DHS Disney Animation-Inspired Experience Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

[Fox&Hound]

I love this animation experience even more if it keeps Simpsons from ever coming to DHS!

 

[flynnibus]

But that also assumes there was nothing salvageable about the experience that could have been altered or improved to keep things fresh for new and repeat guests.

Just scrapping a one-of-a-kind ride that will never be built again was itself a missed opportunity.

The problem is the ride was about celebrating the hollywood magic/auroa and some of it's key highlights. That formula is nice and stable as long as you are looking at a period that is timeless. So that content will be interesting/admired/memorable for a long long time.

But if you instead switch to something that is more current.. you risk being less timeless and get sucked into aging/dating quickly and sucked into the need to frequently change/refresh.

You can make something about Rome.. and it will last generations. Make something about a popular fad from the last decade.. it's likely gonna feel dated a lot quicker.

Because of that I don't think you could have just refreshed GMR with some fresh scenes.. It's premise and emotional chord was never just nostalgia about a scene... it was about the grandeur of hollywood and their emotional impact they were able to invoke with their creations. That admiration, respect and awe of what they did doesn't resonate the same anymore. CGI and reality TV have commoditized what used to be Giants of Hollywood. Younger generations aren't in awe of Hollywood greats anymore.

I don't think there was anything out of date in terms of GMR's show potential or stage craft.. it just was a concept that wouldn't speak to newer audiences. My 02c

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

We could have a good Toontown..If everyone liked Bonkers....That's why they made him to replace Roger due to Spielberg's Amblin ownership.

Looks like they repainted a Roger Rabbit character!

 

[HMF]

I also think there is some reluctance to accept on here that attractions can begin to feel out of line with modern tastes and expectations over time.

As far as I know there was nothing culturally insensitive in GMR unless you are so anti-gun that the very depiction of them is offensive. Also they could easily have replaced some of the scenes based on older movies which aren't that well remembered by todays audiences with more recent movies popular with the current generation.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Because the majority of people under the age of 45 had no connection to many of the properties and even less even knew/care about the 'golden age of hollywood'. Singing in the Rain is something they'd have to google to understand why it's even in there...

Now look at the next 15yrs and it would be even worse where GenZ has no connection to the majority of the ride.

I strongly disagree. This assumes that properties like Aliens, Indiana Jones, and the Wizard of Oz have no resonance with modern audiences, which would certainly come as a shock to every modern entertainment conglomerate, which relies on such intellectual properties more then ever before in Hollywood history. It also assumes that Busby Berkeley was somehow fresh and relevant to audiences in ‘89 and ignoresthe fact that Disney recently built rides based on films that are older then almost anything in the GMR.

The “aura” of classic Hollywood, a nebulous term that doesn’t mean very much without a lot of further definition, was pretty definitively shattered by the 50s by postwar economic, technological, and political developments and was certainly dead and buried by the era of the New Hollywood of the 60s and 70s. It hasn’t disappeared between ‘89 and today.

Frankly, this is the kid of shallow, “kids today” analysis of cultural history we see all too frequently to excuse thoughtless and hasty change - for instance, the destruction of EPCOT partly because of executive panic over the EXTREME 90s.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

As far as I know there was nothing culturally insensitive in GMR unless you are so anti-gun that the very depiction of them is offensive. Also they could easily have replaced some of the scenes based on older movies which aren't that well remembered by todays audiences with more recent movies popular with the current generation.

i don’t think that GMR closed down for an particular 1 reason. I think it was a mix of a bunch of different things that came together to create a fairly unique mix of problems.

It was a unique ride system that afaik is no longer in the parks at all. Much easier to get parts and maintain a ride that is similarish to another one especially one and the same park.

Required far more staff than the average ride while remaining relatively less popular.
(Checked an average of about 20 minutes wait time while MMRR has closer to 50 minutes)

Licensing deals were getting more and more complicated I’m sure, especially when studios give IP to other studios for remakes etc. this was a Disney ride with primarily non Disney properties as the icon of their park. I’m sure it could get pricey.

The rides capacity is fine but based on what I saw, is better with MMRR. Not to mention the ride line “moves” faster as there are more vehicles.

