DHS Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway confirmed

[No Name]

The concept of the GMR, not really the specific movies represented, is the biggest loss, in my opinion. You‘d think that the Bobs, with their special mindset, would love a ride that can showcase a dozen+ movie franchise IPs in the center of the park. And the active vs. passive nature of the ride is very in line with modern rides. I’d argue it was so effective to a fault, because many people genuinely suspect nothing before the twist scares the out of little kids, young mothers, etc. I would constantly see shock among other riders. Even myself, many years into riding it, still found it jarring. It was effective to a fault.

However I‘m really not opposed to this new Mickey ride, if it turns out to be good. Ideally I think both that and the GMR should’ve and could’ve had entrances at the center of the park, from the theater, but that’s a longer explanation.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Disney tried the virtual q thing with dumbo... do they still hand out the pagers? It didn’t really seem to work out that well.

They did a test at rock n rollercoaster didn’t they? With a dj and like guitar hero games in the courtyard.

 

[nickys]

Disney tried the virtual q thing with dumbo... do they still hand out the pagers? It didn’t really seem to work out that well.

They did a test at rock n rollercoaster didn’t they? With a dj and like guitar hero games in the courtyard.

They still do the pagers at Dumbo if your kids want to play, otherwise you just stay in line. What makes you think it didn’t work very well?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

They still do the pagers at Dumbo if your kids want to play, otherwise you just stay in line. What makes you think it didn’t work very well?

The fact that Disney didn’t try that system anywhere else in the parks.

I’m not really for or against it.

 

[nickys]

The fact that Disney didn’t try that system anywhere else in the parks.

I’m not really for or against it.

Ah OK. Thing is though it’s to allow kids to play while you wait. There isn’t any other ride I can think of where they have a play area right outside a ride or attraction to entertain little ones.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Ah OK. Thing is though it’s to allow kids to play while you wait. There isn’t any other ride I can think of where they have a play area right outside a ride or attraction to entertain little ones.

Yeah it was designed with that in mind, as I said they tested the same thing at rock n roller coaster. You waited in the courtyard and they had a dj and some guitar hero games.

 

[WDWTrojan]

100%. The decision they made was short-sighted and financially wasteful. Bulldoze Launch Bay, put MMRR there, refurbish GMR and they could have had, in effect, two new E-tickets next year for around $100-150m more than they spent sneaking MMRR in. Instead they’ll inevitably need to approve a $300m new build to add capacity to the park.

I continue to believe that had they updated a couple of the scenes (including adding some in place of the movie theater at the end) and changed the ride system to a trackless vehicle system to give it a little more oomph/unpredictability, much like Pooh in TDL, a revitalized GMR would have been enormously popular with guests.

 

[nickys]

Yeah it was designed with that in mind, as I said they tested the same thing at rock n roller coaster. You waited in the courtyard and they had a dj and some guitar hero games.

I have a hunch the target demographic was different for RnR.

So they discovered that adults and big kids had less desire to play whilst waiting for a ride, than pre-schoolers. Who’d have thought it?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I have a hunch the target demographic was different for RnR.

So they discovered that adults and big kids had less desire to play whilst waiting for a ride, than pre-schoolers. Who’d have thought it?

Sorry... I’m clearly doing a terrible job explaining my point- the rock n roller test was at about the same time the new dumbo opened. Back then I think Disney was thinking about using the virtual q system more in the future..... it would seem like that is no longer the case as many rides have opened with all different target demos and the virtual q has not been attempted.

I don’t have any inside knowledge... just assuming that if a company tries something new, and then never does it again, it wasn’t considered successful.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I continue to believe that had they updated a couple of the scenes (including adding some in place of the movie theater at the end) and changed the ride system to a trackless vehicle system to give it a little more oomph/unpredictability, much like Pooh in TDL, a revitalized GMR would have been enormously popular with guests.

GMR was a trackless system. It just wasn't terribly flexible because of it being a theater seating ride vehicle. Huge and cumbersome. Adding a few new scenes might have fired up some curiosity, but, not enough to save it. It was a very expensive ride to operate and really didn't attract enough people to warrant continuing on. Sad but true.

 

[WDWTrojan]

GMR was a trackless system. It just wasn't terribly flexible because of it being a theater seating ride vehicle. Huge and cumbersome. Adding a few new scenes might have fired up some curiosity, but, not enough to save it. It was a very expensive ride to operate and really didn't attract enough people to warrant continuing on. Sad but true.

