Disney-MGM Studios updates

[Lee]

Being as vague as need be (maybe you can't be any more specific at all, but it's worth a try), is this a fast thing or a slow thing? I.E. "thrill" or so-called "family".
I wouldn't mind a Monsters, Inc. clone from DCA...

I doubt the Monsters will appear anywhere else since they have taken up residence in Tomorrowland. Too many other Pixar properties to exploit to be double dipping.

 

[Sumshine 904]

Just a bunch of notes that were released to Cast Members today in the Summer Cast Update:

• July 9th will be rehab wall day! See below for details.
• The Jedi Training Academy will become a permanent addition with a brand new stage. The wall will go up July 9th.
• Mickey Ave will officially close on July 9th and will reopen with the ride as Pixar Place.
• The Sorcerer Mickey hat will get a lighting refurb and the wall is expected to go up in July.
• Playhouse Disney in Concert will be held in a large air-conditioned tent in the parking lot behind Rock 'n' Roller Coaster this year.
• A new Playhouse Disney show will be opening in February featuring the Little Einsteins, Jojo's Circus, and Mickey's Clubhouse.
• Little Einsteins and Jojo's Circus characters will have a new meet and greet area in the Animation Courtyard probably opening sometime in the fall.
• Sorcerer Mickey will have a new meet and greet inside the Animation Tour building also opening in the fall.
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster will be going down for a major refurbishment from Labor Day to the beginning of October.
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid will be going under refurbishment sometime in the next few months.
• Rosie's and Eddie's on Sunset Blvd will go under refurbishments in the next month or two for kitchen upgrades.
• Muppet Vision 3D will be switching over to a digital projection system (not 100% approved yet).
• Block Party Bash will be making its debut in March and the Stars and Motor Cars parade will be retired here.
• Toy Story Mania will be opening tentatively in late April.
• A brand new show will be opening on a permanent basis in the ABC Theater in May.
• Another major (e-ticket) ride will possibly be opening in 2009-2010 (nothing confirmed yet).

- Wh00t!
- Cool, maybe my niece'll try the Jedi thing out.
- Pixar Place? :hurl:
- I wish they'd just get rid of the whole thing..
- 'Kay.
- Does this mean the old one will be gone when the new one opens?
- Alright.
- YESSSSS! *fist pump*
- Good, it'll be open when I go in December. 8D
- When will it open? It's my fav show.
- Okay.
- OoOoOoh. Sounds nice.
- Aw, I'll miss the motor cars..
- Hoorah!
- Sweet, something's actually going to be inside the building!
- :sohappy:

Thank you for the information! :wave:

 

[JCorduroy]

Stage 1 is pretty large. Pretty much half that building it will share with TSM.
I have a vague idea what they're thinking, but will need more confirmation before going out on a limb and being specific.

Since you're the man in the know - and I'm woefully unfamiliar with MGM - where exactly is Soundstage 1? Is it right next to where TSM is going in?

 

[AEfx]

Too many other Pixar properties to exploit to be double dipping.

Ah, gotchya.

There are a *FEW* unexpolited Pixar properties.

Thanks.

AEfx

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

AEfx..... see I knew we could agree on something.:ROFLOL: Would love to see the muppets expanded to include a ride or two. Also I saw the Beauty & Beast show at least 10 yrs ago and have been walking past since. Would love a new show there and for God's sake replace that silly boring Indy show with the Indy ride.

 

[MickeyJman06]

Just a bunch of notes that were released to Cast Members today in the Summer Cast Update:

• July 9th will be rehab wall day! See below for details.
• The Jedi Training Academy will become a permanent addition with a brand new stage. The wall will go up July 9th.
• Mickey Ave will officially close on July 9th and will reopen with the ride as Pixar Place.
• The Sorcerer Mickey hat will get a lighting refurb and the wall is expected to go up in July.
• Playhouse Disney in Concert will be held in a large air-conditioned tent in the parking lot behind Rock 'n' Roller Coaster this year.
• A new Playhouse Disney show will be opening in February featuring the Little Einsteins, Jojo's Circus, and Mickey's Clubhouse.
• Little Einsteins and Jojo's Circus characters will have a new meet and greet area in the Animation Courtyard probably opening sometime in the fall.
• Sorcerer Mickey will have a new meet and greet inside the Animation Tour building also opening in the fall.
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster will be going down for a major refurbishment from Labor Day to the beginning of October.
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid will be going under refurbishment sometime in the next few months.
• Rosie's and Eddie's on Sunset Blvd will go under refurbishments in the next month or two for kitchen upgrades.
• Muppet Vision 3D will be switching over to a digital projection system (not 100% approved yet).
• Block Party Bash will be making its debut in March and the Stars and Motor Cars parade will be retired here.
• Toy Story Mania will be opening tentatively in late April.
• A brand new show will be opening on a permanent basis in the ABC Theater in May.
• Another major (e-ticket) ride will possibly be opening in 2009-2010 (nothing confirmed yet).

