Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway confirmed

[Mike S]

I don't think that's fair. DHS is getting SW:GE (already using new name!) and that alone is bigger than anything else in the parks. And yes, it is getting TSL (whatever we think about it) and MaMRR (whatever I think about it). Compare that to GotG, Rat, Brazil, Space restaurant and scattering of small improvements (which I am sure they'll also do in DHS). I'd say it is pretty much even investment.

There's still more for Epcot that wasn't confirmed yesterday.

 

[dm11]

With all of those announcements it was hard to follow discussion on all new things and I guess most people focused on ones they liked (that'd be me - full disclosure) or the ones they absolutely hated (not me). That led me to leave MaMRR toward the end. I just plain don't like the announcement. And it definitely goes beyond losing GMR as I've already made piece with that. (not going to start how it should have been refurbished into 21th century, not going to start, not...)

I think what really bugs me is the name and what it implies. Absolutely do not want a runaway railway, virtual or not. I like it in other rides and parks, but not here. It will take a lot to convince me otherwise. And yes, I realize it is just my personal taste and there will be a lot of happy people. I am just not one of them, at least not for this ride.

 

[dm11]

There's still more for Epcot that wasn't confirmed yesterday.

Good point.

 

[jt04]

What exactly do you consider phases 3 and 4?

I was trying to be humorous.

But I do have plenty of suggestions.

 

[TheOrangeBird01]

To be honest I'm super excited for this ride because of both the optimism from the Imagineers, and just the innovation it's self.

Anytime a ride closes, I just look at the attraction replacing it for what it is. Once GMR is closed it won't be coming back so we might as well get excited for what's to come.

 

[invader]

I can't decide if I want to ride GMR one last time or just keep the memories that I have. I knew this announcement would come at some point or another but it still just absolutely kills me that they're taking away such a great ride.

 

[tirian]

You mean decade (non plural)? Yeah I get what you mean, they should have pulled from the 30s design wise for this attraction. That being said, the art style isn't horrible as so many people claim, and judging by the concept art, it doesn't look as cheap as the shorts. Besides, I'd much rather have a new story than a book report tour through past cartoons (not that that would be bad either).

Decades: 1928 through the 50s.

 

[yoda_5729]

One thing that surprises me, is that the Great Movie Ride was the only attraction, besides meet and greets to pay tribute to Mary Poppins. It could be argued that Mary Poppins was one of the top 5 Disney films of all-time. Then when you figure that they are actually doing a sequel to Mary, starring Emily Blunt, I find the rush to replace it all the more dubious. Whenther this new ride is anything or not, and it may very well be, is still debatable, but GMR was the Spaceship Earth of the Studios. The loss of the Wizard of Oz scene, and various other aspects makes this a harder pill to swallow. In the movie montage at the end, they even pay tribute to Lady and the Tramp and the Incredibles.

An interesting idea, though I haven't seen it mentioned, was if they could somehow combine the two. For example, remove one of the less popular scenes in the movie ride, and using the new technology for the ride, do Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia. A ride that some deemed outdated would be completely cutting edge, but would still keep classical elements. It'd even have one of the iconic versions of Mickey. After all, cartoons are movies. The Great Movie Ride was themed to be riding through the movies ala Munchkinland, the Alien spaceship (Nostrama I think?), the Well of Souls, the Wild West, the Underworld. If you just added the Mickey room, you'd be in the heart of a cartoon. Why not simply add the Mickey room and blow the roof off the thing? Mickey would be the headliner, and draw, but the educational value and nostalgia would still be present.

 

[tirian]

I can't decide if I want to ride GMR one last time or just keep the memories that I have. I knew this announcement would come at some point or another but it still just absolutely kills me that they're taking away such a great ride.

I hope the CMs act their parts well through its final days.

 

[Maeryk]

One thing that surprises me, is that the Great Movie Ride was the only attraction, besides meet and greets to pay tribute to Mary Poppins. It could be argued that Mary Poppins was one of the top 5 Disney films of all-time. Then when you figure that they are actually doing a sequel to Mary, starring Emily Blunt, I find the rush to replace it all the more dubious. Whenther this new ride is anything or not, and it may very well be, is still debatable, but GMR was the Spaceship Earth of the Studios. The loss of the Wizard of Oz scene, and various other aspects makes this a harder pill to swallow. In the movie montage at the end, they even pay tribute to Lady and the Tramp and the Incredibles.

An interesting idea, though I haven't seen it mentioned, was if they could somehow combine the two. For example, remove one of the less popular scenes in the movie ride, and using the new technology for the ride, do Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia. A ride that some deemed outdated would be completely cutting edge, but would still keep classical elements. It'd even have one of the iconic versions of Mickey. After all, cartoons are movies. The Great Movie Ride was themed to be riding through the movies ala Munchkinland, the Alien spaceship (Nostrama I think?), the Well of Souls, the Wild West, the Underworld. If you just added the Mickey room, you'd be in the heart of a cartoon. Why not simply add the Mickey room and blow the roof off the thing? Mickey would be the headliner, and draw, but the educational value and nostalgia would still be present.

