The Disney theme parks around the world are constantly changing and adapting in order to better use modern technology and keep them fresh. Disney is constantly evolving its parks in a bid to make them as relevant as possible, and, while that often comes in the form of brand new attractions, sometimes just sprucing up one of the existing rides can be just as efficient.
The company has recently revealed two of its classic rides will be getting changes in California and Florida. Splash Mountain will be totally changed to be based around Princess And The Frog, while the Jungle Cruise attraction is also set to become more modern, but what other rides could do with a touch of pixie dust in the near future?
Journey Into Imagination
When it comes to EPCOT, Journey Into Imagination is certainly a ride that could do with some alterations. In its current state, this ride simply isn't that enjoyable, and, while people may feel nostalgic about the history of this attraction, and Figment, it's time to move onto something fresh, making the most of Disney's intellectual properties.
This ride is all about imagination, therefore, bringing an Inside Out theme to it would fit perfectly. Figment could even stay and be a character inside visitors' minds, but it's time to modernize this ride and make it more exciting, and adding the different emotions would certainly do that.
It's Tough To Be A Bug!
Located inside of the main Animal Kingdom park icon, the Tree Of Life, there cannot be any structural changes to the It's Tough To Be A Bug! ride, which means this is always going to be a 4D show, but that is fine. There's great technology inside of this and some fun physical moments that keep guests on their toes.
But, after all this time, it would be wise for Disney to shake things up a little. One way to do that would be to change the story, and switching out the characters from A Bug's Life to Zootopia would be the right way to go. It keeps the animal theme that goes with the park but uses a much more relevant movie, which would give this attraction a much-needed boost.
Tomorrowland Speedway
In Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom in Florida, everything is supposed to be futuristic, and, while things are ever-changing and can be tough to keep up with, the Tomorrowland Speedway really is behind with the times. This ride, which allows guests to drive a car on a guided track, is a lot of fun, but the odor of gasoline and the noise of the cars can quickly grow to be obnoxious.
It's time Disney caught up to the future on this one and made these vehicles electric. Firstly, it would be much better for the environment, which is important considering how often this ride is going, and it would also provide a more pleasant experience for everybody.
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Disneyland Paris is putting a lot of investment into its second gate at the moment. However, that doesn't mean that the main Disneyland Paris park should be forgotten about, and some of the classic Fantasyland rides such as Pinocchio's Daring Journey would be a great place to make enhancements.
While this ride certainly brings a lot of nostalgia with its old-school dark ride elements, it would be nice to see it freshened up. Whether that's adding in more advanced animatronics or putting in some technology, this ride could be kept more relevant.
Spaceship Earth
A ride such as Spaceship Earth is always going to require some form of updates every now and then because this ride is all about communication and the technologies that have helped make that happen. Of course, as the world develops, so does our ability to communicate, and it is time this ride reflected that.
As all fans of the Disney parks know, this ride is located inside the icon of the park. Therefore, it is a very important one, as it's the first that guests encounter, and keeping it fresh and up-to-date should be a top priority.
Gran Fiesta Tour
Another ride in EPCOT that could benefit from being updated is the Gran Fiesta Tour, which is located in the Mexico section of World Showcase. This is a simple boat ride that is very relaxing, with Donald Duck being featured with this ride playing off the movie The Three Caballeros.
This made sense originally, and showcasing Donald is always a good thing. However, since the creation of the ride, the movie Coco has been released which is rich in Mexican heritage, and adding this movie into the ride, perhaps linking it to the day of the dead would be a great way to give this attraction a boost.
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sully To The Rescue
Disney's California Adventure is one of the most thrilling parks that the company has ever created, and having a slow dark ride tucked away does feel quite strange. The location of this attraction is also very random, and, now that Disney is creating a whole Marvel area very close by, it wouldn't be the worst idea to stretch that and include this area.
Something Disney could do would be to swap this out for the Ant-Man attraction that can be found in Hong Kong Disneyland. That's an interactive dark ride, which would instantly make this more exciting while extending the Marvel area instead of having this one ride on its own without much theming in the surrounding area.
Dinosaur
It's very clear that Disney is beginning to move away from its DinoLand U.S.A area with the recent closing of Primeval Whirl, therefore having such a major ride in that area is a waste. It's time for Disney to freshen this up, and one easy way to do that would be cloning the Indiana Jones ride from California.
These two rides have exactly the same layouts and technology, so it would simply be a case of theme and setting. Making the whole area themed to the popular franchise makes sense, especially with a fifth movie on the way.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Disney has recently closed this attraction in its Paris location, making way for a new Avengers-themed rollercoaster, and that is a sign that the expiration date on this attraction in Hollywood Studios is coming up. The ride itself is a lot of fun, but the Aerosmith theme is no longer relevant.
There's no denying they're an iconic band, but are they really in tune with the children of today? An Avengers ride at this point in Hollywood Studios would feel out of place. Therefore, a change to a more modern music artist would work, and it could also serve as the location for the long-rumored Monsters Inc. rollercoaster—though that property definitely isn't as relevant as it used to be.
Carousel Of Progress
Without a doubt, the main attraction that needs to be updated right now is the Carousel Of Progress. This is a beloved classic, but it is in serious need of some attention and love. The clue is in the title with this ride—it needs to show some progress!
The ride goes through different decades with the same family, but, when it reaches the 'future' scene that is supposed to give a glimpse of what to come, everything is outdated. Things like VR have actually come along and happened, so this scene no longer makes much sense. It's time to re-do that final scene, pushing the latest technology and giving another prediction to the future, bringing this ride into the modern era—though we will admit that it's almost charming in its outdated-ness.