The park was undergoing a transformation that I do believe intended to lessen the “movie making” aspect of the park. Even know, the park is now more about a celebration of movies rather than behind the scenes

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

I strongly disagree. This assumes that properties like Aliens, Indiana Jones, and the Wizard of Oz have no resonance with modern audiences, which would certainly come as a shock to every modern entertainment conglomerate, which relies on such intellectual properties more then ever before in Hollywood history. It also assumes that Busby Berkeley was somehow fresh and relevant to audiences in ‘89 and ignoresthe fact that Disney recently built rides based on films that are older then almost anything in the GMR.

The “aura” of classic Hollywood, a nebulous term that doesn’t mean very much without a lot of further definition, was pretty definitively shattered by the 50s by postwar economic, technological, and political developments and was certainly dead and buried by the era of the New Hollywood of the 60s and 70s. It hasn’t disappeared between ‘89 and today.

Frankly, this is the kid of shallow, “kids today” analysis of cultural history we see all too frequently to excuse thoughtless and hasty change - for instance, the destruction of EPCOT partly because of executive panic over the EXTREME 90s.

Just gonna say, yeah I didn’t know many of the movies of GMR. I knew a good amount of them but some I did not know/have any opinions about. Or just knew by name but did not know anything about the movie

 

[Sir_Cliff]

But that also assumes there was nothing salvageable about the experience that could have been altered or improved to keep things fresh for new and repeat guests.

Just scrapping a one-of-a-kind ride that will never be built again was itself a missed opportunity.

I'm sure things could have been improved, but it would depend what they judged the issues with the attraction to be as to whether it would have been worth trying to salvage the ride. If there was a more fundamental issue about the style of the experience (large, slow-moving vehicles on a wide track moving into set pieces based on movies, for example) or costs of running it that were hard to get around, then I can understand why they might have judged it better to just start over with a new attraction rather than to keep trying to make incremental changes that might improve things a little.

I guess Country Bear Jamboree is an example of trying to salvage something they thought was losing appeal. That effort, though, has received a mixed response on here and I don't know how many people would have been satisfied if GMR underwent a similar transformation.

Obviously, it is a shame that no-one can ride the attraction anymore. My suspicion, though, is that the issue wasn't so much that you couldn't make an attraction celebrating Hollywood that would be compelling to audiences. Rather, I just don't think you could do much with the GMR by virtue of its design to make it that attraction. Again, though, I don't know the reasoning behind Disney's decision, which may have been just related to licensing costs, etc.

 

[Bocabear]

The Great Movie Ride could have been done with all Disney owned IP too... Live action films, they have a huge catalog...and then Animation Courtyard could have been MMRR... And they would not have had to pay for licensing on their own films...

 

[flynnibus]

They could have made it a journey through WDP film milestones…. Imagine being in a set and having it come alive like the current attraction but it was an iconic animated scene/short…. And all the live sction…

They have the catalog and would also provide the syngergies back into the subjects

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

They could have made it a journey through WDP film milestones…. Imagine being in a set and having it come alive like the current attraction but it was an iconic animated scene/short…. And all the live sction…

They have the catalog and would also provide the syngergies back into the subjects

Or they could still do this exact idea with a cheaper to maintain/higher capacity ride system.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

That isn't really a concept though or it's a much weaker concept than the original "Studio" premise which to be fair is itself a pretty weak concept but at least it gave the park an overall vision which the current incarnation is severely lacking. Also if the theme is "The Movies" then why was the removal of The Great Movie Ride necessary?

I don't see how that isn't a theme while "Studios" is.

The general public did not like "Studios" parks. Both Disney and Universal pivoted away from that long ago. GMR removal was "necessary" due to the points I already stated

 

[Nickm2022]

I view Great Movie Ride similarly to Rockin Rollercoaster. Great ride, super fun, but also was started to show its age. And was ok with it going away even though I will always value the memories. also on an unrelated note as a child the ride traumatized me between the guns and aliens. Plus think Runaway Railway is an amazing ride

 

[jah4955]

I strongly disagree. This assumes that properties like Aliens, Indiana Jones, and the Wizard of Oz have no resonance with modern audiences, which would certainly come as a shock to every modern entertainment conglomerate, which relies on such intellectual properties more then ever before in Hollywood history. It also assumes that Busby Berkeley was somehow fresh and relevant to audiences in ‘89 and ignoresthe fact that Disney recently built rides based on films that are older then almost anything in the GMR.

