EPCOT: From Experimental Prototype to Linking Nations and Ideas

       

Though the 30th Anniversary was October 1st, We thought it was time to take a long look back at the development and creation of Walt Disney's crowning achievement. 

    “Welcome to a little bit of Florida in California.” Walt Disney was about to reveal to guests the ideas that WED Enterprises would be implementing into the recently purchased Florida land cod named, “Project X”. The now famous EPCOT film thought of as the lasting image of Walter Elias Disney became a rallying point for Disney fans around the world. The culmination of the Florida Project would be the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

            EPCOT, as it would come to be known would become a working, living and breathing city. This utopian community would become a beacon of the future for all as a technological marvel that presented reliable public transportation and the ability to become completely self-sustaining. This was Walt Disney’s ultimate goal and his crowning achievement in a career full of accolades and praise. Walt decreed that, “EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are emerging from the forefront of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed. It will always be showcasing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems."

            The plan included industrial, commercial, and residential zones, with a monorail transportation service moving residents from the outside in. At the center of the city would be the commercial and downtown district, completely enclosed by a dome, protecting residents and guests from the elements. Walt had hoped that by instituting tours of the EPCOT city, visitors would take ideas and thoughts back to their own communities and stimulate progress. The concept is still recognizable in some form aboard the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, as the Progress City model resides within the show building of Stitch’s Great Escape.

Sadly, the unfortunate passing of Walt Disney in December of 1966 led many to wonder the logistics of such an undertaking, and whether the costs of construction would make the project feasible. With men like Martin Sklar and John Hench leading the production, there was a sense of calmness within the company considering Hench’s storied career with Disney and Walt specifically, and Sklar’s connection writing Disney’s personal material.

This led to two distinct ideas worthy of the EPCOT moniker. There was the designed Future World, which included new ideas and technology being presented to visitors. This concept was considered the closest link to the original concept, as it stuck to the theme of advancing technology and the look to the future. The other design was an expanded World Showcase, showing the link between all nations and their ability to work together and coexist. These two models continued to expand, until a meeting with the then head of the company Card Walker and Donn Tatum. This meeting led to Sklar and Hench taking the two models and pushing them together. In one instant, EPCOT was born.

The EPCOT Center theme park would become a permanent World’s Fair, which was ironic considering the 1964 World’s Fair brought about much of the ideas and concepts that Walt Disney ultimately planned for Florida. The theme park contacted people like science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury to create attractions and shows that informed guests of a vision of the future. With attractions like Spaceship Earth, The Universe of Energy and World of Motion, EPCOT would inform guests of our roots, and our plans ahead. Conversely, World Showcase would present guests the ability to see countries, what they are known for, and how they coexist in the world. Upon the opening of the park the Fountain of Nations proved unity between the countries within the World Showcase, as each country (plus representatives from other nations) poured a gallon of water from their homeland into the fountain.  

Though the EPCOT concept did not materialize as Walt Disney had initially intended, its legacy cannot be measured. As it nears its 30^th anniversary it is important to note that though the park is not exactly what was planned, the entire Walt Disney World Resort has been positively affected by its creation, and its original concept. Without the vision of Walt Disney, guests would not be riding Monorails from EPCOT to Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center, and the WEDway PeopleMover (or TTA) would not exist. The city of Celebration is especially grateful, as the Disney Company used some of the concepts of their innovated visionary to create the living city. EPCOT is not only a theme park, but should be looked at as a place that links ideas and beliefs as well as the world.

History of WDW: Back to Neverland

In looking back on videos from my childhood, I came across a video from the Magic of Disney Animation at the previously titled Disney MGM Studios. This video, reminded me alot of my childhood, which outlined the way Disney makes their animated films. It starred Walter Cronkite and Robing Williams, and was titled Back to Neverland. Many times this video was played, and it was one that all of the guests felt drawn to. Maybe it was the way Walter Cronkite in some way reminded us of Walt Disney (considering their friendship and Cronkite's status as the other "Uncle Walt") Maybe it was the goofiness of Robin Williams.

As we have seen the degeneration of the Magic of Disney Animation, this was the first in a line of changes that caused it to become a shell of its former self. This film was viewed while the animators were still working on the studio, and when the studio was still producing television shows and effects. It introduced us to the real magic of animating a Disney film, long before the entrance of Pixar and the CGI animation.

