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

[lifeguard1020]

People are saying Disney should have updated and changed out movies to keep it fresh. Can you honestley say that you wouldn't have been upset and complained if they had removed the Singing in the Rain to put in something else? Or maybe replace Wizard of Oz with something more modern and relevant that the kids could relate to? I'm not saying that I'm not upset that it's gone, but lets be honest here, Disney was in a loose-loose situation no matter what...

 

[tirian]

Ditto all of this. The shows were nice..... 25 years ago. Time to update and/or get rid of them. I mean, that stunt man "audience member" in the Indiana Jones show has been wearing the same Hawaiian shirt since the 90s. The last time I was there, every single person around me picked him out the second they all went on stage - if the audience knows your "tricks", it's time for new tricks.

I really hate Star Wars and am so sad that it has taken over what was once my favorite park. I miss the days of learning about movie making, from Animation, to sound, to back stage magic...that was what that park was about before it got taken over by Star Wars.

Most of that content is readily available on home video special features, and that’s exactly why the shows were stale.

 

[OneofThree]

In my 40's, I'm going to guess that I'm in the last generation which can really have any sort of real appreciation for GMR. It would be totally lost on my kids, who really are the present and future of Disney's consumer base.

 

[tirian]

People are saying Disney should have updated and changed out movies to keep it fresh. Can you honestley say that you wouldn't have been upset and complained if they had removed the Singing in the Rain to put in something else? Or maybe replace Wizard of Oz with something more modern and relevant that the kids could relate to? I'm not saying that I'm not upset that it's gone, but lets be honest here, Disney was in a loose-loose situation no matter what...

Now imagine if the same scenes used AAs and the immersive screen tech from Shanghai’s POTC.

 

[tirian]

In my 40's, I'm going to guess that I'm in the last generation which can really have any sort of real appreciation for GMR. It would be totally lost on my kids, who really are the present and future of Disney's consumer base.

Then when they’re old enough, they need to be introduced to the movies that made today’s possible.

 

[Musical Mermaid]

Kids found out who those people were because of the ride. Also, not everything has to be for little kids. This isn’t Fantasyland in the MK. The GMR jumpstarted my love for classic Hollywood, and I first rode it when I was six years old — as soon as my parents thought I could handle the Alien scenes.

Most people ride slow attractions for the air conditioning. I’m one of the horrible fans who thinks the Carousel of Progress needs a massive update because it’s boring.

I may have first gone on TGMR at the same age and found it very entertaining. Maybe the actors were more convincing when I was young. It was funny to watch some of them and see their interpretations of old bandits and gangsters.

Carousel of Progress is boring, more boring than the Great Movie Ride was. I like the song, but that room is claustrophobic and it’s felt stuffy at times too. I don’t think it should be trashed, but it needs heavy updating. It is an example of how not to take care of a classic.

 

[OneofThree]

Then when they’re old enough, they need to be introduced to the movies that made today’s possible.

A laptop to render video and poor screenwriting is all I need for that.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

I feel your pain. I never got to experience GMR but it's something I wish I could have.

 

[phillip9698]

Closing the GMR is unforgivable, up there with the closure of Horizons and the original Journey Into Imagination.

It was a mistake, end of discussion.

It EASILY could have been kept with some TLC and given new life, like so many closures. It’s frankly lazy on Disney’s part.

Truly disappointing.

Depends on how you define easily. That ride needed to be gutted and re-imagined from top to bottom. They probably looked at it being a situation where either way you essentially are creating a new ride in that space so they decided to just start over.

 

[Winter]

I don't mind the direction that the park is going in, a park to be themed around movies makes sense to me

I do agree that closing TGMR was a mistake though, they should have put Runaway Railroad where the launch bay is.

 

[CoasterSnoop]

As someone who's first visit to DHS was when that eyesore of a hat stood in front of GMR, I never personally thought highly of the ride. I never saw it really as a classic, or very uplifting, but when the park was MGM it certainly served as a great "entry point" for the park. This is what to expect: movies-making magic. I think GMR served that function very well even if it was outdated by recent years.
I can't imagine there are people out there who don't know of much less haven't seen movies like Wizard of Oz or Mary Poppins, but then again I've seen and heard of stranger.
But when it closed, I didn't really care. I wasn't clamoring for its closure or anything, but DHS and MGM are two very different parks. And GMR is top-to-bottom an MGM ride. DHS is MK 2.0, and if Disney decides that's what they want to do with the park then it is what it is, and because of this, GMR just doesn't fit anymore.
I'd attribute it more to what Disney's doing with the park in general, the new direction it's going, rather than the ride is just unpopular. It's a horrible decision imo because it robs the park of its identity, and replaces it with the "throw stuff at a wall" mentality of MK. But unfortunately, a Mickey ride fits with MK 2.0 much more than GMR. So while I don't necessarily agree that GMR being removed is the worst thing ever (they're keeping the Chinese Theatre queue(?)/exterior and that's good enough for me), I 100% agree that the direction being taken with DHS is a frustrating one.

