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

[MKCP 1985]

That Munchkinland scene will be missed. The attraction as a whole has some misses, but the Wicked Witch is one of my favorite experiences in any park. It makes me a little sad to think it will go away and won't exist anywhere anymore.

 

[DznyRktekt]

Yes they do, but they also offer a lot of other attractions for events so they would likely be able to sell a different location to anyone interested in GMR .

http://disneyeventgroup.com/section...s-hollywood-studios/great-movie-ride/#media-0

Followed the link and looked at other venues. How Magical the WOL lounge looks, lol. Other spaces are beautiful, but this one is interesting.. http://disneyeventgroup.com/sections/disney-park-events/epcot/wonders-retreat/#media-0

 

[rnese]

Since the conversation has shifted from TMC not renewing it's contract, to Mickey taking over the theatre, to adding Australia to AK or EPCOT...shheesh. I'm sure I forgot something.
Anyway, this has been (imo) the best thread since the D23 SWL announcement. Lots of great info and ideas being shared. AND... everyone 's been respectful and cordial to one another .
So since we're all over the board here, allow me to take a stab at it. This is merely a "jumping off point".
1. Love the idea of a Mickey ride. Not sure how I feel about GMT leaving though. I love classic attractions (HoP, CoP, IASW, etc., )because to me they are what originally set Disney apart. I have two elementary school aged boys and I always tell them how America was blown away by the animatronics in HoP and CoP when they opened.
2. RnRC is fine. There are SO MANY bigger fish to fry than retheming that.
3. Expand the plan for TSL to a full Pixar Place. Bring Monster LF over there.
4. Add Incredibles and Wall-E attractions to Tomorrowland, replacing LF and Stitch.
5. Update Speedway. Give it quieter, electric cars. Build ON TOP OF a huge portion of the track. On the sides of the "tunnels" there can be screens of Tomorrowland the movie. Just the landscape, giving riders the impression they're in a futuristic grand Prix. Now you have the ability to build another attraction (or at least a loading station and queue) on the 2nd floor. Hmm...
6. In EPCOT, turn UoE into Horizons 2.0! Same basic story as Horizons was, just updated. KEEP CHARACTERS OUT OF EPCOT!
7. Update Imagination.
8. Build a new WED-Way Peoplemover using MAGLEV technology in Future world. Make it functional as well, having two stations. Make Future world look more futuristic.

Done and done! Shouldn't cost much, but I'd spend about ten days at the resort!

 

[seabreezept813]

The new attraction will sadly also have plenty of comparable space for wine and dining.

That's too bad..we would never have considered doing a private party because we had a very inexpensive wedding (weekday, only 10 people). But if I had endless finances, I would think that wining and dining in classic Hollywood attractions is a little more romantic or just provides a more mature setting, rather than amidst Mickey's world.

 

[seabreezept813]

It's been mentioned, yes. Grrrrr.

The more I hear, the more I think they should have just left the park alone..The only thing that sounds promising from any of the plans is the Mickey ride, which would mean destroying an even better ride. Star Tours was definately enough Star Wars for me, and Toy Story already seems well represented. And besides the obvious Star Wars fans, I'm genuinely confused who their target audience is supposed to be.

 

[RobbinsDad]

The more I hear, the more I think they should have just left the park alone..The only thing that sounds promising from any of the plans is the Mickey ride, which would mean destroying an even better ride. Star Tours was definately enough Star Wars for me, and Toy Story already seems well represented. And besides the obvious Star Wars fans, I'm genuinely confused who their target audience is supposed to be.

Don't underestimate the power of the force (you hyperdrove right into that one).

 

[flynnibus]

I would think they would use Star Tours as a sort of entry into the whole Star Wars land... take your Star Tours shuttle and arrive on a different planet... But how would they reroute the exit to make it all connect...

Hydroladers all over again...

 

[admiral-ari-x]

He was President of the Disneyland Resort following the dismissal of Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harris. He cleaned up the mess that was the Resort and guided the 50th celebration into something worthwhile. He was pushed out of edit after making it clear that he wanted his boss Jay Rasulo, a man with an open contempt for theme parks, out and himself made Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. After a brief stint at Starwood, Ouimet is now the current CEO of Cedar Fair.

I thought his name sounded familiar! He's been doing some great things for Cedar Point and the other Cedar Fair parks, and you can tell he loves the parks and always gets involved. I can only imagine how amazing Disney would be if he were appointed chairman...

 

[ProjectXBlog]

funny how DHS's twenties are as terrible & garbage-filled as any human's

 

[Phil12]

Example: if someone has the opinion that the earth is flat, that reveals their true knowledge.

Which is what @marni1971 was getting at.

Resorting to insults? No, he was discounting another poster's opinion in favor of his own based upon his own superior and undisclosed knowledge. The problem is opinion and fact are difficult to discern since "experts" here have such a loaded agenda.

 

[Phil12]

That Munchkinland scene will be missed. The attraction as a whole has some misses, but the Wicked Witch is one of my favorite experiences in any park. It makes me a little sad to think it will go away and won't exist anywhere anymore.

That's an excellent observation! It also points out how poor the rest of the ride is (was). John Wayne looks like he's got a broomstick running up his back to hold him on his horse. Clint Eastwood doesn't look like the man with no name. Tarzan looks terrible and the other animatronics look like they were made from left over store mannequins.

 

[Huggups]

Sounds not bad surprisingly. Any chance this will include kind of a tribute to Walt?

Wow! A dream come true but I can't get too greedy.

 

[MinnieM123]

.While I would like an Australia section which has been rumored for more than a decade, there are other places to put it....How about the whole Conservation Station area? Actually make that train ride a journey to someplace amazing...

