News Disney Not Renewing Great Movie Ride Sponsorship Deal with TCM ; Attraction to Close

[brb1006]

I'm not ready to pull out the pitchforks and the torches..... But I feel this is as appropriate as that awful Phil Holmes painting in fantasyland.

For those that never seen it.

 

[brb1006]

Another Disney Downer. Disney used to make me happy, not P@#$$3d.

I know change needs to happen, but the changes being made seem short-sighted. In a park with 5 attractions, don't replace an attraction, add new ones and refurbish the older ones. Disney has become so cheap. Charge more, but give you less for your dollars. This is the new Disney way. Oh, and also to retheme popular attraction with new themes. If it ain't broke, don't retheme it.

I am glad I didn't get a season pass this year.

Avatar will open and I will visit it, but I will only visit AK and DHS to say goodbye to GMR. I have no interest in Frozstrom or SOTW. If I get to do them okay, if not no biggie. Epcot is just too depressing these days so I try to avoid it.

I will visit SWL in DL so, my Avatar visit may be my last to WDW. I loved WDW, but now I don't even want to go because of the recent decisions and my recent experiences. At least I will save money and maybe see more of the world. Disney is snapping me out of my Disney obsession.

There's always Tokyo

 

[alphac2005]

I think you're ignoring Star Wars Land.

Potentially replaced:
Star Tours
Great Movie Ride
Tower of Terror
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

New Additions
Toy Story Land (B and C ticket)
Star Wars Land (Two E Tickets)

That doesn't account for several other attractions in this nearly attraction free park that have been closed already over the past many years including the animation tour, backlot tour, Sounds Dangerous theater, American Idol, Lights, Motors, Action! and so on.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Between the out of control pricing, the intellectual property or bust mentality, I'm simply out and know that there are plenty of us out there. What I loved for decades is dead and even if there is a management team to come on-board with sense in their heads, it's a long slog back to the essential original mission statement of the parks.

I feel like it's way past the grieving process and it's up to each person to determine where that leaves them. The amazement and pure joy that I got from the parks for more than two decades has slowly been destroyed the past decade plus and none of us can change this slow moving disaster train.

I'll hit up YouTube for great classic and extinct attractions. We just recently priced out a five day trip staying at a moderate resort with park hoppers and including food (excluding breakfast), it was absurd. Outlandish is more like it. Greed with a dash of disdain for their guests. What a shame.

Basically the Studios is being fully morphed into Disney's Other Properties We Bought for Billions Adventure. Snarky, but true.

I was shopping around for two trips this year. The numbers were indeed outlandish. To the point were I should question my responsibilities and even sanity. The numbers could pay for my niece's college. And that is barely hyperbole. Should a responsible, sane adult squander that on a theme park instead?

And for what? Infantile superheroes in the mature park, a great movie park destroyed for vending IP, and stressful overcrowding everywhere that I can't evade because I have so many appointments and time schedules to meet I bring a #^%&! spreadsheet.

 

[Jon81uk]

That doesn't account for several other attractions in this nearly attraction free park that have been closed already over the past many years including the animation tour, backlot tour, Sounds Dangerous theater, American Idol, Lights, Motors, Action! and so on.

Only LMA and backlot tour havent yet been replaced.

Overall the park isn't growing, only replacing.
backlot tour = Star Wars attraction
LMA = Star Wars attraction
Amimation Tour = Star Wars launch bay
Sounds Dangerous (was seasonal anyway) = movie previews / Star Wars movie
American Idol = Frozen show (yes that was in the Premiere theatre as well, but that had sat empty for years after Hunchback closed)

Generally this means the two Toy Story rides will be new additions rather than replacements. But still poor in a park where every show also needs a replacement.

 

[PK2]

If the ToT ever gets replaced by GoTG will that become a park icon if it ever happened?

I'd like to think Disney isn't stupid enough to have a park icon inspired by warehouses and power plants, but you never know. Why not tear down the Tree of Life theming while they're at it, have an oil rig icon!

 

[alphac2005]

Only LMA and backlot tour havent yet been replaced.

Overall the park isn't growing, only replacing.
backlot tour = Star Wars attraction
LMA = Star Wars attraction
Amimation Tour = Star Wars launch bay
Sounds Dangerous (was seasonal anyway) = movie previews / Star Wars movie
American Idol = Frozen show (yes that was in the Premiere theatre as well, but that had sat empty for years after Hunchback closed)

Generally this means the two Toy Story rides will be new additions rather than replacements. But still poor in a park where every show also needs a replacement.

It's especially important to note because The Studios has always been short of attractions as it was, so a net gain of two attractions doesn't seem to deal with the issue that has plagued the park since its inception, which is an underwhelming slate of attractions.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Remember a year ago when the budget numbers for the DHS expansion were released and we were all filled with bottomless optimism? Back when it was an actual expansion? Still waiting on parking garage construction.

I feel every move since then has whittled away at my optimism. FWIW, I actually think the new ride will be fun (and I would say the same of GotG at Epcot), but there is no acceptable reason for this new ride not being built de novo elsewhere. This move would be akin to gutting the geosphere for a (fun) IP ride.

It's a pity they never took the time to update a scene or two every few years on the GMR. It is a unique ride that was unfortunately allowed to decay for decades.

I would like at least one of the zombies when all of this stuff ends up on EBay.

 

[mimitchi33]

This is sad, since I love this ride! Just don't replace the ride with Star Wars!