 

[Pabgo]

Just a bunch of notes that were released to Cast Members today in the Summer Cast Update:

• July 9th will be rehab wall day! See below for details.
• The Jedi Training Academy will become a permanent addition with a brand new stage. The wall will go up July 9th.
• Mickey Ave will officially close on July 9th and will reopen with the ride as Pixar Place.
• The Sorcerer Mickey hat will get a lighting refurb and the wall is expected to go up in July.
• Playhouse Disney in Concert will be held in a large air-conditioned tent in the parking lot behind Rock 'n' Roller Coaster this year.
• A new Playhouse Disney show will be opening in February featuring the Little Einsteins, Jojo's Circus, and Mickey's Clubhouse.
• Little Einsteins and Jojo's Circus characters will have a new meet and greet area in the Animation Courtyard probably opening sometime in the fall.
• Sorcerer Mickey will have a new meet and greet inside the Animation Tour building also opening in the fall.
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster will be going down for a major refurbishment from Labor Day to the beginning of October.
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid will be going under refurbishment sometime in the next few months.
• Rosie's and Eddie's on Sunset Blvd will go under refurbishments in the next month or two for kitchen upgrades.
• Muppet Vision 3D will be switching over to a digital projection system (not 100% approved yet).
• Block Party Bash will be making its debut in March and the Stars and Motor Cars parade will be retired here.
• Toy Story Mania will be opening tentatively in late April.
• A brand new show will be opening on a permanent basis in the ABC Theater in May.
• Another major (e-ticket) ride will possibly be opening in 2009-2010 (nothing confirmed yet).

Me likey...

 

[AEfx]

AEfx..... see I knew we could agree on something.:ROFLOL: Would love to see the muppets expanded to include a ride or two. Also I saw the Beauty & Beast show at least 10 yrs ago and have been walking past since. Would love a new show there and for God's sake replace that silly boring Indy show with the Indy ride.

The "Great Muppet Movie Ride", if ever built as originally envisioned, would shut-me up about saying anything critical about Disney ever. Ever. I am that much of a Muppet-. It is so sad to me that the Muppets haven't found an animatronic home outside of the few in Muppetvision.

As Henson himself said, it is the PERFECT marriage because Disney has this amazing animatronic technology that is used to emulate things that exist in 2-D (animation) and real life people. The Muppets are already artificial 3-D beings and the suspension of disbelief is unnecessary, so you really could see the exact Kermit you love talking and interacting with you. It's a crying shame it hasn't happened yet.

I'd leave B&tB, just because like VotLM it really impresses those will small kids, etc., and is a good draw in that area for them. It is stale to me to as a visitor (though the cool and comfort of VotLM never gets old to me), but I like that it's there.

And yes, they can take the Indy show and burn it to the ground and I'd smile. And I'm not a destructive person, LOL. It's another great people-eater, but having an Indy ride at MGM would be far, far superior.

AEfx

 

[LivingtheDream]

thinking maybe the new ride may be indy themed to coincide with the release of the new movie now being filmed ... or they maybe will revamp the stunt show ... just a thought

 

[rbrower]

Thanks for the information!

 

[WDWFigment]

I'm crossing my fingers for Indy...but my secret wish is for a REAL Muppet ride. Probably won't be either, but I can dream.

A Muppet ride would be very cool; I wonder if they have the draw to get another attraction. I'm also a bit surprised by an E-Ticket in Soundstage 1. I didn't think it was large enough for that, but then again, I suppose expansion is possible.

Another sign that the Studios aren't going to become working studios again, though

Thanks for the updates!

 

[elle72688]

Thanks for the updates. It is nice to hear about the studios getting the TLC it deserves.

 

[Pete C]

I wonder if the E-ticket is Star Tours 2. I guess that would not be "new" though.

 

[yeti]

• Another major (e-ticket) ride will possibly be opening in 2009-2010 (nothing confirmed yet).

I'm still patiently waiting for some sort of a ride based on The Incredibles, or the destruction of Indy's Waste-of-Time Show(no bashing please, just my opinion ) into Indiana Jones Adventure (preferably the one from Tokyo; it's a bit better). Or maybe they'll put all that juicy concept art they released (http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/annual_reports/2006/int/dint.html)
into good use (minus the Toy Story Mania concept, of course). Perhaps Toy Story Live (e-ticket or not) will finally have a place in the big, blue world of Disney.

I'm still dreaming ....

EDIT: Star Tours Ep. 2 would be great too.

 

[Piebald]

I posted a lot of this stuff months and months ago and all I got was like three responses

Just kidding, I'm glad they released this in our little Cast Update. To whoever asked, Soundstage 1 is where Mickey used to do his meet and greets. Currently it was being used for Jabba's Hutt (SW Weekends Merchandise) but I guess now it will sit empty for who knows how long. I do know that the building is pretty big. They had a pin event for cast members there last summer and it's just a huge warehouse inside.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

I want more Fraggles. I demand a Boober meet and greet.

 

[the-reason14]

[*]Another major (e-ticket) ride will possibly be opening in 2009-2010 (nothing confirmed yet).[/LIST]

The best news of all, hope its true, if it is then I cant waits.

 

[Tom Morrow]

These changes all sound awesome... this along with a new E-Ticket will make the Studios awesome once again around 2010.

 

[I3olTz]

hmm soundstage1 is jabbas hutt, that area dosent seem very big from what i could see when i was in there. an indy ride would be great (indy 4 filming in progress) think they would every build the ride and keep the show? i love the show, one of the few i see... but anyways any clue whats going into the ABC thearter? i would think they could take drew careys+ABCs buildings and put a ride in that area seems fairly large enuf to have a ride.....go watch the indy show then ride the indy ride!!

 

[Tom Morrow]

^ Soundstage 1 doesn't seem that big because they don't use the whole thing... only a small portion for the Meet & Greets.