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

[MagicMouseFan]

This is such a gorgeous idea. There, now you set the bar of my expectations firmly up on the rooftop and I will be crushed and utterly mad at WDI if they fall any kind of short of your description!

If the Mickey ride can capture the magic of the PhilharMagic film, it will be awesome and a true centerpiece for what could become a great park.

 

[hopemax]

I've been behind in all the threads since to GOTG to DCA news broke. I feel like I've stopped caring. So I'm only on Page 17 of this thread, and seeing the news about Mickey Mouse.

I love Mickey Mouse, I think he has been under-utilized for a long time. But I can not be happy about this. I forgive it this sentiment has already been expressed by numerous people, but it's more than just losing the GMR for no good reason. It's still just the same thing that's happening all over. Universal concepts that touch the cornerstones of the human condition (like experiencing a really great movie, regardless of the studio who made it) being sacrificed so someone can try to leverage another IP brand. Mickey Mouse isn't chosen out of love, but because he is the foundation of the company so there HAS to be money to made from him somehow. That spot is the centerpiece of the park, he's not going there because it's an honor Mickey deserves, but because of a perception that that visitors today expect to see Disney characters everywhere in order for something to be "Disney."

More toonification and IP. This is all that is, and just because it's Mickey doesn't change it. It still demonstrates a lack of understanding on what the parks need and why they clicked for so many different types and ages of people. It feels like when a relationship is going sour, and instead of tackling the big issues causing problems, your partner presents you with a puppy. "How can you get upset at this? Puppies are cute, fun and make people smile. You love animals, this is me acknowledging who you are, how can that be wrong?"

 

[DisneyGentlemanV2.0]

I'm curious if there's any good way to repurpose the best GMR animatronics into a quiet little walk through attraction off to the side of Hollywood Blvd. Make it even MORE of a wax museum type of thing!

The Munkins will just be reskinned into mice...

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Wait... MMR... Working Title: Mickey Mouse Revue?

I was thinking Mickey's Movie Ride? Probably no where near the actual title but I think that makes the most sense on the abbreviation.

 

[DisneyManOne]

I'm scared.

I thought Disney's Hollywood Studios was supposed to be a tribute to all movies! Oh wait, we're currently in the midst of Iger and Chapek's tyranny. The only movies they care about are their own.

Sorry, I just had to vent. Honestly, this is not what DHS needs.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

From a business standpoint, I understand the change in direction. From a theme park fan standpoint, I wish they'd give Mickey his own attraction and update GMR.

 

[aladdin2007]

The Great Mickey Movie Ride (just playing, although...)

at one point wasn't there a proposed Mickey dark ride for magic kingdoms toontown before storybook circus?

 

[El Grupo]

I am excited to hear about the ride. However, as others have stated, I just wish it was an addition to the park, not the replacement of an existing attraction.

Please forgive the armchair imagineering, but I'd prefer to see it added to the Animation building with the Courtyard getting a Disney/Hyperion Studios makeover.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

The Great Mickey Movie Ride (just playing, although...)

at one point wasn't there a proposed Mickey dark ride for magic kingdoms toontown before storybook circus?

That was just mentioned on either this thread or another one that yes there was a proposed Mickey dark ride for Storybook Circus.

 

[*Q*]

My inside sources tell me that there are far reaching plans to close the Backlot area and replace it with two IP-driven lands, they were very tightlipped about which ones but hinted at one Marvel or LucasArts property, and one Pixar based.

I legit had to check the date on this three times to make sure I didn't end up in an old thread somehow.

Tower could stay, but I hear it will become just Tower of Terror. Same general story, just no Rod.

It's good that Disney will finally be getting out of the pocket of Big Rod.

My god, that's worse than the BAH.

Keep in mind that that was when it was planned for out in front of the park, not in the middle. I don't think anyone would have had a problem with it out there. Although I've always wondered how they were planning on handling admission to the ferris wheels, or if they were going to move the turnstiles up.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Didn't Universal have exclusivity on the combo 3d screen/trackless system though? I thought that was why Universal leaned on it so heavily in their parks.

The system used by The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Transformers: The Ride 3D is a unique design created by Universals Creative but there are similar alternatives commercially available to anyone such as Oceaneering's Evolution system.

My understanding, and may be incorrect, was that these are all sort of an evolution of each other. Starting with Energy (and GMR). Tower took it to the next level, but using the same (I believe) single wire guidance principle. (I know nothing about Kong, but I assume similar to GMR given the vehicle). Now, LPS (for Hunny Hunt, for example), is it still using location signals tracking from the floor to determine position, but without a single predetermined path. Or it is a truly different locating technology to determine position?

