History WhatCouldHaveBeen / ThemeParks

* In 2009, after Kentucky Kingdom got rid of Chang, their Bolliger & Mabillard stand-up coaster, Six Flags had originally intended for the ride to be relocated to Six Flags Great America and opened there in 2011, likely replacing Iron Wolf[[note]]The park's existing stand-up coaster, and Bolliger & Mabillard's first ever roller coaster, and which was relocated to Six Flags America in Maryland in 2012[[/note]]. The park even obtained approval from the city of Gurnee to exceed the 125-foot (38 m) height limit imposed on the park, but plans were later canceled in favor of a water park expansion. So ultimately, Chang instead went to Six Flags Great Adeventure where it replaced the Great American Scream Machine and was renamed Green Lantern. B&M would build X-Flight for Six Flags Great America instead, keeping the park's B&M coaster count to four[[note]]Batman: The Ride, Superman Ultimate Flight, X-Flight, and Raging Bull[[/note]], while the lot where Iron Wolf stood was taken up by a custom RMC wooden coaster.

** Land of Oz was the last theme park opened in Grover Robbins's lifetime and was themed around The Wizard of Oz, particularly the 1939 film (with some attractions based on the later books) and it was open from 1970 to 1980. Now abandoned and a popular site for the urban explorer crowd. In TheEighties the park was given the most basic of maintenance since the park was the site of a few reunions and anniversary celebrations of the 1939 movie before being permanently closed in 1990.

* In 2013, two [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios Twentieth Century Fox]] theme parks were announced, with areas and rides based on the studio's properties such as ''Franchise/{{Alien}}, Film/{{Avatar}}, Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes, WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and the movies of Creator/BlueSkyStudios, in both Singapore and Dubai. The former got some delays due to a weak currency, Disney's purchase of Fox leading to a legal battle (the park, now renamed Genting [=SkyWorlds=], ultimately got the rights to retain most of the licenses), and the COVID-19 pandemic screwing up the finishing touches, and is nearly completed but still needing a formal inauguration. The other one was just cancelled having not even broken ground in 2018, [[https://www.themeparx.com/20th-century-fox-world-dubai/ leaving only inspiring concept art behind.]]

* In 2013, two Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox Land theme parks were announced, with areas and rides based on the studio's properties such as ''Franchise/{{Alien}}, Film/{{Avatar}}, Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes, Westernanimation/TheSimpsons'' and the movies of Creator/BlueSkyStudios, in both Singapore and Dubai. The former got some delays due to a weak currency, Disney's purchase of Fox leading to a legal battle (the park, now renamed Genting [=SkyWorlds=], ultimately got the rights to retain the licenses), and the COVID-19 pandemic screwing up the finishing touches, and is nearly completed but still needing a formal inauguration. The other one was just cancelled having not even broken ground in 2018, [[https://www.themeparx.com/20th-century-fox-world-dubai/ leaving only inspiring concept art behind.]]

* Maverick at Cedar Point is the park's Intamin blitz coaster. It originally had three inversions: two twisted horseshoe rolls in the first half, and then a heartline roll in the second half. The ride's opening in May 2007 had to be delayed two weeks because the track in the heartline roll element put excessive stress on the trains, which also might have caused discomfort to passengers due to high g-forces. Cedar Point thus had to quickly remove it and replace it with a simple s-bend.

* Would you believe that there really was going to be a ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' amusement park? [[http://gizmodo.com/metropolis-the-real-life-town-that-superman-couldnt-s-1172537331 Gizmodo]] has the story. Cliff Notes version: Metropolis, Ill, and Creator/DCComics had planned to open a theme park centered around the legendary Man of Steel. A set of concept pictures and designs were drawn by Creator/NealAdams showing off everything the theme park would have had, including a massive Fortress of Solitude topped with a stained-glass roof and a room filled with statues of Superman's greatest foes. A comic book, "The Superman Story", was also made around this time to showcase it. The park would have cost around the tune of $25 million USD. Then, [[RealityEnsues the OPEC oil crisis hit]] and they were forced to back down. However, one has to wonder how long it would have lasted - about a decade later would have been ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' and it would have rendered it all moot.

!!Parks with their own page:

