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

[GoofGoof]

I think it is actually more based on when the contract with TCM ends. What you are saying does make all kinds of sense, but if the contract expires before TSL, I don't think they have a choice but to close the attraction,. regardless of if they want to or not. @marni1971 @Lee do we have a date on this? Marie

I don't think the sponsorship really matters. They could easily take down the TCM signs and update the film or just go back to the old film. It would be negligible in cost.

I have no inside information whatsoever, but I don't believe they plan to close GMR before Toy Story Land or Star Wars Land open. It doesn't pass the common sense test. If they were willing to take an e-ticket down now at DHS we would be getting the Guardians of the Tower crap that's going to CA. It would be borderline criminal to keep charging full price for admission and we all know they won't discount tickets. I will be the first to admit it if I'm wrong on this but I'm pretty certain I won't have to.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I don't think the sponsorship really matters. They could easily take down the TCM signs and update the film or just go back to the old film. It would be negligible in cost.

I have no inside information whatsoever, but I don't believe they plan to close GMR before Toy Story Land or Star Wars Land open. It doesn't pass the common sense test. If they were willing to take an e-ticket down now at DHS we would be getting the Guardians of the Tower crap that's going to CA. It would be borderline criminal to keep charging full price for admission and we all know they won't discount tickets. I will be the first to admit it if I'm wrong on this but I'm pretty certain I won't have to.

Except too many decisions of late don't pass the common sense test.

 

[GoofGoof]

Except too many decisions of late don't pass the common sense test.

Agreed. I'm not even talking about the merits of the decision to replace or redo the ride. My only point is if the decision makers passed on Guardians of the Tower because they didn't want to lose an e-ticket at DHS then why would they close a different e-ticket.

 

[Cesar R M]

It makes perfect sense, therefore it will never happen..

Considering that almost all the changes in the park lately have been:

1. Knee Jerk reaction to something being popular and how these ip must be shoved anywhere at all costs (Star Wars, Avatar, Frozen, Marvel)
2. Cost Cut measures.

I agree 100% with you.

 

[comics101]

At this point anyone who is willing to pay full price to enter DHS is a fool. This really is kind of unbelievable...The craziest part about this whole thing is that the Magic of Disney Animation was replaced with Star Wars Launch Bay, which I assume will likely close after the Star Wars Land opens; it will certainly be obsolete. So what, is the building just going to sit empty like Studio 1 did for so many years? Will it be marked for a Phase II expansion that will never happen while one of the highest capacity dark rides ever constructed is gutted and replaced? How does any of this make sense? Is it really that much cheaper to retrofit an attraction into an existing warehouse than to tear down and construct another warehouse where the waste of space known as the Star Wars Launch Bay currently sits?
I do not understand this decision. Frankly I'm kind of in denial about the whole thing. I'm more than a little surprised at how many on this forum are so nonchalant about GMR's closing. This is an attraction that at one time was the pinnacle of Imagineering. When people asked about what made Disney special, GMR was my answer. It was the first theme park attraction to truly interact and involve the audience in a unique and immersive way. I'm really upset about this. For crying out loud, the entire park was conceived because of this ride! For a company supposedly so proud of its legacy, it's amazing how quickly it's willing to turn its back on it.

Edit: I have a question that I'm genuinely curious about: What do Imagineers think about these decisions? Do Imagineers propose locations, or do the powers-that-be say, "We want a GMR replacement, make something fit" or "The Living Seas is a super boring place, so you need to add Nemo ASAP"?
And wasn't Disney-MGM essentially Bob Weis' baby? I can't imagine he didn't have a large amount of input on the original GMR. Is he really indifferent on the changes being made to this park? Why doesn't he stand up and say, "Hey guys, cut it out. This is a stupid idea?"

 

[V_L_Raptor]

Edit: I have a question that I'm genuinely curious about: What do Imagineers think about these decisions? Do Imagineers propose locations, or do the powers-that-be say, "We want a GMR replacement, make something fit" or "The Living Seas is a super boring place, so you need to add Nemo ASAP"?
And wasn't Disney-MGM essentially Bob Weis' baby? I can't imagine he didn't have a large amount of input on the original GMR. Is he really indifferent on the changes being made to this park? Why doesn't he stand up and say, "Hey guys, cut it out. This is a stupid idea?"

A friend of mine who worked for a while in WDW Reservations described the executive/managerial mentality as "Disagree and disappear." Apply it however you might like to this case.

 

[clemmo]

A friend of mine who worked for a while in WDW Reservations described the executive/managerial mentality as "Disagree and disappear." Apply it however you might like to this case.

Or as the trolls in maelstrom put it disappear, disappear! Do they also happen to send them back back over the falls if they disagree?

 

[marni1971]

You don't have to answer if you cannot, but have you heard any talks of it replacing something else and not just GMR?

I haven't.

 

[RoysCabin]

The more I see about the apparent lack of forethought involved here, the weirder this all seems. Like everyone seems to be saying, with Star Wars and Toy Story seemingly so far behind, why close a high capacity 20+ minute cornerstone attraction so far in advance of their openings, particularly with plenty of other options for locations for a Mickey Mouse ride, and while hinting that you may wish to close down the park's most popular attraction in ToT to potentially give it an unasked for overlay, also before Star Wars and Toy Story open?

