Is it time for Disney to axe this classic attraction? We think so.
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Walt Disney World is known for its incredible atmosphere, family-friendly entertainment, and delicious food, though for most, the main appeal of the parks is their selection of rides and attractions. With four theme parks to choose from, there’s practically no end to the number of rides guests have access to at Disney World, ranging from thrilling roller coasters in outer space to slow-moving dark ride adventures inside a haunted mansion.
Magic Kingdom has perhaps the best collection of rides to choose from, with the park being home to some of Walt Disney World’s oldest and most cherished attractions, such as Peter Pan’s Flight, “it’s a small world,” Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion.
Other classic Magic Kingdom attractions include Prince Charming Regal Carousel, which sits in the center of Fantasyland, as well as Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. However, not every ride is created equal, as there’s one Magic Kingdom attraction in particular that feels sorely outdated and in need of renovation, or demolition.
Tomorrowland Speedway
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Magic Kingdom is split into six unique lands: Adventureland, Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Main Street U.S.A., Frontierland, and, of course, Tomorrowland. Each one of these places is incredibly easy to get lost in, offering an array of rides and attractions that are all connected by the land’s core theme. As the name suggests, Tomorrowland is all about the future and technology, with some of Magic Kingdom’s most popular rides being found here.
Space Mountain likely tops guests’ “must-do” lists, with Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin providing a fun alternative for those with younger riders. The Tomorrowland Speedway is also a good option to bring younger guests on, though in 2025, this ride kind of sticks out like a sore thumb.
Originally opening in 1971 alongside Magic Kingdom as the Grand Prix Raceway, the Tomorrowland Speedway seeks to give guests a chance to drive their own “high-speed” race car. Despite its name, this ride is far from thrilling, as guests steer their vehicle along a pre-guided, speed-regulated track.
For younger guests, the ride can be quite magical and is likely the first opportunity they get to sit behind the wheel. However, for everyone else, Tomorrowland Speedway pales in comparison to even some of Magic Kingdom’s most boring and tame rides, like Flying Carpets of Aladdin.
For a ride located in a place called Tomorrowland, the Speedway is hardly innovative and actually feels quite dated. Sure, this attraction would have been a modern marvel 50 years ago, but in 2025, it’s hard to be impressed by what are essentially go-karts on a track.
What’s worse is the Speedway’s environment. Because the cars are gas-powered, the Tomorrowland Speedway is incredibly noisy and smelly. One could argue this adds to the immersion of the attraction itself, which is technically true, but most guests likely do not visit Walt Disney World to sit in traffic with the smell of gasoline in the air.
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Many assumed and/or hoped that the Tomorrowland Speedway was going to be demolished to make way for TRON Lightcycle / Run. This roller coaster, a copy of the one found in Shanghai Disneyland, was announced for Magic Kingdom back in 2017. Magic Kingdom is always in need of more rides, though it’s quite rare that the park receives an attraction of this magnitude.
It would end up taking around six years for the roller coaster to be completed, with Disney encountering a number of issues due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, but TRON Lightcycle / Run finally did open, and boy, has it been a great addition to the Magic Kingdom.
The roller coaster is fast, intense, well-themed, and stunning to look at, all things that can’t really be said about the Tomorrowland Speedway, which rests just a few dozen feet away. It was quite popular to claim that Disney would be tearing down the Speedway to make room for TRON, though these rumors turned out to be false.
When it comes to Magic Kingdom, we never really want to see rides close, as the park needs all the capacity it can get. However, there are a few rides we wouldn’t mind seeing go extinct at Magic Kingdom, with the Speedway likely sitting at the top of many guests’ minds.
The Speedway is still up and running in 2025, but it’s undoubtedly wore out its welcome for many, with the attraction often being the butt of the joke among the Disney World community. Disney seemingly has no intentions of demolishing and/or renovating the attraction anytime soon, though the company does have some bold plans for Magic Kingdom.
Last year, Disney confirmed it would be revitalizing Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland with a new Cars-themed expansion. Much like Disneyland’s Radiator Springs, Magic Kingdom will now be home to a new attraction inspired by Pixar’s Cars franchise, an announcement that has since become incredibly divisive.
It’s not so much what the project is but rather where it will be located, as Disney confirmed that to make room for Cars, it would be paving over the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. The Rivers of America are Magic Kingdom’s man-made waterways that have been running through the park since it opened. Tom Sawyer Island is an interactive playground that is located in its own spot along the Rivers of America. While not the most popular attraction, Tom Sawyer Island is an icon of the Disney parks, and many guests can’t bear the thought of losing it.
It’s certainly interesting that Disney would pave over some of Magic Kingdom’s most classic areas just to make a Cars-themed attraction when it already has a dated, mostly unpopular race car attraction that seems ripe for a remodel. Only time will tell what will happen to the Magic Kingdom and the Tomorrowland Speedway in the future, but for now, it seems like guests are stuck with it, whether or not they like it.
Do you agree that Disney needs to axe the Tomorrowland Speedway?
The post It’s Time for Disney To Demolish This Classic Attraction appeared first on Inside the Magic.