The show featured Walter Cronkite choosing a random member of the crowd (conveniently Robin Williams) and gave him the opportunity to become an animated character. Through his trip there were goofs and gags, notably an animated Robing mimicking Walter's mannerisms. It also featured Robin as a lost boy in Neverland, fighting Captain Hook. As the show went on, Robing was drawn, inked and set. the process was comedically placed and was factual and accurate. The beauty was the on air camaraderie and respect both Williams and Cronkite had for one another. The show became a must see which caused the attraction repeatability.

The attraction has since been redesigned with a Mulan inspired film, and the loss of the animators has made this attraction less popular and less traveled. The "Back to Neverland" film added to the Robin Williams Disney Legend status, as his performance was one of the factors that led to him being cast in Aladdin. (note the similarities of his attire and that of Genie at the end of the film) This film had a large impact on the early Disney/MGM Studios, and the future of Disney animation.

History of WDW: Mickey's Toontown Fair

I would suspect that a year or so is long enough to discuss the recently closed and demolished land of Mickey's Toontown. Though I first remember it as Mickey's Starland, it was originally opened as Mickey's Birthday land in 1988 by then Disney CEO Michael Eisner. It was Eisner's idea to put Mickey in a permanent spot, though the land was never meant to be a permanent place. Mickey's Birthdayland was converted to Mickey's Starland in 1990, and eventually to Toontown Fair in 1996.

The idea of Toontown Fair was a place for Mickey, Donald, and their friends to have a "vacation spot" in Florida as it would make little sense to children that Mickey could live in both California and Florida (As Toontown exists in Disneyland Park) This idea to keep the canon going was created to explain the land to guests. Toontown Fair included Mickey's Country House, Minnie's House as well as Donald's Boat and The Barnstormer at Wise Acre Farm. These attractions made Toontown Fair an attractive place for children and parents alike.

Mickey's house concluded with a trip to the Judge's Tent, as part of the story includes that Mickey has come to Toontown Fair to judge the farm contest. Here was the permanent spot to meet Mickey until the areas closing and the opening of Town Square Theater. This area included mostly walk-throughs with the exception of The Barnstormer. Goofy's Barnstormer was and is a children's style roller coaster, based on Goofy and his plane. This attraction closed with the rest of Toontown Fair in February 2011, but will re-open in the coming weeks with the new Storybook Circus set to open next month officially. There will be a few changes, though they will only revolve around the story and theming.

The area included Donald's Boat, a children's play area that included Donald's sailor suit. There was also Pete's Garage, that housed the restrooms, but we always looked out for the key to Pete's bathroom in the gas pump, but don't worry, the bathrooms were always unlocked.

Mickey's Toontown Fair closed in February 2011in preparation for the opening of New Fantasyland. Some of the structures, like the tents and such have remained as part of the Storybook Circus area, and as stated even the Barnstormer has survived. What was once supposed to only be a temporary area is now gone for good, but its footprint remains. For an area that was not supposed to last, 23 years sure was a long time, and they even built a train station for it. Toontown Fair/Starland/Birthdayland will always hold a special place for many Disney World fans. We said we wouldn't be caught dead in there, but we were always found within the confines of the Fair at some time in every trip.

History of WDW: Country Bears Jamboree- Christmas Overlay

In keeping with the season I thought it would be a good idea to look at something that for a long time helped signify the upcoming holiday season, and seems to be sorely missed by all who had the privilege to have seen it.

Ever since its beginning on opening day October 1, 1971 the Country Bear Jamboree has not only thrilled but captivated audiences by its use of great characters, and audio animatronics. This show is still much like it was on opening day, and still seems to bring in the audiences daily.

At and around 1984 (conveniently the same year Michael Eisner and Frank Wells took over the company) it was decided that a change must be made to the Country Bear Jamboree to keep it fresh. A decision was made and during the holiday season of 1984, the Country Bear Jamboree Christmas Special was born.

Billed as an escape from the regular show, the Jamboree is very similar to the original show. It features the same cuts and characters, meaning that they never had to rearrange the setups behind the stage, and the characters are all the same, except that now they are dressed for christmas. The Five Bear Rugs continue to play in the center stage, playing "Tracks in the Snow", "Deck the Halls" and "Hungry as a Bear". It also features Terrence singing "Blue Christmas" (while he is freezing, and receiving no help form his penguin counterpart) and an argument between Max and Melvin over who should be singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (considering that Max has a red lightbulb on his nose.

