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

[brb1006]

Insanity.


Incidentally, I had an awesome CM in early October.

It sure is insanity. It's pure insanity that the Jungle Cruise, Safaris, and GMR Cast Members aren't Equity Actors who are paid as actors should be payed. It's complete garbage and greed and a forever weakening of the WDW experience. The Jungle Cruise's aren't funny anymore because of Adventureland management's micromanaging of the Skippers spiels. But Adventureland managment can't let the Skippers be funny due to pressure from upper managment for everything to be a homogenized experiment and because the Skippers will have to be paid more if they "act" or "improv." Great Movie Ride isn't good anymore because the Cast is now told that they CANNOT act because if they act too much, they're considered actors. And actors have to be paid more. Nowadays, all these attraction's cast members are taught to spiel and only to spiel. Furthermore, if a new hire or college program kid is assigned a spieling attraction (which they are assigned at random), they will be terminated from the company rather than given another job location if they are uncomfortable speaking in front of crowds. You have a bunch of uncomfortable kids who are actively told not to act. So we can all 100% blame TDO's cheapness for your bad experiences on rides like this because it's 100% their fault, not the Cast Members working the attractions.

This might be related, but I remember the CM's that I meet back in 2006 at WDW (My second visit to WDW) we're alot more friendlier and patient. I remember most of them we're middle age but I will never forget that one female CM (Who put up the ropes for Spectromagic) I had a short talk with. She made our final night actually entertaining. I wish I got a chance to ask her name though.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Any ride that features a water skiing chimpanzee animatronic being pulled by a crocodile is alright in my book.

Willkommen in Deutschland!

 

[TheGhostWithTheMost]

This might be related, but I remember the CM's that I meet back in 2006 at WDW (My second visit to WDW) we're alot more friendlier and patient. I remember most of them we're middle age but I will never forget that one female CM (Who put up the ropes for Spectromagic) I had a short talk with. She made me final night actually entertaining. I wish I got a chance to ask her name though.

Disney, sadly, cannot keep the best people they hire anymore. In the early 2000's (or late 1990's? Someone fact check me, it all runs together!), the raise system changed to.. no one ever really getting a real raise. You used to be able to "top out" your pay and live a comfortable life on that money. But the raise system changed and management's priorities changed to not care at all about the front line cast. This, along with the price of pay not going up with the CRAZY prices of living in Orlando (which has some of the nation's worst affordable apartments on average), created an environment where many of the good people left and (now) where good Cast wisely won't stay. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great CMs out there that are trying to change the culture. But there's a CRAZY high turnover rate now and it's because of one basic rule: You get what you pay for.

 

[larryz]

This might be related, but I remember the CM's that I meet back in 2006 at WDW (My second visit to WDW) we're alot more friendlier and patient. I remember most of them we're middle age but I will never forget that one female CM (Who put up the ropes for Spectromagic) I had a short talk with. She made our final night actually entertaining. I wish I got a chance to ask her name though.

It's just as well, for if you mentioned her name, her managers might write her up for entertaining guests.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

So...about that attraction shutting down...the big Chinese theater one...

 

[willtravel]

But there's a CRAZY high turnover rate now and it's because of one basic rule: You get what you pay for.

I would hate to be in the personnel department. Or are they now just use to this high turnover rate. Is there a turn over rate in the personnel dept.?

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm sure they have a lot of turnover, but, they also have a lot of Cast Members. I have to wonder if the rate of turnover is higher then most companies or if it just seems like a lot based on volume instead of percentages. It is, for the most part, an unskilled, entry level position and as such almost any business would have a higher turnover rate then with a skilled, higher paid position.

 

[I Luv Disney]

I heard a rumor they are looking at changing it to the Great Mickey Ride with it running through the history of Mickey Mouse

 

[marni1971]

I heard a rumor they are looking at changing it to the Great Mickey Ride with it running through the history of Mickey Mouse

Which is kind of what the last 155 pages have been about.

Though it's not a history ride as such.

