TCM teams up with Disney to refresh Great Movie Ride

[DistractedGenius]

This is a great step in the right direction for one of my absolute favorite rides, but I do hope for a nice refresh in the near future. That Ripley AA is more terrifying than the Alien!

 

[Magenta Panther]

Nice, but the REAL work that needs to be done is for the show scenes. Especially that awful Busby Berkeley "tribute" and that laughable Tarzan scene. And I really hoped that, because TCM is involved, that the Fantasia scene would finally be replaced by the Oz cyclone scene that was originally planned for it...

 

[Magenta Panther]

They should totally replace the Tarzan scene with The African Queen.

But then they'd be giving two scenes to Bogart.

 

[flynnibus]

I like classic movies but, for me at least, the ones they've included are too obscure and the implementation is cheesy and cheap.

This has to be one of the most confusing statements ever on this site.

Obscure? I'm dumbfounded how anyone could call films like Casablanca, Alien, Wizard of Oz, 'obscure'

Cheap? Again... just stupefied on how anyone can make such statements about the GMR.

Broken... stale... I get. Obscure and Cheap? Trollololo

 

[RSoxNo1]

Here's a link to the Turner searchable database. They appear to have Paramount before 1950 and MGM before 1986:
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/

 

[Marc Gil]

But then they'd be giving two scenes to Bogart.

I don't see the bad in this.

 

[Matt_Black]

The horror section needs some kind of update or something as well...

The problem is that the most appropriate films for that section happen to be owned by another theme park company- what princesses are to Disney, monsters are to Universal. There are very very few other horror movies that are both iconic enough and Disney appropriate to put in there. Of course, Disney could always surprise; after all, they ponied up the dosh to acquire theme park rights for the Alien franchise, and the... undertones of those movies are rather unambiguous.

 

[note2001]

Needs a star wars scene... have Darth come down on the munchkin town and strangle a few... Always hated that scene anyway.

 

[Kman101]

Agree. Even with things they've announced, they change or even cancel plans sometimes. Such as one of the most recent, Hyperion Wharf, which was scrapped and now Disney Springs.

However, the 2017 chopping block rumor makes me wonder if they have bigger plans. Pure speculation on my part, but it's entirely possible that TCM signed on for more than just 2 years, and maybe they're working with Disney on a bigger project to replace GMR. Considering all of the changes happening at DHS, I could see this as a very real possibility.

That's true. It could be part of a larger plan in the grand scheme of things.

 

[WondersOfLife]

It's called the Great Movie Ride so there is no way movies of today will get in there. No great movies.

 

[dgp602]

This is a great step in the right direction for one of my absolute favorite rides, but I do hope for a nice refresh in the near future. That Ripley AA is more terrifying than the Alien!

Totally agree. I love this ride, but absolutely agree it needs some love and some updates. I HOPE HOPE HOPE that the small audio and narrative changes are just the beginnings. TMC execs probably wouldn't throw good money and allow their name to be associated with a deteriorating ride...right??

 

[WondersOfLife]

Still don't get why classic movies are considered outdated.... Sure they're irrelevant in modern culture, but seriously? The movies in GMR are timeless, with the exception of Tarzan and that generic Mummy scene.

Footlight Parade is one of the best pre-code musicals of the 1930s.

Singin' in the Rain is the #5 film on AFI

Mary Poppins is Mary Poppins.

The Public Enemy is an excellent picture, although the most iconic "grapefruit scene" was excluded for some reason.

Clint Eastwood is Clint Eastwood.

John Wayne is JOHN WAYNE.

Alien is one of the most iconic Space Horror Flicks out there. Not to mention it's on AFI's list for top SciFi films.

Raiders is one of the most iconic films of all time.

Casablanca, although a tad overrated is up there in the greatest films of all time.

Wizard of Oz... Two words: Judy Garland.

Irrelevant maybe, but makes sense to include the attraction in the "Old Hollywood" section of the park.

That's just a matter of opinion, really. Some people love classics, others don't really care for them.

And I don't think it's even the fact that everything is "classic." It's just that the actual show scenes themselves are very outdated.. Mainly being the AAs, aside from the Wicked Witch. This is a ride that stops and makes you actually look at the AAs and scenery around you. For more than about 5 minutes, and when it does move, you move very slowly. So after you sit watching these scenes for a while, you begin to think "..dang.. these animatronics must be pretty old. They don't really move like normal people." It'd be great if they got some realistic animatronics in there. Nostalgia or not.. This isn't Peter Pan's flight. You don't fly past them in less than 5 seconds.. You sit there and actually watch the scene play all the way through. I personally think everything should be on the same scale as the Wicked Witch.