The show featured mostly the same voice actors as the original, like Pete Renaday as Henry, and Thurl Ravenscroft playing Buff and had a very festive sort of feeling. The highlight of the show is Rufus. He is completely unseen, however when Wendell's gun goes off and blows the light it is Rufus who has to huff and puff up (or down) flights of stairs to "give me some light"as Henry puts it. If that is not the highlight of the show then seeing Big Al in a diaper singing "Another New Year" has to be it.

Sadly in 2005the show was taken off of the Holiday agenda and the original incarnation of the show has remained on the docket ever since. Many attribute the Castle "Dreamlights" as the reason that the budget did not allow them to do the conversion of the Country Bears, but that is only a rumor, and it seems to be a bit unbelievable. As it stands this season the show did not return however there seems to be hope of this one day returning to the Magic Kingdom as it is only an overlay project, and takes only a few weeks to create. We may yet see the Country Bears Chrismtas Special yet. If you would like to view it there is a video here:

History of WDW: The Timekeeper

Added as a part of "New Tomorrowland" on November 21, 1994, The Timekeeper was an attraction that spanned the entire globe, from Paris to Tokyo with a stop in Florida along the way. Surprisingly, The Walt Disney World version was the last to open. The attraction was a circle-vision 360 show, the first such attraction in this format to have a flowing plot, as well as audio-animatronics. The stories narrative style followed the adventures of "9-Eyes" as she travelled through time on a research and record trip.

The attraction was originally housed in "The Transportarium" which was later renamed to the "Tomorrowland Metropolis Science Center" to keep the canon of "New Tomorrowland" in tact. Guests were introduced to the Timekeeper (Robin Williams) as he presents not only his invention of the time machine but his creation 9-Eyes (Rhea Perlman). As guests move into the circle-vision theater the presentation changes to show 9-Eyes vision as she travels through time. With the Timekeeper as the narrator, 9-Eyes travels through the ice-age and eventually to a meeting between H.G Wells (Jeremy Irons) and Jules Verne (Michael Piccoli) As Wells' departs, Verne is introduced to 9-Eyes and quickly wants to learn more about the future. After mistakingly bringing bit 9-Eyes and Verne back to the present, the Timekeeper decides to show Verne exactly how his creations became realities. As the Timekeeper finally returns Verne to the sight of his presentation (after a few failed attempts) we are once again met with H.G Wells, who as it turns out is trying to figure out what has happened to his friend, and who 9-Eyes is. The Timekeeper decides to send 9-Eyes to the future, and is once again met up with Verne, now with Wells aboard his own time machine. The show ends with the successful demonstration of time travel.

The Timekeeper was a popular ride upon opening, but had issues that attributed to its rather short history.  Probably the single greatest reason for its demise was its setup. As a show, guests are used to sitting and relaxing (one of the major reasons shows are generally well attended) as well as watching in one direction. The Timekeeper as it was setup, forced guests to stand and lean on handrails, as well as never really have a major focal direction. This led to confusion, and a lower attendance as well. Many people also attribute its lack of connection to Disney as a cause of its demise. It was also known that The Timekeeper had a pretty hidden entrance which made it often overlooked. (it seems that Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor has a similar issue now)  The events of September 11 also had a major affect on this attraction as it featured a scene depicting the World Trade Center. Many executives were ready to close the attraction around that time, but it remained open. The attraction's attendance eventually waned, and in the early 2000's it went seasonal. This generally is the death bell ringing as the attraction eventually closed on February 26, 2006 to little fanfare.

The Timekeeper is generally considered as one of the greatest "extinct" attractions. Part of the reason for that is its short life span. The attraction was open for just over 11 years, which is a relatively short life for an attraction. As an attraction, The Timekeeper has gained a cult style following, with videos on youtube as well as other sights commemorating its inclusion in Walt Disney World as well. Most people believe that if it would have had any type of seating, we may still be seeing it in Tomorrowland today.