That's still closing an attraction to make a new area. You might not particularly care for that area, but some do. I personally had a blast petting the goats. Goats are chill.

One of the reasons why I like the Conservation Station is because it's low-key and educational, and this type of attraction adds some balance to headliner attractions in the park. (I love AK park by the way.) And as Matt shared, "Goats are chill."

@Bocabear , last year, I was lucky enough to see the vet taking care of one of the tigers in the medical room, inside the Conservation Station (it's the room with the large glass windows that guests can observe exams and/or procedures). The tiger's ear had been damaged in a fight with another tiger. The tiger was under anesthesia and laying on the exam table. It was fascinating to watch how the vet took care of the animal. Due to its size, there were quite a few people assisting the vet. So, in my opinion, it's this type of experience that I don't think I could easily find anywhere else, (let alone a theme park) and that's why I like the various options offered at AK, and don't want to see any of them replaced.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

What ever happens I just want well executed and well maintained rides/parks.

 

[V_L_Raptor]

One of the reasons why I like the Conservation Station is because it's low-key and educational, and this type of attraction adds some balance to headliner attractions in the park. (I love AK park by the way.) And as Matt shared, "Goats are chill."

@Bocabear , last year, I was lucky enough to see the vet taking care of one of the tigers in the medical room, inside the Conservation Station (it's the room with the large glass windows that guests can observe exams and/or procedures). The tiger's ear had been damaged in a fight with another tiger. The tiger was under anesthesia and laying on the exam table. It was fascinating to watch how the vet took care of the animal. Due to its size, there were quite a few people assisting the vet. So, in my opinion, it's this type of experience that I don't think I could easily find anywhere else, (let alone a theme park) and that's why I like the various options offered at AK, and don't want to see any of them replaced.

Hear, hear.

Very few facilities offer that kind of view of animal care, and I wish more people could understand just what it takes to provide care to wild animals before they consider having the kinds of ugly encounters that happen all to often (like at Busch Gardens Tampa a few days ago, f'r'instance). There's also something to be said for going just with goats and farm stock for the petting zoo, as opposed to generally bringing out exotic critters for guests to touch. Conservation Station gets the point across that the animals aren't really there for us to push, pull, and pet for our own personal joys. I was very impressed by the docents' reptile handling, too. I can remember plenty of displays over the years that didn't include having people clean their hands with sanitizer before or after handling/touching a snake, but the people at Conservation Station were very good about enforcing that, and they were on point with discussing the animals' biology and behavior to guests who might be terrified of the little noodle snoot on view. When I compare that to the animal education at some other theme parks (and zoos!), AK is pretty excellent.

 

[DinoInstitute]

One of the reasons why I like the Conservation Station is because it's low-key and educational, and this type of attraction adds some balance to headliner attractions in the park. (I love AK park by the way.) And as Matt shared, "Goats are chill."

@Bocabear , last year, I was lucky enough to see the vet taking care of one of the tigers in the medical room, inside the Conservation Station (it's the room with the large glass windows that guests can observe exams and/or procedures). The tiger's ear had been damaged in a fight with another tiger. The tiger was under anesthesia and laying on the exam table. It was fascinating to watch how the vet took care of the animal. Due to its size, there were quite a few people assisting the vet. So, in my opinion, it's this type of experience that I don't think I could easily find anywhere else, (let alone a theme park) and that's why I like the various options offered at AK, and don't want to see any of them replaced.

I personally appreciate what Rafkiki's Planet Watch has to offer, though I don't go often just because it doesn't feel like the rest of DAK to me. Like, it seems like the one area that actually does kinda feel like a zoo, probably just because it's for the most part unthemed. I would probably like it more if they themed it to be some sort of different town in Africa that you take the train from Harambe from or something like that, I just don't actually like the way the land is set up and feels. Again, like you said it's a nice, low-key, simple and educational spot, which is great, but that's just what I think about the land as a whole.

 

[Biff215]

I personally appreciate what Rafkiki's Planet Watch has to offer, though I don't go often just because it doesn't feel like the rest of DAK to me. Like, it seems like the one area that actually does kinda feel like a zoo, probably just because it's for the most part unthemed. I would probably like it more if they themed it to be some sort of different town in Africa that you take the train from Harambe from or something like that, I just don't actually like the way the land is set up and feels. Again, like you said it's a nice, low-key, simple and educational spot, which is great, but that's just what I think about the land as a whole.

I agree with what you're saying, but it's difficult given that you pass the various animal areas from the Safari. You are literally backstage, and they don't try to hide that. That's also why I can't see how Rafiki's could be used for expansion without some serious changes to the animal facilities.

It's not my favorite area of AK, but my kids enjoy it and it's well done IMO.

How does this relate to GMR again?

 

[Cesar R M]

Please. If they added a Jamaica Pavilion, I think we can all guess the ride....

frigging movie was gold!

 

[Cesar R M]

Example: if someone has the opinion that the earth is flat, that reveals their true knowledge.

Which is what @marni1971 was getting at.

Agree.
Like DeGrasse Said, it doesn't matter what your opinion things.. science facts still remain the same.
If someone still thinks the sun is the universe's center..he is free to be stupid.

 

[doctornick]

The more I hear, the more I think they should have just left the park alone..The only thing that sounds promising from any of the plans is the Mickey ride, which would mean destroying an even better ride. Star Tours was definately enough Star Wars for me, and Toy Story already seems well represented. And besides the obvious Star Wars fans, I'm genuinely confused who their target audience is supposed to be.

People who like theme parks with more than 5 rides?