The Lost Attractions And Other Locations At Walt Disney World In 2018: Talking Mickey, Circle Of Life And More

Anyone who is a fan of the mouse knows that there are a lot of changes coming to Walt Disney World in the next few years. A number of new attractions and shows will arrive before the 50th anniversary in 2021 and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is opening next year. With the arrival and creation of new things, though, there are some that end up becoming “lost” and here are all those which are no more as of 2018.

A number of the things that closed this year at Walt Disney World were replaced with something new or upgraded, but some are just gone for good. It’s not always easy to say goodbye to attractions and events that people love, but change is something that simply won’t stop and it’s going to happen.

Let’s take a look at the major happenings and changes that took place at Walt Disney World in 2018, and hopefully, you have some fond memories of them.

Talking Mickey Mouse Goes Silent

• Change made on May 13, 2018

In 2011, the Mickey Mouse meet-and-greet in Town Square Theater had the main mouse talking and interacting with guests. As of May of this year, Mickey is still meeting guests, but he has gone silent and no longer talks.

Pirates Of The Caribbean – The Wench Auction

• Closed February 26, 2018
• Reopened March 19, 2018

As the Disney Parks Blog reported, Walt Disney wanted the parks to “keep moving forward,” and that brought about this huge change. No longer is “The Redhead” for sale in a wench auction, but she is now a pirate named Redd and selling the stolen goods from the town.

World Of Disney

• Changed throughout 2018

At both Disney Springs in Walt Disney World and Downtown Disney in Disneyland, the World of Disney has undergone massive changes. Not only were the buildings redesigned for better traffic flow, but the big characters and Disney art that lined the walls and ceilings are now gone.

The Circle Of Life: An Environmental Fable

• Closed on February 3, 2018

The film about saving the environment sat in the theater inside The Land pavilion since January of 1995, but it finally came to an end this year. As of now, the theater is only used for special events and an actual replacement attraction has not yet been named.

Artist Point

• Storybook Dining began on December 16, 2018

Artist Point inside of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge used to serve an elegant dinner and was one of the signature (two table-service credit) locations at WDW. In October, it was revealed that it would be turned into a character dining experience with Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and the Evil Queen.

Sweet Spells

• Closed on April 15, 2018

Sweet Spells was an awesome candy and sweets shop in Disney’s Hollywood Studios which was closed and completely changed into a merchandise location. The store reopened with the opening of Toy Story Land in the summer and sells merchandise for the new section of the park.

Shutters Restaurant

• Reopened on October 8, 2018

Shutters ended up being a casualty of the major refurbishment at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. It was re-themed and given a brand new menu, and as reported by the Disney Parks Blog, it was renamed to Sebastian’s Bistro.

Disney Junior – Live On Stage!

• Closed on September 1, 2018
• Reopened on December 22, 2018

Disney Junior – Live on Stage has been in place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios since late 2001, and it had seen some changes over the years. In early September of 2018, that show came to an end as the brand new Disney Junior Dance Party took its place.

Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial

• Closed on September 29, 2018

For 12 years, Captain Jack Sparrow taught young guests how to be a true pirate over in Adventureland, but that is no longer the case as the show has ended. Perhaps, this could have something to do with the reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean coming from Disney, as previously reported by Inquisitr.

Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party

• Final run on December 1, 2018
• New version begins on January 18, 2019

This version of the parade made its debut in October of 2014, and a new version is coming in 2019 to celebrate Mickey and Minnie.

Other notable departures and closures in 2018:

• The Main Street Theater – Announced at the D23 Expo in 2017 and scrapped before construction began
• Citizens of Hollywood – Some of our favorite actors and actresses are still there, but not nearly as many as in the past
• Stitch’s Great Escape – This whole thing is still up in the air

Every year, there are many changes that take place at the Disney Parks, and there will always be more the following year. The year 2018 didn’t see a ton of big things take place at Walt Disney World, but there were some closures and alterations which will get to the hearts of some fans. Unfortunately, some changes are just necessary and many of our favorites may not always be. Fortunately, the future seems bright and there is a lot of magic to come.