The “aura” of classic Hollywood, a nebulous term that doesn’t mean very much without a lot of further definition, was pretty definitively shattered by the 50s by postwar economic, technological, and political developments and was certainly dead and buried by the era of the New Hollywood of the 60s and 70s. It hasn’t disappeared between ‘89 and today.

Frankly, this is the kid of shallow, “kids today” analysis of cultural history we see all too frequently to excuse thoughtless and hasty change - for instance, the destruction of EPCOT partly because of executive panic over the EXTREME 90s.

Experiencing GMR as a kid in 1989 and the next 20 years as a teen and young adult (except for a brief walkthrough several years ago, I haven't been to DHS since 2010) were three types of movies in my "catalogue:"

• Movies I (& most) saw as a young child (Poppins, Oz)
• Movies I'd later see (& start appreciating) after riding it for the first time (Fantasia, Casablanca, Singin', IJ, Fistful, Alien)
• Movies I still haven't seen but understood the value of including them for the sake of including the respective genre (Public Enemy, Footlight Parade, The Searchers, 1930's Tarzan)

Regarding (at least) the last category...it could have been updated for more popular versions in said genres.
...but that ship has also crossed the Rubicon....it was quite the well-made ride

 

[flynnibus]

Or they could still do this exact idea with a cheaper to maintain/higher capacity ride system.

I didn’t bother to rebuke your last post… but you keep going down this path with nothing to support it.

In case you hadn’t noticed… the vast majority of ride systems in the park are unique. They are repeatedly modernized and updated.

And if you suggest MRR is the same as I suggested… you missed it entirely. It was more GMR with a MRR scene…

GMR was not a capacity issue.

 

[flynnibus]

The general public did not like "Studios" parks. Both Disney and Universal pivoted away from that long ago

No - they pivoted away because the economics of being a studio in Florida didn’t really work… and pretending to be one got worse and worse.

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

Any thoughts on whether the current Pixar Plaza will be incorporated into The Walt Disney Studios Lot?

I'm seeing this claim pop up in a few places, e.g., Disney Wiki's article on Pixar Plaza reads: "It will eventually be integrated with The Walt Disney Studios Lot (which will replace Animation Courtyard and Star Wars Launch Bay) when it opens in 2026."

And if so, might we see efforts to aesthetically/thematically integrate it more?

 

[James Alucobond]

Any thoughts on whether the current Pixar Plaza will be incorporated into The Walt Disney Studios Lot?

I'm seeing this claim pop up in a few places, e.g., Disney Wiki's article on Pixar Plaza reads: "It will eventually be integrated with The Walt Disney Studios Lot (which will replace Animation Courtyard and Star Wars Launch Bay) when it opens in 2026."

And if so, might we see efforts to aesthetically/thematically integrate it more?

I don’t think they’ve said anything to that effect. Not sure where the claim comes from. The art does suggest simplification of the landscaping along the southeast side of the Mermaid theater to make it look more like a generic studio street rather than something landscaped specifically for that show, but we’ve not seen anything suggesting work could extend past Walt Disney Presents. I would love for it to, along with a more defined transition to TSL with improved reveal, but it seems like it’s a hope drawn from the ether, not anything real.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

The Great Movie Ride could have been done with all Disney owned IP too... Live action films, they have a huge catalog...and then Animation Courtyard could have been MMRR... And they would not have had to pay for licensing on their own films...

Would those unhappy with the GMR closing have been happy if they had of just converted it to a ride through Disney owned IP?

My suspicion is that they would have ended up with a ride that didn't satisfy fans of the original ride and was, at best, only marginally more popular with guests than what it replaced.

 

[doctornick]

Sure, and it would fit perfectly into Toontown. But Disney isn't moving MMRR and it would be even more out of place than it already is if they were to build a Toontown and still have this out in the middle of the park. So no, I believe it's presence solidified that it won't be built.

Not really. Despite the placement at DL, MMRR really shouldn't be "in" Toontown. The premise of the ride is that you start in the normal real world and enter into the animated toon world as part of the ride. There's nothing incongruous with having a separate Toontown in the same park but different location.