History of WDW: The Wonders of Life Pavilion

Part of the Epcot family since October 19th 1989, The Wonders of Life pavilion showed guests the amazing scientific phenomenon that is the human body. An original Epcot concept, the Wonders of Life spent over 5 years on the drawing table, mostly looking for a corporate sponsor willing to take on the costs of the construction and upkeep. That sponsor was found in MetLife. The Wonders of Life pavilion, though hidden by trees and landscaping was easily spotted by its 75 foot tall double helix statue made to resemble a DNA chain, as well as its creative gold geodesic roof. The pavilion housed more attractions than most of the other Epcot pavilions of its time. Attractions like Body Wars, Cranium Command, Goofy about Health and The Making of Me were the major marquees of the building. Each followed the theme of exploration the human body, and each did it in a different way.

Body Wars took guests on a bumpy and thrilling ride within the human body was a way to present the inner anatomy and show guests what it would be like to be inside of our own blood stream. Using the same technology that Disney used in creating the Star Tours simulator guests were taken on a queasy and more violent trip than any Star Tours fans could ever remember. Directed by Star Trek alum Lenord Nimoy, guests were shrunk to the size of a single cell by actor Tim Matheson. Along for the ride is Dr Cynthia Lair, (a young Elizabeth Shue) which as you all know does not go according to plan. After entering the body from a splinter, guests were introduced to Dr. Lair as she was swept up by the blood stream. Craziness insues as guests witness a race against time, a power loss that can only be rectified by traveling to the brain, and a last second escape. Though a popular ride in it's day, Body Wars lost it's appeal as it aged because of it's violent trip and lack of a refurbishments.

Cranium Command took guests through a day in the life of a twelve year old boy. As we meet General Knowledge and his "Cranium Commandos" in the presume we realize that these commandos' job is to direct the mind of the humans and control the body functions. As a small and unknown commando Buzzy (voiced by Scott Curtis) is given a twelve year old, we see just how hard dealing with beig a child really is. Having to control this all-star cast of organs, Buzzy must carefully monitor the heart (voiced by Jon Lovitz and Charles Grodin) the adrenal gland, (Bobcat Goldthwait) the stomach,(George Wendt) the bladder, (Jeff Doucette) the hearts ventricles (Kevin Nealon and Dana Carvey playing their famous Hans and Franz routine) and the hypothalamus(Kirk Wise). Each poses its own issue from being hungry, to sweating profusely and almost heart palpitations, Buzzy struggles to control the boy throughout the show until the end as he finally gets all the organs to work together. With an audio animatronic Buzzy, and different screens for each character, the show was an instant hit, run it the entire time of the pavilion. As time passed however the attraction dated itself because of it's actors and their popularity (many children did not know the Hans and Franz routine on the mid 90's or really knew the show Cheers any more) this led to a loss in popularity towards the end.

The last major part of the pavilion was The Making of Me. Narrated by Martin Short, the show demonstrated how life is created and childbirth works. Because of its topic there was an advisory sign posted outside to warn parents of the theme of the show. This attraction was not a huge draw in the pavilion as it had a topic that was known as "not Disney friendly".


MetLife dropped it's sponsorship of the pavilion in 2001, which led to the pavilion to eventually run on a seasonal schedule by 2004. The pavilion officially closed on January 1, 2007 after operating seasonally for three years. As it stands now the pavilion is used generally for Epcot's Food and Wine, and Flower and Garden festivals. The building inside and out has been gutted of what made it a special place in the early 90's and now looks generic. It is the first, and right now only Epcot pavilion to close without a new attraction or theming to replace it. It's closure was blamed more on the attractions that quickly dated themselves rather than the lost sponsorship. As of today many guests and Disney enthusiasts are waiting for some legitimate refurbishment to this pavilion as it still stand and is still usable. It's immense size and scope allows for attractions to be put within it. Is the future bright for this empty pavilion, or are we just hoping and dreaming for a miracle?

History of WDW: River Country

Known as the first water park ever created by the Walt Disney Company, River Country opened on June 20, 1976. As water parks go, it was based on the "old swimming hole" theme, and based on its look and feel Disney definitely nailed it.

River Country was (and is ironically still) located on the Bay Lake shores, it was close to another abandoned Disney attraction of the 1970's and 80's Discovery Island (or Treasure Island depending on when you visited the resort.) This water park fit right into the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds that it became a part of.

