4 Month Rehab for GMR

[pheneix]

>>>do you know for a fact that they did this closure for what you call a "creative closure"<<<

Everything I have heard points toward a "creative closure." I've done my fair share of repairing and replacing product displays on many different scales, bathrooms, house renovations for parents, etc. and I can tell you that it doesn't take 4 months to touch up and replace worn out sets in a ride on the scale of GMR (then again, it is a Union job). Even if they were replacing animatronics it still would not take that long, as most of the hard work (actually building a unit) is done before the big swap (and to be honest, none of the figures in GMR are all that advanced except for the witch, so swapping out the figures is not that big of a deal anyway).

One part of the building that DID need work though was the facade. There some stress fractures and instability issues there (if someone has more detailed info I would love to hear it) that needed repairing. But even THAT does not take 4 months.

 

[Shaman]

Originally posted by AndyMagic
Indeed. This is so sad that Disney would resort to something like this to cut costs. In 4 months I would expect scenes to be added, animatronics to be updated, and some new surprises added to the dull ride. But what do we get?? A new film montage!!!

I second your view, but you have to understand that the Studios is not doing all that bad and GMR is fairly empty during this time of the year. I hope to see a total change of the GMR in the years to come. Until then I guess we'll just dream of the possibilities.

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by pheneix
>>>do you know for a fact that they did this closure for what you call a "creative closure"<<<

Everything I have heard points toward a "creative closure."

One part of the building that DID need work though was the facade. There some stress fractures and instability issues there (if someone has more detailed info I would love to hear it) that needed repairing. But even THAT does not take 4 months.

Out of curiosity, who exactly have you heard from that says its, what you call, a "creative closure"?

I know the original rehab was meant for a little less than two months. Maybe they found structural damage in the building facade that was worse than anticipated(??). As a result, maybe additional time was needed to get the right stuff to repair it and to do the additional work.

Unless no one is working on the rehab (either interior or exterior) for long periods of time (which, I guess, could be true), I don't think they're cutting a lot of costs since the workers still have to be paid.

I hate to be skeptical, but as another forum member said on another thread, I am concerned for those who seem to always look for the negative in everything. Unless you know for a fact that they extended the rehab (if they in fact did) for means to cut costs (and if you do, I offer my sincerest apologies), please don't state it as fact. Thanks.

(I really mean no offense to you Pheneix, I'm just curious since you usually sound so sure on a lot of things with no real "facts" to back them up. )

 

[AndyMagic]

Can anyone confirm the June 29th date for the opening? I'm heading down there this June and I'm leaving for home on that day.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Originally posted by AndyMagic
Can anyone confirm the June 29th date for the opening? I'm heading down there this June and I'm leaving for home on that day.

Hmmm. June 29th. I have a strange feeling about that date--purely a feeling, no rooted in any fact, other than the fact that we know Mission: SPACE is probably opening sometime in June, due to interviews for the opening staff. Eisner wanted Mission: SPACE open by Independence Day, so the weekend before that would seem like a good weekend for the grand opening. Perhaps that is why Disney pushed the GMR's work back till then, b/c they are expecting an influx of guests after SPACE's opening, so they wanted to use this time to get more work done. Could that explain the large amount of refurbishments that have taken place this spring? I realize it's a stretch, but it also seems too convenient to me...plus we have this sudden, frequent testing of fireworks for the new show at the Magic Kingdom. Could Disney be planning on shocking guests this summer with the new fireworks, too? Again, a stretch, but it would certainly all make sense w/ the current activities around the resort if this were all announced on the 22nd. That would be an excellent way to increase the number of reservations this summer, and it would be a GREAT way for Rasulo to establish himself as both a guy who cares about the parks, wants to improve guest experience, and in doing so, make more money for the company.

 

[lentesta]

Didn't someone mention some storm damage to the roof of the GMR in a post here a week or so ago? Something about some of the sets being damaged? Perhaps that's contributing to the delay?

