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Former American Idol champs Fantasia, Taylor Hicks, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, David Cook, Ruben Studdard and Jordin Sparks at the opening ceremonies for the American Idol Experience at Disney in February 2009.

Disney, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment have announced that the attraction will be closing in January.

The American Idol Experience opened in 2009, which would have been around Season 8, when Idol was still the most-watched show on television.

It featured singing competitions open to park visitors — complete with a host and three judges — throughout the day. Winners returned at the end of the day to a shot at a “dream ticket.”

That earned the recipient a chance to avoid waiting in the crowd for a chance to appear before producers in one of the audition cities the following season.

The press release announcing the closure indicated that Disney has awarded more than 2,000 dream tickets since the attraction opened and that three of this year’s Top 13 were “discovered” through the process.

“We expect the attraction to continue providing top contestants for American Idol XIV in the coming year,” the press release says.

And, these days, it’s not as though there aren’t plenty of ways to audition for the show.

In addition to the big-city stops — which begin Wednesday in Minneapolis — Idol is holding online auditions and stopping at 11 cities as part of a small-town bus tour that kicks off next month.

For those who like a look back, here are more photos from the opening ceremony for the American Idol Experience back in February 2009.

In a photo provided by Disney, the seven winners of “American Idol” gathered for the first time Thursday Feb. 12, 2009, for the grand opening of The American Idol Experience attraction at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. From left are Ruben Studdard, Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, David Cook, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Jordin Sparks hold silver microphone awards presented to them at the event. (AP Photo/Gene Duncan/Disney)

Jordin Sparks at the opening of the American Idol Experience. (AP Photo)

David Cook cranks out a solo at the opening of the American Idol Experience. (AP Photo)

David Cook and Carrie Underwood perform at the opening of the American Idol Experience. (AP Photo)

David Cook at the opening of the American Idol experience. (AP Photo)

Ruben Studdard at the opening of The American Idol Experience. (AP Photo)