 

[UpAllNight]

I don't understand the logic in this multi billion pound organisation going decades providing a half baked brand damaging product to their highly paying customers.

It's not just theme park fans that realise how few rides there are in DHS and AK and how Epcot is tired, or parts of MK that look very dated. I'm spoken to many visitors who have pointed out the same.

I'm thinking unless something drastically changes my next visit will be my last to WDW until it's worthy of attracting my custom through new offerings.

 

[DisneyJayL]

I have to say I wasn't thrilled with this ride anyway. Compared to ToT, TSMM, RnR, etc., this was pretty garbage. It was a good way to beat the heat. It needed to be upgraded, but replacing it would be even better.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I love this ride and feel like I've taken its awesomeness for granted now. *sniff* Most kids I know love it, even though they've never heard of 75% of the movies on the ride.

Kids like nothing better than to learn something new, it is a great plus if kids didn't know 75% of the movies. The GMR serves as a fantastic, entertaining introduction to the seventh art, that kids may grow up realising there is more to cinema than cgi explosions, cardboard emotions and superhero sequel 17.

 

[JustInTime]

I'm guessing the facade is staying. There's worse choices for what could go behind it.

So is this the last big new ride DHS is getting? The one that has been hinted at??

 

[*Q*]

I am willing to bet money that this is going to be a full-fledged Wizard of Oz attraction. The best part of the Great Movie Ride is the Oz scene, and the rumor that the façade was going to be replaced (Emerald City anyone?) but it looks like it now is being kept means that it has to be a ride that potentially could live up to the promise of the Chinese theater facade. Only Oz or possibly Mary Poppins could really fit that bill. (Maybe Star Wars, but that's not old Hollywood enough.)

For all the talk about how it's the thesis statement attraction, it potentially could be an even better thesis statement attraction than GMR by being 100% Oz themed.

Not a half-bad theory, but I don't see modern Disney replacing a park icon with an IP like that. Yeah, they did Oz the Great and Powerful, but that's not a franchise they're actively cultivating anymore.

 

[xdan0920]

I was shopping around for two trips this year. The numbers were indeed outlandish. To the point were I should question my responsibilities and even sanity.

Right there with you. I feel like an idiot looking at the prices for my April trip.

 

[djkidkaz]

I think everyone needs to just calm it down a few notches. Remember when we were told by one of the insiders Cars Land was coming? Yeah well that didn't happen. Or that GotG was taking over our Tower and adding a bar? Yeah that didn't happen either. We don't know how much money DHS has received but I'd bet it's substantial. MK got a ton of love when they added one new land in Fantasyland. Pretty much every facade got painted and they were refurbishing most of the attractions. We're seeing something similar with DAK. With DHS already announced for TWO new lands I fully expect another announcement in regards to more coming to this park. I still see Indy stunt show going away to be replaced by a new land, plus numerous changes around the park to make it much easier to traverse without all the dead ends. They are trying to make it a full day park and spending the cash on gutting and replacing GMR doesn't really fit with the purpose of this remodel.

Who knows?! I guess we'll see at D23 next year.

 

[Mike S]

Remember a year ago when the budget numbers for the DHS expansion were released and we were all filled with bottomless optimism? Back when it was an actual expansion? Still waiting on parking garage construction.

I feel every move since then has whittled away at my optimism. FWIW, I actually think the new ride will be fun (and I would say the same of GotG at Epcot), but there is no acceptable reason for this new ride not being built de novo elsewhere. This move would be akin to gutting the geosphere for a (fun) IP ride.

It's a pity they never took the time to update a scene or two every few years on the GMR. It is a unique ride that was unfortunately allowed to decay for decades.

I would like at least one of the zombies when all of this stuff ends up on EBay.

I'll buy one of the Aliens off EBay and wire it to activate with my security system

 

[216bruce]

Between the out of control pricing, the intellectual property or bust mentality, I'm simply out and know that there are plenty of us out there. What I loved for decades is dead and even if there is a management team to come on-board with sense in their heads, it's a long slog back to the essential original mission statement of the parks.

I feel like it's way past the grieving process and it's up to each person to determine where that leaves them. The amazement and pure joy that I got from the parks for more than two decades has slowly been destroyed the past decade plus and none of us can change this slow moving disaster train.

I'll hit up YouTube for great classic and extinct attractions. We just recently priced out a five day trip staying at a moderate resort with park hoppers and including food (excluding breakfast), it was absurd. Outlandish is more like it. Greed with a dash of disdain for their guests. What a shame.

Basically the Studios is being fully morphed into Disney's Other Properties We Bought for Billions Adventure. Snarky, but true.

I feel pretty much the same. Now the issue is...Disney is for me now just a nostalgic enterprise. The company I loved and grew up with is pretty much gone and is for all intents and purposes Mondelez, Coke, Wal-Mart, etc. I have A LOT of WDCC figures, cels, animator sketches, etc., not to mention shirts , jackets etc that I've collected over the past 25ish years. They all mean less. The company that I felt connected to is gone and I really just don't care nearly as much anymore. I'll still use ABD and DCL for vacations as they are exceptional, but the parks and my DVC investement...meh...don't care. I just wish that there were truly enough of us out there to be more than a 'fly on the butt' of the company and could really get them to notice, but I'm pretty sure that it's "over"for classic, vintage Disney.

 

[wdisney9000]

GMR doesn't really fit with the purpose of this remodel.

Does Disney even know what will fit with the purpose of this remodel?

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Do you not realise how you sound?

self awareness is not something JT can be accused of.