I can stand classic movies within the attraction. I just can't stand the actual scenes throughout the ride in their current condition as they basically haven't been upgraded since park opening other than.. Of course, the witch.

 

[Sage of Time]

Agree. Even with things they've announced, they change or even cancel plans sometimes. Such as one of the most recent, Hyperion Wharf, which was scrapped and now Disney Springs.

However, the 2017 chopping block rumor makes me wonder if they have bigger plans. Pure speculation on my part, but it's entirely possible that TCM signed on for more than just 2 years, and maybe they're working with Disney on a bigger project to replace GMR. Considering all of the changes happening at DHS, I could see this as a very real possibility.

I think that a lot of that could be done without really gutting the ride. ...especially while the rest of the park is in shambles and needs SOMETHING to pull people in with.

TCM's involvement will be done in phases, I feel.

 

[Marc Gil]

That's just a matter of opinion, really. Some people love classics, others don't really care for them.

And I don't think it's even the fact that everything is "classic." It's just that the actual show scenes themselves are very outdated.. Mainly being the AAs, aside from the Wicked Witch. This is a ride that stops and makes you actually look at the AAs and scenery around you. For more than about 5 minutes, and when it does move, you move very slowly. So after you sit watching these scenes for a while, you begin to think "..dang.. these animatronics must be pretty old. They don't really move like normal people." It'd be great if they got some realistic animatronics in there. Nostalgia or not.. This isn't Peter Pan's flight. You don't fly past them in less than 5 seconds.. You sit there and actually watch the scene play all the way through. I personally think everything should be on the same scale as the Wicked Witch.

I can stand classic movies within the attraction. I just can't stand the actual scenes throughout the ride in their current condition as they basically haven't been upgraded since park opening other than.. Of course, the witch.

So, POTC and HM must be super boring because of the fact that it's slow moving?

Pirates was created in 1967, HM in 1969, there's plenty of outdated scenes there, and nobody says a thing.

Also, the animatronics in GMR are far more impressive than POTC or HM. Pay attention to the mouth movements.

 

[Kman101]

I agree that the animatronics need upgrading in the ride. I can hear their movements. I shouldn't. It's a problem. They are outdated in that sense. I'm not sure if we're riding the same attraction?

Other rides have received refurbs and replacements. As far as I know.

 

[Matt_Black]

It's called the Great Movie Ride so there is no way movies of today will get in there. No great movies.

That's... incredibly, astoundingly dismissive. Saving Private Ryan, Spirited Away, The Lord of the Ring trilogy, The Departed, etc.

 

[Rinx]

When did they remove Coca-Cola?

 

[toasty]

Well, I suppose we have confirmation that despite rumors, the attraction is safe and not going anywhere. That's certainly good news. Be interesting if there are any changes to the script and/or storyline.

Given the superficial nature of this update -- basically swapping out a couple of films, requiring little or no downtime -- I don't think we can say that this gives any real stability to the ride's future. The rumors had this sticking around for a few years anyway, but even if it were just a year or even less, accepting money or even just an update from TCM to swap out these films and change some signage is an easy decision from Disney's standpoint.

 

[WondersOfLife]

So, POTC and HM must be super boring because of the fact that it's slow moving?

Pirates was created in 1967, HM in 1969, there's plenty of outdated scenes there, and nobody says a thing.

Also, the animatronics in GMR are far more impressive than POTC or HM. Pay attention to the mouth movements.

Where did I say it was boring? Quote me where I said that The Great Movie Ride was boring.. and you cannot tell me that Jack Sparrow's AA doesn't look out of place compared to all of the other characters. The rides also never stop moving..

There isn't an excuse for the AAs in The Great Movie Ride not to have the same quality movement as the AAs in Epcot's American Adventure. Just saying.

 

[Bocabear]

To be honest, I'd be okay with this too. The actor/host thing is more of a throwback to the old studio concept of the park. I'd be okay with making this ride more like Spaceship Earth in terms of the narration.

I think this is the way of the future...Monorail Automation, Living With The Land Automation... might be nice to have Bob Dorian travel along with us through the history of movies...Creating a better narrative with pre and post show... I hate to see this go the way of the Jungle Cruise with corny jokes...and certainly doesn't make it feel like it is celebrating the Golden Age of Hollywood by making fun of it...

I think this is a marriage made in heaven...or has the potential to be!! I am excited about it.