* Grover Robbins was the founder of {{Ride/TweetsieRailroad}} a small theme park with an authentic steam locomotive and a Wild West theme. Tweetsie is still in operation today but it was not the only theme park he had planned, but merely a springboard for a series of theme parks located throughout the Appalachian Mountains.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Disney]]
* ''Ride/TheHauntedMansion'' went through several different ideas. Early concepts included a hangout for horror-themed Disney villains, like the WesternAnimation/LonesomeGhosts, [[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad the Headless Horseman]], and having a Raven narrate the ride (abandoned when it was decided the Ghost Host would work better)Other concepts from the 1950s included several much darker walkthrough attractions, a version where Walt himself narrated, and several very long illusions including a ghost flooding a room.
* The ''Haunted Mansion'' anniversary issue of the D23 magazine revealed plans for an indoor, perpetual-twilight Disney park that would have featured the Haunted Mansion on a hill at the end of their Main Street USA equivalent, rather than the familiar Disney castle that serves as the entrance for Fantasyland.
* Early concepts for Disneyland called for Adventureland to be where Space Mountain is now (directly east of Main Street - it was built directly west instead). Some prototype maps even show parts of it existing on ''both'' sides of Main Street. (It was moved on the recommendation head Disneyland landscape artist, Bill Evens, to take advantage of the existing Eucalyptus trees on the other side of the park.)
* The original design for Disneyland incorporated numerous orange trees already present on the property. Walt's staff marked trees to be kept and trees to be removed with different colors of ribbon. Unfortunately, all of the trees were destroyed - the bulldozer operator was colorblind.
* There were many locations Disney was going to originally build Disneyland before he decided to locate in California. One of the places he really had his heart set on was none other than... Flagstaff, Arizona (no, really). He loved the weather the place got during the summer, but then he came and visited during the winter, felt the harsh snowy weather, and subsequently changed his mind.
** Originally, Walt Disney World was going to be in St. Louis, Missouri. Then the mayor of St. Louis mocked Walt's plans to run a resort without selling liquor. [[LaserGuidedKarma His moment of jerkassery cost the city billions in tourism revenue.]]
*** Another possible location for Disney World was on the site of the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York, where the Disney exhibits from the fair would be retained. However, Walt Disney instead decided to move the rides to Disneyland, and thus the project was scrapped.
* At Walt Disney World in Florida, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_River_Expedition Western River Expedition]] was intended as the Wild West version of ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' and was to be exclusive to the park, thus making the California park the only one with the pirates. It was going to be housed in a giant pavilion that also included a "runaway" mine train themed roller coaster, hiking trails atop Thunder Mesa (the show building that housed the attractions), a Pueblo Indian village, and a pack mule attraction. But then a few things got in the way:
** Early visitors to the Magic Kingdom were upset that ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' wasn't included in the lineup, so getting a Florida version of Pirates up and running became top priority. Western River Expedition was seen to be a western themed version of ''Pirates''.
** Phase II development of Tomorrowland was underway at this time (which added Space Mountain, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, the Rocket Jets, and the [=WEDWay=] [=PeopleMover=]). The construction of the Tomorrowland rides meant that money and resources couldn't be allocated to construction of attractions in other lands.
** Ultimately, the Western River Expedition was scrapped, but two of its rides would eventually be built in Frontierland: the mine train roller coaster opened in 1981 as ''Big Thunder Mountain Railroad'' primarily to convince people not to put off their next visit to the resort until after Epcot opened (the ride had opened at Disneyland in 1979 as a replacement for the more sedate Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland), while the boat ride opened in 1992 as ''Splash Mountain''.
** Incidentally, when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was being built, Imagineer Marc Davis (the brainchild of the WRE), desperate to save the boat ride, tried to compromise: the roller coaster could be built as long as a scaled down WRE with just the boat ride was built opposite the railroad tracks. Unfortunately, this didn't work, and Frontierland didn't get a water ride until Splash Mountain opened in 1992.
** Much of Disneyland Paris's Frontierland is derived from the plans for the Western River Expedition. In particular, the land is themed as the town of Thunder Mesa, named in tribute to the WRE. 'Dry Gulch', which would have been a depiction of a wild mining town in WRE, would be incorporated into [[Ride/TheHauntedMansion Phantom Manor]] as a ghost mining town called Phantom Canyon, including elements like a bank robber and cowardly sheriff engaging in a gunfight, as well as a showgirl and bartender at a saloon.
* The Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World was originally planned as a fully-functioning city rather than a theme park, and was a major part of Walt Disney's personal plans for "The Florida Project." After Walt died, the idea fell by the wayside for over a decade. When the plans were revisited, the prospect of building Epcot as a functional city exactly as Walt envisioned it was simply too impossible, so it was re-tooled into a theme park. The would-be model is now a display viewed from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority [=PeopleMover=] while transiting through the show building housing Stitch's Great Escape.
** The basic idea of Disney forming their own city was not forgotten however, and the idea was later realized when Disney created the town of Celebration, Florida.
* A few pavilions for Epcot's Future World were proposed, but ultimately became other concepts. One was the Movie Pavilion, which the board liked so much, that it became a dedicated theme park, opening in 1989 as Disney-MGM Studios. The other was the Space Pavilion, which eventually saw the light of day in 2003 as Mission: SPACE.
* Several more countries were considered for Epcot's World Showcase, including a country from Africa or a simple "Equatorial Africa" pavillion. This one was scrapped because the only country willing to back it was South Africa, which was under apartheid in the 1980s, but was so close to completion, that a model appeared in the opening day telecast starring Creator/DannyKaye. Two years after the park opened, Morocco was added to the lineup.
** Scrapped attractions for World Showcase included boat-based rides for Germany and Italy. ''Meet the World'', an Audio-Animatronic show retelling the history of Japan, made it as far as its show building going up -- but since it glossed over the country's actions in World War II Disney executives feared it would offend Americans (especially veterans). The show did successfully make it into the original Tokyo Disneyland lineup.
*** Elements of the boat rides for Germany and Italy actually did see the light of day. One was the massive show building in Germany being built and still standing, the other being the boats for the Italy ride, which are now static props in the World Showcase Lagoon in front of Italy.
** Japan was also originally going to have a ride. Possibilities included a Mt. Fuji roller coaster (supposedly scrapped because of Fuji Film, and [[Creator/EastmanKodak Kodak]] sponsoring other rides...seriously), and a Circlevision (similar to what Canada and China has) bullet train simulator, one version of which called for the train to be attacked by Franchise/{{Godzilla}}! The Godzilla part may have fallen through because Toho wasn't making ''Godzilla'' films after the mediocore box-office returns for ''Film/TerrorOfMechagodzilla'', and Godzilla wasn't relevant at the time, and wouldn't be until two years after Epcot.
** For more on the original plans for World Showcase, which also included Israel and United Arab Emirates pavilions, see this [[http://allears.net/ae/issue670.htm article featuring a 1978 press release]]. For the record, the UAE pavilion was scrapped due to financial issues, and Israel was scrapped for fears it would turn the resort into a target for Palestinian or Islamic extremists, though it actually came very close to construction, to the point that signage announced that it, along with Spain and Equatorial Africa, were coming soon.
** There were plans for a Switzerland pavilion which would have existed primarily as an excuse to bring the Matterhorn Bobsleds down to Florida.
* Disney's Hollywood Studios grew out of plans for a movie-making-themed pavilion at Epcot's Future World.
