Mission: SPACE
New Member
I'm not putting you down... the Studios is my fav park and I'd love to have seen more stuff like this down Sunset, but Jim Hill always seems to know what COULD have been... :drevil:
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The Disney Decade (Attractions that never made it)
- Thread starter WDWspider
- Start date
Sorcerer Mickey
Well-Known Member
Wow! Extremely interesting post, Spidey! It's amazing how ideas from the early 90's are still being built upon today(Mission:Space). Nice to see that if Disney runs out of ideas, they have these to look at. But I doubt that'll be any time soon.
There were actually a bunch of concept art in the article I read this in, of ________ Tracy, the Roger Rabbit rides, and the night club, so I'm pretty sure the Imagineers really did concider this stuff. Just how close they were to having this stuff made is the questionable thing.
I know the Roger Rabbit Area was very close to being a go, becuase they had art from the rides and a lot of info in the plots and ride designs. This shouldn't be surprising, though, becuase Roger Rabbit was basically going to be half of the publicity of MGM originally, at least until the whole Speilberg vs. Eisner fight got started. His image was seen all over (and in some cases still is) around MGM. Roger could have actually been the original inspiration of the Sunset Blvd. expansion in the first place.
But the "Mickey's Hollywood" thing may have never gotten far, as they might have seen way ahead that a tour of animation history would not be a very hig rated attraction for kids (although I would have loved to see it!!)
Poncho1973
New Member
Jim Hill and his articles... hrrrmmmpphh... the greatest post-prophesy guy of our time. He always knows what WAS going to happen, but didn't. Conveniently, most of it can't be proved.
I liked the original post though... it's always interesting to see the "on the horizon" things that became successful.
I liked the original post though... it's always interesting to see the "on the horizon" things that became successful.
Yeah, I found that interesting cause it was actual documented info and apparently very close to reality for Disney to let that information become public knowledge. I was hoping we would not stray into Jim Hill too much, rather look at the info that everyone actually had access to in guide books.
careship
New Member
The animatronic jazz musicians are at Cosmic Rays. I am sure not what was originally intended, however. We always have to eat there and sit where the kids can enjoy the show. My boys, now 10 and 11, have already told me not to forget to Cosmic Rays musical show. It is something they never forget. They lay on the floor in front of the stage to listen and dance.
Poncho1973
New Member
Funny story about Cosmic Ray's.
My then-wife (now ex) and I were in Cosmic Ray's. I yelled over to her to find us a seat down near Sonny Eclipse as it was rather busy and the line was long.
This was RIGHT after we moved to Florida and probably only her third or fourth visit to MK.
I turned back around to stand in line and suddenly I get smacked from behind (decently hard) on the arm. Startled, I recoiled and turned around. Who smacked my arm? HER! She was like "Don't say something dirty like that here!!! This is a place for small children." I still don't know exactly what she THOUGHT I said (I have some ideas, but she would never say), but I pointed to the animatronic character and said "I wanted to sit where we could listen to the guy singing the songs: Sonny Eclipse." "OH, ok. I'll get us a seat."
My then-wife (now ex) and I were in Cosmic Ray's. I yelled over to her to find us a seat down near Sonny Eclipse as it was rather busy and the line was long.
This was RIGHT after we moved to Florida and probably only her third or fourth visit to MK.
I turned back around to stand in line and suddenly I get smacked from behind (decently hard) on the arm. Startled, I recoiled and turned around. Who smacked my arm? HER! She was like "Don't say something dirty like that here!!! This is a place for small children." I still don't know exactly what she THOUGHT I said (I have some ideas, but she would never say), but I pointed to the animatronic character and said "I wanted to sit where we could listen to the guy singing the songs: Sonny Eclipse." "OH, ok. I'll get us a seat."
magicjay1989
New Member
With the roger rabbit theamed area I had always thought that the prop shop by the houney I shrunk the kids play ground was thaemed to roger rabbit befor they had the gosebumbs show. But they again I could be wrong. After all I was little. 
MagicJay: Yes the prop shop area was heavily themed to Roger Rabbit. In fact there was a dip mobile and several Roger Rabbit character cut outs you could pose with. They also had tons and tons of Roger Rabbit paraphernalia. I went to the park a few months after it opened and yes the park was heavily geared towards Roger Rabbit as it had openend during the past year and was so wildly popular. I know Disney had plans to make a sequel, but a combo of Eisner and Spielberg fighting combined with how expensive a sequel was to be derailed the whole thing. The post is also correct about Sunset Boulevard being heavily geared towards Roger Rabbit too. Unfortunately, DL got the Roger Rabbit ride and MGM got bupkis.
