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

[Figment Newton]

Zootopia has next to nothing to do with the natural world.

Yes, I agree it is my least favorite option Disney could use mainly because it has not had the chance to stand the test of time as more classic Disney Titles have. But seeing as how Disney loves fitting there recent IP in the park, I could see an area with the different climates in a small city-like area like how the movie has the tundra, rainforest, desert, etc as different parts of Zootopia.

Now, even though they don't fit into Disney's recent formula of making an experience/land centered around a marketable IP, I would much rather see a well done dark ride of Bambi and/or Jungle Book as they do fit better as examples of more "real" nature, as opposed to a more fictional representation of nature evolved beyond current day (Predators and Prey live together in peace). Zootopia was just another Disney cartoon that might work, but not quite as strongly.

Getting back to the main topic, here's hoping that GMR somehow stays (and improves in tech standards) for two reasons. First, I love the ride and agree with the idea that it is DHS's Castle or Spaceship Earth, but also bc Mickey would be a great addition to Animation Courtyard and a much more perfect fit.

 

[JustInTime]

Not every show in DHS is Phantom. Look at Fantasmic's demand over the years. We are down to one show nightly in the summer.

That has nothing to do with demand. That is cost cutting. Everyone loves Fantasmic and the crowds for the one showing are always disastrously huge. Even causing capacity issues.

 

[TabulaRasa]

IMO, Disney needs to get more guests visiting the other parks and away from MK since it's always overcrowded...having a big Mickey ride in DHS will definitely help do that

And I don't disagree with that at all. I just don't want it in DHS at the expense of Great Movie Ride.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

But the expansion rush and hugely extended hours for its early years suggest many guests fitted the bill.

And the fact that studios didn't want to make movies there, making the studio tour lose its relevance.

 

[marni1971]

And the fact that studios didn't want to make movies there, making the studio tour lose its relevance.

In all fairness for the first few years DMGM was a viable production center. It was really in the early 90s they - and MCA - found customers weren't knocking down the door to come in.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

In all fairness for the first few years DMGM was a viable production center. It was really in the early 90s they - and MCA - found customers weren't knocking down the door to come in.

Ironic now that neighbouring Georgia is a major production centre for film and television.

I blame the then Florida state government for not doing more to incentivize it.

 

[jt04]

Yes, I agree it is my least favorite option Disney could use mainly because it has not had the chance to stand the test of time as more classic Disney Titles have. But seeing as how Disney loves fitting there recent IP in the park, I could see an area with the different climates in a small city-like area like how the movie has the tundra, rainforest, desert, etc as different parts of Zootopia.

Now, even though they don't fit into Disney's recent formula of making an experience/land centered around a marketable IP, I would much rather see a well done dark ride of Bambi and/or Jungle Book as they do fit better as examples of more "real" nature, as opposed to a more fictional representation of nature evolved beyond current day (Predators and Prey live together in peace). Zootopia was just another Disney cartoon that might work, but not quite as strongly.

Getting back to the main topic, here's hoping that GMR somehow stays (and improves in tech standards) for two reasons. First, I love the ride and agree with the idea that it is DHS's Castle or Spaceship Earth, but also bc Mickey would be a great addition to Animation Courtyard and a much more perfect fit.

I am not at all sure they will keep the Animation Courtyard or the concept that was as the park is reinvented. And that is a good thing in my opinion.

 

[jt04]

And I don't disagree with that at all. I just don't want it in DHS at the expense of Great Movie Ride.

Like those that hated the closing old PI and the idea of Avatars at DAK, most have embraced what replaced them. Same for DHS 2.0. It should be amazing in my opinion.

 

[tirian]

Zootopia has next to nothing to do with the natural world.

Says the guy who's okay with putting cartoons in Epcot.


(Dirty secret: I think COP is hopelessly outdated and needs a complete overhaul, so I'm kidding, not judging.)

 

[ChrisFL]

And I don't disagree with that at all. I just don't want it in DHS at the expense of Great Movie Ride.

Fully understandable

 

[marni1971]

I am not at all sure they will keep the Animation Courtyard or the concept that was as the park is reinvented. And that is a good thing in my opinion.

You keep basing your opinion on the park being reinvented and reimagined. Nice words.
Good luck with that.

 

[jt04]

You keep basing your opinion on the park being reinvented and reimagined. Nice words.
Good luck with that.