Len

 

[antoinebusby]

The Great Movie Ride

Hi all,

Isn't the GMR the one with Catastrophe Canyon? Man, I sure hope that it will be opened at least by June 15. I am going to be there June 15-June 21, and I will be there with my new wife (honeymoon). She has never been to Disworld before, and she is really excited about the GMR. Both she and I will be a little disappointed if it is closed. Seems like they are closing a lot of stuff? I don't know, I haven't been to Disney since 1993. Maybe I should hold off on making my final payment...that way, if they end closing something else, we can bail out and go on a cruise or something. Lord, I hope it doesn't come to that because I have done too much Disney planning and we have gotten too excited!

--Buzz

 

[TURKEY]

Re: The Great Movie Ride

Originally posted by antoinebusby
Hi all,

Isn't the GMR the one with Catastrophe Canyon? Man, I sure hope that it will be opened at least by June 15. I am going to be there June 15-June 21, and I will be there with my new wife (honeymoon). She has never been to Disworld before, and she is really excited about the GMR. Both she and I will be a little disappointed if it is closed. Seems like they are closing a lot of stuff? I don't know, I haven't been to Disney since 1993. Maybe I should hold off on making my final payment...that way, if they end closing something else, we can bail out and go on a cruise or something. Lord, I hope it doesn't come to that because I have done too much Disney planning and we have gotten too excited!

--Buzz

GMR doesn't have Catastrophe Canyon. That's the backlot tour.

 

[antoinebusby]

Thanks, Turkey Leg Boy!

Thanks for the response, Turkey!

 

[ArchiDanDisney]

Thread Drift Concerning Andy

Andy, I don't normally do this, but I felt as though I had to.

This is a recent post from Andy:

Disney slashes Forbidden Mountain budget!!
Well I knew it was too good to be true. The ride is still coming but what we are getting won't be what the Disney Imagineers originally planned. Jimhillmedia.com just posted the horrible news. FB's once elaborate queue and pre-show is now just video monitors!! And people are STILL trying to convince me that Disney isn't going downhill. HA! That's a laugh.

I thought you said you weren't negative?

 

[WDW1971]

Re: Thread Drift Concerning Andy

Originally posted by ArchiDanDisney
Andy, I don't normally do this, but I felt as though I had to.

This is a recent post from Andy:

Disney slashes Forbidden Mountain budget!!
Well I knew it was too good to be true. The ride is still coming but what we are getting won't be what the Disney Imagineers originally planned. Jimhillmedia.com just posted the horrible news. FB's once elaborate queue and pre-show is now just video monitors!! And people are STILL trying to convince me that Disney isn't going downhill. HA! That's a laugh.

I thought you said you weren't negative?

Ok...If I have to stop this thread and come back there...!!!!

:lol:

 

[Chernabog]

Am I the only one who came to this thread to read about GMR rehab and learn more or should I be picking someone to bash along with everyone else:veryconfu ? No body's perfect and not everyone always has something good to say about the company but I think that i can safely say that we all love it otherwise we wouldn't be checking the boards so often.
Have a magical day!

 

[AndyMagic]

Re: Thread Drift Concerning Andy

Originally posted by ArchiDanDisney
Andy, I don't normally do this, but I felt as though I had to.

This is a recent post from Andy:

Disney slashes Forbidden Mountain budget!!
Well I knew it was too good to be true. The ride is still coming but what we are getting won't be what the Disney Imagineers originally planned. Jimhillmedia.com just posted the horrible news. FB's once elaborate queue and pre-show is now just video monitors!! And people are STILL trying to convince me that Disney isn't going downhill. HA! That's a laugh.

I thought you said you weren't negative?

Please stop beating a dead horse. Thanks.

 

[no2apprentice]

Originally posted by lentesta
Didn't someone mention some storm damage to the roof of the GMR in a post here a week or so ago? Something about some of the sets being damaged? Perhaps that's contributing to the delay?

Len

Now that you mention that, it does sound familiar. I did a search on some different words but didn't get any hits. Does anyone else remember something like this being posted?

