TCM teams up with Disney to refresh Great Movie Ride

Matt_Black

Matt_Black

Well-Known Member
Well, remember, Disney and Lucasfilm had a very good working relationship for about a quarter century before the buy, and during a good portion of that time, Spielberg wasn't doing business with Disney (there's a reason Dreamworks first live action film was called "Mouse Hunt"), so I don't count Kathleen Kennedy's current position as "proof" of mended fences. The Dreamworks distribution can be chalked up to the Hollywood "frenemies" situation that often crops up, and, as noted above, I was only just made aware that he's directing a movie.
 
Darth Sidious

Darth Sidious

Authentically Disney Distinctly Chinese
Matt_Black said:
Well, remember, Disney and Lucasfilm had a very good working relationship for about a quarter century before the buy, and during a good portion of that time, Spielberg wasn't doing business with Disney (there's a reason Dreamworks first live action film was called "Mouse Hunt"), so I don't count Kathleen Kennedy's current position as "proof" of mended fences. The Dreamworks distribution can be chalked up to the Hollywood "frenemies" situation that often crops up, and, as noted above, I was only just made aware that he's directing a movie.
Click to expand...

I think a lot of the bad blood was between MDE and Spielberg. Especially when DreamWorks went into animation with Jefferey Katzenberg, someone who definitely did not get along with MDE. Now both parties are in different places, Disney has a new CEO, DW no longer has DWA.
 
wdizneew

wdizneew

Well-Known Member
So I got to ride GMR this past weekend, after waiting 1 hour even though the wait time was posted at 35 min when I walked in (curse you FP+!!!! and only loading 1 set of vehicles, no cowboy scene). BTW I also brought a first timer onto this ride. Here are my thoughts (and some of the first timer's):

1. A good chunk of the queue was extended outside on the right side of the theater and felt extremely slow paced. We would make 2-3 steps every 5 min or so. The same pace was felt once you got inside the lobby with the props and video screens. And then once you get inside the theater to watch the preshow video with Robert Osborne, it felt like we moved lightning speed so you only get to see a part of it. I wish they would rework that queue area to fit more people in it.​

2. The new spiel is awful. I'll admit, the content is an improvement but the execution is not. Osborne's voice is dull and our CM had a brighter personality. So you got this weak voiced narration who was quite hard to hear with all the ambient noise going on (Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins singing etc) and then suddenly the CM would talk and it felt like he was speaking into a megaphone. Oh and I am not sure why Osborne would mention "SInging in the Rain" and "Mary Poppins", and then the CM would repeat that we are in "Singing in the Rain" and "Mary Poppins".....​

3. The old transition from cowboy scene to Alien was soo much better. Sigourney Weaver needs an update. The smoke effects (Alien, Indy, Wizard of Oz) were working wonderfully and same with the gun battle effects in the gangster scene.​

4. Going back to #2 above, the ambient noise overpowered Osborne's narration. It just made it seem like too many voices were fighting for your attention. Footlight Parade music, Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Tarzan scenes seemed to draw your attention first, and then you have Osborne spewing out facts and commentary in the background....and then the CM would chime in with a loud voice. The first timer thought it was confusing. It felt like you're watching a movie and someone is whispering into your ear with long facts about the scene you're watching.​

5. Ending montage film was nice. I liked the improved screen quality and it flowed well. I really miss the old montage though. DID NOT like that there was no commentary leading up to the montage though. Why was it silent the whole way entering the room and before the montage started? Everyone was just looking around kinda confused and waiting for something to happen.​

6. The old transition from the montage ending (Star Wars -> Hollywood sign) to the ride moving back to the load platform was better executed. First, the end montage music doesn't transition well to the exit music and second, the CM seemed to rush his lines at the end for the applause.​

The experience could've been the CM's fault for rushing and having a loud voice but there needs to a tweak with the audio. Osborne's voice is dull. The theater exterior is in excellent shape (still waiting for spires). The first timer didn't like the narration with CM spiel as said above but he liked the ending montage. I told him the last version was 100% CM talking and he thought that would've been better. I'll have to give the ride ago at least a couple more times but my first experience wasn't as good as I hoped.