Yes, I am aware. You're missing the point. Redoing the ride system, removing the cumbersome "theater" type vehicles, in lieu of the more modern iteration of a trackless system (akin to Pooh at TDL), where the smaller vehicles traverse the various show scenes and giving different angles/points of view with each ride, along with some updated/refreshed show scenes, would have given it a new life.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Yes, I am aware. You're missing the point. Redoing the ride system, removing the cumbersome "theater" type vehicles, in lieu of the more modern iteration of a trackless system (akin to Pooh at TDL), where the smaller vehicles traverse the various show scenes and giving different angles/points of view with each ride, along with some updated/refreshed show scenes, would have given it a new life.

OK, but I still think that the concept, as much as I liked it, was no longer what the guest of today is seeking. Adding bells and whistles to a theme that is no longer popular will not fix anything, in my humble opinion.

 

[Rich Brownn]

GMR was a trackless system. It just wasn't terribly flexible because of it being a theater seating ride vehicle. Huge and cumbersome. Adding a few new scenes might have fired up some curiosity, but, not enough to save it. It was a very expensive ride to operate and really didn't attract enough people to warrant continuing on. Sad but true.

GMR technically wasn't trackless, as it followed a wire imbedded in the floor. It was an AGV like Energy and Tower. So to change the vehicle direction would have required the floor to be wiped apart and a new wire laid down

 

[Goofyernmost]

GMR technically wasn't trackless, as it followed a wire imbedded in the floor. It was an AGV like Energy and Tower. So to change the vehicle direction would have required the floor to be wiped apart and a new wire laid down

That would be the definition of trackless. It isn't running on tracks and is guided by electronic signals embedded in the floor or wall or wherever it will work. It is tracking based on the signals received, but the two things are not the same. I don't think that the floor would have had to be completely dug up all that had to happen would be that the current signals could be easily deactivated and signals embedded with new remote (wifi type) modules, but it would still be the same theme unless it were to be completely redone like they are actually doing with MMRR. I'm sure that is how the technology works now. I'm not even close to being an expert on these systems, but considering what can be done it with electronics today, it doesn't seem like it would be out of possibility.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It was a very expensive ride to operate and really didn't attract enough people to warrant continuing on. Sad but true.

??? I remember seeing the line regulalry out the door and into the outdoors. I don’t think I ever rode GMR and didn’t have at least a 10-20 minute wait even on a super slow day when tower was 13 minutes.

 

[marni1971]

??? I remember seeing the line regulalry out the door and into the outdoors. I don’t think I ever rode GMR and didn’t have at least a 10-20 minute wait even on a super slow day when tower was 13 minutes.

Indeed. But Goofyer is entitled to his opinion.

 

[Rich Brownn]

That would be the definition of trackless. It isn't running on tracks and is guided by electronic signals embedded in the floor or wall or wherever it will work. It is tracking based on the signals received, but the two things are not the same. I don't think that the floor would have had to be completely dug up all that had to happen would be that the current signals could be easily deactivated and signals embedded with new remote (wifi type) modules, but it would still be the same theme unless it were to be completely redone like they are actually doing with MMRR. I'm sure that is how the technology works now. I'm not even close to being an expert on these systems, but considering what can be done it with electronics today, it doesn't seem like it would be out of possibility.

No, its still a track. Its just hidden. It can't be reprogrammed like a trackless, nor can the vehicles cross over the wires like a true trackless can. These were called AGVs, and have the same limitations visible track systems do -- it just looked more impressive.

 

[No Name]

Yes, I am aware. You're missing the point. Redoing the ride system, removing the cumbersome "theater" type vehicles, in lieu of the more modern iteration of a trackless system (akin to Pooh at TDL), where the smaller vehicles traverse the various show scenes and giving different angles/points of view with each ride, along with some updated/refreshed show scenes, would have given it a new life.

And then the whole plot of the ride would be gone? Not sure that’s a step forward. Getting rid of the plot of GMR isn’t like getting rid of the plot of Kilimanjaro Safaris. Regardless, your idea sounds like it would require a vast vast majority of the ride to be changed to actually work well, and l’m not sure I see the positive ROI.

 

[Steph15251]

??? I remember seeing the line regulalry out the door and into the outdoors. I don’t think I ever rode GMR and didn’t have at least a 10-20 minute wait even on a super slow day when tower was 13 minutes.

I rode it a few times with no wait at all

 

[Rich Brownn]

??? I remember seeing the line regulalry out the door and into the outdoors. I don’t think I ever rode GMR and didn’t have at least a 10-20 minute wait even on a super slow day when tower was 13 minutes.

A lot of times when there was a wait it was running at 50% capacity (the Western sequence wouldn't be running)