* Plans for Disney's Hollywood Studios (then Disney-MGM Studios) included some ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''-themed attractions (cancelled due to legal issues, though the Benny the Cab ride did see the light of day at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland as Roger Rabbits Car-Toon Spin), a [[Franchise/TheMuppets Muppet]] version of The Great Movie Ride (cancelled due to Creator/JimHenson's death) and a ''Film/DickTracy'' ride (cancelled due to King Features Syndicate taking Creator/WarrenBeatty to court).
** Originally, much more of The Great Movie Ride would have been based around ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' -- riders would be "swept away" by the tornado to Munchkinland, and the final room would be the Wizard's chamber, in which he introduced the closing {{Montage}} of great film moments. Because Ted Turner (the movie's rights-holder) stipulated that only so much time could be given over to ''Oz'' scenes, the tornado was replaced by a ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'' segment, and the final room became nondescript.
** Had Henson not died in the early years of the park's operations, Muppets Courtyard (around where the ''[=MuppetVision=] 3D'' theatre currently is) would have been planned right from the start, and originally included the above Great Muppet Movie Ride. The idea finally got off the ground once the Streets of America land was removed from the park in April 2016, though without the movie ride.
* At one point, there was talk of the Muppets taking over all of Disneyland in 1991 and renaming it Muppetland, with the explanation that Mickey and friends had taken a vacation following the 35th anniversary year. Like the original Muppets Courtyard, it was scrapped after Henson's death.
* The original plans for Animal Kingdom had called for a land called "Beastly Kingdom" (or perhaps "Kingdomme") based around mythical animals, but budget cuts forced that to the back burner. Camp Minnie-Mickey was constructed in its place and nineteen years later was replaced by Pandora: The World of ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', finally realizing the "land of fantasy creatures" idea.
** Rumor has it that the designers of Beastly Kingdom jumped ship to Universal and took some of their ideas with them. Specifically, Dueling Dragons (now the Franchise/HarryPotter dragon coaster) would have been a major thrill ride for Animal Kingdom as "Dragon's Keep"
* The original plans for Animal Kingdom's ''Countdown to Extinction'' (now ''WesternAnimation/{{Dinosaur}}'') would have featured a ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. With the discovery of ''Carnotaurus sastrei'', however, Disney wanted to be less cliché and added ''Carnotarus'' instead. It's also said that Disney didn't want it to look like a rip-off of [[Ride/UniversalStudios its rival's]] ''Ride/JurassicParkRiverAdventure''.
* Ride revamps that were considered but not implemented:
** Re-theming the ''Journey into Imagination'' ride at Epcot to ''Film/{{Flubber}}''.
** Re-theming the Submarine Voyage (which closed in 1998)/20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (closed in 1994) rides at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, respectively, to ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire''. When the film bombed at the box office, the Florida submarine lagoon was demolished in 2005 and the land eventually reclaimed for New Fantasyland, while California got a ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' retheming that opened in 2007 and is still running.
* There are a bunch of ''resorts'' at Walt Disney World that never made it out of the planning stage:
** The Boardwalk Inn & Villas and their adjoining actual boardwalk were salvaged from plans for a mini-park that would have recreated seaside amusement parks of the early 20th century.
** Disney's Pop Century Resort was originally going to cover 1900-1949 with a second set of buildings on the other side of Hourglass Lake, but 9/11 happened shortly before the completed first set (1950-99) was to open; those eventually opened in 2004. The second set had the building "shells" put up, but there was never enough demand for rooms to complete them. Disney ultimately made the shells the basis for the Art of Animation Resort, which opened in 2012. As a result, fans jokingly referred to the Pop Century for the longest period of time as the "Pop Half-Century Resort".
** There were three resorts planned for the Magic Kingdom area that would've been located on the monorail loop, had they not been scrapped for various reasons:
*** The Venetian Resort was to have been built along the monorail straightaway between the Transportation & Ticket Center and the Contemporary Resort, but the site would have needed a very deep foundation. Despite this, the land was actually cleared in the 1990s for a similar Mediterranean Resort, which was also cancelled because of swampy, poor ground samples.
*** The Asian Resort actually began construction in the 1970s but was scrapped due to the decade's energy crisis. Progress got so far as to have a plot of land in the Seven Seas Lagoon for its foundation, and the road leading up to it being named Asian Drive. After a decade of sitting vacant, the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa was eventually built on the vacant lot.
*** The Persian Resort was to have been themed around Iran. In fact, the Shah of Iran was ready to fund it, but the Iranian Revolution and the resulting new government being openly hostile towards the United States (and the west in general) caused the plans to be scrapped. Concept models show that the monorail would not have gone straight from the Contemporary Resort to the Magic Kingdom station, but would detour to service the Persian, then run through Tomorrowland (against Walt's wishes, which were to keep the monorail outside the park) to backtrack to the Magic Kingdom station. Part of this route up World Drive was built, as the spur to the monorail barn. The vacant lot planned for the Persian Resort is used for backstage storage and cast member parking.
* In early 2003, blueprints were leaked for a discarded plan called "Project Gemini," a complete redesign of Epcot's Future World area in an attempt to solve its {{Zeerust}} problem. As part of a three year plan, Future World would be renamed "Discoveryland" (even though the name had been used as Disneyland Paris' version of Tomorrowland) and feature some of the most bizarre concepts that Walt Disney Imagineering ever came up with:
** ''Spaceship Earth'' would become a thrill ride called ''Time Racers''' sponsored by Microsoft, though its post-show Global Neighborhood would still be sponsored by AT&T for some reason. The attraction would be a look at how man is literally racing through time.
** Innoventions would have been split into six separate buildings for two restaurants, two shops, and two exhibits.
** The Universe of Energy, Mission Space and Test Track would remain intact, but the Wonders of Life pavilion would become an unknown new attraction and Disneyland's old Junior Autopia would be resurrected and added to the exterior of Test Track for kids too short to ride the main attraction.
** The Land pavilion would gain an outdoor hedge maze and an outdoor "rainforest" roller coaster, as well as a clone of the Disney's California Adventure attraction ''Soarin''[='=] (which managed to go through). The Living Seas pavilion would become an attraction re-themed to ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' called "Under The Sea" (which was later realized in the New Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom and the $1.1 billion overhaul of Disney's California Adventure), while the Journey into Imagination dark ride would get a re-theme to ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' (later becoming Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! at Disney California Adventure, replacing the short-lived Superstar Limo).
* When the ''Country Bear Jamboree'' was to be removed from Disneyland, the Imagineers attempted an AuthorsSavingThrow to at least keep the Country Bear characters themselves in the form of a WackyRacing attraction called "Critter Country 500". Unfortunately, nothing could stop then-Disney Parks head Paul Pressler's demands for a profitable ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' attraction, whose exit is directly next to a major gift shop.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WestCOT WestCOT]] would have been Disneyland Anaheim's answer to Epcot in Florida. It would have had its own version of Spaceship Earth, a World Showcase based on the individual continents, clones of Journey into Imagination and Horizons, and a SpiritualSuccessor to Adventure Thru Inner Space. Alas, the whole thing was scrapped in 1995 due to budget issues and local opposition to the park's version of Spaceship Earth (or Spacestation Earth, as it was to be called) being a whopping ''300 feet tall'', as opposed to Spaceship Earth's more reasonable 160-foot height, and Disney built the California Adventure park instead. (And it's too bad, because the [[http://www.yesterland.com/images-westcot/westcot1_illustrative.jpg concept art]] for [=WestCOT=] looked ''really'' cool.)
