What is going on with SF @ MGM?

[CTXRover]

That's really odd. It looks like they have even taken down the metal supports that were up before the flat had been added. I thought it looked neat. I do know that the two other new flats that had been put up before the Osborne's this last year were re-worked on for some reason recently and it looks like they are all finished once again (and a little less bright/fake looking than before). Are they still made from that vinyl-like material? Maybe they realized the backdrop wasn't going to hold up as long as they thought. I was surprised when you got up close to it and touched it. It seemed like a sharp enough instrument, like a pocket knife, could easily cut through it. Maybe it was just a temporary backdrop to get a feel for the look of it. I don't know. It looked good to me.

 

[Pix E. Dust]

I think I know where you are talking about but for the life of me I can't figure out what SF stands for. ???

 

[nicholas]

I think I know where you are talking about but for the life of me I can't figure out what SF stands for. ???

I think San Fran

 

[Hakunamatata]

It's Simple

Bob Iger was at the park. He told them it looked awful in comparison to NY. He asked them to take it down and try again.

They are going to hire a different artist and try again

What would be your source on this bit of info?

 

[LongballMG]

Source

I am the source. I am a cast member at the Disney-MGM Studios and work in the Backlands Attractions.

 

[Disneyfan1981]

I think its cool that Iger is already doing some Quality Control at the parks....

 

[flFigment]

I know lets bring back Hunchback!!!!

I never understand why it was honestly taken out. read lots of rumors but never any solid evidence of why it was taken out. each and every single time i went to the show it was packed

 

[ThreeCircles]

The show was probably removed to cut costs. It was often rated as one of the best shows on property and was by far better than the Beauty & The Beast stage show, in my opinion.

 

[CTXRover]

Hunchback was, imo, the best live show at MGM when it was being performed. It was way better than the Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast shows. Very well done and better yet all the singing and acting was live.

My guess why it got the axe is twofold. First, it came right after the unfortunate events after 9-11-01 and the subsequent dive in attendance at the parks. As a (necessary?) cost-cutting strategy, it was probably the show chosen to be cut. Second, the show as probably cut because it had been several years from the release of the film and the Hunchback hardly had/has the following of B&theB or the LM. It was an excellent show though. It would be nice to see another high quality show like that back in that theatre sometime. Then again, with the Motor Stunt show providing a high quality show back in that area, maybe they could find a way to squeeze a ride back there (I'm not sure how much space exists around and behind that theatre). Maybe even a Muppet dark ride and finally turn that area into a "Muppet Studios" area like reportedly planned.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

The had to shut it because they were under their quota for closed attractions and unused space.

 

[cherrynegra]

Wow!! Thanks for the pics Speck. Maybe they are taking it down to have it redone. Of course, anything they put up will always pale in comparison to the real thing. :lookaroun

 

[DarkMeasures]

If Iger really did that, I think I might have to give him a hug... Or at least sneak into the boardroom at the Burbank studio and attempt to give him a hug...

 

[BwanaBob]

It's Simple

Bob Iger was at the park. He told them it looked awful in comparison to NY. He asked them to take it down and try again.

They are going to hire a different artist and try again

So, when can we expect to see it available on MouseSurplus??????

:lookaroun

 

[Frank Stallone]

I, for one, am glad to see the skyline gone. I had to look at that skyline everyday at work, and constantly got comments about how inferior it was to the New York skyline. I wouldn't mind seeing them bring back the skyline, but hopefully a better product this time.

 

[Victoria]

I sure am glad I got my pic with the SF backdrop when I was there last week. Very odd that it is missing now. I did notice that there were a lot of random contruction walls placed in the area. Kind of appeared that they were there for no reason since I didnt look like much of anything was oging on behind them. Im going with the LMA giftshop idea...sort of. I say this only beacuse there was a construction wall right next to the SF scene last week and at the time I was even thinking that this might be the new home for LMA merch. I dont understand why they'd have to take down the whole SF pic thought in order to make a giftshop. Oh, I dont know. This is all too confusing. maybe its a new attaraction (Bring on the Muppets!!! I HIGHLY doubt it, but I can hope) Maybe they're redoing the scene altogether. I hope this is the answere since the painting/scene was actually really badly done...I've seen paintings by 9 yr olds that looked better in some respects. Totally paled in comparison to the NY scene. Who knows. I guess time will tell.

