We saw a LOT of changes at Disney World in 2020.

Cinderella Castle

After seeing the parks close down completely and then reopen with new health and safety guidelines in place, we also saw some things at Disney World go away forever. 😢 We’re breaking down everything that went the way of the dodo in 2020!

Phineas and Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure

We spent several years joining the ranks of Agent P to defeat Dr. Doofenshmirtz around EPCOT’s World Showcase, but in February, we had to say goodbye to Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure. The fun interactive scavenger hunt was available through guests’ cell phones and sent guests across World Showcase to find certain items and locations.

Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure

Guests would go from country to country triggering interactive elements in the Pavilions! This game replaced Kim Possible’s World Showcase Adventure and will soon be replaced by DuckTales World Showcase Adventure! This version of the game was supposed to replace Agent P’s Adventure in 2020, but that was delayed until 2021 following Disney World’s closure.

Learn more about the DuckTales World Showcase Adventure

Primeval Whirl

Over at Animal Kingdom, the Primeval Whirl attraction closed its doors forever. This was a spinning “wild mouse” roller coaster similar to ones you can spot at carnivals. This opened in the DinoLand U.S.A. section of the park in 2002. The ride’s story was that guests were traveling back in time to see the meteor that made the dinosaurs go extinct.

Primeval Whirl

It eventually became a seasonal ride, only operating at peak times like Spring Break, but in 2020, Disney World announced that Primeval Whirl would be going away for good. We eventually saw its vehicles being towed off-property. If guests want a chance to spot that meteor that made the dinosaurs go extinct, guess they’re going to have to stick to riding a Time Rover over on the nearby Dinosaur attraction!

Read more about the closure of Primeval Whirl

Stitch’s Great Escape

Stitch’s Great Escape was the attraction that replaced the more horror-oriented ExtraTERRORestial Alien Encounter at Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom back in 2004. The premise for both attractions was similar — guests sat in a theatre-in-the-round while an alien (a very Ridley Scott-eque alien in the original and cutesy Stitch in this version) escaped from captors. There were water effects, sounds, and other interactive elements to the show. And if you want three words that made the attraction unpopular with many guests (or popular, depending on who you ask!): chili dog burp. If you know, you know. If you don’t, don’t ask.

Stitch’s Great Escape ©Disney

Stitch’s Great Escape was temporarily closed for some time and was switched to the seemingly doomed “seasonal operation” before Disney finally announced it had pulled the plug on the attraction. Before closing, the building was actually used as a Stitch Meet ‘n’ Greet location temporarily.

Learn more about the closure of Stitch’s Great Escape

Rivers of Light

Rivers of Light was a nighttime show at Animal Kingdom that featured live performers,  water fountains, mist screens, floating lanterns, fire effects, lasers, lights, fog, and more to entertain guests. It was retooled in 2019 into Rivers of Light: We Are One. That show featured more of Disney’s animated characters rather than the more general animal theme it started with.

Rivers of Light Tiger

Disney announced the closure of Rivers of Light in July, and being that there is no nighttime entertainment currently going on in Disney World due to the global health crisis, we have no word on if or when it will be replaced with something else.

Learn more about the closure of Rivers of Light

Ample Hills Creamery

We absolutely loved visiting Ample Hills Creamery on Disney World’s BoardWalk, but the ice cream shop had what we would call a rocky road (gotta love an ice cream pun). After announcing a second shop at Disney Springs, the company filed for bankruptcy and eventually got new owners. 

Ample Hills Creamery Ice Cream Taco

It was later announced that Ample Hills would no longer operate in Disney World. No more of those glorious Ice Cream Tacos for us, and honestly, we’re still a little sad about that!

Learn more about Ample Hills closure at Disney World

Wolfgang Puck Express

Wolfgang Puck Express was a great location in Disney Springs to pick up a quick pizza, sandwich, salad, and more. But in early October, we noticed that the signage at the restaurant had been removed, the menus were gone, and the windows had blackout curtains.

Wolfgang Puck Express Pizza

We eventually learned that this dining location had permanently closed. But guests can still visit the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Disney Springs to taste the celebrity chef’s cuisine.

Learn more about the Wolfgang Puck Express closure

Keister Coaster Clown

One of the most iconic features of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villa’s Luna Park Pool is the Keister Coaster, which sends guests down a water slide and through the mouth of a gigantic clown’s face. Now we’re not necessarily afraid of clowns, but we can understand how some guests found the clown a little scary! Just look at it! It had glowy eyes at night! YIKES!

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Pool

The clown was removed in October, and his creepy visage will no longer watch over guests at the BoardWalk Inn. Instead, the Keister Coaster got a brand new makeover with the much more inviting faces of Mickey, Minnie, and friends.

Keister Coaster Water Slide

RIP, clown slide. Funny enough, this slide made waves (sorry! 😂) for another reason right before it debuted. Disney shared a photo of the slide under construction which revealed “Keister” was misspelled on the slide! This was quickly fixed and now the slide — correct spelling and all — is open for business.

Just like Walt Disney said of Disneyland, Disney WORLD will never be completed. It will continue to change, evolve, and grow. For every cool new attraction and land, there’s a possibility of losing a show or ride we’ve known and loved. This past year saw a fair bit of loss but there’s a LOT new in the works, too. Check back with DFB and we’ll bring you all the news on the latest happenings in Disney World.

8 MAJOR Changes You Forgot Happened in Disney World This Year