "Cars"?

EPCOT needs a new pavillion. Brazil works.

I would like to see a new EPCOT pavillion (with rides) the evolution of life... explore different epochs of time (without being jerked around in rollercoasters).

you totally forgot the abandoned island called Discovery Island!

Now just how are you defining a "waste of space"? How is re-using a large building at EPCOT not an effective strategy if the attraction once housed there is an attraction no more?

And why the hate for Chester & Hester's? Personally, I think Chester & Hester's is a brilliant concept, ESPECIALLY in Florida (and if that makes no sense then I'm guessing you didn't get to the park via road-trip).

If you're talking about colossal wastes of space at Animal Kingdom, how is it that Rafiki's Planet Watch failed to make the list? Any attraction that is so bad that they have to put up a fence between the entrance and exit paths to force you to actually go there instead of simply taking a round trip on the train seems like a good "waste of space" candidate to me!

While I agree with most of this article,I do not agree with your assessment of the Tomorrowland Speedway. It is still one of the most popular attractions in the Magic Kingdom, often with 60+ minute waits during the peak times. That alone would indicate its popularity. Getting rid of such a popular ride would be devastating, much like the removal of Toontown. I could definitely see an update, but that would be it. Regardless of the space it takes up, it's still fun for ALL ages. (My 10,16, and 20-year-old sons, my 22-year-old daughter, her 25-year-old fiance, and my 47-year-old husband love this ride and it's a MUST DO during every visit! It's not just for ages 10 and under.)

I never knew what the Odyssey even was. Just knew that it was a long way around something that just sits there. The SPEEDWAY is ok, but needs some updates of some sort. The last time we visited in October '14, we did not even try to ride it!

Most corporate sponsors pulled out of EPCOT after 911. Costs, as well as the huge investment in other parks, has not made it feasible...yet... for addional expansion. The Outpost is there because Animal Kingdom made an African pavilion at Epcot redundant, even though that pavilion was quite far along in planning.

Do your honework,TPT.The Odyssey site cannot be built on. It sits on piers over a giant sinkhole too large to fill that was found during the construction of the park.

Get rid of the Speedway? Why not get rid of Small World or the Carousel of Progress while you're at it? If you consider the cars at Autotopia and the Speedway to be destructive to the planet, you have no business driving to WDW. That's hypocritical.

Chester and Hester's theme park is an amazing example of Disney detail. It's a Southern highway theme park that is in the process of disappearing. The cracks and footprints in the faux-asphalt, The Way Back ride, the billboards... Animal Kingdom is a lot of walking and looking. And it is amazing. You turn a corner and you're in an African village or walking a muddy river/road in India. But C&H is a place where kids and parents can stop and just play before they move on an learn something.

I have a special hatred for The Outpost. What better way to "showcase" the entire continent of Africa through narrowing it down to a hotdog stand.

I have to agree with Dinoland. We didn't even go in there. It had more of a carnival type atmosphere.

I always thought, that close the cars, put up 2 or 3 attractions, and re-build the cars so they travel on top of the buildings.

You are wrong about all of them as usual

Agree with all but Dinorama. It's SUPPOSED to look tacky that's the joke. The humour and puns are everywhere. It's Disney's poke at the carny and roadside attraction history in the States. All the other sections of AK have restaurants, shops, play areas. It's difficult to do that and keep the theming of the serious Dinosaur institute where the ride takes place. Hence, Dinorama let's them have a bit of fun with the area. Just because you don't like the concept doesn't mean it's a waste of space...... With you on the other 4 though.

Agree with all but the Speedway. It should stay but with futuristic styled cars running on electricity (with space age sound effects)