River Country was made up of roughly four water attractions and one walking trail. It was not known as a rather large water park, compared to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach and therefore was known to have a far cheaper admission price. Its claim to fame was the Whoop 'n' Holler Hallow which was a pair of water slides that emptied into what was known as Bay Cove. One of the most interesting parts of this water park was that it essentially was a part of Bay Lake. Though Disney filtered and cleaned the water being used in the slides and coves, it was nothing more than cleaned up Bay Lake water. This helped the watering hole theme. Bay Cove was also a sand bottomed lake area that had things like a tire swing among other attractions within. The park was a modern marvel in the way it was designed and created. There were very little steel holding the slides up, as Disney did not want to ruin theming so they created rock formations that could hold the slides and made the park seem more rustic.

River Country closed on November 2, 2001. It was reported that it would be undergoing renovations. This rumor continued until January 20, 2005 when Disney announced that the park would remain closed. This permanent decision sparked many questions as to the reasoning for it. Many have speculated over the years, and no one answer is given. One says that the water in Bay Lake actually became a health hazard to guests, but I am not sure that is a viable reason. The other "more" believable rumors is that Disney felt that it was not worth keeping open as a small park with Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard 

Beach packing in guests. Still another rumor is that Florida regulations on water parks changed and forced parks to use "municipal" water. This means the water must come from city wells and filtered by the local town and city water. River Country filtered the water from Bay Lake. This apparently was against new regulations and the cost to use municipal water was too great. 

Today River Country is in a state of ruin and decay. The park was abandoned, and few have seen it since. If you google the name you will find some snapshots of what River Country looks like now. What you will find is a once proud water park overgrown and falling apart. Sadly, this seems to be the future of this famous and groundbreaking attraction.

History of WDW: Horizons

Opened on the one year anniversary of the Epcot opening day, October 1, 1983, Horizons was the attraction that seemingly made Epcot a relevant park in the Walt Disney World Resort. This attraction used the famed omnimover technology still found in attractions like the Haunted Mansion and contemporary versions like the Seas with Nemo and Friends. Horizons was supposedly known as the unofficial sequel to The Carousel of Progress, and went as far as to have similar narrator's voice. The attraction was an attempt to show guests the future and what it may look like in the coming years. Horizons introduced fans to terms like Brava Centauri, Mesa Verde, and Sea Castle (three separate endings the attraction supported, a first of its kind)

Occupying three acres of land after construction, Horizons was also a technological marvel at its opening, having two large OMNIMAX screens that were state-of-the-art in 1983. Horizons I, the name of your omnimover vehicle took guests on a trip first into a revisit of the past titled "Looking back at tomorrow" in which we saw how technology took us to our present stae, and then the attraction sped us to Century III, or what was later called the futureprobe. During the OMNIMAX loop, guests were shown the DNA chain, the microprocessor, and "crystals" on the enormous screen just to name a few.  Then the Audio Animatronics are presented to show the "present" (it is actually Epcot's version of the future. Guests are introduced to the future of farming and agriculture, and everyday living. Scenes presented included the zero gravity sports, and a birthday cake presentation. This was the way the Disney believed the future could be. Guests were then given a choice for the first time ever in an attraction. We were given the choice of endings (sound familiar Spaceship Earth fans) Guests were given the option to return to the "futureport" by ways of space, (Brava Centauri) land, (Mesa Verde) or sea (Sea Castle) These choices led to a 31 second video presented in from of your omnimover vehicle.

Horizons lost corporate sponsoring from General Electric in late 1993, and by 1994 the attraction was closed. Fortunately for guests the closing of World of Motion, and the refurbishment of Universe of Energy prompted Disney to re-open Horizons to guests. The attraction remained open on more of a seasonal basis until 1999, when it shuttered for good. The reasons for the closure are well documented, however it is unknown if they are true, and if they contributed to its closure. The most obvious one was the loss of GE as a sponsor. As what happens many times with Epcot pavilions, the sponsor can be the reason for closure. (yes we are talking about you Wonders of Life) There is also a belief that a large sink-hole was found underneath the attraction building which made the attraction unstable. It has been also leaked that there was an issue with the roof of the show building, and that the attraction was close to crumbling under its own weight. It is not known which of these factors led to the closure of the attraction but many people were sad to see it go, and though Mission:Space replaced it, Horizons is not gone from many hearts and minds of Disney enthusiasts and fans.

