Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Rides and Attractions from the Past - Part Two

Last year I wrote and article titled "Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Rides and Attractions from the Past" (you can read it here www.associatedcontent.com/article/769365/walt_disney_worlds_magic_kingdom_rides.htm). In my article I mentioned my three favorite rides from the past; Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, The Skyway, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I got a lot of feedback on this article and heard about other Magic Kingdom rides and attractions that are missed, too, in addition to the three I mentioned.

If You Had Wings (1972 - 1987)

Eastern Airlines was the official airline of Walt Disney World for much of the 1970's and 1980's and wanted to use that sponsorship to promote the airline to Magic Kingdom visitors. If You Had Wings was a five minute ride that took visitors through scenes of vacation destinations which (of course) Eastern Airlines served; Mexico, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas. The ride ended with the ride vehicle entering the "speed room" where the thrill of speed was simulated though movie projections on the walls and fans blasting air at riders.

Throughout the ride, the omnipresent theme song of the attractions played over and over "If you had wings, had wings, had wings, had wings." At the end of the ride, an voice would remind riders they do have wings, "Eastern: we'll be your wings." And to ensue rides took advantage of their "wings," Eastern even had a booking counter with an Eastern agent at the exit of the ride.

If You Had Wings went through several reincarnations of varying degrees after Eastern Airlines ended its sponsorship in 1987; If you could Fly, Delta Dreamflight, and Disney's Take Flight. The ride was finally closed permanently in 1998 and removed to make room for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

Legend of the Lion King (1994 - 2002)

"Oh. Who are you? What are you doing here? Oh! I know that smell anywhere. Homo Sapiens!" And with those words Rafiki the wise Mandrill welcomed visitors to the Legend of the Lion King, a live multimedia puppet show. The show told the story of The Lion King and used several songs from the hit Disney animated film. However, describing this past attraction as a "puppet show" to those who never saw the attraction wouldn't be doing it justice. Each "puppet" used in the show required two to eight puppeteers to operate.

The Legend of the Lion King closed in 2002 and the space in which the show was presented, The Fantasyland Theater, became the home to Mickey's PhilharMagic.

Magic Journeys (1987 - 1993)

The 3D film Magic Journeys was one of the original EPCOT Center opening day attraction and closed at EPCOT Center 1986 to make room for Captain EO starring Michael Jackson. In 1987 the film moved to the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland Theater where it played until 1993.

The film began with children laying in a field looking up at the clouds and seeing different things in each of the passing clouds. From there, the children flew away into a fantasy which included flying a kite, riding a carousel, and visiting a circus. The film's musical score, also titled Magic Journeys, was written by the songwriting duo the Sherman Brothers.

When the film moved to the Magic Kingdom, a new preshow was added; the short animated film Working for Peanuts. Created in 1953, Working for Peanuts was of Disney's first 3D short films and showed Chip and Dale trying to find a way to fool Donald Duck, who is working as a zoo keeper, into believing they are albino chipmunks in order to get fed peanuts.