* In the early 1990's, Disney planned to open a theme park devoted to American history called Disney's America near Manassas, Virginia. The plan fell through in 1994, due to vehement opposition from people worried about the impact on traffic and the potential for damage to key historic sites (the Manassas National Battlefield, site of two major [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar American Civil War]] battles, is located very close to the site that had been proposed for the park), not to mention concerns about the company that named the trope {{Disneyfication}} presenting a whole park built around RealLife history -- one announced attraction would have cast riders as runway slaves on the Underground Railroad! The idea was revived a few years later when Disney considered purchasing Knott's Berry Farm, but once again came to nothing (ironically, Disney would have changed less in the park than Cedar Fair has). Some elements of the proposal were finally incorporated into Disney's California Adventure when that park opened in 2001.
* Also in the early '90s, Disney tried to get Creator/{{Nintendo}} to license their characters for their theme parks. This was actually part of a huge plan then-Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg had formulated for Nintendo had the ''Film/SuperMarioBros'' LiveActionAdaptation been successful. They would have begun efforts to integrate Nintendo into their business in every possible medium they had. The film, however, ended up becoming a TroubledProduction, and it was ultimately released to disastrous reviews and box office returns. Disney soon abandoned these plans once Nintendo started becoming more restrictive toward their property after the film's failure, along with Katzenberg's departure from Disney a year after the film's release to start Creator/DreamWorks. Two decades later, in 2015, Disney's [[NeverLiveItDown worst fears]] [[LaserGuidedKarma were realized]] when Nintendo snubbed them for Universal.
* ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' almost had a Disney World attraction -- Disney owned the company that published the ''Myst'' book series -- which would have been set up on the island that once hosted the Discovery Island wildlife mini-park. (That attraction shut down in TheNineties, but its name was subsequently given to a land at Animal Kingdom.)
* [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] has a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_never_built_Disney_attractions whole list of attractions]] that Disney cancelled for whatever reason.
* Disney [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08W5Os-Wnj0 announced]] in 2009 that they would try to compete with/catch up to Ride/UniversalStudios' ''Wizarding World of Franchise/HarryPotter'' by expanding Walt Disney World's Fantasyland with immersive meet-and-greets for Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Tinker Bell. However, they later realized this expansion might not have an audience beyond little girls. They later [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weDcPQ8ontY decided]] to keep the most gender-neutral parts of the expansion, move the meet-and-greets into one of the pre-existing Fantasyland buildings, and use the newly opened space (formerly the site of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) to construct a roller coaster through the Seven Dwarfs' mine.
* Speaking of Harry Potter, Disney was actually the first company to acquire the franchise's theme park rights. The rights were unfortunately picked up during a turbulent time at Disney, and were partly motivated by then-CEO Michael Eisner's desire to show Hollywood that he still knew what he was doing in the wake of the Disney-Creator/{{Pixar}} breakup. But then Eisner was ousted and replaced by Bob Iger, who felt that mending Disney's relationship with Pixar (along with fixing Disney's own studio) was at that moment more important to the company's long-term growth than any other deals that Eisner had made with outside companies, which included the Harry Potter theme park rights. Creator/JKRowling eventually got tired of waiting for Disney to sort itself out, and went to Universal.
** It probably didn't help that Disney's plans consisted of just one ride that would involve guests shooting at 3D interactive screens with wands. Rowling wanted something more immersive, but Disney refused. Shortly after losing the Harry Potter rights to Universal, Disney retooled the plans into ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory Midway Mania''.
** Before Michael Eisner was ousted, Disney planned for an entire theme park themed after Harry Potter in Singapore. The plans were shelved when Bob Iger replaced Eisner as Disney CEO and shot down for good when Disney tossed the Harry Potter license to the can for Universal to recycle.
* Tony Baxter, former Senior Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering, joined the company after sharing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU6X1eLoVWI this concept]] for a ''Film/MaryPoppins''-themed ride. Had it actually become built, guests would mount merry-go-round horses that would leap off their turntables, and prance through the same chalk drawings where Mary Poppins, Bert, and the Banks children shared a "Jolly Holiday". After the rain dissolves the drawings, the horses would take their riders across the rooftops of London.
* Marc Davis' last ride concept was ''Enchanted Snow Palace'', a boat ride in Fantasyland that would have involved real and mythical creatures. The board very, very reluctantly rejected the proposal, as guests in the 1970s didn't want slow-paced dark rides, they wanted roller coasters (and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia had plenty, while Disneyland only had the Matterhorn Bobsleds at the time). Davis quit shortly thereafter. A ride kinda like this would come into existence in 2016, when Maelstrom at Epcot's Norway pavilion was retooled into ''Disney/{{Frozen}} Ever After''.
* The original concept of ''Superstar Limo'' at Disney California Adventure was a thrill ride in which the riders were cast as movie stars being chauffeured to a movie premiere at Graumann's Chinese Theater. On the way they'd have a run-in with hordes of obnoxious paparazzi, which the limo driver would gun it to avoid, taking them on a high-speed chase through Hollywood and past setpieces featuring well-known celebrities such as Music/ElvisPresley. In a ''really bad'' case of TooSoon, Princess Diana was killed in a similar situation, resulting in the Imagineers heavily retooling the ride into the slow, stereotypical, cartoon-ish dark ride that ended up opening instead. Given how the ride ended up being one of the most-reviled attractions in Disney history, one can only imagine how different things would be if the "paparazzi chase" concept had been utilized.
* For years it was known in theme park circles that ''[[Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids Honey, I Shrunk the Audience]]'' did not originally cast Creator/EricIdle as Dr. Nigel Channing, and that in fact he volunteered for the attraction at close to the last minute when he learned from Marcia Strassman that the original actor was no longer available. Idle's 2018 memoir ''Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'' revealed who that actor was: Creator/RaulJulia, who had to drop out due to the health issues that took his life by the end of 1994 (the attraction premiered a few weeks after he died in fact).
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[[folder:Other]]