History of WDW: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The 20,0000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage opened with Walt Disney World on October 14, 1971. As an opening day attraction it was immediately designated as an "E" ticket attraction, meaning it was one of the best that the resort had to offer.

The attraction took guests on an under sea adventure in "submarines" to the depths of the ocean. Guests encountered eels, lobster, and a slew of divers before Captain Nemo (voiced by Peter Reneday) ordered the sub to dive. Once under the waterfall (which happened to be the entrance to the show building) Nemo would navigate through a graveyard of ship wrecks, the polar ice caps, and the lost city of Atlantis before encountering the squid from the films lore.

The "submarines" that were used to guide 12 guests at a time through the attraction were not submarines at all. They were really just boats. They were boats that had a guest viewing level under the water line. These boats never went completely submerged. It would be like being in a ships hull while on a trip. This plus the bubbles that were released in front of the portholes gave the illusion that the sub was diving.

The attraction closed on September 5, 1994 to be "renovated" and "refurbished." That was the last operating day that the attraction would ever have. Without warning the attraction was never re-opened. Now there are many ideas as to what caused the attraction to permanently close, but one thing is for certain, the maintenance company was not upset that the attraction was never returned to operating shape. Legend has it that when Michael Eisner (boooo....!) was looking to save money throughout the parks the WDW crew decided that they could close 20k for good. It was because of the high cost of maintenance that made the attraction difficult to maintain. Between the chlorine to keep the water crystal clear, the constant re-painting of the show building, and the lack of a real wheelchair access it was apparent that this was the perfect time to close it. So that's what was done.

But the story does not end there. Apparently the support the fans had for this attraction prompted Eisner to deploy is newly appointed President Michael Ovitz (are they still paying him as of today?) to check out the ride to see if it was really not worth fixing. Well it seems that the crew at WDW pulled a fast one on this day because before the park opened one day Ovitz rode the attraction. Well the crew choose the worst "sub" they could find and legend has it that they dumped water in the boat to simulate that it was leaking. It was also blowing diesel gas into the air like an 18- wheeler. The attraction took a rough trip through and when it was finished, surprisingly Ovitz called Eisner to tell him that the decision to close the attraction was the right one.

So there it is the life and sad end many peoples favorite attraction. To find something similar to this you will have to travel to Disneyland's Finding Nemo: Submarine Voyage to bring back some memories.

special thanks to 20kride.com for info

History of WDW

Sorry it has been a few weeks since i last posted... but there has been alot going on... Today I would like to take a look at a former attraction at WDW...

Opened along with the park on October 1, 1971 Mr. Toad's Wild Ride made regular trips into one of Walt Disney's post WW II films, "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad." This film brought the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Wind and the Willows together. The WDW version of this attraction was similar in theming and design as the Disneyland version however it had a few major differences.

The most obvious difference was that in WDW Toad had two separate boarding stations. This led to two different ride experiences.

Track one took guests on a trip outside on the English Countryside. This version began with your ride vehicle (an old jalopy) going through the town plaza past a police officer. Upon seeing the officer guests were then taken into a courtroom where you were found guilty and sent to jail. After taking a tour of the jail the guest was then involved in a shootout between the police and some gunmen and then led into a rail road crossing where you met your doom so to speak. After the subsequent accident the final scene found you in a Disney version of Hell.

Track two however was much different. after beginning within Toad Hall in the trophy room and to a gypsy camp guests were instead taken to Winky's Tavern instead of the Courtroom. This lead to the guests seeing the weasels that took over Toad Hall in the film. after leaving the tavern the jalopy again finds itself in the plaza and makes the wring turn onto the train tracks where it again the guests meet there end.

This popular attraction was set to be on the chopping block in the mid 90's. This led to many upset guests as well as Cast Member's. Guests could remember the closing of 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea and felt that they could stop the closing of Toad. They began what was affectionately known as "Toad-in's" in which people in the parks would see shirts like these in the parks:

Courtesy of savetoad.com

Sadly on September 8, 1998 Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was closed for good. It was then replaced by the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Mr. Toad is not completely gone form WDW however. A statue of Toad can be found in the cemetery of The Haunted Mansion, and there is a picture of Moley handing the deed of the ride building over to Owl. 

As of today the website virtual-toad.com has a virtual walk through of the attraction. check it out and enjoy your piece of Disney history. virtual-toad.com