I wonder how much of it has to do with licensing fees for the various non-disney movies. TCM owns a HUGE Library of films.. many of them featured on GMR. With them pulling their sponsorship (which a chunk of may will be licensing rights to the characters and scenes from the films), it may be cost prohibitive for Disney to pay the various owners to continue to use the IP.

The only reason the "mickey room" is currently in it is because the tornado effect they wanted to use didn't fit and didn't work (why the room is a tight turn with a funnel in the middle), so instead of doing an Oz tie in, they just went with fantasia slapped in there.

 

[brb1006]

How come everyone is so negative on the modern Mickey Mouse cartoons? His design is about as close as they've ever been to the early to mid 30s design from the comics and cartoons (which was the best design)! Were you expecting this?:

Honestly, as a Mouse purist, I wouldn't even want the following:

Honestly, look at the post that @Jones14 made, those two designs aren't THAT different, and they are the best designs. Also keep in mind that these shorts are known for their classic cartoon and Disney movie references, so this:

may not seem so out of place for the ride facade (yes, it's from Gala Premiere).

How long had Disney been using the Mickey design in the second image? I think it dates back to either 2002 or 2003 since it used to be the default image of Mickey pre-Clubhouse look.

 

[brb1006]

One looks like Mickey and the other looks like a mangled knockoff. I'm sure the actual ride will be amazing but using such a visually unappealing version of such an iconic character for what should be the signature attraction of the park is more than a little disappointing. Disney didn't do their homework on this one.

Minnie also looked ugly when she used to be commonly seen wearing a pink bow and yellow dress.

I do miss her blue dress that was also common in the 2000's before her clubhouse look.

 

[brb1006]

People are unhappy because the new shorts are badly animated and sometimes rely on gross-out "Ren and Stimpy" humor. A few of them are funny, but when there are DECADES of beloved Mickey cartoons to draw from, this decision feels like a corporate synergy commercial for the Disney channel.

In fact, that's exactly what it is: Iger told WDI to use the new cartoons. It's pure marketing, not a trip through Steamboat Willie, the Band Concert, Hawaiian Holiday, the Sorcerer's Apprentice, Mickey's Birthday, Runaway Brain, or Get a Horse. The tech will be cool, but this isn't the Mickey the public has loved for nearly 100 years.

Hopefully Bret might reprise to voice Mickey with that design.

 

[brb1006]

They haven't had Walt's Final Mickey, which was the personality-less Mickey, for years (at least, not since the 90s), so this current Mickey being a return to 30s Mickey was a breath of fresh air back in 2013.

Remember when Mickey and Minnie briefly had oval shaped ears in the early 1940's and sometimes seen with mouse teeth? This is more notable in the short where Mickey is golfing and Mickey's Surprise Party. Can somebody please make a screenshot of Mickey or Minnie with mouse teeth from those shorts.

 

[brb1006]

I hope the CMs act their parts well through its final days.

They better give it their all.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Great idea. It'll be a fun ride.

Damn wrong location.

This could be the worst decision revealed this year. If I drank I'd be having several. Dozen.


IMHO of course.

I assume this is 100% tied to replacing and not updating GMR and nothing to do with the quality of MMRR (measles, mumps, rubella and um.... rabies).

For some name dropping fun, I got to talk with Kevin Rafferty about this briefly right after the presentation. The thing he kept harping on was how high the ceilings were in each of the scenes. He also definitely gets the pressure of making the first Mickey E-ticket.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Any member of these boards should have been well-aware that it wasn't going to survive through Halloween.

By the time you go, it'll be completely gutted so maybe you can find John Wayne's head in a dumpster. So there's that.

Too soon?

The disembodied head should be able to say that's some mighty rough territory you're heading into Pilgrim, just in time for Thanksgiving.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I'm not sure if you read my whole post. Virtual runaway train should "feel like" an actual runaway train. People like my wife don't like the feel of runaway train rides.

Whereas GMR is a ride accessible to almost all.

Do people that are afraid to fly avoid Peter Pan's Flight? It's possible you're extrapolating too much.

 

[RSoxNo1]

A Pixar Place with Fantasyland style dark rides would've been family as well and could've even included Ratatouille.

But then we get that guy chiming in telling us that Pixar isn't a theme. I'm with you though. Putting in half a dozen busbar Pixar C-tickets would have been a nice alternative to Toy Story Land.

 

[Mike S]

But then we get that guy chiming in telling us that Pixar isn't a theme. I'm with you though. Putting in half a dozen busbar Pixar C-tickets would have been a nice alternative to Toy Story Land.

Probably at the same cost too if they really went old school Fantasyland.