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[[folder:Universal Studios]]
!!!General
* Universal Orlando Resort's expansion plan in the 1990's was originally supposed to have the resort consist of two areas. The second area would sit down the road from the main resort, and would consist of a country club, golf course, another [=CityWalk=] district and an unknown theme park(s). Unfortunately, before the second area could begin construction, the September 11 attacks and the economic recession that followed it caused major financial losses at Universal, forcing them to sell off the patch of land that would have been slated for the area. Fast forward to the 2010s, and with [=NBCUniversal=] under the new corporate heads at Comcast, most of the land was bought back and the area would serve as the grounds for what would ultimately be Universal's third park, Universal's Epic Universe.
* Universal had tried to build a theme park in South Korea [[DevelopmentHell for a long time]], but after repeated delays, the project was cancelled in the mid '2010s.
* A Universal Studios park had been in development for the Dubailand complex and managed to get very far along in development, to the point that much of the construction site had been laid out and the Universal archway for it was built. However, the entire project was suddenly put on hold due to the major recession that had hit Dubai. After many years of silence regarding the park, Universal officially announced its cancellation in 2016.
* A rather unique mostly-indoor Universal Studios park was being developed for Moscow, but was later scrapped for reasons unknown.

!!!Universal's Epic Universe
* [[http://www.slashfilm.com/universal-video-game-theme-park/ Supposedly]], one of the ideas tossed around for Epic Universe was a park dedicated almost entirely to video game franchises. It would've included rides based off an immeasurable number of franchises, from classic arcade games such as ''VideoGame/PacMan'' and ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'', to modern franchises such as ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGear'', among others, and would've also been used for Creator/{{Nintendo}} franchises that wouldn't have been used for ''Super Nintendo World'' when it was being considered for USF due to lack of space and/or budget. Given that the demands would've almost certainly included technology that hadn't yet existed for theme parks (something Universal was already investing for ''Super Nintendo World'') and would garner a huge bill for merely licensing the properties, it's no surprise that this idea never went forward.
* At one point, Universal executives wanted to use the name ''Fantastic Worlds'' for the park, presumably as a reference to the ''Film/FantasticBeasts'' franchise that is rumored to have a themed land there. Creator/WarnerBros wasn't amused.

