Great Movie Ride closes for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway

[Planogirl]

Instead of putting you inside movie making DHS will put you inside the movie. The last studio type element will be Indiana Jones which has no current plans to change yet.

Universal's theme is to ride the movies. This sounds pretty much the same.

 

[Whatsthegoodword]

When I first went to MGM soon after opening, I dug this ride, but it is time for this ride to move on. Just doesn't fit with the new direction of the park, plus the movies though considered "classics" are stale after all these years.

I will take my kids on it one last time this year and that will be it for us (and possibly for DHS until the construction is complete).

There's the rub! Just what IS the "new direction of this park?" I have no idea. Is this park just going to be a rough collection of "Intellectual Property Lands?" How boring is that? I hope that the Disney Brass has something in mind for a master plan for DHS & EPCOT, because their moves tell me that they DO NOT.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Interesting note, several of the sources including Martin and Spirit from WDWmagic like the attraction and the IP that will be used for the new ride but just don't like the placement. They think this would've been better in its own space rather than in GMR.

Home on the range ride confirmed

 

[dreiwhit]

This rush to wanting only shiny and new misses a lot.

Absolutely true! One of my complaints of the area where I live is that people are looking for the next best thing. Unfortunately, that means that a lot of really good things close because they aren't new and shiny.

IMHO, there's room for both at Disney. And, Disney really needs to get away from the "sponsorship model" for rides or attractions. What I mean is that when the sponsorship ends, so does the ride or attraction. Use sponsorship for temporary exhibits for short periods of time, not for rides or attractions that have been around for years and are much loved.

 

[Josh Hendy]

One big complaint I'm seeing is, what happened to the blessing of size. Disney keeps replacing old attractions. Why not add additional attractions and expand.

Possibly the footprint of DHS is just too constricted, all going back to the hastiness with which it was designed and constructed. Now they have to build a multistory parking garage which is bizarre when you think of how much land Disney owns. But they're blocked on three sides by two highways and a wetland.

Now I understand why they're thinking of dropping movie IP into Epcot. DHS is too restricted to be the future expansion pad for "whatever's hot" movie-based attractions. MK and AK are not as thematically appropriate and are both restricted either by railroad and water for MK or by animal habitats/exhibits for AK.

I think Disney will be very hesitant to add a 5th park. Perhaps only if Uni announces a 4th park and Disney really wants to appear to be always in the lead. So short of a 5th park, I think you're going to see a lot of replacement of older, less exciting and more neglected attractions in the Disney parks. The arms race is heating up noticeably. I would be worried if I was a big fan of GMR, Energy Adventure, Imagination, The Land, The Seas, Carousel of Progress, etc.

 

[skier_pete]

I've never really cared for the great movie ride. The original tag line "Ride the Movies" never fit. It was more like "have a slow slog through a wax museum" The only part that's good is the Wizard of Oz section, and then watching the movie clips at the end. I am fine with whatever they do here.

(I definitely matches with the rumor of "controversial" though!)

Actually my biggest concern is they close yet ANOTHER attraction in DHS without anything new being open.

 

[cosmicmommy]

Here's my thoughts: Gut it. But keep it a ride inside the movies... do a Disney history from the early stuff through the modern stuff.

- OR - I like the Big Hero 6 idea. I think another interactive playground would be brilliant too. Wreck It Ralph would fit that bill somewhere.

But really... who knows what they're going to do. Who else do they have partnerships with outside of Pixar and LucasFilm? I would put my money on them bringing elements from another partnership into the mix since Hollywood Studios seems to be becoming "Partnership Studios"

 

[Roxyfire]

Actually my biggest concern is they close yet ANOTHER attraction in DHS without anything new being open.

That's probably the worst part of all. I know they can't close it down, even for 6 months to push construction of all these areas. But all that capacity has to go somewhere.

 

[skier_pete]

We'll have to agree to disagree. I don't have any desire to see the movie and because of that, an Avatar based land is a "meh" for me and my family.

Hey - I'm happy to have people stay out of a new land. The lines will be long enough as it is. I wish more people would decide that new attractions are worthless sight unseen. Here's hoping you don't like Star Wars either.

