DHS ReDo (August 2014)

[doctornick]

"Using the force like Potters wands" - So, Disney is now learning from Universal? Thats a damn shame. And after having Imagineers tour Diagon Alley, what do they learn about an immersive land? That building spinners is the way to go!!!

Eh. The wand thing at Universal is just an extension of the interactive elements like SOTMK, Agent P and the Pirates game at WDW. Yes, more integrated into the theme of the land, but not exactly groundbreaking in practice.

with interactive stuff at Epcot and MK already and the Wilderness Explorers activity at DAK, it is inevitable that DHS would get some sort of similar element at some time. Having it be based on Star Wars/using the Force would just make sense. I would expect that WDI had an idea of doing that long before the interactive wands at WWOHP came out.

 

[bethymouse]

 

[doctornick]

Seen as your not driving in Mater and he is hosting an attraction on tractors AKA cows in the Cars Universe it makes sense. Does a a Small spinning X wing where you can open and close the wings fit into a highly themed Tatooine... nope.

That's a question of execution then, not mechanism. You can have a "spinner" (or similar flat ride) that is executed in a way that it can integrate into the theming of the land. If they just plop Dumbo-with-X-wings in the middle of a Tattoine themed area without any proper integration, of course it would suck and be a bad idea. I would hope that they wouldn't do anything quite that boring and would place any ride in the proper environment to fit in.

Don't get me wrong: I don't want there to be a banal spinner in a SW land. I think a flat ride, however, that is all ages accessible would be a good idea though given DHS's needs. I'd expect any flat ride addition to be more similar in scope to Mater's and less like Triceratops Spin. I could see something like a "dueling" X-wings and Tie Fighters that is indoors (to look like it being in space) with a Death Star Backdrop with a queue that takes you from the space port to fight in space.

Also I'll just mention that WDW1974 recently stated that he expected the DHS and DLR Star Wars lands to be similar in terms of offerings. DL already has to spinners in the park and IMHO they are unlikely to add a third there knowing how their guests would react to one and due to it being unnecessary (yes, MK has three spinners with the flying carpets, but it's a different situation than WDW and ti was a dumb addition).

 

[dgp602]

Walt's vision of EPCOT was not a Theme Park but an actual working/living community with the Magic Kingdom as the theme park.

I know, I get it.. I guess my point was that by bringing in cartoon princesses, we are moving even further away from his vision...

 

[Fractal514]

Ok, maybe I'm alone in this, but absolutely think that the Great Movie Ride is merely mediocre, and that it needs to be redone. I'm not suggesting that they should take away classic movies, but there are things they could do to make more sense. The Footlight Parade stuff is lost to cinema history, folks don't know it, but they could do something from the Jazz Singer and really have film history in there and stay slightly more relevant. The Tarzan sequence is a waste of space and the Aliens sequence could be done to include more Sci-Fi in general. I think the tone of the ride as a reverent look back at cinema and its evolution makes a lot of sense, but does it need to be done with that horrible gangster takeover storyline? I mean, maybe it was good back in the day with motivated cast members, but it is just tired and they have HORRIBLE performers in it more often than not. Cut that element out and you could buy yourself sometime and maybe even redo the Indiana Jones section too, I don't know.

I don't think that a refurb/redo of this ride HAS to mean a disrespect for the park, but to say that taking it out would make the park feel disjointed is just an exaggeration, the park is disjointed, no feeling about it, and the current iteration of the GMR only adds to the disjointed nature.

 

[SirLink]

That's a question of execution then, not mechanism. You can have a "spinner" (or similar flat ride) that is executed in a way that it can integrate into the theming of the land. If they just plop Dumbo-with-X-wings in the middle of a Tattoine themed area without any proper integration, of course it would suck and be a bad idea. I would hope that they wouldn't do anything quite that boring and would place any ride in the proper environment to fit in.

Don't get me wrong: I don't want there to be a banal spinner in a SW land. I think a flat ride, however, that is all ages accessible would be a good idea though given DHS's needs. I'd expect any flat ride addition to be more similar in scope to Mater's and less like Triceratops Spin. I could see something like a "dueling" X-wings and Tie Fighters that is indoors (to look like it being in space) with a Death Star Backdrop with a queue that takes you from the space port to fight in space.

Also I'll just mention that WDW1974 recently stated that he expected the DHS and DLR Star Wars lands to be similar in terms of offerings. DL already has to spinners in the park and IMHO they are unlikely to add a third there knowing how their guests would react to one and due to it being unnecessary (yes, MK has three spinners with the flying carpets, but it's a different situation than WDW and ti was a dumb addition).

1)TWDC is a very arrogant company one that overpays and under delivers all the time. I would set my expectations at Dumbo with X-wings and pray they cut it from the budget. Also IMHO flat rides do not fit non-toon locales they are trying to build.
2)Bolded sounds lame as hell as well.
3)They will add a spinner if they can get away with it and if they are removing Toontown sounds like the most natural thing they would do.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I'm against any more spinners!

Except the X-Wing Fighter spinner, I'd love that. A TIE Fighter spinner right next to it would be cool as well, especially if they made it so that you could shoot at the people on the opposite spinner. Also put them in the dark, with a star field. Two separate entrances...one an Imperial Recruitment center and one for the Rebellion.

