The Great Movie Ride End Scene

[comics101]

http://www.greatmovieride.com/originalconcept.html

I was looking around and found this on Studios Central. They talk about a different ending to GMR, one where the Wizard of Oz would continue onto the Wizards Chamber.

According to this website, Fantasia was supposed to be a tornado scene, and the last scene of GMR was going to be the Wizards chamber. That last room would be split in two (one side for the gangster one side for the bandit). The screen was supposedly going to be the Wizard, and in the on the ground in the corner of the screen would be the curtain for the man. Along the walls would've been animatronics of Dorthy and friends. They'd have a dialouge and then the Wizard would say, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" The curtain would then open up and in it would be your high-jacker taking a bow. I don't understand how, but the website says somewhere there'd be a bunch of animatronic movie characters that you saw in the ride taking a bow as well. Studios Central says the reason it fell through was because Disney had only bought the rights current Wizard of Oz scences from MGM, but I thought Warners owned the Wiz.

Is there any truth to this? It sounds really awesome. I also was wondering if we could get the real reason the hat was put in front of the theatre. I know the reason I always hear is copyright, but a little while ago someone on these forums posted that after a building is so old, you can replicate it. Also, if it were copyright reasons, then wouldn't Disney have to change Hollywood Blvd?

Thanks, Cody

 

[Sherrybaby]

This is a little off your original topic, but here goes.... We have ridden about 50 times and I never saw any bandit sequence. We have only ever encountered the gangster. Have they done away with the bandit or is it done very infrequently? I would think over the years I would have encountered this sequence at least once.

Thanks,
Sherry

 

[askmike1]

If I understand it correctly, Disney was only allowed to put so much Wizard of Oz references in the GMR from the contract they had. Doing the throne room or the tornado scene would have gone over the limit. They did keep the basic tornado design in the fantasia room, so even though it isn't officially Wizard of Oz, it still gives the same feeling.

 

[disnyfan89]

When they were originally designing the Great Movie ride it was being designed as a pavilion for Epcot. The original design called for only one car moving through the attraction at a time. When it was chosen to be the center piece of Disney-MGM Studios they had to bump up the capacity of the ride. Originally Disney had the rights to only use the images from the wizard of Oz for a certain amount of time. When they doubled the capacity of the ride it took longer for the vehicles to pass through the scenes. They had to cut the thrown room scene because of this. As for the bowing actors, that's new to me.

It is also from my understanding that the Hat was added to the studios for the same reason as the Wand to Epcot. It was to help Dizneyize the park. It had nothing to do with the Chinese Theatre. Also, people tend to forget the original Icon of the park was the water tower. An object that was hard to photograph with guest to later sell as a souvenir photo. The Chinese theatre could be the one in Hollywood and did not "advertise" the park. Disney wanted an icon that was "sellable" and could be instantly recognized.

 

[AEfx]

I believe I've seen the magic time quoted as 3 minutes because of the contract with Turner. It sure would have been nice to go in the chamber, and the Fantasia scene is easily the weakest part of the attraction, IMHO. It's a shame.

AEfx

 

[disnyfan89]

I believe I've seen the magic time quoted as 3 minutes because of the contract with Turner. It sure would have been nice to go in the chamber, and the Fantasia scene is easily the weakest part of the attraction, IMHO. It's a shame.

AEfx

Very true! Now adays it just serves as a spot for CM to advertise Mickey in Fantasmic!

 

[maryszhi]

When they were originally designing the Great Movie ride it was being designed as a pavilion for Epcot. The original design called for only one car moving through the attraction at a time. When it was chosen to be the center piece of Disney-MGM Studios they had to bump up the capacity of the ride. Originally Disney had the rights to only use the images from the wizard of Oz for a certain amount of time. When they doubled the capacity of the ride it took longer for the vehicles to pass through the scenes. They had to cut the thrown room scene because of this. As for the bowing actors, that's new to me.

It is also from my understanding that the Hat was added to the studios for the same reason as the Wand to Epcot. It was to help Dizneyize the park. It had nothing to do with the Chinese Theatre. Also, people tend to forget the original Icon of the park was the water tower. An object that was hard to photograph with guest to later sell as a souvenir photo. The Chinese theatre could be the one in Hollywood and did not "advertise" the park. Disney wanted an icon that was "sellable" and could be instantly recognized.

yep thats what i heard and believe to be true. i wish they would expand the ride with more classics and modern movies as well to show the progression

 

[TubaGeek]

Yeah, that's all true. Checking out that website, though, makes me realize how badly that ride needs a refurb. There's so much room and so many things that are going to waste in there.

