I heard on a site I was on today that they heard that Backlot tour going into refurbishment again but no big changes.
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Backlot scheduled to close again
- Thread starter The Timekeeper
- Start date
Sad but true.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
I agree. I wish they would open the backlot area into a new area of the park. I think it could be a great area with attractions/interactive displays based on a backlot or something new. I do think Catastrophe Canyon has its place, but there could easily be a fully tracked ride system built that went through and around the canyon and through a new building (like was planned with the JTTCOE sets) as a mini-tour of special effects.
IOACentralRadio
New Member
I like the backlot tour every once in a while, but there is no real reason to do it. Catastrophe Canyon is okay, but it would be nice to see sets come in and out a lot of the same way that USH does their tram tour. Take current movies and put them in, and have them be simple things that you can change easily, much like their Fast and Furious and War of the Worlds areas. Disney certainly has enough movies both live action and animated to make that happen. Could you imagine going through CC and getting caught in between a battle of the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman? Or even better, have a waterwheel scoot past you? Potential.
kcnole
Well-Known Member
I think the backlot tour could still be great but it would take some work. Here's my plan for doing so. First, it's renamed to the Hollywood Special Effects Tour.
1. Start at the water effects show. This is still a fun show and its immensely fun if you get to be a volunteer. I think I had a smile on my face for over 2 hours my last visit from being a volunteer in that show. Maybe just make something original instead of having it be Pearl Harbor. That's almost as bad as the U571 scene over at Universal.
2. Move to the trams and take off on the tour. You could still go through the character costume design area as we do although something more interesting would definitely fit there better. Then move onto the meat of the tour.
3. Head towards our first interactive area at Catastrophe canyon. Drop the filmmaking aspect and just introduce it as the first special effects scene.
4. Then have the trams move through 3-4 more warehouses which house special effects demonstrations similar to Catastrophe Canyon. You could have a huge warehouse explosion, a hurricane scenario, a blizzard scenario, or any other infinite ideas that would be entertaining.
Finally pull around and end at the small walk through area but change it to an Epcot style post show with interactive displays on special effects.
I think with some good creativity this could be a real crowd pleaser again.
1. Start at the water effects show. This is still a fun show and its immensely fun if you get to be a volunteer. I think I had a smile on my face for over 2 hours my last visit from being a volunteer in that show. Maybe just make something original instead of having it be Pearl Harbor. That's almost as bad as the U571 scene over at Universal.
2. Move to the trams and take off on the tour. You could still go through the character costume design area as we do although something more interesting would definitely fit there better. Then move onto the meat of the tour.
3. Head towards our first interactive area at Catastrophe canyon. Drop the filmmaking aspect and just introduce it as the first special effects scene.
4. Then have the trams move through 3-4 more warehouses which house special effects demonstrations similar to Catastrophe Canyon. You could have a huge warehouse explosion, a hurricane scenario, a blizzard scenario, or any other infinite ideas that would be entertaining.
Finally pull around and end at the small walk through area but change it to an Epcot style post show with interactive displays on special effects.
I think with some good creativity this could be a real crowd pleaser again.
Shaman
Well-Known Member
How much better was it....really? The only thing I see missing is the residential street houses...maybe I'm not recalling things correctly.
*shrug*
kcnole I like your idea...except I think a smaller CC type demonstration could go a long way (while on the tram). Maybe something with actors....
Mecha Figment
New Member
The original Backlot tour use to take about 3 hours to complete.
Disney MDACK
New Member
The backlot tour has to be the worst attraction in all of disney world.
MickeyTigg
New Member
3 hours? No way....more like 1.5-2 hours....never 3.
^ You want to goto www.mousebits.com and download Disney MGM Studios - a history part one. The full original tour (minus soundstages of course) from 1989 and 1990, with the original entrance, wardrobe, Residential St with Herbie, boneyard, Catastrophe Canyon, the full non-walkable New York St, the 1990 D i ck Tracey Hold up, the Toon Machine, original water effects and visual effetcs (including the bee!).
Shameless plug, but it`s free!
Shameless plug, but it`s free!
I worked on the Backlot Tour when it was called the Backstage Studio Tour in 1996 on the college program for the summer. I drove and spieled the tour on the old route and on the current route before the tear down of Residential Street. I can't speak for the 1989 version of the tour, but did ride it in 1991 and remember it being similar in length to the 1996 version. Since the change to the new loading station, the tour has continued to get shorter and shorter. I agree, what is now the tour is poor conpared to the original version and loading station. I remember the tram part of the tour to take about 30 minutes to complete in 1996. In my opinion, the tour is a great idea and can still be entertaining if a large-scale update is done that includes:
-revamping the route (give people more to look at every step of the way)
-adding more props from recent movies to the boneyard (keep updating)
-revise Catastrophe Canyon show (change sequences of effects)
-add additional "special effect" staged areas similar to CC (other types)
The studio tour concept works well if you actually have a studio. In the current state, Disney-MGM is not a working studio enough to call for a tour. I could understand Disney deleting the tour at this point. Business is business!
-revamping the route (give people more to look at every step of the way)
-adding more props from recent movies to the boneyard (keep updating)
-revise Catastrophe Canyon show (change sequences of effects)
-add additional "special effect" staged areas similar to CC (other types)
The studio tour concept works well if you actually have a studio. In the current state, Disney-MGM is not a working studio enough to call for a tour. I could understand Disney deleting the tour at this point. Business is business!
I`m all for a special effects tram attraction; keep Cat Can (give it a good overhaul), add something similar to the JTCOTE ride thru enhancement proposed a while back (not the TDS ride!) and add some of the other items mentioned earlier. With some good planning it could become a must see E Ride, and the infrastructure and ride system is partly in place already. Surely even the bean counters would agree.
Fact; the stages are no more (waste of good facilities but there you go) - have the water tank revamped as a separate fx show, and include more new demonstrations in the original visual FX building, as a smaller walk through attraction, and there is a new c or D ticket too.
Of course all this will just keep the masses happy whilst the final plans are made for Roger Rabbits Hollywood, Great Muppet Movie Ride and the Indy EMV.....
Fact; the stages are no more (waste of good facilities but there you go) - have the water tank revamped as a separate fx show, and include more new demonstrations in the original visual FX building, as a smaller walk through attraction, and there is a new c or D ticket too.
Of course all this will just keep the masses happy whilst the final plans are made for Roger Rabbits Hollywood, Great Muppet Movie Ride and the Indy EMV.....
JCAEdge21
Active Member
ok i created an account for the site. how do i get the download now??