I actually think they could do something really cool with this, potentially. Good idea.

And with a storyline of it being a training facility for young padawans (sp?) they could make the theming and story work. Easily, really.

Indoors like that, you could have a projected starfield, occasional ships go by, etc... That could be really cool for little ones.

 

[SirLink]

I actually think they could do something really cool with this, potentially. Good idea.

And with a storyline of it being a training facility for young padawans (sp?) they could make the theming and story work. Easily, really.

Indoors like that, you could have a projected starfield, occasional ships go by, etc... That could be really cool for little ones.

Only if they were full scale ships would that be cool if it was miniature ones it would be LAME even for youngsters.

 

[muteki]

I like the idea of an indoor spinner (way back I remember riding an indoor "scrambler" with fog, lights, music and it was great) but I can't imagine the capacity problems inherent with spinners. They would need at least 2 or 3 to keep up with demand.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Again... not true. As far as I can tell, he first mentioned it on January 15, 2014 (unless it was in an Unofficial Guide). The refurbishment wasn't announced until May 20th (I first saw it here). People made the leap but there were no indications that one meant the other.

Is PhilharMagic digital? Could they be doing that?

Oh god I hope so!

 

[ctxak98]

Ok, maybe I'm alone in this, but absolutely think that the Great Movie Ride is merely mediocre, and that it needs to be redone. I'm not suggesting that they should take away classic movies, but there are things they could do to make more sense. The Footlight Parade stuff is lost to cinema history, folks don't know it, but they could do something from the Jazz Singer and really have film history in there and stay slightly more relevant. The Tarzan sequence is a waste of space and the Aliens sequence could be done to include more Sci-Fi in general. I think the tone of the ride as a reverent look back at cinema and its evolution makes a lot of sense, but does it need to be done with that horrible gangster takeover storyline? I mean, maybe it was good back in the day with motivated cast members, but it is just tired and they have HORRIBLE performers in it more often than not. Cut that element out and you could buy yourself sometime and maybe even redo the Indiana Jones section too, I don't know.

I don't think that a refurb/redo of this ride HAS to mean a disrespect for the park, but to say that taking it out would make the park feel disjointed is just an exaggeration, the park is disjointed, no feeling about it, and the current iteration of the GMR only adds to the disjointed nature.

While I agree with you on some points, there still is this guy feeling in me that says they should update it and not change it! First I don't understand the thought of "if people don't know the movie, it's not important". Footlights parade for instance, if you know anything about old musicals, was revolutionary in it's work! It was pretty much one of the first backstage musicals. It's more of a tribute I think to busby burkleys films.

To me when I was young I had no idea what singin in the rain, footlights parade, Casablanca, or what alien were. So this ride made me want to watch them and I have and love them all! Now I really think it fits in the ride perfectly. But I guess if it's getting re-do then I can't do much to stop it! ..... Sad a classic has to go instead of getting a fresh facelift!

 

[wdisney9000]

Eh. The wand thing at Universal is just an extension of the interactive elements like SOTMK, Agent P and the Pirates game at WDW. Yes, more integrated into the theme of the land, but not exactly groundbreaking in practice.

with interactive stuff at Epcot and MK already and the Wilderness Explorers activity at DAK, it is inevitable that DHS would get some sort of similar element at some time. Having it be based on Star Wars/using the Force would just make sense. I would expect that WDI had an idea of doing that long before the interactive wands at WWOHP came out.

Good point. I guess it would be more accurate to say that Uni did a great job expanding the concept. If Disney can return with something more interactive/integrated I will be impressed. If we see kids just standing in front of a screen waving their hands around, I wont be surprised.

 

[ABQ]

Maybe they should go with a landspeeder spinner instead of an X-Wing? Then they could keep the old HS theme of how movies are made. As the landspeeder itself was a bit of a spinner in how it worked behind the scenes.

 

[Gomer]

Ok, maybe I'm alone in this, but absolutely think that the Great Movie Ride is merely mediocre, and that it needs to be redone. I'm not suggesting that they should take away classic movies, but there are things they could do to make more sense. The Footlight Parade stuff is lost to cinema history, folks don't know it, but they could do something from the Jazz Singer and really have film history in there and stay slightly more relevant. The Tarzan sequence is a waste of space and the Aliens sequence could be done to include more Sci-Fi in general. I think the tone of the ride as a reverent look back at cinema and its evolution makes a lot of sense, but does it need to be done with that horrible gangster takeover storyline? I mean, maybe it was good back in the day with motivated cast members, but it is just tired and they have HORRIBLE performers in it more often than not. Cut that element out and you could buy yourself sometime and maybe even redo the Indiana Jones section too, I don't know.

I don't think that a refurb/redo of this ride HAS to mean a disrespect for the park, but to say that taking it out would make the park feel disjointed is just an exaggeration, the park is disjointed, no feeling about it, and the current iteration of the GMR only adds to the disjointed nature.

Footlight parade takes up very little space, so I don’t’ see a point in removing it. But if they did, as long as the replaced it with an equally important film for that era I’d be fine.

