Studio Backlot Tour reopened today after refurbishment (video)

JWG

JWG

Well-Known Member
The economy needs to pick up for no other reason than Disney needs to have the cash inflow to finally finish upgrades to DHS and put this poor attraction into retirement. Get Pixar place extended and end the suffering already.

Universal has been rid of their "backlot" tour for quite some time (in FL anyway, haven't been to LA's since 1999). Stop the suffering, please.
 
Boray

Boray

Member
JWG said:
The economy needs to pick up for no other reason than Disney needs to have the cash inflow to finally finish upgrades to DHS and put this poor attraction into retirement. Get Pixar place extended and end the suffering already.

Universal has been rid of their "backlot" tour for quite some time (in FL anyway, haven't been to LA's since 1999). Stop the suffering, please.
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I couldn't agree more! Time to end the ruse of a functioning studio and get on with an entertaining attraction that's worth my time.

I was at Universal Studios Hollywood in Feb. 2005 and they were still doing the backlot tour. In fact, it was quite entertaining. These are actual movie sets. They were filming "Desperate Housewives" the day we were there, so part of the tour was not accessable to us. There is a value to the tour at Universal Studios Hollywood, not so with Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida...
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
Master Yoda said:
It provides a consistent guest experience. Most people could not give a hill of beans whether a person or an MP3 player is giving the spiel they just want to be able to hear it and understand it. There have been quite a few times on LWTL and the Backlot Tour that I have had the spiel given by a CM with either no love for their role or a very bad speaking voice and it ruins the attraction. The automated spiel removes that kind of bad show possibility.
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And all personality at the same time.

If a bad CM was the problem.. fix the problem.. not try to dance around it. Doing this because of bad employees is classic mismanagement of avoiding root problems and only fixing symptoms. It never fixes the problem, just causes new symptoms to appear somewhere else.
 
gustaftp

gustaftp

Well-Known Member
The thing is, it has such a large capacity and it really eats people up for a large chunk of time in a park that is short on rides and other attractions.

Even though it is a shell of what it once was, it serves its function, and I'd rather see it operate the way it is now than to close without replacement.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
flynnibus said:
And all personality at the same time.

If a bad CM was the problem.. fix the problem.. not try to dance around it. Doing this because of bad employees is classic mismanagement of avoiding root problems and only fixing symptoms. It never fixes the problem, just causes new symptoms to appear somewhere else.
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If it was that easy they would. People are unpredictable. Even the best CM can have a bad day and deliver a bad performance. Bottom line is that a prerecorded spiel provides the same experience every time without any drop in show quality.
 
CBOMB

CBOMB

Active Member
Master Yoda said:
If it was that easy they would. People are unpredictable. Even the best CM can have a bad day and deliver a bad performance. Bottom line is that a prerecorded spiel provides the same experience every time without any drop in show quality.
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Except for today when it doesn't work properly.:D

I agree with you in principal though

edit: Maybe they'll have better luck on day 2.
 
Brian_WDW74

Brian_WDW74

Member
hokielutz said:
So, there was no major changes or fixes other than new automated audio for a 3-month refurb??

Was this closure really necessary?
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There were no major changes, other than the automated spiel, but there were plenty of fixes. In the Special Effects Tank area, they repaired and/or replaced the catwalk steel, grating and supports, prop scaffolds, and the effect dump tank. In Catastrophe Canyon, they replaced deteriorated and corroded electrical raceways, wiring, junction boxes and supports. They also repaired framing connections in the attraction's entrance facade.
 
Kobe!!

Kobe!!

Well-Known Member
You're lucky they didnt put the tram on a track and get rid of the people that drive the trams around with the way Disney is laying off CMs.:shrug:
 
Disneyson 1

Disneyson 1

New Member
Yeah... SUCH a bad idea. Makes the ride's event even less surprising, and really highlights the lack of props and effects on the ride. And they better not touch the Great Movie Ride...
 
Goofy Tourist

Goofy Tourist

Member
After watching part of the video, The first part of the bone yard has had a lot of work done. Many of the props that are there have been painted and in the case of the long black boat new curtains have been installed. The old ones were yellow and very torn and weathered. This looks much better. I actually prefer the automated speil. Even the CMs that enjoyed their jobs, and made an effort, were hard to hear on that audio system. I do think that it is too bad that they have been replaced, or just have to sit and monitor guests now.
 
Goofy Tourist

Goofy Tourist

Member
Wow! After watching the whole video, I love this refurb, for one reason. Max from Flight of the Navigator has been fixed/replaced! It looks amazing! :sohappy:
 
cblodg

cblodg

Member
imamouse said:
As much as I don't like for CMs to be replaced by automation, I quickly adjusted to the automated spiel on LwtL. The differnece with the Studio Backlot Tour is now it's even less of a "real" studio (to me). I wonder if this means no more (or fewer) changes to the backlot due to the need to change the spiel? The last additions I remember are the bone cages from PotC2, so I guess this is a non-issue.
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I'm glad Living With the Land went to an automated spiel. The last time I rode that with a live person, you could definitely tell he had nothing left in him and it was like listenting to a robot's voice. Very monotone.

I know that my family has no plans to return to the backlot tour, and it's not because of the automation. There's just nothing left.
 
Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
jj92979 said:
I would venture to say that this will be another position that Disney would be able to eliminate along with other job cuts. In the end every little role adds up when it comes to the ole mighty dollar.
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It's still a safety position and cannot be eliminated unless they added restraints of some kind to the trams (and don't give them any ideas!).
The driver can't be responsible for driving the tram *and* keeping an eye on that many Guests all at the same time.

-Rob
 
Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
jj92979 said:
I would never say any role cannot be eliminated...just think of the many attractions with out restraints and they don't have a CM watching the guest. Disney will always find a way to save a penny.
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Rides without restraints either have a CM monitoring video cameras or some sort of pressure mats or other sensors to detect someone who has gotten out of their car. And those are ride systems that can be stopped. The Backlot Tour is a free-moving vehicle that's not on a track, driven by a person.

The only way they could eliminate the onboard safety position would be to install a system of many video cameras that would give you a total view of the route, as well as some sort of wireless E-stop command to the driver or the tram itself to stop the tram.

-Rob
 
bpiper

bpiper

Well-Known Member
Could the tour announcer position been considered an actor's union position? :shrug:
By going to a canned spiel, the position could no longer qualify as an actor's union position thus resulting in a lower salary being paid to the person.

This was probably why Living with the land use to run so few boats when it had human announcers, it saved money. Although it created artificially long wait times. By going to a canned spiel, Disney was able to restore it to full hourly capacity and was able to save money by removing the announcers. Although they did have to add the extra position of someone monitoring the cameras.
 

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