 

[brb1006]

I heard a rumor they are looking at changing it to the Great Mickey Ride with it running through the history of Mickey Mouse

A bit late to the news

 

[EricsBiscuit]

About the wages: supply and demand.

 

[jmuboy]

I'm not quite clear as to why a celebration of classic movies has 'deteriorated in relevance'. Are The Wizard of Oz, gangster movies, and Casablanca less relevant now than they were in 1996?

TGMR to me is like spaceship earth. A thesis for the park and a ride that celebrates what the park is all about. It sets the tone. To say TGMR is dated in content is silly. It's in need of a sound / light / set cleaning. It's AAs need some tune ups. Maybe some need new skins. But the fundamentals of this ride are sound. Update it. Demolish the animation building / launch bay and put the mickey ride in an updated animation courtyard. A newly launched courtyard for Disney Animation makes just too much sense. Mermaid show, mickey ride. Maybe Disney Jr building becomes a version of DCAs animation pavilion. Seems like the smarter way to round out offerings at DHS. Plus ADD capacity to a park desperate for it.

This makes too much sense for anyone at TDO to realize it though.

 

[Biff215]

I'm sure they have a lot of turnover, but, they also have a lot of Cast Members. I have to wonder if the rate of turnover is higher then most companies or if it just seems like a lot based on volume instead of percentages. It is, for the most part, an unskilled, entry level position and as such almost any business would have a higher turnover rate then with a skilled, higher paid position.

Well the CP alone accounts for thousands in turnover every 6-9 months. And with the wages Disney pays it's not surprising that most can't justify/survive staying any longer than needed. This doesn't mean attractions like this should suffer though, I pin that on management not doing their job from the top down.

 

[brb1006]

TGMR to me is like spaceship earth. A thesis for the park and a ride that celebrates what the park is all about. It sets the tone. To say TGMR is dated in content is silly. It's in need of a sound / light / set cleaning. It's AAs need some tune ups. Maybe some need new skins. But the fundamentals of this ride are sound. Update it. Demolish the animation building / launch bay and put the mickey ride in an updated animation courtyard. A newly launched courtyard for Disney Animation makes just too much sense. Mermaid show, mickey ride. Maybe Disney Jr building becomes a version of DCAs animation pavilion. Seems like the smarter way to round out offerings at DHS. Plus ADD capacity to a park desperate for it.

This makes too much sense for anyone at TDO to realize it though.

And the new Animation courtyard can even feature or reference past Disney cartoons from the 1930's up to the 50's. Some of the Silly Symphony cartoons need some acknowledgment at WDW and HS would fit that location.

 

[Bocabear]

And the new Animation courtyard can even feature or reference past Disney cartoons from the 1930's up to the 50's. Some of the Silly Symphony cartoons need some acknowledgment at WDW and HS would fit that location.

they could link the Animation courtyard back to the RNRC courtyad via a back corridor and recreate a whole Toontown setting... Making the Animation wing of the Studios feel more complete.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I have received info placing some doubt on this project.

 

[wdwgreek]

I have received info placing some doubt on this project.

I cannot express in words how much I adore the GMR, fingers crossed!

 

[rioriz]

I cannot express in words how much I adore the GMR, fingers crossed!

I have my finger wide open. Unless they are planning to update GMR then inactivity in my opinion is bad news. To Disney not moving forward on and update or replacement can mean years more of stagnation.

Don't get me wrong, I love GMR but casting doubt on the great mickey ride not happening may mean years stagnation. Unless Insiders say the Mickey ride will be placed somewhere else, I will be disappointed.

 

[FigmentForver96]

I have my finger wide open. Unless they are planning to update GMR then inactivity in my opinion is bad news. To Disney not moving forward on and update or replacement can mean years more of stagnation.

Don't get me wrong, I love GMR but casting doubt on the great mickey ride not happening may mean years stagnation. Unless Insiders say the Mickey ride will be placed somewhere else, I will be disappointed.

"Years stagnation" is a little untrue since the park has two themed lands lined up for opening. The park simply cannot take another attraction offline. That would leave four rides open...four.

 

[marni1971]

I have received info placing some doubt on this project.

Oh I hope so.