 

[jt04]

I really think changing it to "The Great Disney Movies Ride" would be a welcome change. Disney has enough live and animated features to fill the ride and then some. It could be very nostalgic and fun. Just my 2 pesos.

The Wizard of Oz scene, the Alien scene and Tarzan just don't work in the era of ToT and TSM etc. Way outdated.

 

[EnchantedKiss]

Actually they put the hat in because Disney said they didn't have an icon for Hollywood Studios. I always thought the Earful Tower was their icon.
That would've been so neat to have all those scenes from "Wizard of Oz."
I always love to ride that ride, especially to see the montage of movies at the very end! Eeeee my fav!

 

[redkoala245]

This is intresting and great information on the GMR. I can't believe that the movie screen at the end was supposed to be Emerald City. I don't think GMR would of worked the best at Epcot. That would just feel odd. It's better at DHS, I feel.
And I also thought that the Earful Tower was their original icon. I think it really was.

 

[RiversideBunny]

They should pipe the smell of popcorn into The Great Movie Ride, particularly for the end scene. Maybe at the beginning also.
Wouldn't cost much and would add greatly to the effect.

To add interest, they could also paint the ride vehicles to look like popcorn boxes - the guests are riding through in popcorn boxes. Those rectangular ride vehicles are the right shape for it.

BTW- the immersion and the nostalgia of the GMR is great if you like movies.

:king:

 

[kcnole]

The copyright info on the hat is wrong as far as not being allowed to have it copyrighted. However they couldn't use the chinese theatre as the icon for the studios. The earful tower apparently wasn't working well as the icon (since it couldn't be seen everywhere) so they felt they needed a weenie that could be the icon of the park, so we got the hat.

 

[wickedfan07]

They should pipe the smell of popcorn into The Great Movie Ride, particularly for the end scene. Maybe at the beginning also.
Wouldn't cost much and would add greatly to the effect.

To add interest, they could also paint the ride vehicles to look like popcorn boxes - the guests are riding through in popcorn boxes. Those rectangular ride vehicles are the right shape for it.

BTW- the immersion and the nostalgia of the GMR is great if you like movies.

:king:

I kind of like those ideas. I hope to the GMR gets some kind of update or at least a freshening up soon. It definitelyis still a much do at the Studios though.

 

[tirian]

The copyright info on the hat is wrong as far as not being allowed to have it copyrighted. However they couldn't use the chinese theatre as the icon for the studios. The earful tower apparently wasn't working well as the icon (since it couldn't be seen everywhere) so they felt they needed a weenie that could be the icon of the park, so we got the hat.

Partly true; the Studios needed a new icon, but WDI didn't plan for that icon to be a glorified pin shop.

If you think about it, the whole situation sounds so stupid that it wouldn't happen in a Disney park. The idea itself—the icon is a pin shop—sounds more like National Lampoon.

 

[RiversideBunny]

This really shouldn't be a hat thread. It's about the GMR.

There are already a lot of hat threads.
Summary:
1. Some people like the hat.
2. Some people don't like the hat.
3. Some people like the hat but want it moved to another location.
4. Some people like the hat but want something under it besides a pin shop.
5. Some people don't care.

NOW- Back to the movies. Pass the popcorn.

Tks.

 

[Green Lantern]

I always thought of the Chinese theatre being the icon. I know that isn't what they wanted and all, but I liked it. I'm a big movie geek though so that might be why.

 

[comics101]

They should pipe the smell of popcorn into The Great Movie Ride, particularly for the end scene. Maybe at the beginning also.
Wouldn't cost much and would add greatly to the effect.

To add interest, they could also paint the ride vehicles to look like popcorn boxes - the guests are riding through in popcorn boxes. Those rectangular ride vehicles are the right shape for it.

BTW- the immersion and the nostalgia of the GMR is great if you like movies.

:king:

The popcorn smell idea is a great one, but I don't know about the vehicle popcorn box. The vehicles are supposed to be kinda like a tram in a studio tour.

Partly true; the Studios needed a new icon, but WDI didn't plan for that icon to be a glorified pin shop.

If you think about it, the whole situation sounds so stupid that it wouldn't happen in a Disney park. The idea itself—the icon is a pin shop—sounds more like National Lampoon.

Do you know if the hat was supposed to be something other than a pin shop, or were there any concepts for a new icon other than a hat that you know of?

 

[Green Lantern]

I love the film montage at the end of the ride. Some of those films they show are my favorite and give me goose bumps every time I watch it.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I love the film montage at the end of the ride. Some of those films they show are my favorite and give me goose bumps every time I watch it.

I always play a gma eiwth my wife to see who can name more of the movies first as they go by.

We probably drive the people around us crazy, but we have a great time doing it!