 

[Musical Mermaid]

DHS is nothing like MK and their plans for it don’t sound very Magic Kingdom-like either. I can barely ride anything at this park, which is why I don’t intend to visit. I’m not going to spend my day watching stale shows and riding only the Aerosmith coaster. Toy Story Mania is not worth it to me, I can shoot objects at Frontierland Shooting Arcade or play video games at home. If they had more slow rides that didn’t use virtual gimmicks, they might be moving in the MK direction. If they had more attractions based not off of movies, that would make it more like MK. It reminds me more of a Universal copycat with the thrill rides and simulators more than Magic Kingdom and I think THAT is who they are copying.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Depends on how you define easily. That ride needed to be gutted and re-imagined from top to bottom. They probably looked at it being a situation where either way you essentially are creating a new ride in that space so they decided to just start over.

My argument is and always has been that they need more than 1 attraction when contemplating a replacement anyway. You can't simply replace what's there when it's been there 25 years and crowds have grown 2X.

They should have re-imagined TGMR in its existing space (top to bottom as you said) AND built a Mickey ride.

 

[CoasterSnoop]

DHS is nothing like MK and their plans for it don’t sound very Magic Kingdom-like either. I can barely ride anything at this park, which is why I don’t intend to visit. I’m not going to spend my day watching stale shows and riding only the Aerosmith coaster. Toy Story Mania is not worth it to me, I can shoot objects at Frontierland Shooting Arcade or play video games at home. If they had more slow rides that didn’t use virtual gimmicks, they might be moving in the MK direction. If they had more attractions based not off of movies, that would make it more like MK. It reminds me more of a Universal copycat with the thrill rides and simulators more than Magic Kingdom and I think THAT is who they are copying.

Magic Kingdom from a thematic standpoint is "here are a bunch of lands that have no real connection with each other. Have fun." That's what DHS is becoming. You can't tell me that TSL or SW:GE or Mickey's Runaway Railway couldn't have just as easily gone into MK, without completely spitting on DHS's movie-making-magic theme. The fact is, DHS is becoming "here are a bunch of lands that have no real connection with each other. Have fun." And in that sense, it very much is becoming another MK, no matter how fast or slow the rides are.

 

[tirian]

A laptop to render video and poor screenwriting is all I need for that.

Are you calling Alien, Raiders, Poppins, and Oz examples of poor screenwriting, or almost everything in theaters today?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

In my 40's, I'm going to guess that I'm in the last generation which can really have any sort of real appreciation for GMR. It would be totally lost on my kids, who really are the present and future of Disney's consumer base.

Why would that be? Movie buffs abound in younger generations. And Pirates and Mansion show that elaborate set rides are as strong as ever.

Because the movies are too old? I'm in my forties and Casablanca and Oz were from before my parents were born, yet I love these movies in the GMR.

 

[Musical Mermaid]

Magic Kingdom from a thematic standpoint is "here are a bunch of lands that have no real connection with each other. Have fun." That's what DHS is becoming. You can't tell me that TSL or SW:GE or Mickey's Runaway Railway couldn't have just as easily gone into MK, without completely spitting on DHS's movie-making-magic theme. The fact is, DHS is becoming "here are a bunch of lands that have no real connection with each other. Have fun." And in that sense, it very much is becoming another MK, no matter how fast or slow the rides are.

MK’s lands are themed by genre. Universal’s Islands of Adventure has lands themed according to IP, which is exactly where DHS is headed. Toy Story and Star Wars would not work at MK, because the park doesn’t have entire lands themed off of a movie. They were clearly influenced by Universal on this one, who has entire lands dedicated to Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Dr. Seuss, etc. Animal Kingdom’s lands don’t have a real connection with each other, you can say that about almost any place and they have an entire land based off of a movie, which is more than can be said about MK.

 

[Goofyernmost]

DHS is nothing like MK and their plans for it don’t sound very Magic Kingdom-like either. I can barely ride anything at this park, which is why I don’t intend to visit. I’m not going to spend my day watching stale shows and riding only the Aerosmith coaster. Toy Story Mania is not worth it to me, I can shoot objects at Frontierland Shooting Arcade or play video games at home. If they had more slow rides that didn’t use virtual gimmicks, they might be moving in the MK direction. If they had more attractions based not off of movies, that would make it more like MK. It reminds me more of a Universal copycat with the thrill rides and simulators more than Magic Kingdom and I think THAT is who they are copying.

From what you say, my take would be that any Disney Park would not be the place for you. My advice find entertainment that does fit your requirements. I don't mean that in a nasty way, but, it does sound like you really do not have any joy in visiting Disney. I don't know what would float your boat, but, you seem to dislike everything that Disney is all about. I don't think they are copying anything, just responding to current public desires and current technologies. AA's are yesterday, high definition fast-paced screens are the technology of today. The sooner we can accept that the quicker we can get back to enjoying the place.

 

[KINGLOUIS1993]

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

They should have put it in the building that Star Wars Launch Bay is in now when it will probably go.

 

[KINGLOUIS1993]

I will miss it but it was very dated before it's closure and needed updating with some newer films.

I was more upset about them closing the Backlot Tour because it was what I loved about this park along with GMR.

I would have thought that a MM ride would have been better in MK personally but hey...