As for JimHill - he isn't that far off the mark. I guess to some of you, what "could have been" isn't that interesting, but I for one love discussing old plans and attraction ideas. I don't think those kind of articles in anyway detracts from what actually exists and I don't think that is his intention. I really don't find an anti disney vibe in his articles. Having been born and raised in florida, I can tell you I'm sure Disney had plans to make Sunset Blvd. into a major expansion. I was in college when MGM opened and the public hated the Studios and complained as they did the first year AK opened about it's size. The Studios were so small and crowded, you couldn't even walk down most of New York Street. I remember in the early 90s all the hype that the park would be majorly expanded and unfortunately it wasn't, but they did change and improve things a bit by moving the hollywood bowl to sunset blvd. and adding a few extra touches here and there. I actually have that old guide book and I remember being so excited reading about the new rides.
As for JimHill - he isn't that far off the mark. I guess to some of you, what "could have been" isn't that interesting, but I for one love discussing old plans and attraction ideas. I don't think those kind of articles in anyway detracts from what actually exists and I don't think that is his intention. I really don't find an anti disney vibe in his articles. Having been born and raised in florida, I can tell you I'm sure Disney had plans to make Sunset Blvd. into a major expansion. I was in college when MGM opened and the public hated the Studios and complained as they did the first year AK opened about it's size. The Studios were so small and crowded, you couldn't even walk down most of New York Street. I remember in the early 90s all the hype that the park would be majorly expanded and unfortunately it wasn't, but they did change and improve things a bit by moving the hollywood bowl to sunset blvd. and adding a few extra touches here and there. I actually have that old guide book and I remember being so excited reading about the new rides.
Yeah, MGM has really changed since the opening. I think Disney originally had way different ideas for the park, but the public's reaction to the park really seemed to change that.
From what I have read and remember about the original MGM, I feel that they were hoping that MGM would revolve mostly around the fact that the place was an actual movie/animation studio, which is why they had the tour so dang long in the beginning. They figured the tour would be the big reason to go to MGM, and the additional attractions, like the stunt show and the movie ride, would be "perks". That's just my guess, though.
The tour went all through what it does today, but also went down New York Street, through soundstages (Mickey Ave), and was also part walking tour (which basically became Backstage Pass) It was cut down..WAY down...probably because it ate up so much of the customer's time and they wanted room to expand. I think this explains why the layout of the park is so goofy...because a lot of the confusing areas, easy to get lost in, were just supposed to be part of the tour (New York Street, Mickey Avenue). In fact, originally, the layout could have been considered pretty simple, like that of MKs (with the spokes).
I heard that the tour once had a scene with the dip mobile from Roger Rabbit spraying at the audience, or something.
jmarc63
New Member
Spidy I do know that Disney has wanted for a very long time to have some kind of space attraction, I think walt had ideas but the technology just wasn't there yet.
When they were planing EPCOT, The plot where Horizions went was originally intended for a space pavilion in the original build, so I guess it took longer than expected to get the right technology for M:S
Following up with JLW11Hi's comments: the original backstage tour also included a walk through 3 soundstages, (one of which is where Millionaire currently exists) one of the soundstages included the new mickey mouse club (then starring the future Felicity, a few pop tarts and nsyncers). I also remember walking through a prop room and the walking tour ended in a film about future disney movies. As for the dip mobile, i dont remember if it would spit water out at folks, but I do remember that every few minutes it would come alive and start shaking and making noise.
Mickey Avenue was off limits as was most of New York Street for the first year or two. My next trip to the Studios after the summer of 1989 was December of 1990. By that time I do remember Mickey Avenue was open as was New York Street but the tour remained the same. One of the soundstages was occupied by Let's Make A Deal, which was was just like Millionaire in that audiences could participate.
Overall, this park has greatly improved from it's opening and by 2000 was immensely better. I just hope it doesn't take disney that long to make changes at epcot and Ak.
Mickey Avenue was off limits as was most of New York Street for the first year or two. My next trip to the Studios after the summer of 1989 was December of 1990. By that time I do remember Mickey Avenue was open as was New York Street but the tour remained the same. One of the soundstages was occupied by Let's Make A Deal, which was was just like Millionaire in that audiences could participate.
Overall, this park has greatly improved from it's opening and by 2000 was immensely better. I just hope it doesn't take disney that long to make changes at epcot and Ak.