Disney-Pixar Studios Theme Park?

[Lee]

The size of the original 2-part tour was immense. It took a good 90 minutes to 2 hours.

...and was the best thing in the park.
How's this for feeling like a studio:
-Seeing the wardrobe dept. actually making costumes for a film.
-Watching actors loop dialog in the recording room.
-Watching a director cut his film in the editing suite.
-Watching Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding shoot a scene for "Instinct".

The original Studios rocked! If we could have kept that aspect and added Sunset....nirvana!

 

[Figments Friend]

Yeah i agree that the "original" Studios had a lot more going for it then it does now.

I remember the original BackLot tour, and the walkthrough sections...

I also remember the greatness that was the Animation Tour. Man how i miss that...

 

[CubsRock]

You all are just looking for things to complain about.

I Agree. People on this site can be so negative. Change is nessesary. SOMETIMES CHANGE IS GOOD!

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Remember when MGM had actual celebrities as grand marshalls of the parade? They published when and where celebrities would sign autographs. That made the place very unique - I'm sure they could do it again.

 

[sbkline]

I thought I read somewhere a while back that Disney's contract with MGM is either up, or soon will be, and it will not be renewed...meaning that Disney MUST drop the MGM name out of its title. Is that true?

 

[Epcot82Guy]

...and was the best thing in the park.
How's this for feeling like a studio:
-Seeing the wardrobe dept. actually making costumes for a film.
-Watching actors loop dialog in the recording room.
-Watching a director cut his film in the editing suite.
-Watching Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding shoot a scene for "Instinct".

The original Studios rocked! If we could have kept that aspect and added Sunset....nirvana!

In a weird way, it was very EPCOT Center-ish. I agree that the concept has changed drastically. Some for the good, some for the worse. I think MGM started out lacking smaller things to do. You had a few signature attractions that were truly that, but it needed finishing out. However, the "modern guest" has a short attention span, and Disney is doing everything it can to lessen it further (unless it involves shopping in a gift shop).

I find it interesting how the elements of these two parks have sort of devolved in similar ways into the thematic mess they are in now. Both have such huge potential along multiple directions, but none are being utilized. The "guests don't care about overall theme. They don't notice" is so much more pervasive than I ever dreamed possible.

 

[marni1971]

I Agree. People on this site can be so negative. Change is nessesary. SOMETIMES CHANGE IS GOOD!

Sometimes it is... loosing Theatre of the Stars mk1 for Sunset for example. Loosing The Walt Disney Theatre to Here Come the Muppets.

On June 22nd 1990 my dad took us to the park. We were in by 9am. First stop; tram tour. 50 minutes later (!) we had a snack. Then the walking tour. 45 minutes later (!) we exited. Next up, GMR. 40-50 minutes including the line. Next, Indy. Say an hour door to door including the preshow. Lunch. Superstar Television. Monster Sound Show. Another 2 1/2 hours. Animation Tour. Here Come the Muppets. By now past 6pm. Tea (dinner, supper, whatever you want to translate it as), shopping, Star Tours, Streetmosphere. I did Star Tours again. Never saw any Theatre of the Stars shows (Hollywood! Hollywood! in the day, D ick Tracey starring in Diamond Double Cross at night), then at half 10 find a spot for Sorcery in the Sky at 11pm. Back to the car by midnight.

That was more than a full day, in a one year old, phase one only, admitted by it`s owners to be too small and built half-finshed park. Add to that Sunset Blvd, the Backlot extention for MuppetVision, Backlot Theatre, and one or two of the original E Tickets never built and you can see how easily it could have become a 2 - 2 1/2 day park.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Remember when MGM had actual celebrities as grand marshalls of the parade? They published when and where celebrities would sign autographs. That made the place very unique - I'm sure they could do it again.

Yeah, but its not like they had a celebrity every day back then either.

