On May 16, 2016, an original opening day attraction, StormRider, closed its bay doors at Tokyo DisneySea. Taking its place in 2017 is a Finding Nemo themed ride. This original attraction was the icon and centrepiece for Port Discovery, which is also known as “the marina of the future.” While I won’t go into detail about the story behind StormRider (other places do a better job than I ever could), I will share my thoughts and the tremendous tributes fans created for this unique attraction.

Special Merchandise

To honor and celebrate StormRider, limited edition merchandise was released well before the final day, including a Nanoblock set, limited edition pin, plastic file folder, and postcard. The pin sold out rather quickly (as expected with limited edition pins such as this) while the other merchandise is still available in abundance. I grabbed myself the folder and postcard, but wound up kicking myself for not getting to the Park earlier to snag a pin.

#StormRider_Forever

Leading to the last day, the hashtag #StormRider_Forever began trending on Twitter. This outpour of love and support for the original day attraction was overwhelming, and included numerous fan art pieces and photo collages. Here are some of our hand-picked favourites:

SEP. 2001-MAY 2016

Storm Rider Forever!

ストームライダー、本当に本当に、本当にありがとう！#ストームライダーありがとう #StormRider_Forever pic.twitter.com/ltP3ZT1iR7

— Keisuke (@fantasia7o1) May 16, 2016

長い間お疲れ様。バイバイ。 pic.twitter.com/3tYkyPl8nP

— みっこ (@mikko_20100518) May 16, 2016

「みんな！楽しんでくれたよな？」#StormRider_Forever#ストームライダーありがとう pic.twitter.com/LyQu3adCJ4

— 優希@D垢 (@_noah_disney) May 16, 2016

家族との思い出がいっぱいのアトラクション。#ありがとうストームライダー pic.twitter.com/4s2vCY0D0w

— ⓚⓐⓗⓞ (@kah05disney) May 16, 2016

家族との思い出がいっぱいのアトラクション。#ありがとうストームライダー pic.twitter.com/4s2vCY0D0w

— ⓚⓐⓗⓞ (@kah05disney) May 16, 2016

キャストさんが落ち葉でストームライダー作ってた！！！！！！！！すごい！！！！！！！！！！感動！！！ pic.twitter.com/EPj3jWlRu1

— ハイパーゲーセンマン天使ゆうりちゃん☻ (@yuri96rento) May 16, 2016

“Captain Davis, over and out.” #StormRider_Forever #TokyoDisneySea #TDS https://t.co/z0jQF2kSiX pic.twitter.com/J1S1W0V8tI

— Tom Bricker (@Tom_Bricker) May 17, 2016

ストームライダーありがとー！！！！；；；；；； pic.twitter.com/h5z3QzigPg

— キク (@kikuichi1567) May 16, 2016

While I was not a huge fan of the attraction itself, I appreciate the significance it has to Port Discovery. It was the centrepiece for the theming and story of this water-centric port of call. The pre-show was deliciously cheesy and the attraction felt similar to the old, outdated Star Tours.

Even if the attraction itself had its flaws, the exterior theming and aesthetic that it brought to the port was flawless.   And we cannot forget the brilliantly executed Aquatopia, which is always a fun time, especially in the summer and at night.

While I have faith that the Finding Dory attraction’s theme will stay true to the spirit of Port Discovery, I cannot help but feel Port Discovery has lost an integral part of its identity.

Thank you for all the memorable years.

#StormRider_Forever

Did you get to ride StormRider at Tokyo DisneySea?

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