One of the great and simultaneously awful things about Disney theme parks is that Walt's vision that the parks will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world. It's great that we can always expect new and amazing attractions, but it's also frustrating when your favorite ride is no longre there.
You can read up on some of the best rides that no longer exist (or are about to disappear) over at Travel and Leisure. Personally, I rode the Cars-themed version of the flying saucers and wasn't very impressed. Have any of you rode some of these now-defunct rides?
The 20,000 Leagues ride was one of my favorites as a kid, though it's not on that list.
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The Maelstrom wasn't spectacular, but was easily one of the ride highlights of EPCOT circa 1991 when I visited. It was fairly short, and kind of a cross between a scenic boat ride like the (infamous) Small World and a flume ride. The most impressive part was the three-headed troll encounter at the end. First you were startled by the appearance of the troll, which then "cast a spell" on your boat which strikingly sparkled through the air over you (hidden lights in the dark, but really dazzling at first glance). Then you went down a fairly typical flume slide, made a bit more exciting by being unexpectedly backwards in semi-darkness. Fun, though not something you felt compelled to ride over and over.
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