Thanks. Clearly they are evolving away from being a working studio. Now it is just a matter of time before Imagineering creates a new plan.

And if they can't then I can buckle into the armchair and help with the inspiration part.

 

[marni1971]

And if they can't then I can buckle into the armchair and help with the inspiration part.

 

[networkpro]

In all fairness for the first few years DMGM was a viable production center. It was really in the early 90s they - and MCA - found customers weren't knocking down the door to come in.

Just look how the film production numbers have changed since then. Last year there were more movies produced in Georgia than California.

 

[Goob]

Madea's gotta keep feeding Tyler Perry.

 

[cheezbat]

DHS is VERY stale in the show aspect. How old is Indy, Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast? None have been updated, and it shows. Now since the park opened they added Hunchback(now long gone), Lights Motors Action(also long gone), Frozen sing Along(what a joke compared to Anaheim's), and Playhouse Disney/Disney Jr...


So we still have five shows plus Fantasmic nightly, but nothing really to write home about. If these show were updated every few years or completely replaced the park may have a better reputation. People are used to parks having RIDES. It doesn't matter what your focus is, if you don't have enough rides, it's going to hurt your reputation. As a passholder, I can only watch those shows every so often. Star Tours, Toy Story Mania, Tower, GMR, and RnRC, are not enough to consider this a full day park.

 

[Marlins1]

Why then did it get the reputation of a half day park? If I might venture a guess it is because there were very many people that where ride oriented and didn't stay for the shows. I was one that thought of it as a half day, but, it wasn't because there wasn't enough to do, it was because, at the time, I had kids that weren't into shows and being on their feet that many hours. (Oh, and a wife that was that way too.) So I always considered it a half day. Did the highlights and hopped to MK or Epcot or DTD for the rest of the day. It just didn't have the holding power over time. Whatever the case it was widely regarded as not an evening park by a lot of people.

I think a good mix of rides is an essential part of a quality theme park experience. For me a great park needs a good mix of scenery and theming, rides, food, shows and cool areas to explore. AK now fits the bill, MK always has. Epcot does but it certainly needs some refreshing. HS never has filled the bill for me especially when it first opened. Even the early rides like GMR and BLT played like shows to me. They were not bad and I enjoyed them along with the shows as a standalone but the whole package was incomplete.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I think a good mix of rides is an essential part of a quality theme park experience. For me a great park needs a good mix of scenery and theming, rides, food, shows and cool areas to explore. AK now fits the bill, MK always has. Epcot does but it certainly needs some refreshing. HS never has filled the bill for me especially when it first opened. Even the early rides like GMR and BLT played like shows to me. They were not bad and I enjoyed them along with the shows as a standalone but the whole package was incomplete.

That's how I feel about Universal Studios. (Not Islands of Adventure)

Both Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios just seemed, thematically, overall bland and the same throughout the entire park. It was an easy way to save money on creating amazing elaborate theming such as Harry Potter Land... They're starting to get on the right track at both parks. HS has immersive themed lands like Toy Story and Star Wars coming.. And Universal (sort of) did that with The Simpsons, and now has the other new HP land.

It's much better... Because it doesn't feel like the same thing throughout the entire park. It's a refresh every time you enter a new land. That's what makes Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom and Islands of Adventure so effective.

I WILL say that Universal is SEVERELY lacking shows now... I thought HS had a good mix of shows and rides, though. To be honest. As well as Animal Kingdom. Epcot does if you include streetmosphere... I'd love some more stage shows at MK

 

[Marlins1]

Agreed - great post. HS became better with TOT and RNRC but rides were seriously lacking in the early days and family rides still are. I think the new lands help to address that. IOA is a great park but you are right no worthwhile shows makes it feel incomplete. The studio look at both HS and UO was always unappealing to me - too many warehouses. That is what real studios look like but that doesn't mean it looks good.

 

[Goofyernmost]

With so many theatre based attractions when it opened - which partly led to issues later on - the park didn't pretend to be anything it wasn't.

Much like EPCOT Center you needed more than one brain cell to appreciate Disney MGM when it opened. But the expansion rush and hugely extended hours for its early years suggest many guests fitted the bill.

So what is it pretending to be now? They haven't said, we are only speculating and our opinions on these things are notoriously, for lack of a better word, crazy. Any new thing will attract an initial crowd or marketing, which was much different at the time, may have been trying to create the demand after the initial excitement started to wear off.