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

[Magenta Panther]

I've already gotten dibs on the Aliens.

Getting the last ride on Energy is more important to me. Just booked my GMR fastpass for 11:10 AM.

Aren't you acting a bit high and mighty for someone that loves Disney enough to join a forum completely dedicated to it? We're all Disney geeks here.

Get off your high horse.

Speaking of horses, I want John Wayne's from GMR, since we're all having silly dreams here.

 

[Mike S]

So you really think that devastated is a proper way to feel about a theme park attraction? Why do you think that’s high and mighty of me?

Yes, I love Disney, but I would never be devastated by any attraction being changed, regardless of how much I enjoy it.

And that's you. Not other people.

 

[CanadianGordon]

I'm saddened that they couldn't have done an update. It's a loss. So long Hollywood Studios. Hello whatever the heck you will be.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

I'm glad I was able to ride GMR one last time this year, although it was probably one of the strangest experiences I've had on the attraction. Our vehicle got stuck in the load area, and when we finally did get moving, the music had stopped playing. Even our host said how it was awkward since he had nothing to say. Once we got into the first scene everything was working fine, but then the AAs in the Singing in the Rain and Mary Poppins scenes must have finished their sequence and froze. After that everything was fine, I guess the timing just got messed up at the beginning.

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

I'm devastated too. GMR was one of my all time favorites. It was the main reason for me to go to DHS. So bummed about losing it.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I wanted to see Fantasia Centaurs as Animantronics

But maybe not Sunflower, eh?

 

[KBLovedDisney]

I'm glad I was able to ride GMR one last time this year, although it was probably one of the strangest experiences I've had on the attraction. Our vehicle got stuck in the load area, and when we finally did get moving, the music had stopped playing. Even our host said how it was awkward since he had nothing to say. Once we got into the first scene everything was working fine, but then the AAs in the Singing in the Rain and Mary Poppins scenes must have finished their sequence and froze. After that everything was fine, I guess the timing just got messed up at the beginning.

Wow. Even the ride is sad

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Ugh. Why couldn't TDC put all of their update/refurb focus on Epcot aside from HS?...Just makes no sense.

"Devastate them with this, but surprise them with that"...That really didn't work in the past Disney, just so you know. We all still miss Horizons!

 

[Herbie]

"Devastate them with this, but surprise them with that"...That really didn't work in the past Disney, just so you know. We all still miss Horizons!

I'm sure it was definitely a conscious decision to avoid mentioning where the ride was going at the presentation.

 

[raymusiccity]

Speaking of horses, I want John Wayne's from GMR, since we're all having silly dreams here.

I wouldn't be so quick to start writing off all of the 'AA's' and huge set pieces. Goofy's runaway train just might go bursting through some 'back lot sets' ala Jerry Lewis's 'The Errand Boy' movie!

 

[Movielover]

Oh, I can certainly see someone being sad or disappointed in this change - but devastated?? No one should be that tied into any theme park attraction - especially when Walt stated that the parks are ever changing - to be devastated by a loss of one of the attractions. It should have been replaced a decade ago.

You should go read the crazies over on Micechat, I thought they were going to burn Disneyland to the ground and crucify the Imagineers when TOT was closed...

 

[L.C. Clench]

If this ride is nothing more than a glorified simulator I'm going to lose it.

Is there any indication it will be more than that or even that fancy? Im getting the impression it's Na'vi River without the water and animatronics. Probably maintain the same track path and just go spot to spot watching mediocre animation.

