1. Maelstrom
Opened on: July 5, 1988
Closed on: Oct. 5, 2014
Replaced by: An attraction based on Frozen.
You'll never get a chance to flee from mischievous trolls in your own Viking ship ever again. Also, there was an oil rig. I don't know. It was a confusing ride.
2. Body Wars
Opened on: Oct. 19, 1989
Closed on: Jan. 1, 2007
Replaced by: Nothing. The Wonders of Life pavilion is now used for special events.
Just go ride Star Tours. It's pretty much the same ride, except it takes place in space and doesn't have Vice President John Hoynes from West Wing in it.
3. ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter
Opened on: June 20, 1995
Closed on: Oct. 12, 2003
Replaced by: Stitch's Great Escape!
If you're looking for a similar experience, Stitch's Great Escape! is basically a less scary version the same ride and reuses a lot of the same props, or go ride Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo DisneySea, which features a lava monster that looks a lot like the former titular alien.
4. The Skyway
Opened on: June 23, 1956 (at Disneyland) and April 15, 1983 (at Disney World)
Closed on: Nov. 9, 1994 (at Disneyland) and Nov. 10, 1999 (at Disney World)
Replaced by: Nothing.
The Skyway gondola lift was part ride and part shortcut between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Problem was that it wasn't a particularly thrilling ride, and because of long lines, it wasn't a very useful shortcut.
5. Superstar Limo
Opened on: Feb. 8, 2001
Closed on: Jan. 11, 2002
Replaced by: Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Imagine a "thrilling" slow-moving limo ride through Hollywood, spotting celebrities such as Melanie Griffith, Tim Allen, and Drew Carey along the way! No wonder this ride didn't even make it a whole year before it shut down.
6. Flight to the Moon/Mission to Mars
Opened on: March 21, 1975 (at Disneyland) and June 7, 1975 (at Disney World)
Closed on: Nov. 2, 1992 (at Disneyland) and Oct. 4, 1993 (at Disney World)
Replaced by: Redd Rockett's Pizza at Disneyland, and Alien Encounter at Disney World.
This ride was an opening day attraction at Disneyland, and was called Rocket to the Moon, which later became Flight to the Moon, then finally Mission to Mars. Once we actually flew to the Moon, everyone was sort of over it.
7. Rocket Rods
Opened on: May 22, 1998
Closed on: Sept. 25, 2000
Replaced by: Nothing. Unless you count the queuing area for another ride.
Rocket Rods was built on the tracks of another former Disneyland attraction called the People Mover, and was about as exciting, despite the fact that it was billed as a high-speed thrill ride.
8. Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules, Stage Coach, and Conestoga Wagons in Frontierland
Opened in: 1955
Closed in: 1956-1960
Replaced by: Most of the Frontierland and Critter Country you see today.
Disneyland used to be LOUSY with actual, living animals that would tote people around the big desert landscape that was once Frontierland. Turns out that deserts aren't all that exciting though, so...
9. Maliboomer
Opened on: Feb. 8, 2001
Closed on: Sept. 7, 2010
Replaced by: Nothing, really, though Tower of Terror is similar.
The Maliboomer was among the opening day attractions at Disney's California Adventure park, but it didn't last long after the park got its own version of the popular Tower of Terror ride, which is similar, but way, way, better.
10. Horizons
Opened on: Oct. 1, 1983
Closed on: Jan. 9, 1999
Replaced by: The ride and building that contained it were demolished and replaced with Mission: SPACE.
Horizons was another doomed Epcot ride (sensing a trend?) that showed off Walt Disney's utopian vision for his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The attraction failed to make it very far into the future though.
11. Rainbow Caverns Mine Train
Opened in: 1956
Closed in: 1977
Replaced by: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Before Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, there was Rainbow Caverns Mine Train, which was actually nothing like the modern attraction. Also unlike the current attraction, Rainbow Caverns Mine Train is closed. (Although a portion of the former ride, the abandoned mine shaft behind a small pond in Frontierland, can still be seen.)
12. World of Motion
Opened on: Oct. 1, 1982
Closed on: Jan. 2, 1996
Replaced by: Test Track.
A slow-moving ride through the thrilling history of transportation! Replaced with a fast-moving ride about the thrilling history of nothing!
13. If You Had Wings/Delta Dreamflight
Opened on: June 23, 1989
Closed on: Jan. 5, 1998
Replaced by: Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
A slow-moving ride through the thrilling history of commercial flight! (Sound familiar?) I don't know. I guess Delta gave Disney a bunch of money or something.
14. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!
Opened on: Nov. 21, 1994
Closed on: May 9, 2010
Replaced by: Captain EO.
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! came to Epcot to replace the then-tired Michael Jackson 3D movie Captain EO, and 16 years later nostalgia kicked in and Captain EO reclaimed its throne once more.
15. Kitchen Kabaret/Food Rocks
Opened on: March 26, 1994
Closed on: Jan. 3, 2004
Replaced by: Soarin'.
Before Soarin' took its place, The Land pavilion was home to an animatronic all-food ensemble called Food Rocks. Considering that lines for Soarin' are often measured in hours, something tells me they made the right call.