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May 5, 2008
King of the Theme Park Graveyard: Round one, day oneHere are today's opening match-ups in the tournament. Please select the rides you miss most, or that you would most like to have had the chance to ride, based upon these descriptions and the rides' reputations.We continue to need photos for these old attractions, as well as others in the tournament. Please e-mail graveyard [at] themeparkinsider.com and many thanks to the TPI readers who have sent in photos already. Back to the Future (Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood)  Soap Box Racers (Knott's Berry Farm) Horizons (Epcot)  Cranium Command (Epcot)  20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom) Drachen Fire (Busch Gardens Williamsburg) Journey Into Imagination (Epcot) Adventures Through Inner Space (Disneyland)
Readers' OpinionsFrom Dan Rosenberg on May 5, 2008 at 11:47 AM
I didn't even know Cranium Command existed. Thats scary. I never got to go on MK's 20,000 leauges but I do remember seeing it once. What year did it close? From Lee Mak on May 5, 2008 at 12:01 PM
I wanna say that 20K leagues closed in 1993 or 1994. Go Figment, look at those numbers! I am very surprised at Horizons...not my first choice, but want to see how this does down the line against other graveyarded rides. Marty McFly and Doc Brown are kicking some serious sea-bass right now; why did they get rid of that ride? So much for the "power of love" From Bradley Robertson on May 5, 2008 at 1:19 PM
"why did they get rid of that ride?" Because Universal wanted to theme it with a show that jumped the shark years ago, but can bring in more money because of cross marketing. Almost makes you wonder if they had a hand in getting the Simpson's movie to come out after years of talks that one would happen so that they could still be the park where you "ride the movies." Sorry for the rant, but I think they could have chose something else instead of adding a third ride based on a cartoon, Jason Bourne maybe? From James Rao on May 5, 2008 at 3:28 PM
I loved the BTTF movies and the ride and hated to see it go, so it would have earned my vote, but since I never rode that Knott's Berry Farm ride, I did some research and checked it out on Youtube. It looked like a neat attraction, fairly original and fun. I gave it my vote, though it was more out of pity than anything else! No way I could take Horizons since it was replaced by one of my favorite attractions, Mission:Space. I mean Horizons was interesting, but seriously.... I would much rather have Mission: Space. Anyway, Cranium Command was/is a great hidden gem....I do hope someday Disney comes to their senses and gets the Life Pavilion back up and running... 20k Leagues has sort of been replaced, so I don't miss it much, however Drachen Fire is just gone...nothing replaced it. That spot in the park is just a place for concerts now. So sad to see a coaster just die like that... Journey Into Imagination was and is a lame attraction, Figment or no Figment. From Robert OGrosky on May 5, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Cranium Command is superior to a boring ride like Horizons!!!!!!!!!!! Wake up people and lets turn around this travesty!!!!!! From Robert Niles on May 5, 2008 at 4:25 PM
I really thought that the underdogs would rule today. From Derek Potter on May 5, 2008 at 4:45 PM
Voted for Drachen Fire. I got to ride it a couple of times and liked it, although it was rough for a young steel looper. A history tidbit...the story goes that it was originally Here's a youtube of Drachen Fire. Company promotional video POV http://youtube.com/watch?v=s7e3hbVWRJQ
I never rode either one of the other two rides, so I didn't vote for them. I probably won't be voting in a lot of these contests. For one, I never rode a lot of them, and I'm not sure I can get interested in another Disney lovefest. From Manny Barron on May 5, 2008 at 6:59 PM
Back to the Future is by far the best ride in this tournament. It is hard for me to believe that it's not there anymore. It is the ride that put Universal on the map and with a good refurbishment should've been left standing as a classic. None of these extinct rides can stand up against BTTF and say they had a bigger impact on riders or that they had such a fanbase. I look forward to another Back to the Future blowout in the second round. From Scottland Jacobson on May 5, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Wow! All my picks were at the low end of the vote! Soap Box Racers was awesome! I rode that a multitude of times. BTTF was a great ride, but really got quite jerky with time. And Adventure Through Inner Space is already losing?? I thought for sure that would be a top contender! "You're smaller than an atom!!" *sigh* From Marc Ricketts on May 6, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Wow! This is another Toad beating Tatsu moment for me. I forgot most of the Imagination ride, past and present, 5 minutes after getting off, but can still vividly recall riding ATIS in 1982 despite a state of mind which I will not elaborate on at this time and place. This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
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Even though Soap Box Racers was my first coaster, it pales in comparison to BTTF. 20,000 Leages and Journey were also no-brainers. I don't remember Horizons or Cranium so I sat those out.