Totally with you on the gangster/cowboy stuff though. Its awkward and forced and always makes me feel uncomfortable for the cast members plodding their way through it. IF they could replace gangland, old west, and the forbidden temple with 4-6 high quality scenes that encompass westerns/gangsters and some other genres, I’d be all for it. Then maybe you could throw in a more modern movie that meets the ageless requirements that make it a classic and provide unique settings for an interesting ride.

 

[tl77]

My 2 cents...

1. Since Star Tours has a height requirement of 40inches I think a spinner or something similar for little ones is probably likely, and if Sounds Dangerous is becoming Jedi Training, and the Backlot Express is becoming a Cantina Restaurant, the spinner would probably end up right in between Star Tours, Jedi and Backlot... beyond that I'm not getting my hopes up for Star Wars "increased presence in the parks" until some official word comes along

2. The Great Movie Ride is literally an Epcot Pavilion, only it was built as the center piece of another park, but since they've torn down or screwed around with all the other Epcot pavilions I'm kind of surprised they haven't messed with The Great Movie ride yet

3. I think Frozen "should not" be added to Maelstrom... but it probably will be anyway. Even though Maelstrom doesn't need it, and Frozen deserves its own unique attractions somewhere else, and overlays generally stink... it probably will be added for the same reason Nemo was added to the Living Seas, and Avatar is being added to AK, and like adding more Star Wars at DHS, these are all sure fire, zero risk, ways to get people to come to these parks

4. I can't imagine that Avatar would intentionally be opened in phases "starting" in 2017, maybe the whole thing will open then or be finished by then... but NFL and the Mine Train were kind of a mess because they changed their minds after construction got under way. Originally the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty M&Gs that would have opened in 2013 with Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Dumbo as phase 1, and back been where the Circus tents are would have been Pixie Hollow opening this year, 2014, as phase 2, but The Mine Train was not intentionally opened late it was started later than the rest of the expansion

 

[ABQ]

Footlight parade takes up very little space, so I don’t’ see a point in removing it. But if they did, as long as the replaced it with an equally important film for that era I’d be fine.

Totally with you on the gangster/cowboy stuff though. Its awkward and forced and always makes me feel uncomfortable for the cast members plodding their way through it. IF they could replace gangland, old west, and the forbidden temple with 4-6 high quality scenes that encompass westerns/gangsters and some other genres, I’d be all for it. Then maybe you could throw in a more modern movie that meets the ageless requirements that make it a classic and provide unique settings for an interesting ride.

Sadly, I fear that removing the gangster or old west bandit takeover of the ride would mean replacement with a recorded narration like Living with the Land or backlot tour. That's not a solution I want. However, unmotivated CM's doesn't help either. I would assume their lack of motivation comes from their boredom over trying to make scenes that are so dated come to life. I feel for them.

 

[DVC91]

They tried that once. It only lasted a couple of years. The main problem was that DHS is in Orlando, Florida.

If you are in the entertainment industry you want to be in Southern California. That's where all the executives are, all the agents are, all the other stars are, all the media is, all the work is, where all the decisions are made, and where all the action is.

A lot of studios are moving out of California due to how badly that state is struggling. New Orleans is a growing hotbed of activity, as is Atlanta, and North Carolina as an entire state. NOLA is a swamp, seems to be working out alright for them. Atlanta is also fairly close to Florida. North Carolina is a right to work state which makes it easier for union/non-union connection. LA and NYC being the ONLY places for work is just not correct anymore, and there are certainly places other than Florida that should be considered "career suicide".

With love,
Philadelphia (also a great place for TV, Film, and Theatre )

 

[Kamikaze]

Does a a Small spinning X wing where you can open and close the wings fit into a highly themed Tatooine... nope.

You're right - it would be pod racers.

 

[NowInc]

A lot of studios are moving out of California due to how badly that state is struggling. New Orleans is a growing hotbed of activity, as is Atlanta, and North Carolina as an entire state. NOLA is a swamp, seems to be working out alright for them. Atlanta is also fairly close to Florida. North Carolina is a right to work state which makes it easier for union/non-union connection. LA and NYC being the ONLY places for work is just not correct anymore, and there are certainly places other than Florida that should be considered "career suicide".

With love,
Philadelphia (also a great place for TV, Film, and Theatre )

Not to mention the dozens of movies/shows that are filmed here in South Florida every year (with growing numbers all the time).

 

[RayTheFirefly]

A lot of studios are moving out of California due to how badly that state is struggling. New Orleans is a growing hotbed of activity, as is Atlanta, and North Carolina as an entire state. NOLA is a swamp, seems to be working out alright for them. Atlanta is also fairly close to Florida. North Carolina is a right to work state which makes it easier for union/non-union connection. LA and NYC being the ONLY places for work is just not correct anymore, and there are certainly places other than Florida that should be considered "career suicide".

With love,
Philadelphia (also a great place for TV, Film, and Theatre )

I live in New Orleans, and the film industry is booming here. There were more high grossing movies made here last year than anywhere else in the world. It's all about tax credits... We've got 'em, Georgia and NC have 'em.