And you're also forgetting that the Studios is now host to all the special events like ESPN Weekend, the Soap Opera days, and Star Wars Weekends - all of which have multiple celebrities (well, I don't consider soap opera stars "celebrities", lol), so guests still get a lot of chances to meet celebrities at the park.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I thought MGM was pretty boring when it opened, myself. I was also 5-years old in 1989...that coulda been part of it. Back then, you couldn't walk in several of the backlot areas, there was no Sunset Blvd., no Star Tours. The park had two rides...the park got better and better until probably the late 90s...I LOVED MGM around 1995...it was the place to be. At least it will always have the Tower of Terror going for it...my favorite ride in the history of the world...

 

[Since1976]

The MGM part of the name, as well as the incorporation of the Lion logo served to give the park a sense of legitimacy, as if it was the joining of forces of two mega-studios (though the partnership was pretty much in name only).

It's 2007 now, and MGM isn't exactly all that hot anyway, except in a historical sense, so I have no problem with Pixar (or heck, even ABC) becoming part of the name.

Heck, why not incorporate Hollywood Pictures into the name? That's Disney too, right?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Walt Disney Studios would be fine...I don't see the need for this park to always have a name that no one will say in casual conversation. People say Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom, but you never see anyone saying "let's go to the Disney-MGM Studios today!"

 

[socalkdg]

Walt Disney Studios would be fine...I don't see the need for this park to always have a name that no one will say in casual conversation. People say Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom, but you never see anyone saying "let's go to the Disney-MGM Studios today!"

I like that name, Walt Disney Studios. You could then have a specific land for Pixar called Pixar Studios with Toy Story Mania, move Laugh Floor there, plus add another Pixar addition for this section.

I think they want to push the Pixar name as much as possible, thus why they will choose that. Synergy of the park, characters, movies, merchandise, etc. will be the driving force.

 

[ToTBellHop]

yeah...Laugh Floor should have gone to MGM...they could've replaced Narnia with it (I think there is enough room in there for Laugh Floor). Perhaps it was lack of foresight that put it in the Magic Kingdom. It'd be ironic if they changed the name to Disney-Pixar Studios when Toy Story Mania opens, though--there would be more Pixar attractions at both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom than MGM (and that assumes you count The Seas as one attraction--if you count Turtle Talk separately, then ALL of the parks would have more Pixar attractions than MGM...)

 

[RSoxNo1]

With the inevitable change to Disney-Pixar Studios does this mean the end to new Pixar attractions in the other Parks? Does that give MGM a leg up on getting the RoboCoaster Incredibles attraction?

 

[Tom Morrow]

Ok, it is NOT inevitable. Stop saying it is, because there is very little evidence of that, if any.

Honestly, I think most of this is just rumors confused with the fact that Toy Story Mania will look like the actual Pixar Studios.

 

[Tim G]

I Agree. People on this site can be so negative. Change is nessesary. SOMETIMES CHANGE IS GOOD!

Better be careful what you wish...

Not every change is for the good of the public...

Unless you would like to visit Pixar World, Florida...


Not on my watch...
As a faithful Disney shareholder, Ill always be against this...

 

[unkadug]

Ok, it is NOT inevitable. Stop saying it is, because there is very little evidence of that, if any.

Honestly, I think most of this is just rumors confused with the fact that Toy Story Mania will look like the actual Pixar Studios.

Supposedly.... I'm beginning to wonder if that is even correct. Maybe DL's version, but the facade of the Studios building is NOT taking on the shape of Pixar's building !

 

[Tom Morrow]

Hmm you're right. So its probably just a rumor derived from the fact that both parks are getting Toy Story Mania, so people assumed that the Studios' version would look like the Pixar studio as well.

 

[Champion]

Ok, it is NOT inevitable. Stop saying it is, because there is very little evidence of that, if any.

Honestly, I think most of this is just rumors confused with the fact that Toy Story Mania will look like the actual Pixar Studios.

Because Lee is unreliable, am I right?

 

[Figment82]

All I want is the Muppet Movie ride that was originally supposed to be built. I can go either way on any ride featuring Pixar characters, but I desperately want a Muppet ride... and now that Disney owns them... I just wish they would do something grand and over-the-top with them. Especially Gonzo