Since its opening in 1971, the Magic Kingdom has underwent many changes while essentially staying the same.

I can't begin to tell you how much I miss Main Street U.S.A's Penny Arcade. If I think about it too much, it honestly makes me sad.

The Penny Arcade, while housing some of the, then, newer arcade games, also housed vintage games and, the neatest of all contraptions, the Moving Picture Machines.

By inserting a penny into these machines, you could watch old movies such as classic Charlie Chaplin films and old action adventure serials. The Penny arcade also housed an old school fortune telling machine and a number of other oddities. It gave Main Street a real nostalgic feel and is sorely missed.

Now a gift shop, Main Street Cinema once showed vintage Mickey Mouse cartoons. One of the original screen remains, but for the most part, the cinema is now a gift shop and, at last visit, housed the headquarters for the Virtual Magic Kingdom game.

Admittedly, the Swan Boats were before my time. These passenger boats, which featured a swan's form at the helm of the boat, gave guests a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom hub. The boats closed down in '83 and many rumors have circulated as to their current whereabouts. Some say that they were donated to the city of Orlando. However, this is false. All that stands of the swan boats these days are the landings.

In 1997, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride closed in order to make room for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It was a sad day indeed.

One of the more eccentric Disney attractions, the ride had two different tracks. Each one led the rider to the same place, though: hell. You've got to love that.

The attraction still exists at Disneyland, though it is a bit different.

When 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea originally closed, it was told that they were only performing a rehab on the ride. Months and years passed and yet the attraction remained closed.

Eventually, the ride was declared defunct and now, Ariel's Grotto and the Thousand Acre Playland stand in its place. The ride can still be found in Disneyland

This show featured a number of Disney character animatronics in an indoor stage show concert. The show opened with the park and closed its doors in 1980. The show can still be seen at Tokyo Disneyland.

There have been a couple of changes to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction over the years. The first being seen as a blight on Disney Parks history and the second being fairly well received by fans.

The first was known as the "politically correct pirates" change. To make the ride "politically correct" in the early 90s, there were several key sequences changed. No longer did the pirates chase the women, but vice versa. Secondly, some key dialogue was changed in one of the pirates. You can see more about the dialogue change at Walt Dated World

In 2006, the ride reopened with a number of added audio-animatronics - namely Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa from the popular film franchise. A sequence with a mist Davy Jones was also added at the beginning of the ride.

As of this writing, Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion is closed for refurbishments. Said to be among the changes are a new bride (reminiscent of the one at Disneyland), updates to the seance/Madame Leota scene and a new staircase sequence.

The Mike Fink Keel Boats was an understated attraction consisting basically of a tour around Tom Sawyer's Island. On any given day, you could see the boats docking and passengers loading just across from The Haunted Mansion.

Originally, Flight To The Moon was an attraction that allowed guests to "travel" to the moon with a character by the name of Mr. Tom Morrow.

Later, the attraction became Mission To Mars. The premise was essentially the same, only this time, guests were taken to Mars. The attraction was closed in 1993 and replaced by Alien Encounter.

This attraction, presented by Delta Airlines, took guests through the history of aviation. Replacing a similar attraction, If You Could Fly, the ride took you through numerous eras and locations.

The Timekeeper attraction was part of Walt Disney World's new Tomorrowland in the mid-90s. The ride featured a robot voiced by Robin Williams and was originally supposed to be part of a new land for the Magic Kingdom, Discoveryland. When the land fell through, the ride was added into the old American Journeys theatre.

Like American Journeys, the attraction was basically a 360 degree film. However, unlike the previous 360 films, both at the Magic Kingdom and World Showcase at EPCOT, Timekeeper involved guests in an immersive storyline involving time travel and H.G. Wells (played by Jeremy Irons) and Jules Verne (Michel Piccoli).

The attraction closed in 2006. Some cite lack of interest. Others cite that the film contained images of the Twin Towers in New York City. Fans who suggest the later cite that the Timekeeper's clock was kept in the year 2000, a year before the attacks, after 911.

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Factory now inhabits the former attractions residence.

Circlevision 360 still remains in some respect in Epcot's World Showcase with its 360 degrees theatres. However, Tomorrowland's included a number of different films over the years including America the Beautiful, Magic Carpet 'Round the World, and American Journeys.

The theatre later became the home of the now defunct Timekeeper attraction which closed in 2006.

Alien Encounter was a controversial attraction that allowed guests to be literally terrorized by an alien presence while inside the theatre. No performance of the show was complete without at least one person screaming bloody murder.

Fully immersive, interactive and terrifying, the attraction was a success on all levels. The attraction began with the CEO of an alien corporation (portrayed by Jeffrey Jones who you might remember from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Beetlejuice). Wanting to meet with the guests, they are to be taken into the theatre and transported one by one to have a conference with the CEO. However, after a moment of inspiration, the CEO decides that he'll use the new teleportation device to transport himself there instead.

Of course, something goes awry and instead of Jones, a large, maniacal, nasty alien is transported into the chamber. Ripping wires and causing havoc, he plunges the guests into darkness as they are strapped into their chairs - no hope for escape.

With brilliantly layered sound, guests feel as if the alien is stalking all around them until they have a one on one encounter with the alien when he attempts to tear them from their harness while breathing on their neck.

It was brilliant. And I mourn the day it closed. It was a truly frightening attraction.

While I attempt to remain unbiased (for the most part) in my writings, I've got to say that they only added insult to injury when they replaced AE with the lackluster Stitch's Great Escape, which is perhaps one of the worst attractions in Imagineering history.

Before Dreamflight, there was If You Had Wings, which would eventually become If You Could Fly. Sponsored by Eastern Airlines (an airline that was popular at the time), the ride took guests through a number of international locations. The spot vacated by the attraction now houses Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

I'll be adding more to this lens in the coming days and weeks, so be sure to bookmark it!