While Walt Disney World features some of the most technologically advanced and thematically immersive attractions in the world…

…the resort is also home to rides — including some classic favorites — that are in desperate need of some TLC.

Spaceship Earth

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see EPCOT’s weenie attraction changed to its very core. I’m not rooting for Time Racers — the failed 1990s blue sky project that would have seen the interior of the sphere ripped out and replaced by a roller coaster — to make a return. However, the existing dark ride needs some TLC.

A major refurbishment for the ride was announced in 2020, and was supposed to feature “new scenes reflecting the universal nature of the human experience. A new guide and all-new narration will focus on the storytelling that brings people together.” However, the project was paused with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and was not continued.

In 2025, Disney announced that the ride would be closing for a refurbishment on August 25th; however, there’s no indication that this will be more than simple maintenance.

Mission Space

Since pretty much the day it opened in 2003, EPCOT’s Horizons replacement has been controversial… at best. From the get-go, the ride faced criticism for inducing nausea among riders. Mission: Space’s ride system, a “multiple-arm centrifuge that achieves the illusion of acceleration by spinning and tilting sealed capsules during the four-minute “mission,” spun at such a rate that Disney actually needed to install vomit bags and benches near the exits for sick riders.

The issue has plagued the attraction for the two decades, to the point that the original ride experience was renamed the Orange Mission, while a new, tamer Green Mission (which doesn’t feature spinning) was introduced to placate those who suffer from motion sickness.

In addition to these issues, many would argue the ride hasn’t aged well in other ways. It’s aesthetic and design is very early 2000s, and the ride’s storyline of an astronaut training simulator doesn’t hold up well compared to the heavily-themed and immersive rides, lands, and attractions that have come to dominate the theme park space (no pun intended) over the last two decades. Suffice to say, it seems that Mission Space could use a refurbishment and refresh similar to its neighbor, Test Track, if not a complete replacement.

Tomorrowland Speedway

Much like its Disneyland sister attraction, Autopia, the Tomorrowland Speedway and its faux cars have been a part of the Magic Kingdom for decades. However, also like its west coast counterpart, the attraction seems woefully out of date in both theme and execution. This massive plot of Tomorrowland is in desperate need of redevelopment.

Carousel of Progress

Now, to be clear, I don’t want to see 3/4ths of this show go anywhere, as the show has been a favorite of mine for the 30+ years I’ve been visiting Disney World. However, the finale segment, which was added to the 1964 World’s Fair classic on the occasion of its 30th anniversary in 1994, is woefully dated (and not in the museum-preserved way that the earlier segments present themselves). Instead, it’s a pastiche of 1990s culture and slang that is supposed to represent the “future.” Disney needs to change this ASAP.

Star Tours

This final entry isn’t about the ride itself. In fact, Star Tours was completely transformed into Star Tours: The Adventure Continues in the early 2010s, and the ride film has been updated regularly with new Star Wars content ever since. However, our issue is with the theme and queue.

Currently, Hollywood Studios’ Star Tours is a hodgepodge of themes. Outside is a recreation of the Ewok village — complete with an AT-AT — from Return of the Jedi, the interior queue is a recreation of a spaceport soundstage, and the exit gift shop is a Star Wars prequel-era Tattooine trading post. In other words, it’s a bizarre mix that could definitely use some refurbishment and retheming.

These Disney World rides could definitely use some modernization and enhancements to reach the levels seen across the rest of the resort. Stay tuned to DFB for more on Disney World!

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Which of these rides do you think most desperately needs an injection of new life? Let us know in the comments below.