I was born in '85, so the Studios have a place in my heart; it was fun, as one of those spoiled kids who got to go to WDW each year, to watch the park grow, and it created a decent attachment for me. But yeah, I can't blame anybody who wouldn't pay to visit for the next good while, until all the new concepts are finally constructed. Back in 2013 my girlfriend and I realized there was a problem when we went to Studios one day on a slightly late start (maybe more like 10am than 9), did nearly everything available to us (and this is when the Backlot Tour was still open!), and were safely able to call it a day by around the 3pm hour. By our next trip in 2015, we willfully skipped out on park hoppers, just couldn't be asked to pay so much extra to just for really one morning's worth of time at Studios. Honestly made me sad, and I really hope they're reconsidering some decisions here before SW and TS open up; I want to get back down some time in 2017, but it once again seems like a park hopper wouldn't be a worthwhile investment with Studios in the shape it's in.

 

[Figment2005]

Princess Fairytale Hall is NOT an attraction...it is a diversion for those who like Meet & Greets, but certainly not an attraction... When they built Hong Kong Disneyland , they went out of their way to say how much the Chinese loved Meet And Greets, so they left out many of the classic attractions that should have been built with the park... The result? WRONG! they immediately had to start building attractions to fill in the park... I know people like meeting the characters, but it would be nice if we didn't have to choose between haiving character meeting opportunities and actual rides in the park... and when the ride count has decreased since 1979, it is hard to call a Princess Hug Zone an "attraction"...

But in the literal sense it attracts people therefore it is an attraction.

 

[zengoth]

But in the literal sense it attracts people therefore it is an attraction.

If we were still on the old ticket system, would a M&G even garner more than an "A" ticket?

 

[harryk]

What with all the advances in production abilities that have happened in the motion picture industry, I find it sad that instead of adding vignettes to the GMR similar to the Oz sequence and gangster sequence - there has been a decision to close it. Maybe they have some spectacular idea with which to replace it. But the whole idea of the park was to tell the story of movie industry and demonstrate to the public how it was done - what happed to that?

 

[Figment2005]

If we were still on the old ticket system, would a M&G even garner more than an "A" ticket?

Probably not

 

[Bocabear]

If we were still on the old ticket system, would a M&G even garner more than an "A" ticket?

Well in the good old days of tickets, if they did try and charge a tocket to meet the characters, there would have been an outcry from the public... Even "If You Had Wings" was free...how could they charge for characters which were then considered park entertainment and enhancement...

 

[KDM31091]

Without reading 65+ pages, can anyone corroborate the rumor that the facade/building itself will be kept for the new attraction? Or are we looking at a complete demo? I've heard some rumors that the facade would remain, just the attraction gutted.

As sad as it is, unfortunately, the park has been going through an identity crisis/transformation and the ride doesn't make as much sense with the new direction of the park.

That said, I think the distinct ideas behind each park are starting to all sort of blend together. Essentially, almost every new attraction built now is based upon a movie, and it doesn't seem to matter which park or area of park it's in.

 

[danlb_2000]

The more I see about the apparent lack of forethought involved here, the weirder this all seems. Like everyone seems to be saying, with Star Wars and Toy Story seemingly so far behind, why close a high capacity 20+ minute cornerstone attraction so far in advance of their openings, particularly with plenty of other options for locations for a Mickey Mouse ride, and while hinting that you may wish to close down the park's most popular attraction in ToT to potentially give it an unasked for overlay, also before Star Wars and Toy Story open?
.

The answer to this is pretty simple, nothing they have closed so far has hit them in the pocket book, so they will continue to me short sighted decisions until that happens.

 

[Mike S]

Well in the good old days of tickets, if they did try and charge a tocket to meet the characters, there would have been an outcry from the public... Even "If You Had Wings" was free...how could they charge for characters which were then considered park entertainment and enhancement...

I believe that the reason If You Had Wings was free was because it had a sponsor. I think the same was true for CoP.

 

[ToTBellHop]

The answer to this is pretty simple, nothing they have closed so far has hit them in the pocket book, so they will continue to me short sighted decisions until that happens.

It is unfortunate that they always move at a glacial pace. They announced TSL a year ago. There is no reason it shouldn't be within a year of opening, which would have been at a reasonable time to close GMR for this project. Thank goodness Star Tours and Indy will stay open for the time-being, at least.

 

[DinoInstitute]

It is unfortunate that they always move at a glacial pace. They announced TSL a year ago. There is no reason it shouldn't be within a year of opening, which would have been at a reasonable time to close GMR for this project. Thank goodness Star Tours and Indy will stay open for the time-being, at least.

Considering BLT closed almost 2 years ago at that point, and the fact that Toy Story Land isn't really like Star Wars with anything too extravagant or groundbreaking, it really should be opening around now, end of this year latest. It's very frustrating!

As sad as it is, unfortunately, the park has been going through an identity crisis/transformation and the ride doesn't make as much sense with the new direction of the park.

I would argue the opposite. The new direction of the park is that it's going away from the "working studio" theme (hence why LMA and BLT didn't fit anymore), and more about going on an adventure into the movies and Hollywood. This ride has pretty much the same premise of the park, all wrapped into one central, main attraction. I think the idea of GMR fits very well, if not better than ever.

 

[wdwgreek]

The great movie ride is a classic, you don't have to know the movies referenced to get the idea. Movies are exciting movies are adventurous and with movies the boundaries are boundless. The park is becoming a hodgepodge of different IP's. The ride pulls them all together and grounds them under the idea movies are amazing, here at DHS experience the movies.