7. The Alien

Image: Disney

Attraction: ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (Closed)
Location: Magic Kingdom

What happens when a carnivorous insectoid alien is accidentally teleported into a theater of tourists, shatters it way out of the glass tube encasing it, and begins devouring audience members? That's a question you might not expect to be answered among the G-rated attractions at Magic Kingdom, and yet day after day for years, guests witnessed the blood-curdling horror of Alien Encounter.

When Magic Kingdom's New Tomorrowland debuted in 1994, it was a radical reimagining of the land, intentionally doing away with any real science, innovation, or predictions of things to come. By shifting from science to science fiction, designers (and executives) believed that this Tomorrowland would never become outdated, never again requiring an expensive floor-to-ceiling renovation. And New Tomorrowland was, in many ways, brilliant! Among its sci-fi pulp serial comic setting recreating the future as envisioned by Buck Rogers, the land was an early prototype in Disney's now-standard world-building – all of its rides, attractions, and even restaurants were all part of a "real, functioning" alien space port city, united under one overarching narrative.

Image: Disney

That's how Martian tech corporation X-S Tech managed to rent out the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center to showcase its new intergalactic teleportation technology to Earthlings... until something goes horribly wrong... The point is that the alien creature Imagineers designed for the attraction became a star in its own right, brought to life on pins, merchandise, and even plush figures. And like all the best horror movie monsters, it's what you don't see that keeps fans infatuated with the alien beast – somehow a mix of spider, grasshopper, dragonfly, and snake, but visible only through flashing lights and the clouded glass teleportation tube, with your mind (and sensational "4-D" effects) filling in the blanks.

While Disney might've hoped that squashing the ultra-terrifying ride and replacing it with the Declassified Disaster: Stitch's Great Escape would remove memory of the alien from our minds, the character has now been elevated to cult status in the pantheon of Disney Parks originals – a fan-favorite, even amongst fans who never saw the attraction in person!

Read the in-depth Lost Legends: The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter feature for for the full story, making of, and attraction video!

6. Pirates

Attraction: Pirates of the Caribbean
Location: Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris

The final project Walt oversaw before his death, Pirates of the Caribbean is considered by many to be the absolute pinnacle of Imagineering and the greatest living dark ride on Earth. Clocking in at an unbelievable 16 minutes, the churning river journey through a Caribbean town under siege is a masterpiece of scenic design, lighting, storytelling, and special effects, employing no less than 115 Audio Animatronics depicting pirates, wenches, wives, donkeys, dogs, cats, and pigs.

The project was largely guided by the styles of Disney Legends Claude Coats (known for his ambient, distant, characterless, scenic environments that make up the attractions first half) and Marc Davis (an animator known for his character design and perfectly-staged scenes) whose two opposing styles meld wonderfully. But of particular interest are Davis' unforgettable pirate characters, who have been a source of celebration and controversy.

Image: Disney

From the ride's infamous auction scene (the source of headlines even today) to the iconic glimpse of pirates behind bars (who've been trying in vain for over fifty years to lure over a dog with a key), the ride is chocked full of unforgettable characters who have become Disney icons in their own right.

Naturally, the pirates were spectacular enough to become one of Disney's better ride-to-film adaptations, which then inspired executives to ret-con the movie pirates back into the ride – a subject of controversy in and of itself. But long before Captain Jack Sparrow was a star, the piratical cast of this Disney classic had made a name for themselves and become icons of Disney Parks.

5. Mara

Image: Disney

Attraction: Indiana Jones Adventure – Temple of the Forbidden Eye
Location: Disneyland

"You seek the future. I will lift the curtain of time... it is your destiny!"

"You seek the treasures of Mara... glittering gold! It is yours..."

"You have chosen wisely. This path leads to timeless youth and beauty..."

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Legend tells of the ancient lost god Mara who was said to grant any who come to his temple one of three gifts: eternal youth, earthly riches, or the vision of the gods... But beware: there's more than meets the eye with this double-dealing deity. Though Mara will look into your soul and unlock one of the three Halls of Promise where you may recieve your reward, any who look into the dark and corroded eyes of the god there will forfeit their gift and be cursed to the Gates of Doom!

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye is, by most accounts, one of the most spectacular theme park attractions ever made, and a pinnacle of Imagineering. But its the compelling story of Mara that brings this off-roading adventure to life. Riders just can't help but look into the god's hypnotic glance, watching as his twenty-five foot tall face cracks, rusts, and decays in response.

Image: Disney

Then, they're hurtled deeper into Mara's domain, leading to a four-story ancient stone sculpture of the god's visage, crumbled away to reveal a skeleton beneath – one of the most epic, oversized, and viceral dark rides on Earth showeing exactly what Disney can do.

The epic tale of Mara – told in the ride's unprecedented queue, preshow, and dark ride itself – is perhaps the strongest and most tactile legend in Disney Parks, and the presence of the booming Mara (who, some say, was voiced by frequent Disney / Lucasfilm collaborator James Earl Jones, voice of Mufasa and Darth Vader) gives this intangible character a surprising power.

Read the in-depth Modern Marvels: Indiana Jones Adventure – Temple of the Forbidden Eye feature for the full story, making of, and attraction video!

4. Shiriki Utundu

Image: Disney

Attraction: Tower of Terror
Location: Tokyo DisneySea

Forget Hollywood, 1939. Forget the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Forget the Twilight Zone. When Imagineers were tasked with bringing Disney's most epic thrill ride to the nautical Tokyo DisneySea, they recognized that neither the Disney-MGM Studios original nor Disney California Adventure's Lost Legend: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror would fit in the park or in Japanese culture (where The Twilight Zone is unknown). So they went back to the drawing board.

They found their answer thanks to S.E.A.: The Society of Explorers and Adventures, a secret society storyline that unites Disney rides, attractions, and even restaurants across the globe.

Image: Disney

Relocated to New York City, 1899, this entirely original version of the attraction follows the karmic consequences that befell S.E.A. member Harrison Hightower III, a ne'er-do-well world traveler who hoardes his stolen ancient artifacts, relics, and treasures in his gaudy hotel. One of his proudest artifacts was an ancient African idol named Shiriki Utundu, a grimacing wooden idol said to be cursed. When reporters at his New Years Eve party questioned Hightower about his fear of the supposedly-cursed figure, Hightower put his cigar out on Shiriki's head. Let's just say his ride to the Penthouse at midnight didn't go as planned. He was never seen again, but Shiriki was found back on his pedestal in Hightower's office without so much as a scratch.

Image: Disney

Given that DisneySea's American Waterfront port is set in the 1920s, the Hightower Hotel has been abandoned for two decades. Lucky for us, the New York Preservation Society is fundraising to save the now-dilapidated hotel, running tours of Hightower's treasure vaults with the headline-grabbing name "Tower of Terror." (Get it?) Naturally, our chance to see Shiriki Utundu in the flesh is astounding enough, but when the idol awakens and disappears before our eyes, the tour's highlight – a trip up to Hightower's penthouse in the revitalized cargo elevators – turns out to be quite a ride...

Shiriki Utundu is one of the most sensational original Disney Parks characters ever created, and the hotel's gift shop offers take-home souvenirs of the wooden idol. Naturally, it's recommended that you treat it with great care, or – if you don't – at least take the stairs.

Read the in-depth Modern Marvels: Tower of Terror feature for the full story, making of, and attraction video!