!!!Universal Studios Florida
** The park was supposed to identical to Universal Studios Hollywood, with the park placing an emphasis on the production backlot and having a tram tour as the main attraction. When the announcement of Disney-MGM Studios came with the Backlot Tour being mentioned as the main attraction, the entire project was retooled into placing emphasis on the theme park itself instead of the studio side, out of fear of Universal being accused of ripping off Disney's idea. In the end, this turned out to be a good thing for Universal, considering that the idea of making Central Florida into a "Hollywood East" never quite took off the way people were hoping.
* ''Earthquake: The Big One''
** The ride was first envisioned to be a trolley ride through a crumbling San Francisco, but with both financial and technical limitations, the decision was made to duplicate the same Earthquake subway scene from the Hollywood Studio Tour. The only remnant of the original plan was the trolley house design of the attraction's entrance.
** Universal was eager to build a version of ''Earthquake'' at Universal Studios Japan during that park's construction. Unfortunately, the country's notoriety of being home to multiple strong and devastating earthquakes over the years caused executives to fear a backlash. Universal instead went with a duplicate of the Hollywood ''Backdraft'' special effects show in its place.
* Two regarding ''Ride/BackToTheFutureTheRide'':
** The original concept consisted of nothing more than Doc Brown flying guests through different time periods. ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' creators Creator/RobertZemeckis and Bob Gale found this too insubstantial a concept for a ride inspired by the movies.
** Universal considered having Doc Brown's EvilTwin brother, also portrayed by Creator/ChristopherLloyd, as the antagonist. When they brought Peyton Reed[[labelnote:*]]Later known as the director of ''Film/BringItOn'' and ''Film/AntMan'', among others[[/labelnote]] and Mark Cowen to help rewrite the script, the duo suggested that bringing back Biff Tannen as an antagonist would strengthen the connection to the movies.
** An early draft of the ride had a the 2015 sequence being set in the air highways, along with there being a 1885 sequence where the riders just narrowly dodge getting hit by a train.
* A ride based off of Casper the Friendly Ghost was first considered in the mid 90's, but dropped after the 1995 film failed to meet Universal's expectations. Such a ride was later again considered, this time for the Toon Lagoon section of Islands of Adventure, but again failed to make it past the drawing boards. With Universal later ''owning'' Casper, however, things could be set back into motion.
* A roller coaster based off of ''Film/Apollo13'' was in development (yes, '''really''') in the '90s, slated for the area ''Ride/MenInBlackAlienAttack'' now resides in. It was scrapped due to the budget for it ballooning out of control.
* After the ''Apollo 13'' concept fell through, Universal looked at doing a thrill ride based around the works of Creator/StephenKing, but was unable to get the license from him. Interestingly, Disney ''also'' wanted to make a Stephen King thrill ride for Disney-MGM Studios around the same time, but they too were met with rejection.
* Yet another roller coaster concept that was developed in the '90s involved guests going into a studio dedicated to the disaster genre and being put right into the middle of a disaster movie shoot by a manic film director (that Universal considered getting Creator/JimCarrey to play). Although the concept of it being a roller coaster was scrapped, the whole idea of the ride was later retooled a decade later into the ''Ride/{{Disaster}}'' attraction, but with the manic director being played by Creator/ChristopherWalken instead of Carrey.
* ''Ride/JurassicParkRiverAdventure'' was originally planned to be built at the area where ''Ride/MenInBlackAlienAttack'' stands now. However, Steven Spielberg came in and successfully encouraged Universal to do something more elaborate for the franchise, resulting in the fully themed island area now at Islands of Adventure.
* At one point in the mid-1990s, there were plans by Universal to build attractions based off the ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' and ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' video game franchises, due to their then-ownership of said franchises. It is said that Creator/{{Sony}} (who published the games for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation console) shot the plans down in objection, so they instead came up with a meet-and-greet experience for the Crash Bandicoot character. The franchises are now under the ownership of Creator/{{Activision}}, who have no plans to license rides based off either franchise.
* ''Ride/MenInBlackAlienAttack'':
** Pushing the red button was originally going to make the vehicles go into hyperspeed (similar to the first movie), with the effect being pulled off via projection tunnels and wind. The idea was abandoned when the designers felt there was no way to convincingly make the vehicles feel like they're going fast. The space it was meant for was made into the scanner scene instead.
** The ride's facade would've been a replica of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel exterior from the film.
** Before the World's Fair concept was decided upon, there were several alternate ideas thrown around for what the MIB headquarters would be disguised as, such as a Florida orange juice factory tour and the Orlando International Airport.
** A MIB-themed restaurant was meant to accompany the ride before getting slashed from the budget. On the attraction's exterior, note how the store's entrance is an "M" and the restrooms' entrance is an "I", but there's no "B". The restaurant's entrance was meant to be that "B".
** "The Universe and You" attraction was at one point going to be called "It's a Small Universe After All".
** The "Immigration Room" section of the queue line was going to feature more audio-animatronics until it was decided that the money would be better spent on the ride itself.
** Higher-ups wanted to use the same vehicles that ''Ride/TheAmazingAdventuresOfSpiderMan'' use, but dropped this idea after testing it and finding it too hard to hit targets.
* A ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' attraction was discussed, but scrapped due to failed negotiations between Universal and Dreamworks Animation. It was supposedly planned as a replacement for ''Ride/JimmyNeutronsNicktoonBlast'', which was ultimately replaced with ''Ride/DespicableMeMinionMayhem''. Now that Universal ''owns'' [=DreamWorks=], the property is rumored to be getting a fully-themed land at Epic Universe.
* There was talk of a ride based off ''Franchise/StarTrek'' being envisioned as a replacement for ''WesternAnimation/ShrekFourD'' at one point, but the plans were shelved after talks with Creator/{{CBS}} and Creator/{{Paramount}} collapsed. Universal ''did'' have the ''Star Trek'' attraction rights at one point, but they only used them for an interactive attraction in the early to mid 90's called ''The Screen Test Home Video Adventure'', which gave guests the option to do a ''Star Trek''-inspired film or a film based off the Universal Newsreels.
* Reportedly there were plans to revamp the Woody Woodpecker's [=KidZone=] section at Universal Studios Florida into an area based of Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} franchises, in order to make up for the closure of Nickelodeon Studios and ''Ride/JimmyNeutronsNicktoonBlast''. The plans apparently went nowhere, however, and the only thing that may have came out of it was a ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants''-themed gift shop at a store formerly themed after Creator/WalterLantz cartoons.
* Not long after Creator/{{Nintendo}} granted Universal the rights to develop theme park attractions, Universal again sought to revamp the [=KidZone=] through a re-theming to ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', which was a way for Universal to keep Nintendo fans entertained as Super Nintendo World was under construction at Universal's Epic Universe miles away. This was shelved after ''Ride/FastAndFuriousSupercharged'' failed to impress. This was planned around the same time Universal was considering re-theming the Lost Continent area to ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', which was also simultaneously shelved.
* Before ''Ride/TwisterRideItOut'' in the New York area was slated for removal, Universal planned to revamp the ride and replace its suspenseful undertone with a more comedic style. Creator/JimmyFallon would replace Creator/BillPaxton and Helen Hunt as the ride hosts (yes, [[SincerityMode no kidding]]), [[AdaptationDisplacement breaking the ride away from its]] [[Film/{{Twister}} source material]]. Universal realized it wouldn't fix the area's NetworkDecay issue, so they instead decided to give Fallon his own ride, ''[[Ride/RaceThroughNewYorkStarringJimmyFallon Race Through New York]]'', ending most of the decay in the process.
* Super Nintendo World was supposed to be built where the [=KidZone=] stands now. When Universal creatives realized there wouldn't be enough room for the whole area, they opted to save it for Epic Universe.

