4. Flight to the Moon/Mission to Mars/ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter/Stitch’s Great Escape

Stitch’s Great Escape now stands where two other similar attractions once were. Flight to the Moon opened in 1971. Upon entering the attraction, guests were greeted by Mr. Morrow, who explained some questions about their upcoming flight and gave them a tour. Guests then entered a circular room where they were seated for a flight to the moon. Once the moon was in view, an astronaut engaged the audience for a bit. On the way home, guests experienced a bit of an exciting event when meteroids supposedly struck the ship.

By 1975, a trip to the moon was old news, since humans had accomplished this feat several times already. So, Disney changed the name of the attraction to Mission to Mars, but they left most of the ride elements the same. One notable exception was the addition of a “hyperspace jump” scenario in the journey, which was not part of the original ride.

When Michael Eisner decided to revamp parts of Disney World so it would appeal to older children, Mission to Mars was one of the first attractions to go. He replaced it with ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, which was definitely not a show for young children. On this adventure, guests were kept mostly in the dark, where a terrifying alien prowls around the room, generally scaring everyone to death. Young children were especially frightened by this event, and parents complained to Disney. Signs were installed to warn guests of the scariness of the attraction, and children under the age of seven were eventually barred from entrance. But the backlash was too great, and Disney had no choice but to discontinue the ride and make it something a bit more family friendly.

 In 2004, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was changed to Stitch’s Great Escape. Because the original attraction was so expensive to build, most of the ride elements were reused, though the overall feel of the attraction is much more lighthearted. Instead of a terrifying alien, the new creature is Stitch from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch movie. Many people don’t see the new attraction as successful, however. For one, it’s generally not a crowd favorite. Also, children are often still scared of the show, since most of the action takes place in the dark. In fact, it may not be long before a new attraction is featured in this spot.

5. Star Jets/Astro Orbiter

 The Star Jets attraction was added to Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland in 1974. The ride was installed on top of the PeopleMover platform and was used as the focal point for all of Tomorrowland. The center of the ride featured a Saturn V rocket, and individual ride cars rotated around this rocket on spokes. The cars were shaped like hovercraft, and each one had a joystick so guests could control the up and down movement of their car.

When Tomorrowland underwent its massive overhaul in 1994, designers changed the Star Jets concept to reflect the new theme they had chosen for the area. The name was changed to Astro Orbiter, and the cars were changed to retro-looking rockets. The center of the ride is now shaped like a transmission tower, and colorful planets were added all around the ride to give guests a feeling of being in space.

In 2014, the ride was given another overhaul. The entire ride was repainted with a new color scheme, though all of the ride mechanics remained the same. It was reopened to the public at the end of September 2014.