31. Mickey's Philharmagic debuts (2003)
The Legend of the Lion King is replaced by Mickey's Philharmagic, a "4-D" show that sees Mickey attempting to conduct an orchestra while Donald Duck causes chaos.
32. Stitch's Great Escape opens
Though it has built up something of a cult following, the ExtraTERRORestrial Alian Encounter is replaced by the more family-friendly Stitch's Great Escape! after less than a decade in operation.
33. Pirates of the Caribbean is updated (2006)
Pirates of the Caribbean is updated to feature characters from the movies based upon the original Disneyland ride, including Captain Jack Sparrow.
34. The Cinderella Castle Suite welcomes its first guests (2006)
As part of the Year of a Million Dreams promotion, Disney converts the upper floors of Cinderella Castle into the stunning Cinderella Castle Suite. Guests are offered the chance to win a stay in the luxury suite.
35. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor opens (2007)
The Timekeeper is replaced in Tomorrowland by interactive comedy show the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.
36. Interactive queue added to Space Mountain (2009)
In a move that indicates a new trend, Disney updates Space Mountain with a new queue line that features a host of interactive games.
37. Storybook Circus opens in New Fantasyland (2012)
Storybook Circus becomes one of the first elements of an updated and expanded "New Fantasyland" to open. It features dual versions of the popular Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride to increase capacity.
38. The Little Mermaid swims into New Fantasyland (2012)
Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid opens in New Fantasyland. The ride is a clone of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, which opened a year earlier at Disney California Adventure.
39. Be Our Guest opens to diners (2012)
The Be Our Guest restaurant begins serving diners in New Fantasyland. The eatery is housed in an enormous recreation of Beast's Castle from Beauty and the Beast.
40. New Fantasyland expansion completed (2014)
The New Fantasyland expansion was completed in spring 2014 with the debut of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster.
Comments
What a great article! I was 7 when Walt Disney World first opened and I was there and have been back numerous times since. Thank you for taking us on a journey through time and some of the changes that have taken place since the beginning. The ending of your presentation however ended a bit underwhelming but great job on the story and pictures!
Great to see those photos, but it's painfull to see that they stopped building new rides in the 2000s (except for fantasyland expansion) but still choosed to raise their prices this much.
Very cool. Thanks!