!!!Universal Studios Hollywood
* In February 2000, Universal [[https://www.facebook.com/goddardgroup/posts/10153965068159333:0 submitted plans for a live-action stage show]] called ''Franchise/HarryPotter and the Magic Talisman''. A draft had already been written, but Creator/JKRowling rejected the plans as being underwhelming. Universal would try again to win Rowling over with ''The Wizarding World of Harry Potter'' a decade later, to massive success.

!!!Islands of Adventure
* The site where Islands of Adventure stands now was slated for a shopping mall. It was canceled before Universal Studios Florida opened next to the site after the then-mayor of Orlando felt that entertainment would be a more viable concept.
* During Islands of Adventure's conception, it was first thought of as a "Cartoon World,"[[note]][[http://www.themeparktourist.com/sites/default/files/images/Cartoon%20World.preview.jpg Concept art here]][[/note]] which would have featured attractions and rides themed after WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes, Creator/DCComics characters and Creator/DrSeuss characters. While Universal was able to move forward with the Dr. Seuss themed-land, the former two concepts were rejected after Creator/WarnerBrothers refused to license the characters to Universal (likely to keep their relationship with Ride/SixFlags afloat, [[FridgeLogic despite Six Flags not operating any parks in Florida]]). In addition, the massive success of ''Film/JurassicPark'' pressured Universal's research and development team to develop and entire land based off the film, which brought the "Cartoon World" concept to its coffin. The DC Comics concept would later be transformed to a Creator/MarvelComics land that went through.
** At one point, the DC Comics land was to be themed entirely after Franchise/{{Batman}}, being a replica of Gotham City. The land would have featured a Batmobile ride, a funhouse run by SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker, a Batman stunt show, a roller coaster with trains modeled after the Batwing, a tower drop ride featuring the Riddler, and a teacup ride featuring Mr. Freeze. The fourth, fifth and sixth concepts were revisited and themed after the Hulk, Dr. Doom and the X-Men respectively once Universal jumped ship to Marvel.
* After the ''Looney Tunes'' idea had fallen apart, many different ideas for what cartoons to have represented at Toon Lagoon were tossed around. Such ideas included a holiday stage show based around ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'', attractions for ''WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost'', ''WesternAnimation/MrMagoo'' ([[HilariousInHindsight both now owned outright by Universal]]), and various ''Creator/HannaBarbera'' cartoons, and even attractions based around the "Big Five" Nicktoons of the time (''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'', ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'', and ''WesternAnimation/AaahhRealMonsters'') were considered (the latter likely because Nickelodeon Studios was already there). Ultimately, it was decided the area would be based around Creator/KingFeaturesSyndicate comic strips and Creator/JayWard cartoons.
* A ''Film/VanHelsing'' ride was under development, but the underperformance of the film ultimately proved to be its undoing. The space it was slated for later became the site for ''Ride/HarryPotterAndTheForbiddenJourney'' (which uses the same KUKA Arm technology the ''Van Helsing'' ride was originally planned to).
* [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/04/23/28/04232806810f2d40622a6cc41837f9a6.jpg Early]] [[http://imageshack.us/download/594/jbx5ekwkxqhjm1.jpg concept art]] for the Hogsmeade section of ''The Wizarding World of Harry Potter'' at Islands of Adventure revealed a more cheaper take of the original plans, with the most notable difference being the retention of the Enchanted Oak Tavern, which would have only been slightly refurbished and re-themed into a ''Harry Potter'' atmosphere. Universal soon realized this wasn't going to be enough to appease fans, and decided to remove the Tavern entirely and give the entire area a near-exact replica of Hogsmeade.
* A replica of the Forbidden Forest as well as a ride in Arthur Weasley's Flying Ford Anglia were planned for Hogsmeade, but cut due to lack of space and/or budget. The Forbidden Forest replica was eventually integrated into ''Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey'', and a replica of the Flying Ford Anglia was made for the queue of ''Dragon Challenge'' (formerly ''Dueling Dragons'').
* ''Skull Island: Reign of Kong'' was planned to be built in the space where ''Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey'' now takes up, rather than the space between Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park.
* There were plans to make a rather elaborate ride for ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax'' based on the CGI Creator/IlluminationEntertainment film, but the film's mixed reception and objections from the Seuss family led Universal to shelve the project.
* There is concept art depicting a playground next to the Cat in the Hat attraction known as "[[https://parkpedia.wordpress.com/the-noisarium/ The Noisarium]]". Why it didn't come to be is unknown.
* A ''[[Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas Grinch]]'' roller coaster through Mt. Crumpit was one of the many concepts for Seuss Landing that ultimately never came to be. There are rumors that Universal is looking to revisit this idea, though.
* It's been alleged that the idea for [=CityWalk=]'s ''Toothsome Chocolate Emporium'' restaurant was born of out of Universal's failure to acquire the license for ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' and make it into a themed land that would've replaced the Lost Continent.
* A Jeep Safari ride and a Helicopter tour simulator were in the plans for Jurassic Park, but were cut due to budget.
* Marvel Superhero Island was going to feature a dark ride shooter themed around the ComicBook/XMen, but was also a victim of budgeting. The dark ride shooter concept would later become ''Men in Black: Alien Attack'' over at the other park.
* After the X-Men ride was cut, a stunt show themed around either the X-Men or The Avengers was planned to be built in its place, but too fell to budgeting. A more cheaper stage show was ultimately built for Toon Lagoon.
* Plans also called for there to be a "Villains' Club" restaurant, which ultimately became the "Kingpin's Arcade".
* ''The Incredible Hulk'' roller coaster was actually planned to center around the Silver Surfer. The idea fell apart quickly when the creative team realized that they would need a chrome color for the coaster, which wouldn't do so well in the Florida sunlight.
* During the conceptualization of Super Nintendo World at what could become Universal's Epic Universe, Universal planned to re-theme the ''Lost Continent'' area into a land based off ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', which would've opened while Epic Universe was still under construction. Like the ''Pokémon'' re-theme of the [=KidZone=] as mentioned above, it was shelved when ''Ride/FastAndFuriousSupercharged'' bombed.

!!!Universal Studios Japan
* The park was originally going to have Creator/AkiraKurosawa as a creative consultant.
* When the first details of ''Super Creator/{{Nintendo}} World'' came out, a map showed that the area would be built in the space used for the Universal Cool Japan events, rather than the parking lot next to Japan's version of ''The Wizarding World of Harry Potter'' (which was also built on a former parking space) that it ended up occupying.

!!!Universal Studios Singapore
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' boat ride had early plans to feature a drop in a volcano-based finale and it was all actually built, but severe flaws in ride's infrastructure resulted in the drop having to be removed and the finale redesigned. The ride itself was at one point envisioned as a "Photo Safari" attraction, but was changed early in development.
* Before Disney bought out Marvel, the park was initially going to have a clone of Marvel Super Hero Island. It was scrapped due to failed negotiations between Marvel and Universal and later retooled into Sci-Fi City.
[[/folder]]

* A roller coaster based off of ''{{Film/Apollo13}}'' was in development (yes, '''really''') in the '90s, slated for the area ''Ride/MenInBlackAlienAttack'' now resides in. It was scrapped due to the budget for it ballooning out of control.

* ''Ride/MenInBlackAlienAttack:

* A ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' attraction was discussed, but scrapped due to failed negotiations between Universal and Dreamworks Animation. It was supposedly planned as a replacement for ''Ride/JimmyNeutronsNicktoonBlast'', which was ultimately replaced with ''Ride/DespicableMeMinionMayhem''. Now that Universal ''owns'' [=DreamWorks=], the property is now getting a fully-themed land at Epic Universe.

* At one point, Universal executives wanted to use the name ''Fantastic Worlds'' for the park, presumably as a reference to the ''Film/FantasticBeasts'' franchise that is to have a themed land there. Creator/WarnerBros wasn't amused.

* During Islands of Adventure's conception, it was first thought of as a "Cartoon World,"[[note]][[http://www.themeparktourist.com/sites/default/files/images/Cartoon%20World.preview.jpg Concept art here]][[/note]] which would have featured attractions and rides themed after WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes, Creator/DCComics characters and Creator/DrSeuss characters. While Universal was able to move forward with the Dr. Seuss themed-land, the former two concepts were rejected after Creator/WarnerBrothers refused to license the characters to Universal (likely to keep their relationship with Creator/SixFlags afloat, [[FridgeLogic despite Six Flags not operating any parks in Florida]]). In addition, the massive success of ''Film/JurassicPark'' pressured Universal's research and development team to develop and entire land based off the film, which brought the "Cartoon World" concept to its coffin. The DC Comics concept would later be transformed to a Creator/MarvelComics land that went through.

* A ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' attraction was discussed, but scrapped due to failed negotiations between Universal and Dreamworks Animation. It was supposedly planned as a replacement for ''Ride/JimmyNeutronsNicktoonBlast'', which was ultimately replaced with ''Ride/DespicableMeMinionMayhem''. There are talks Universal is revisiting this idea, though, since [=DreamWorks=] is now ''owned'' by Universal.

* ''Ride/TheHauntedMansion'' went through several different ideas. Early concepts included a hangout for horror-themed Disney villains, like the Disney/LonesomeGhosts, [[Disney/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad the Headless Horseman]], and having a Raven narrate the ride (abandoned when it was decided the Ghost Host would work better)Other concepts from the 1950s included several much darker walkthrough attractions, a version where Walt himself narrated, and several very long illusions including a ghost flooding a room.

** Originally, much more of The Great Movie Ride would have been based around ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' -- riders would be "swept away" by the tornado to Munchkinland, and the final room would be the Wizard's chamber, in which he introduced the closing {{Montage}} of great film moments. Because Ted Turner (the movie's rights-holder) stipulated that only so much time could be given over to ''Oz'' scenes, the tornado was replaced by a ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'' segment, and the final room became nondescript.

* The original plans for Animal Kingdom's ''Countdown to Extinction'' (now ''Disney/{{Dinosaur}}'') would have featured a ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. With the discovery of ''Carnotaurus sastrei'', however, Disney wanted to be less cliché and added ''Carnotarus'' instead. It's also said that Disney didn't want it to look like a rip-off of [[Ride/UniversalStudios its rival's]] ''Ride/JurassicParkRiverAdventure''.

** Re-theming the Submarine Voyage (which closed in 1998)/20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (closed in 1994) rides at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, respectively, to ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire''. When the film bombed at the box office, the Florida submarine lagoon was demolished in 2005 and the land eventually reclaimed for New Fantasyland, while California got a ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' retheming that opened in 2007 and is still running.

* A roller coaster based off of ''{{Film/Apollo13}}'' was in development (yes, '''really''') as a replacement for ''Ride/{{Kongfrontation}}'', but axed after ''[[Film/TheMummy1999 The Mummy]]'' was released in 1999 to great success, making Universal see the latter as a much stronger franchise to make a thrill ride out of, resulting in ''Ride/RevengeOfTheMummy''.

* The original concept of ''Superstar Limo'' at Disney California Adventure was that the riders were members of a paparazzi crew seeking to chase after various celebrities in Hollywood throughout the ride. In a ''really bad'' case of TooSoon, Princess Diana was killed in a similar situation, resulting in the Imagineers heavily retooling the ride into the stereotypical, cartoon-ish dark ride that ended up opening instead. Given how the ride ended up being one of the most-reviled attractions in Disney history, one can only imagine how different things would be if the "paparazzi chase" concept had been utilized.