Apologies for the long post haha
 
Magenta Panther

Magenta Panther

Well-Known Member
wdizneew said:
So I got to ride GMR this past weekend, after waiting 1 hour even though the wait time was posted at 35 min when I walked in (curse you FP+!!!! and only loading 1 set of vehicles, no cowboy scene). BTW I also brought a first timer onto this ride. Here are my thoughts (and some of the first timer's):

1. A good chunk of the queue was extended outside on the right side of the theater and felt extremely slow paced. We would make 2-3 steps every 5 min or so. The same pace was felt once you got inside the lobby with the props and video screens. And then once you get inside the theater to watch the preshow video with Robert Osborne, it felt like we moved lightning speed so you only get to see a part of it. I wish they would rework that queue area to fit more people in it.​

2. The new spiel is awful. I'll admit, the content is an improvement but the execution is not. Osborne's voice is dull and our CM had a brighter personality. So you got this weak voiced narration who was quite hard to hear with all the ambient noise going on (Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins singing etc) and then suddenly the CM would talk and it felt like he was speaking into a megaphone. Oh and I am not sure why Osborne would mention "SInging in the Rain" and "Mary Poppins", and then the CM would repeat that we are in "Singing in the Rain" and "Mary Poppins".....​

3. The old transition from cowboy scene to Alien was soo much better. Sigourney Weaver needs an update. The smoke effects (Alien, Indy, Wizard of Oz) were working wonderfully and same with the gun battle effects in the gangster scene.​

4. Going back to #2 above, the ambient noise overpowered Osborne's narration. It just made it seem like too many voices were fighting for your attention. Footlight Parade music, Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Tarzan scenes seemed to draw your attention first, and then you have Osborne spewing out facts and commentary in the background....and then the CM would chime in with a loud voice. The first timer thought it was confusing. It felt like you're watching a movie and someone is whispering into your ear with long facts about the scene you're watching.​

5. Ending montage film was nice. I liked the improved screen quality and it flowed well. I really miss the old montage though. DID NOT like that there was no commentary leading up to the montage though. Why was it silent the whole way entering the room and before the montage started? Everyone was just looking around kinda confused and waiting for something to happen.​

6. The old transition from the montage ending (Star Wars -> Hollywood sign) to the ride moving back to the load platform was better executed. First, the end montage music doesn't transition well to the exit music and second, the CM seemed to rush his lines at the end for the applause.​

The experience could've been the CM's fault for rushing and having a loud voice but there needs to a tweak with the audio. Osborne's voice is dull. The theater exterior is in excellent shape (still waiting for spires). The first timer didn't like the narration with CM spiel as said above but he liked the ending montage. I told him the last version was 100% CM talking and he thought that would've been better. I'll have to give the ride ago at least a couple more times but my first experience wasn't as good as I hoped.

Apologies for the long post haha
Click to expand...

No need to apologize, good and thoughtful analysis. You reading this, TDO? Stop doing things in such a hasty, slap-dash manner. Aren't updates supposed to IMPROVE a ride?
 
rd805

rd805

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
If someone else is paying for it, I don't think that TDO would care if they dumped a truckload of horse manure in the middle of the path. TCM paid for it... TCM gets what they want!
Click to expand...

So they ultimately just wanted to put their name everywhere, and not actually make the attraction better? I had more faith in Disney lol
 
L

Lipinski82

Member
At work so don't have time for a long analysis BUT rode it Sunday and did NOT like it. One less ride for me at DHS. It reminds me so much of when the Backlot Tour went from guides to voice overs and I never rode again.

The ride is so impersonal, and the comments the guides add don't even fit. The movies playing during the que are not even movies that are all on the rides, which I thought was the point. And its all behind the scenes with people talking the entire time. The montage at the end wasn't bad, they added some great classics, but of course TCM has to make a spiel before it starts, and they had clips flying through the screen at the end which were clips that were already played earlier. Waste of film time.

I have loved GMR since I was a kid, but its ruined....
 
TheScreed

TheScreed

Member
Matt_Black said:
Well, remember, Disney and Lucasfilm had a very good working relationship for about a quarter century before the buy, and during a good portion of that time, Spielberg wasn't doing business with Disney (there's a reason Dreamworks first live action film was called "Mouse Hunt")
Click to expand...

That was the third Dreamworks movie. The first Dreamworks movie was called "The Peacemaker."
 
Matt_Black

Matt_Black

Well-Known Member
TheScreed said:
More accurate for certain. Still not certain that producing a movie called Mouse Hunt was done as an intentional insult to Disney, though I would be open to evidence beyond the title of the movie.
Click to expand...

Actually, I seem to recall in interviews them specifically making reference to that.
 
TheScreed

TheScreed

Member
Matt_Black said:
Actually, I seem to recall in interviews them specifically making reference to that.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, though one imagines that could be an apocryphal story. If they really wanted to insult Disney with a movie about a mouse, it seems weird they would pick a movie where the mouse is far smarter than any of the hunters, and in fact the mouse wins in the end. Not really an issue worth fretting about, though.
 
Matt_Black

Matt_Black

Well-Known Member
TheScreed said:
Fair enough, though one imagines that could be an apocryphal story. If they really wanted to insult Disney with a movie about a mouse, it seems weird they would pick a movie where the mouse is far smarter than any of the hunters, and in fact the mouse wins in the end. Not really an issue worth fretting about, though.
Click to expand...

I believe the line was something of a joke, as Spielberg, Katzenberg and (maybe) Giffen all had business relationships with Disney go south.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom