I strongly disagree with the closure of the great movie ride and the new direction of Hollywood Studios

[Kitchandro]

I think most people agree that Hollwyood Studios needed some improvements. What wasn't needed was the closure of an iconic ride. The Great Movie Ride was always going to be relevant in the same way that Spaceship Earth will always be relevant. It was not about keeping up with trends but representing history and the magic of nostalgia.

I also believe it's place in the park was very important as it encompassed many classic films. It's not important whether younger viewers enjoy them or have even seen them, their status as cultural icons is secure. I have never seen several of the films that were included but I respected their place in film history. Others of course, such as Alien, I absolutely love. But that's why it was a good attraction, it was an attempt to have something for everyone.

Disney's biggest mistake in recent years has been (and Universal are very guilty of this too) theming large parts of their parks around specific films. Having Toy Story, Star Wars and Avatar rides is acceptable in theory - but having entire lands for them I find strange. People who aren't interested in those things will just avoid those lands altogether and, even though I like Toy Story, I'm not enthralled by the idea of it theming an area at all. It's not exactly in keeping with 50s Hollywood or the 'behind the scenes' idea, is it?

It's particular bizarre in the case of Avatar which, whilst commercially successful, does not have a wide fanbase and I'd even go as far as to say is not generally popular with the public at all. Most people I have spoken to about it thought it was a very poor film with an unoriginal storyline.

I digress slightly as Pandora is not at Hollywod Studios, but I am trying to make a general point about the haphazard approach to theming in recent years. The themeing of Hollywood Studios was always a massive selling point for me, and it was important that rides were based around iconic films. In any theme park I think it's important that the areas or lands have a more general theme, that everyone can feel a part of, rather than just appealing to fans of specific things.

The idea that The Tower of Terror was replaced by Guardians of the Galaxy at DCA is, again, not directly relevant, but it is concerning. I mean, I barely even noticed Guardians of the Galaxy was released because to me it is another shortlived fad just like the other thousand superhero based films that have been released over the past few years. The Twilight Zone is still culturally relevant 50 years later. That is the difference and if a similar thing happened at Hollywood Studios I don't think I could even put my rage into words.

Even Rock 'n Rollercoaster, that ride is irreplaceable for me and I'm agassed that people think it should be rethemed. Aerosmith are one of those bands that are still very popular and the ride itself is such a classic with (and I know I'm banging the same drum over and over again) brilliant theming and atmosphere, fitting perfectly into the park with it's backstage/BTS/Hollywood-ness.

The Great Movie Ride entirely represented what the park was about. It was, in some ways, the signature of the park. As was The Backlot Tour which, again, probably needed some improvements, but was still a classic in it's principle and massively important to the theming. To say I'm disappointed that both those attractions have gone is certainly an understatement.

What the park needs is more exciting, innovative attractions that still fit within the theme of a studios. People will always be interested in the behind the scenes of a film idea, which is the same reason I always prefer rides with real animatronics and effects, rather than having to wear 3D glasses and look at screens.

 

[GrammieBee]

Build the new,
Update the old.
For new is silver.
The old is gold.

 

[Hannah M]

And you think that where we are today is a good place? Funny, I feel we have gone backwards in time. All kidding aside, the problem was not with the ride, it was with the modern attitudes of people. Instead of seeing GMR as a historic look back at a time when movies were just starting to get ground breaking, they were saying... I've never seen any of those movies, where is Star Wars, where is the Godfather, where is Robin Williams acting crazy? So many could not wrap there brain around the idea that it was a tribute to an age in Hollywood that technically has now advanced, but, that quality has not kept pace. Because it was Disney MGM and themed to movie making, not movie showing the entire feel of the park is different and GMR and the surrounding area is no longer the "Hollywood that never was and always will be". So the fact that it was really a walk on as of late really was the arrow to the heart. It was classic and unbroken only to a few of us and there aren't enough of us to keep it looking popular.

Spoiler

I also partially blame that stupid Big A$$ Hat blocking the view of the theater all those years that completely downgraded the importance of that attraction. It just became a carry over of the Streets of American and considered a facade instead of an actual building. I have known a number of people that never even realized that it was a ride and not a prop put there for affect.

And that’s exactly the point I am making in my post - it’s closure has been nothing but a response to an ignorant young age who cannot appreciate history and it’s a real shame. Should have kept it and forced them to appreciate that those movies got us to where we are today

 

[tirian]

If you want a moral for this ride removal, it's the power of US intellectual property laws and changing public tastes. Until it was announced it was going away , it was at most a five-minute wait to see representations of other studios characters.

No, the queue averaged 20–45 minutes on most days. Plus Disney owns the rights to most of those movies now.

 

[tirian]

And that’s exactly the point I am making in my post - it’s closure has been nothing but a response to an ignorant young age who cannot appreciate history and it’s a real shame. Should have kept it and forced them to appreciate that those movies got us to where we are today

You’re right. When I was a child, that ride piqued my interest in the golden age of Hollywood, and I’m sure it inspired many people to delve into the classics.

Consider this: over the last few years, some local American school systems have made controversial headlines because instead of teaching children to learn from past mistakes, they simply don’t teach historical facts deemed politically incorrect. If our kids aren’t taught an understanding of their own country’s history, why would they be taught to appreciate classic entertainment?

Some of my good friends don’t show the old Mickey cartoons to their children simply because “those things are old,” yet they go to WDW every year and call themselves Disney fans. The kids watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and have no idea that better cartoons exist. Before Disney bought other IPs, those same friends weren’t interested in comic books; now they have Marvel all over their homes because “it’s Disney.” All I can do is shake my head at the ignorance.

The new Mickey ride will be fantastic, but could’ve been built somewhere else in the park, with the GMR simply receiving necessary updates.

 

[21stamps]

And that’s exactly the point I am making in my post - it’s closure has been nothing but a response to an ignorant young age who cannot appreciate history and it’s a real shame. Should have kept it and forced them to appreciate that those movies got us to where we are today

I can’t jump on the “Hollywood Studios is educational!” wagon. Or even Disney in general.
If kids need to learn from a Disney Park, then the parents are doing something wrong. It can spark interest, but it doesn’t mean that these kids will be ignorant to “history” because the Great Movie Ride is gone. ‘Forcing’ my kid to learn about the movies on the ride are not on my top list of educational goals. It may be on another parents list though, and they can still teach their child about the movies.

 

[Goofyernmost]

And that’s exactly the point I am making in my post - it’s closure has been nothing but a response to an ignorant young age who cannot appreciate history and it’s a real shame. Should have kept it and forced them to appreciate that those movies got us to where we are today

Unfortunately, that only works in a museum that gets grants from the government to pay operating expenses in supporting the arts. As ideal as the thought is, it doesn't work in the real world that depends on direct public support from people willing to pay lots of money to pay the bills. In exchange they want something that they are willing to pay the price for. I'm thinking that GMR, as great as it was, did not have that overwhelming support from just about everyone that wasn't born in the 50's and before.

With today's massive exposure to social media via home electronics, that type of show just does not fly with more recent generations. My own kids, that were forcibly exposed to places like GMR, when informed that GMR was being torn out responded with a rousing... "so what? That was getting lame anyway and it was time for something new". They are now in their forties, so they aren't young adults. Younger then me perhaps, but, middle age easily. In fact, my oldest is just 7 years older then I was when I first went to WDW. What stuck with me at that age, no longer adheres.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Someone here mentioned that the Bert figure from the Mary Poppins scene in GMR now is part of a private collection. Wonder what happened to the other figures?

 

[Pam Hates Penguins]

Welcome to the boards! We all can appreciate the thought and feelings that you put into your post

Unless you are Pam Hates Penguins revealing the truth over Star Wars group thinking.

 

[networkpro]

No, the queue averaged 20–45 minutes on most days. Plus Disney owns the rights to most of those movies now.

At the time of the renewal , they did not. They also have not closed the Fox deal yet , so they still do nit.

 

[tirian]

I can’t jump on the “Hollywood Studios is educational!” wagon. Or even Disney in general.
If kids need to learn from a Disney Park, then the parents are doing something wrong. It can spark interest, but it doesn’t mean that these kids will be ignorant to “history” because the Great Movie Ride is gone. ‘Forcing’ my kid to learn about the movies on the ride are not on my top list of educational goals. It may be on another parents list though, and they can still teach their child about the movies.

I don’t think anyone is asking for a classroom. I think everyone’s really just talking about One Little Spark.

 

[tirian]

At the time of the renewal , they did not. They also have not closed the Fox deal yet , so they still do nit.

I’m the first person to agree the ride was long in the tooth and needed a refurbishment, but I also know enough about Ops to say the attraction was still pulling in crowds, especially after the TCM sponsorship happened and the ugly Big A$$ Hat came down to reveal the façade.

It’s cool if you didn’t like the ride. Don’t invent false facts about reasons for closure.

 

[networkpro]

I’m the first person to agree the ride was long in the tooth and needed a refurbishment, but I also know enough about Ops to say the attraction was still pulling in crowds, especially after the TCM sponsorship happened and the ugly Big A$$ Hat came down to reveal the façade.

It’s cool if you didn’t like the ride. Don’t invent false facts about reasons for closure.

Umm June 20th is the earliest the Fox Disney deal would close. They still do no own the IPs

 

[s8film40]

The number one thing I’ve learned over the years from Disney is, change is bad.

 

[rcapolete]

While I enjoyed the GMR it seems like it was more the thought of the ride then the ride itself. Always found myself getting bored at certain point to throughout the ride the last few times.
Not really upset about it's closure. Hopefully that what replaces it will be worth it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

While I enjoyed the GMR it seems like it was more the thought of the ride then the ride itself. Always found myself getting bored at certain point to throughout the ride the last few times.
Not really upset about it's closure. Hopefully that what replaces it will be worth it.

OK, coming from a person that really liked the ride and rode it every trip, let's face it. The only part(s) really worth anything were the live scenes (gangster and western) and the Wizard of Oz. Other then that it was just something to look at until we got to those two places.

 

[phillip9698]

Disney's biggest mistake in recent years has been (and Universal are very guilty of this too) theming large parts of their parks around specific films. Having Toy Story, Star Wars and Avatar rides is acceptable in theory - but having entire lands for them I find strange. People who aren't interested in those things will just avoid those lands altogether and, even though I like Toy Story, I'm not enthralled by the idea of it theming an area at all. It's not exactly in keeping with 50s Hollywood or the 'behind the scenes' idea, is it?

Universals work with Harry Potter has been anything but a mistake, it revitalized the entire park and mindset surrounding Universal. Id say Harry Potter and Star Wars are definitely IPs large enough to warrant their own lands. People are going to flood HS just to see that area. I'd say if anything Star Wars could get its own gate!

But back to the topic, IMO in order to start back drawing crowds to this ride Disney would have needed to replace and update some scenes (which would have upset quite a few fans). Put something in there that the younger audience has fond memories of and use the latest and greatest technology to showcase it. Im 35 years old with little ones i plan on bringing to the park soon and none of the movies showcased on this ride debuted after i was born so going forward you would expect audiences to have less and less of a soft spot for these films. I remember my dad watching Tarzan reruns when i was a small child which is why i recognize the yell but really that doesn't do anything for me, doesnt cause me to love the ride, i honestly have very little emotional attachment to that scene which then causes someone like me to focus more on what is actually presented, a pretty crappy looking doll swinging back and forth over and over with an audio recording that is out of sync. Its like that throughout the entire ride! For my generation you need something like Terminator, Titanic, Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, Back To The Future, etc... but for obvious reasons some of those arent possible but you get my drift. Then for the next generation you need a scene that captures their hearts. They really could have done a better job showcasing movies from each decade as the 70s is rather sparse too. As it stood the ride had become 30 minutes of air conditioning, not a must experience attraction.

 

[Phineas]

It truly is heartbreaking. Such an amazing ride. Should have updated it and built the Mickey ride in a custom building.

Or, as a lot of us have said before, the Animation building is right. there.

 

[dothebrdwalk]

I am from the UK and have had the privilege of being able to experience Walt Disney World 17 times in my 26 years! I am in love with the place and the magic and wonder you can't help but feel when you are there - it really is a place where dreams come true!

Hollywood studios (formerly MGM) for a long time has been my favourite park because I loved the link it has with showbiz, what goes on behind the scenes and the glitz and glamour of hollywood both past and present. I have great memories of being in the park with my mum and dad and being excited to hop onto the backlot tour which always had the benefit of being able to update and add another dimension with the props and memorabilia that it housed. It was an undoubtable favourite right until the end - the long queue times are proof of that. The streets of America were great too as it provided people like me with the ability to immerse themselves in the culture of several key american cities simultaneously as well as giving a behind the scenes in the action look at how these effects are achieved in hollywood without even ever having to leave the set.

I understand the need to not be stuck in the past and to move with the flow of current trends and obviously the purchase of the Star Wars franchise has been an exciting step forward for Disney and that part of the park is going to be incredible for sure, especially with the awakening of the new films. Despite understanding there is a lack of space for expansion in Epcot however, one has to wonder whether the new Star Wars land would have been more appropriate addition to this park? Notwithstanding the fact that Epcot sadly has a diminished attendance compared to the other parks and this would be a great way to bring the park forward into the 21st century.

Words can't begin to describe how heartbroken I am at the closure of the Great Movie Ride. Some might argue that it was behind the times and that the movie references are old and people can't relate to them anymore - but isn't that the point?!?! To EDUCATE, to REMEMBER, to APPRECIATE the great actors, directors, movies that were cornerstones in getting us to where we are today? Mary Poppins, Indiana Jones, Tarzan, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca - these are just ICONIC and should not be forgotton.. but now the closure of the great movie ride has just metophorically closen that door to appreciate the past in to be honest a rather ignorant manner. No matter how long the queue was I could stand and watch that showreel of classic movies again and again... there was just something uplifting about it and it inspired me to go home and watch these movies and understand why they were so great and that I can relate to them even though they are black and white, I can talk about them with my grandparents. In my opinion these movie greats are far better than most of the trash that gets released these days. I really think that rather than getting rid of the Great Movie Ride it could even have stood to be expanded, as an Architect myself that is honestly what I would have argued for if I had the privileged of being a Disney Imagineer. Expand the ride, take us through a journey through the genres and great actors and directors that got us to where we are today, add a star wars scene, instead/as well as the gangsters and robbers why can't our tour be taken over by Captain Jack Sparrow or Barbosa? Why can't we dance and sing with La La Land? get lost in Pandora?! I personally think that would be far more exciting to plan than Mickey and Minnies Runaway Train.

My point is I am honestly saddened by the direction Hollywood Studios is currently moving in... whilst I don't disagree the new toy story and star wars lands are going to be fantastic.. and yield many more visitors and revenue.. I don't want Disney to lose the parks original identity. I agree many of the large everchanging warehouse sets such as the American Idol experience could stand to be replaced but I am sorry to see the very heart of the theme park being ripped out for all these 'lands' I really will bash my head against a wall if they do what California has and change the Tower of Terror into a Guardians of the Galaxy ride.

Moral of the story - DON'T FIX WHAT'S NOT BROKEN guys, and don't forget to embrace and appreciate history.. because it got us to where we are today.

HANNAH HAS SPOKEN! CANCEL IT! CANCEL EVERYTHING! NOTHING NEEDS TO BE FIXED! CANCEL IT ALL! RELOAD THE RIDES! PRETEND IT NEVER HAPPENED!

 

[tirian]

Umm June 20th is the earliest the Fox Disney deal would close. They still do no own the IPs

Again, the IPs had nothing to do with the closure. I referenced that only because it’s another part of the internet myths swirling around the attraction.

The GMR needed a massive update, and it was located within prime real estate, and Disney canceled a contract with a relatively new sponsor to put a really cool ride inside—although the Animation Courtyard is technically more appropriate.

Point is, crowd levels and IPs had nothing to do with the decision.

The new Mickey ride will be incredible. It’s too bad we couldn’t have both attractions.