As far as cracks to the exterior, aren't the walls stucco? If they are, what caused the cracks could determine how long it would take to fix. If the cracks are due to age or weather, the patching shouldn't be too complicated. But it's not that old, and shouldn't be that weathered being in Orlando. If it's due to foundation shift, that could present some serious problems, and would take a lot longer to repair properly.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Please stop beating a dead horse. Thanks. [/B][/QUOTE]

Perhaps you can expect others to stop "beating a dead horse", as you say, the moment you do. There is no need for another post pleading your case, by the way, we've gotten that. Your posts speak for themselves. Thanks. Now, back to the Great Movie Ride...I trust I need not remind anyone that four months for a rehab is not a long time? It took three+ years to build Mission: SPACE.

 

[no2apprentice]

Well, put some long ears and a big nose on me and call me goofy, but I think four months is a long time for a "normal" rehab (thorough cleaning, painting, detailed maintenance, replacement of worn parts, etc.). Maybe there's more to this ride than what may be required for other rides, coupled with the exterior repairs. Maybe there is some replacement of the audioanimatronics and the sets. Maybe somebody tossed water on the Wicked Witch and she melted.:animwink:

I think the original post had a good point. I remember seeing other posts that the GMR was going down for the film to be changed. Then pheneix raised the issue of repairing the exterior. Four months for all this? The film change should take...what, a day, maybe two? And if someone knows more about stucco repair, feel free to correct me, but a good crew should only need 4-6 weeks for a proper job. It sure seems to me there is more going on than a film change and stucco repairs. And who knows, maybe Disney is trying a cost cutting scheme.

We're all making our best educated guesses, but no one seems to know for sure. Maybe some of our OTJ CM's can help us out with this one.

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[ToTBellHop]

Making a new film montage at the end will take longer than you might think. They do actually play around with the scenes, audio, etc, to make them all tie-in and look nice. That can easily take a couple weeks. Add to this replacing the Fantasia scene and redoing the outside facade, plus fixing the animatronics and working on other effects that need work, like some of the smoke effects. Anyone who has ridden this attraction recently realized that the attraction needs a lot of work. I swear, you people complain that they don't keep the rides up to your standards, and then you complain when they try to fix your beloved attractions. It is lose-lose with some of you guys...so why should Disney care WHAT you think when you will never be pleased, anyway?

 

[no2apprentice]

Originally posted by DogsRule!
Making a new film montage at the end will take longer than you might think.

Probably not. I think I've got a pretty good idea on how long it will take. Do they do the compiling and editing on-site? I always assumed they would create the montage at Burbank, where there is far better access to the major film vaults and libraries, then ship it to DS. My reference to the time frame of 1 or 2 days was in reference to the unloading of the previous montage, threading the new one, focus, framing, checking sound, etc.

As far as what they are doing for the rehab, is your information based on sources at Disney, or are you making educated guesses?

Originally posted by DogsRule!
I swear, you people complain

I hope you're not being all inclusive with that statement, are you? I don't feel like I've been complaining...I would just like to know for a fact why it's taking four months for a rehab. If it's needed work, great. They should take as long as needed to do the right job. I'm just curious about what the job entails.

Not trying to start an argument...just looking for the facts.

 

[AndyMagic]

Originally posted by DogsRule!
Making a new film montage at the end will take longer than you might think. They do actually play around with the scenes, audio, etc, to make them all tie-in and look nice. That can easily take a couple weeks.

Why would Disney wait until they close the attraction down to begin production on a new film montage? Wouldn't it make sense to have the film edited and perfected and ready for use before the attraction is closed?

 

[Fievel]

A few observations

1) If there is a new film (and I'm betting there will be), I'm sure it's already produced...that or REALLY close. They're not going to start after the ride is down.

2) The outside of the building is a facade of stucco with no real "load-bearing" walls. Even so, I'm sure there are some cracks from abuse from guests kicking it, leaning on it, etc. It will take a little while to re-stucco and paint again.

3) I really doubt this has anything to do with animatronics, because if it was, they would simply replace them a few at a time until the process was complete.

4) My guess is that this has everything to do with the removed fantasia scene. Maybe this is a weird electrical thing going on that will take some time to get right and tested.

5) I think I may agree with Pheniex (yes, there is a first for everything). I doubt they're working around the clock or even every day on this project. They're probably taking their good long time and making sure every bit of this ride is ready and replacing everything that needs it before they open it back up.