Skull Island: Reign of Kong is actually a true trackless system that uses Wi-Fi. There just isn't room to actually take advantage of that technology b

This is a bit concerning. I love Spiderman and Transformers in Uni but it always bothered me how similar they actually are. And they are in two different parks! I wonder if the similarity between the SW ride and the Mouse will be on that level as the two Uni rides? If so then having them literally next to each other will be a big downer.

They were never intended to exist within the same Resort. Being a deliberate plan would help ensure suitable differences.

 

[Cletus]

The system used by The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Transformers: The Ride 3D is a unique design created by Universals Creative but there are similar alternatives commercially available to anyone such as Oceaneering's Evolution system.

Sally Corp uses a similar vehicle design to Spider-Man and Transformers. They built Justice League at our STL Six Flags a couple of years ago. The movement isn't as great as those two rides mentioned but it's similar.

 

[Jones14]

I wonder if the new ride will fully utilize the show building. GMR is a long attraction, but it moves at a crawl and a decent chunk of it is spent stationary (gangster/cowboy, Oz, movie), so the faster moving vehicles paired with constant movement could be the culprits for the (relatively) short ride time as long as the building is being used to its full potential.

I'm sure insiders know this already, but I also wonder if this and Alcatraz are similar in layout. If they are, the similarities will hit hard; the biggest problem with Transformers is that it uses the exact same gags in a similar order as Spider-Man's.

 

[IMDREW]

OMG I love this mickey ride concept sooo much! If it will be like mystic manor it will be so great! @marni1971 do you think the chinese theatre should stay? Or do you prefer a new icon? Thanks for all your inside info btw! Usually I just scroll through these boards and only read your replies XD

 

[lazyboy97o]

Sally Corp uses a similar vehicle design to Spider-Man and Transformers. They built Justice League at our STL Six Flags a couple of years ago. The movement isn't as great as those two rides mentioned but it's similar.

View attachment 154469

Sally Corp. utilizes the Oceaneering EVO-6 ride system for Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. EVO-6 is intended for smaller parks/projects and is based on Evolution, which in turn was based on Oceaneering's work on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.

 

[dgp602]

@wdwmagic Should we start a thread on the new ride/replacement for the GMR? I want to read and enjoy the excitement of the Mickey Ride concept but it is hard to follow when woven into this thread....

 

[JohnD]

I have to say with the Mickey ride as the centerpiece I'm warming to the name "Mickey's Movieland" for the park.

 

[TalkingHead]

Good guess....
But, from what I know, the whole ride is a trip through Mickey's greatest(ish) hits.
A rare departure from the "something goes horribly wrong" template.

Shocking! Wonder if any effort will be made to link the scenes.

Secondary thought: Disney's done such a poor job keeping Mickey's classic short films in circulation on television and on DVD that most guests won't even recognize scenes from "The Band Concert" or whatever.

Actually, I'd be curious to know what modern-day Disneu considers Mickey's greatest moments... "Sorcerer" and..."Steamboat" and...?

 

[prberk]

From a business standpoint, I understand the change in direction. From a theme park fan standpoint, I wish they'd give Mickey his own attraction and update GMR.

Umm, since the business is a theme park, your second observation works for the first also. What works for the park works for the business. Sometimes the difference is only in long-term vs. short-sighted gain.

In this case, throwing a Mickey Mouse ride, however good, in a space that is meant to be the centerpiece of a park or land that celebrates the movies overall can be breaking theme and undermines the effect of the park overall.

 

[AshleyPureHeart]

It's sort of disappointing to see The Great Movie Ride go...since I rode it several times when I was younger. In my opinion, Hollywood Studios is the most "nolstalgic" out of the parks besides the Magic Kingdom. Although so much as changed, they have kept several experiences that were there, such as Muppet-Vision 3D, The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and of course, Fantasmic!

A Mickey Mouse ride sounds cool! If they plan on keeping the building, I have a feeling that this ride might be a Spaceship Earth-esque ride about Mickey Mouse and his friends telling the story of the history of Walt Disney and his legacy and possibly acting it out.

I know what you're thinking: "Hollywood Studios already has an exhibit on Walt Disney that is basically what you described, except with the 'Mickey Mouse and his friends acting out the history of Disney' part!" I am well aware of that, but over the past few months/years, there have been several clues that One Man's Dream may close soon, with the dead giveaway being the fact that the theater that used to show the movie about the history of Walt Disney is now showing previews for current Disney movies, such as the live-action remakes of The Jungle Book (when I visited, but I didn't actually see it since I thought it would be a waste of time) and Pete's Dragon. My theory is that One Man's Dream will close, and (this isn't likely) a majority of things in the exhibit may be moved to a post-attraction area or an area near the Mickey Mouse ride.