 

[rteetz]

Possibly the footprint of DHS is just too constricted, all going back to the hastiness with which it was designed and constructed. Now they have to build a multistory parking garage which is bizarre when you think of how much land Disney owns. But they're blocked on three sides by two highways and a wetland.

Now I understand why they're thinking of dropping movie IP into Epcot. DHS is too restricted to be the future expansion pad for "whatever's hot" movie-based attractions. MK and AK are not as thematically appropriate and are both restricted either by railroad and water for MK or by animal habitats/exhibits for AK.

I think Disney will be very hesitant to add a 5th park. Perhaps only if Uni announces a 4th park and Disney really wants to appear to be always in the lead. So short of a 5th park, I think you're going to see a lot of replacement of older, less exciting and more neglected attractions in the Disney parks. The arms race is heating up noticeably. I would be worried if I was a big fan of GMR, Energy Adventure, Imagination, The Land, The Seas, Carousel of Progress, etc.

There is a corner behind LMA that has been suited for park expansion since the park opened. They can also expand into the parking lot like originally planned.

 

[rteetz]

I've never really cared for the great movie ride. The original tag line "Ride the Movies" never fit. It was more like "have a slow slog through a wax museum" The only part that's good is the Wizard of Oz section, and then watching the movie clips at the end. I am fine with whatever they do here.

(I definitely matches with the rumor of "controversial" though!)

Actually my biggest concern is they close yet ANOTHER attraction in DHS without anything new being open.

That last sentence is the big kicker here.

 

[Budshark]

Here's my thoughts: Gut it. But keep it a ride inside the movies... do a Disney history from the early stuff through the modern stuff.

- OR - I like the Big Hero 6 idea. I think another interactive playground would be brilliant too. Wreck It Ralph would fit that bill somewhere.

But really... who knows what they're going to do. Who else do they have partnerships with outside of Pixar and LucasFilm? I would put my money on them bringing elements from another partnership into the mix since Hollywood Studios seems to be becoming "Partnership Studios"

Not sure I get what you mean by "Partnership Studios". Disney owns Pixar and LucasFilm. They are as much a part of Disney as the others. Walt Disney Studios has 4 subsidiaries... Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, LucasFilm, and Marvel Studios.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Possibly the footprint of DHS is just too constricted, all going back to the hastiness with which it was designed and constructed. Now they have to build a multistory parking garage which is bizarre when you think of how much land Disney owns. But they're blocked on three sides by two highways and a wetland.

Well it really wasn't supposed to become the theme park that it became had the original idea of a movie studio was more successful

 

[cosmicmommy]

Not sure I get what you mean by "Partnership Studios". Disney owns Pixar and LucasFilm. They are as much a part of Disney as the others. Walt Disney Studios has 4 subsidiaries... Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, LucasFilm, and Marvel Studios.

Those are companies that they purchased. They didn't originate the company, and since they can't use Marvel in WDW...

 

[DanBoris]

WDWNT has a rumor that GMR will be replaced with a Mickey themed ride..

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/08/rumor...cing-movie-ride-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/

 

[DanBoris]

One big complaint I'm seeing is, what happened to the blessing of size. Disney keeps replacing old attractions. Why not add additional attractions and expand.

It all comes down to money, they are trying to accommodate the largest possible number of guests while trying to raise the operating cost of the parks as little as possible.

 

[cosmicmommy]

WDWNT has a rumor that GMR will be replaced with a Mickey themed ride..

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/08/rumor...cing-movie-ride-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/

A Fantasia ride would be an E-ticket to me... like a totally immersive omni through Fantasia - seeing it come to life... I'd be all for that. I know they have Fantasmic, but still..

 

[rteetz]

WDWNT has a rumor that GMR will be replaced with a Mickey themed ride..

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/08/rumor...cing-movie-ride-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/

I don't know if I buy the theme they are saying its going to be.

 

[rteetz]

Well turns out wdwmagic sources are saying the new ride will be the first Mickey Mouse themed ride. Color me surprised for sure.

 

[dreiwhit]

Here's hoping you don't like Star Wars either.

Sorry - I've been a huge Star Wars fan since 1977