 

[neoshinok]

I have an odd desire to see the backstage path that the guide takes when they leave the vehicle and get in position to return in the Indiana Jones scene. I know there's nothing magical backstage but I'd like to see the process. Is there a video of such a thing? Hopefully a CM will document backstage before it's gone, even if they can't post the video while they're still working there. I actually had hoped to guide this attraction someday just to see their routine. I'm fascinated by things like the pics leading to Tinkerbell's flight from the castle and the video of how the spikes are triggered in the Indiana Jones stunt show.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It's pretty obvious Disney is going to keep sabotaging their rides (canceling maintenance, letting animatronics and effects stay broken, etc.) in order to get public opinion against those rides so that they can replace them with "highly rated" rides that are shorter, tied to an IP and cost less to operate because no sets or AAs since it's projections. This is a really disgusting practice and I hope more people get hip to this and complain.

Great Movie Ride and Universe of Energy could have easily been refurbished with new videos, better AAs, a new story, etc even shortened a bit of need be or made more exciting for a modest budget a decade ago but Disney refused same with Maelstrom. This is a game to get rid of AA heavy richly themed attractions that cost more and aren't able to sell as many toys, shirts and DVDs and don't serve as advertisements for film sequels.

I can tell you right now Journey into Imagination and COPs days are numbered if we don't start letter writing and voting with our wallets now. Maybe even Spaceship earth too.

In what warped universe is the construction of $200,000,000 e-tickets "saving" any money? How long do you think GMR would need to be run instead to cost $200,000,000? With the tech they are developing for this ride, it will be quite costly to maintain. How much does it cost to have stagnant mannequins on an enormous wedding cake with bubbles?

We may disagree with some of the choices announced Saturday, but they are certainly not pinching pennies in Florida. They are making a conscious decision to build new, flashy, extremely-expensive rides that will have extremely-high guest-approval ratings. And to hell with the original themes of the parks.

To be fair, they are building 5-minute rides instead of 20-minute rides because guests complain when rides are "too long" and they just watch whatever is on their phones instead. Like it or not, that's reality. They are giving us what we (or most of us) want. Have you seen the response to Mission Breakout?

As for corporate synergy, it's reached unprecedented levels but was always present. The parks were always meant to drive interest in the studio and vice-versa. That's why Sleeping Beauty Castle was Sleeping Beauty Castle years before Sleeping Beauty was a Disney film. What is different is that Disney is scooping up IPs like MARVEL now instead of fairy tales and Mary Poppins. At least the ride discussed in this particular thread is an actual, original theme park attraction not directly tied to a film.

 

[marni1971]

Is there any indication it will be more than that or even that fancy? Im getting the impression it's Na'vi River without the water and animatronics. Probably maintain the same track path and just go spot to spot watching mediocre animation.

Everything beyond present load will be removed.

 

[PrincessJulia1207]

To be fair, they are building 5-minute rides instead of 20-minute rides because guests complain when rides are "too long" and they just watch whatever is on their phones instead. Like it or not, that's reality. They are giving us what we (or most of us) want. Have you seen the response to Mission Breakout?

thats's actually the saddest thing i ever heard lol
plus idk about everyone else but if im gonna spend a considerable amount of time waiting on a line, id definitely want the ride to last longer than 5 minutes...

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I will miss the ride,I guess I am ok with putting in something new, but it's a shame since this ride seems like the type that could be constantly updated and made better(heck there are two tracks, close one down while you update the other every so often) and this ride was about as close to a "classic" that Hollywood studios had. Finally, the timing of the closing seems really bad(though this has to do with movie contracts etc, though I am sure it could have been extended a little longer), there is so much construction already at the studios, I see no point in anyone setting foot in the place for the next year, and taking away yet another attraction only reinforces that.

 

[ToTBellHop]

thats's actually the saddest thing i ever heard lol
plus idk about everyone else but if im gonna spend a considerable amount of time waiting on a line, id definitely want the ride to last longer than 5 minutes...

And yet they managed to stretch Maelstrom an extra 40 seconds or so, leaving it barely above 5 minutes, and folks were happy.

In comparison, Mickey will be luxurious at 7-8 minutes.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

SGE stays for now but GMR abruptly goes. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this, seriously?

 

[PrincessJulia1207]

SGE stays for now but GMR abruptly goes. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this, seriously?