P.S.- I am so sad I missed Slinky Dog!!! I have a mini Dachsund that I named Slinky (based on the original toy...years before Toy Story came out) so I love all things Slink.

 

[Mary Poppins]

Hunchback was, imo, the best live show at MGM when it was being performed. It was way better than the Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast shows. Very well done and better yet all the singing and acting was live.

Uh, the singing and acting are live in most live shows. B&B, Mermaid, FoLK, Tarzan. These are all done live.

 

[BRER STITCH]

OK....I'll be the one to ask!

Can anyone post a side by side comparison of the NYC Backdrop and the San Francisco one???

Thanks in advance!

WHEW! Got that one out of the way! :lol:

:wave:

 

[CTXRover]

Uh, the singing and acting are live in most live shows. B&B, Mermaid, FoLK, Tarzan. These are all done live.

I know most of FOTLK and Tarzan are sung/acted live, but I'm not so sure about the B&B show and Mermaid. I guess I could be wrong, but although I believe some roles are live (I'm pretty sure Ariel singing is live for instance), I also think a good deal of those two shows are prerecorded. The first scene in LM at least has to be prerecorded as it sounds identical to the movie. There are also quite a few scenes in B&B that at least sound and appear to be pre-recorded, particularly the whole Be our Guest segment. What I meant about the Hunchback show being "live" is really nothing appeared pre-recorded besides some extra background vocals. None of the characters in the Hunchback show were what you would call "traditional" Disney characters so to speak, but rather were all face characters (the Hunchback and Frollo (is that the right name?) that walk the parks are NOT face characters). This is in stark contrast to the B&B show for instance where Lumiere and others are NOT face characters and obviously can't be singing live. At least that was my impression. I could be wrong. It always just seemed much more "live" than the B&B and LM shows, which don't seem to come across that way much at all. Anybody else got any other input?

 

[thimblekisses]

Wow. In my absence from MGM for a few years until recently, I had grown less familiar with the park. Now I realize where that theatre went that I remember from when I was little. . . I never saw the Hunchback Show, though I heard it was good, but I did see the Pocahontas show a few times. Was that in that same theatre? I'm pretty sure it was. I liked the Pocahontas show a lot, too, even though I'm not quite so fond of the movie.

In LM, Ariel is singing live, but Prince Eric is dubbed. All the other characters are dubbed, obviously, as they're all puppets.
In a lot of shows like that, only the main people are speaking/singing live, but all the choral group numbers are recorded, esp. in parades, of course. For instance, in Cinderellabration, Cindy, Godmother, and the Duke are live (with somewhat visible body mics) and everyone else is not, such as the chorus of dukes, duchesses, princesses and princes. They could not mic that many people and even in large numbers, groups of "chorus" would not be heard well in large outdoor venues.

Though we seem to have gotten into a thread drift. . .weeeee. . . and I seem to be fueling it.

So, anyway, what you're telling me is that the SF skyline was masking that old theatre from Hunchback (and Pocahontas?), and that they were storing Osbourne stuff in there, but then Iger came and said it stinks, do it again?
Just checking.

Also, on a side note, what year did Fantasmic open? Perhaps after the Pocahontas show closed to make way for Hunchback, so then all the Pocahontas stuff trotted itself over to the other side of the park to be in that show. . .perhaps?

 

[BRER STITCH]

OK....I'll be the one to ask!

Can anyone post a side by side comparison of the NYC Backdrop and the San Francisco one???

Thanks in advance!

WHEW! Got that one out of the way! :lol:

:wave:

BEULER??????????

BEULER???????????????

:lookaroun