Top 10 Most Expensive Disney Theme Park Disasters

Top 10 Most Expensive Disney Theme Park Disasters

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the biggest financial fiascos in the history of Disney theme parks.

#10: California Adventure’s Underwhelming Launch

When news broke that Disneyland would be getting a neighboring park with a pricetag of roughly $600 million, it was the biggest development the Anaheim location had seen since 1955. Despite the immense hype, California Adventure only saw an estimated 5 million guests during its first year, less than twice what Disneyland brought in. Guests were put off by the lack of Disney characters at a Disney park. With many attendees being local, a California theme wasn’t that enticing. Plus, for every well-received attraction like California Screamin', there was a Superstar Limo. Prices were cut, but it wasn’t until Disney invested another $1.1 billion in revisions that California Adventure started to turn its fortunes around, becoming a worthy companion to Disneyland.

#9: Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter

This Tomorrowland attraction was meant to be based on the 1979 film “Alien.” Disney ultimately decided that a Xenomorph was too scary for the Magic Kingdom, but they stuck with the idea of a haunted ride revolving around an alien. Ironically, when Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter had its soft opening in December 1994, Disney CEO Michael Eisner felt it wasn’t terrifying enough. Disney thus put down an additional $10 million to make the preshow and overall experience darker. While the creepy tone helped Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter gain something of a cult following, it alienated Disney’s target demographic. Kids were traumatized, and their parents were angry. After less than a decade, Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter closed in October 2003 to make way for Stitch's Great Escape!

#8: The Rise & Fall of Horizons

Picking up where the Carousel of Progress left off, this omnimover dark ride opened at Epcot in 1983, providing guests with a gateway into the 21st century. With a vast scale and multiple endings, Horizons was ambitious for its time. It was also expensive, costing $60 million, almost $200 million after inflation. With a budget like that, not to mention maintenance costs, an attraction needs the longevity of something on par with Pirates of the Caribbean. After only ten years, though, General Electric backed out as Horizons’ sponsor. In 1994, the ride shut down for almost a year. While Horizons briefly reopened, its future remained in limbo. Disney closed Horizons for good in 1999, ironically kicking off the new century with its demolition.

#7: Constantly Gutting Peter Pan’s Flight

Since its opening at Disneyland in 1955, Peter Pan’s Flight has been a perennial favorite… when it wasn’t closed for maintenance. As one of the oldest rides in Disney history, few have undergone more refurbishments. One of the most significant overhauls came in 1983 with the expanded “New Fantasyland.” Peter Pan’s Flight had its exterior demolished, although the interior tracks remained mostly the same. Fast-forward to 2015, Peter Pan’s Flight got another makeover. It was still the ride we loved, albeit with updated animatronics, effects, and scenes. Its Magic Kingdom counterpart has also gone through its fair share of updates. For all the renovations, though, the ride really hasn’t undergone that many changes, leaving us to wonder if the time and money invested were justified.

#6: Expedition Everest’s “Disco Yeti”

Costing around $100 million, Expedition Everest once held the Guinness World Record for the most expensive roller coaster ever constructed. For all of the money thrown at this Animal Kingdom thrill ride, Disney struggled to work out the kinks in a crucial component: the twenty-five-foot animatronic yeti, which was designed to move five feet during the climax. Shortly after the ride opened, Imagineers realized that if the yeti continued to operate at full power, it could lead to a disastrous malfunction. Imagineers thus used a strobe effect to suggest the illusion of movement, earning the animatronic the nickname of “Disco Yeti.” Considering how much was spent, it’s kind of embarrassing that the ride’s centerpiece doesn’t work, despite failed attempts to repair it over the years.

#5: Rocket Rods Fails to Take Off

The PeopleMover was a Tomorrowland staple since 1967. With the New Tomorrowland revamp in the 90s, the PeopleMover came to a halt to pave the way for Rocket Rods, a futuristic drag race ride. An estimated $20-25 million would reportedly be spent on Rocket Rods, although to save money, Disney decided to repurpose the PeopleMover track without significant adjustments. This cost-cutting measure would turn Rocket Rods into a money pit. The PeopleMover was a laid-back ride that wasn’t built for fast-paced thrills that Rocket Rods promised. This contributed to various mechanical issues, with Rocket Rods closing for three months after its debut. Rocket Rods barely lasted two years before Disney cut their losses. The tracks remain unused to this day. Hardly what we’d call progress.

#4: Light Magic Parade Lasts One Summer

After 24 years, Disneyland retired its Main Street Electrical Parade. Its successor would be Light Magic, a nighttime performance with a reported budget of $20 million. Annual Passholders paid $25 for a sneak preview of this much-anticipated spectacle in May 1997. Many were left asking for refunds after witnessing the parade’s numerous technical issues and missed cues. The public reception wasn’t much better when Light Magic officially debuted later that month, only to close the following September. While the Main Street Electrical Parade has made sporadic comebacks over the years, Light Magic never did, despite reports of returning in 2000. Infrastructure changes made for Light Magic are still present in Disneyland, but that hardly vindicates the $20 million price.

#3: Sailing Ship Columbia Tragedy

Sailing Ship Columbia is a hallmark of Frontierland, as well as a key element of the nighttime sensation, Fantasmic! It also resulted in one of Disneyland’s most infamous accidents. On Christmas Eve 1998, a metal cleat from the ship’s hull came undone, resulting in the death of a guest, in addition to injuring his wife and at least one cast member. Disney employees reportedly started cleaning up before the authorities arrived. The ship supposedly wasn’t in the best condition, and the employee in charge of docking wasn’t properly trained. Not only would Disney receive a maximum safety fine of $12,500, but a lawsuit would be brought against them. It’s unclear exactly how much Disney settled for, although it’s estimated to be around $25 million.

#2: Euro Disney’s Rough Start

Disneyland Paris, formerly known as Euro Disney Resort, is now regarded as one of the Mouse’s premier parks. When it opened in 1992, though, the park was largely regarded as a disappointment. Not necessarily due to its quality, but because of low attendance. Euro Disney was expected to bring in 60,000 guests out of the gate, yet failed to attract even half of that estimate. Between employees quitting over working conditions, a plummeting stock price, and other unforeseen struggles, Euro Disney reportedly lost $905 million during its first fiscal year. Disney would be $3 billion in debt by summer 1994, although the park would avoid declaring bankruptcy. With the arrival of Space Mountain the following year, Euro Disney took its initial steps towards profitability.

#1: Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

An immersive “Star Wars”-themed hotel sounded like it couldn’t possibly fail… until you consider that the Galactic Starcruiser cost anywhere between an estimated $250 million and $1 billion. But hey, it would surely turn a profit as long as the average “Star Wars” fan could afford the entry fee: a minimum of $4,800 for two guests over two nights. That’s not even taking into account travel costs, as well as the other expenditures on your trip to Disney World. While ambitious, the Galactic Starcruiser was better in theory than it was in practice. Still, Disney must’ve known the road to profitability would be a long-term investment. It was too long for Disney, though, opting to close the cruiser after only a year-and-a-half.

What do you think Disney’s most expensive theme park disaster was? Let us know in the comments.