3. The Outpost

Much like with Tomorrowland Speedway, I don't actually have much of an issue with the Outpost as an attraction. In fact, I quite like it. I think it breaks up the pace of the World Showcase nicely, and, I think its African motif is different enough from the mostly-European backdrop of the Showcase that it provides a cool visual break.

My problem with The Outpost is actually that it is covering up a secret: Behind the Outpost is one of the largest undeveloped pieces of property in Epcot.

You see, when Epcot was first built, Disney made sure to leave enough space in World Showcase to allow for other countries to have pavilions built in their honor as the park's life went on. Most of these, however, have gone unused – the most recently built pavilion was Norway in 1988.

And so, instead of having an epic Russian-themed pavilion, or a grand Spain pavilion, or a faithfully-recreated Brazil pavilion, we get a relatively half-hearted and ambiguous African outpost. And, that outpost is rendered all the less impressive if one visits Disney's Animal Kingdom.

In all, the Outpost is just one representative of Disney's failed use of space in the World Showcase. The World ShowPlace event space – an area originally intended as a temporary event space for the Millenium Village – similarly uses one of those planned plot of land in a way that doesn't entirely make sense. If Disney's ever going to fix Epcot, which they need to do, a quick and unobtrusive way to do it would be to make better use of this space.

4. Chester and Hester's DinoRama

Unlike the other attractions on this list, I actually do have a great deal of disdain for Chester and Hester's DinoRama at Disney's Animal Kingdom. I think that it's visually unappealing, cynical, and is a black mark on what is one of the most beautiful theme parks in the world.

But, my personal feelings aside, it's hard not to look at it and conclude that its space could be better used on another area or attraction.

It's size is really not that much smaller than the footprint of its neighbor, Dinosaur – if Disney wanted to add another dinosaur-themed attraction on that level, but maybe a bit more kid-friendly, there's no way that wouldn't be better than the off-the-shelf rides Disney currently has there. Or, if you look at the beautiful work done in the Harambe Village in the African section of the park, it's a wonder the tacky tourist trap aesthetic of DinoRama is allowed to stick around.

Ultimately, people love dinosaurs. People will always love dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are cool, and the more attractions you can have that share how cool dinosaurs are with guests, the happier those guests will be. As it stands now, DinoRama doesn't do that, and so, really, it's wasting its space and its opportunity to connect with guests.

5. Wonders of Life

Image: Disney

You could make an argument that there's no bigger metaphor for wasted space on Disney property than the Wonders of Life pavilion. This pavilion used to house an E-Ticket attraction in Body Wars, a beloved animatronic show called Cranium Command, and countless other films and exhibits that taught guests about health, fitness, and life.

Now, it's basically a convention center.

Disney uses the Wonders of Life pavilion as a festival hub for their Food and Wine Festival and Flower and Garden Festival. They use it to host workshops and sell merchandise, and, for the most part, that's all well and good. Both of those festivals are wonderful events, and anything that can be done to make them more amazing is welcome.

But, it's hard not to look at the beautiful exterior of the old Wonders of Life pavilion and feel like it's a missed opportunity. Disney could host those seminars anywhere – they could even purpose-build a festival hub somewhere else in the parks – but instead, they choose to do it in a pavilion built for twice the capacity. It doesn't make sense beyond its cost-effectiveness.

When you look at how far we as a country have come in terms of our interest in health and fitness, and when you look at what currently is housed in the Wonders of Life pavilion, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that Disney is simply being wasteful.

Yes, Walt Disney World has a ton of space, and that space is one of the greatest things about it. It gives Disney the ability to wow us with the scale of their attractions. It gives them the room to expand and grow in a way that their nearby competitors at Universal can only dream of. It makes us all feel more immersed in the magical world when we stay there on our vacations.

But, the size of Walt Disney World has given Disney a bit more laziness when master-planning its use of space. At Disneyland, they have to manically ensure that every inch of space is being used well, but at Disney World, the vast space removes any urgency with which Disney feels the need to operate. Hopefully, at some point, they'll realize they can't simply leave these empty or poorly used spaces as they are. They've remedied similar issues in Fantasyland, and they're working on them at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Who knows – hopefully one of these attractions is next on the list.