With The great movie ride gone what have we lost?

[Musical Mermaid]

I’ve gone to DHS pretty much since the park opened and The Great Movie Ride was one of my favorite attractions there. I didn’t love every scene on the ride, particularly Alien and Tarzan, and wish it had been updated, but it was still a must do every time I went to that park.

Sorry, the old shows they have there I’ve seen many times too and I would have voted them out before this ride. It’s not that I don’t care for Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones, or the Muppets (I love all those IPs), but give them or those areas something better now. They can make another Muppets 3D show, add new effects, but they’ll wait until everyone is so bored with this one, they no longer care about them.

As far as the other rides:
Star Tours- first ride I ever got super sick on when I was young. It’s still very rough & Disney has much better simulators elsewhere (even though I still hate the ride type, I think Soarin and Flight of Passage are not only technologically better as a given, but also appeal to a wider audience...and I’ve never seen Avatar.) Just rode this Sunday night and can honestly see why it had a short wait. Disney, this ride is super boring, I couldn’t wait to get off of it, please replace it.
Toy Story Midway Mania- Overrated. A glorified Frontierland Shootin Arcade that takes up too much space for what it is. Both of Disney’s shooting games pale in comparison to the Men in Black at Universal. Toy Story is really not that much different from playing a screen game at home, except you’re pulling a ball on a string. I get the crowds because kids are so attached to their screens these days and almost anyone can ride this, I just don’t think it’s special.
Rock n Roller Coaster- I like the coaster, fast and fun. I can take or leave Aerosmith. It’s fun, but I wouldn’t scream if they changed it.
Tower of Terror- It’s great that Disney found ways to update this since its initial incarnation. It fits well in the park, has great theming and the element of surprise. Just rode this Sunday too, hadn’t been in 15 years because I don’t like the sensation when you drop. I still don’t like the sensation, so not a ride I will be visiting too much or at all in the future. But I don’t think Disney needs to change or replace this one. I think it is special in DHS. Fix the rest of the park.

I’m still upset at losing the backlot, the Streets of America, the animation area, and The Great Movie Ride, so much stuff in so little time. For me though, and for others who think like me (I can’t be the only one), Disney needs to bring special back to this park or we won’t be returning. I’m not saying that what they are putting in won’t be special, but the Star Wars area seems like something that only appeals to Star Wars geeks who are fascinated by everything Star Wars, Toy Story looks like a kiddie area, and to be honest, I don’t really care for Mickey Mouse (& esp. not the style taking over TGMR). They act like he was never anywhere to be found in the parks (Fantasmic, Mickey Mouse Revue, The Great Movie Ride, Philharmagic, just to name several).

This park is a mess now.

 

[bamawahine]

I think the saddest part is the loss of the tribute to the great ones, Judy Garland, Bogart, Wayne, Cagney its now Hollywood Studios minus the Hollywood.

My teenage daughter is not happy about the loss of this ride. While most kids like a ride with a Disney character theme or some other "youth" aspect, TGMR has always been my daughter's favorite!

 

[crxbrett]

Honestly, I've just visited Disneyland in Anaheim for the first time...and the biggets take-away I got from it, was that if I want a higher "dose" of "pure-er" Disney, I won't get it in Florida... Walt's Spirit isn't there like it is in Anaheim...

I've actually picked up a weird new obsession with DL... So much that my next trip won't be to WDW... I just feel like DL is the Disney man's Disney Park... Florida (thanks to Iger and others) has become just too "Corporate".

And I hate to say that as my "home" is Orlando...

This struck a chord with me, because living in LA and going to DL my entire life...I feel like it has less magic than WDW in a lot of ways. The whole GOTG replacing ToT was one of the biggest corporate blunders at any Disney park recently in my eyes and such an obvious maneuver to shoehorn and shove a currently hot property down people's throats, more so than what I have seen at WDW. It's been going on a while at DL, too. When they replaced the beloved Tahitian Terrace with the Aladdin's Oasis back in '93 it was a huge blow and stunk of corporate IP shoehorning. That Oasis area is such a waste now. DL needs to turn that back into a full sit-down restaurant year-round for daily usage. I first visited WDW in '89 and have been 8 more times since. For me, WDW is the Disney man's park/resort.

I say this all the time, the grass is always greener on the other side.

I'll trade you! lol

 

[crxbrett]

My first exposure to classical music was from a 30 minute serial tv show called the Lone Ranger, I knew it was cool then I found out it was the William tell overture. It leed me to find more, one never knows where ones first inspiration will come from and where it will leed. and then there is just plan old respect and tribute to the great part of the arts. Maybe a kid rides the GMR for the first time and see a girl named Dorothy accompanied by some great music and sez, mommy who is that, what movie is this? And maybe just maybe it is the beginnings of something for her?

I still watch the Lone Ranger today! It's on Cozi TV.

 

[Chef Mickey]

We lost an icon and any sense of past greats. I understand kids might not know Humphrey Bogart, but it's kind of nice to be exposed to the icons that came before.

I want the Mickey Ride too, but not at the expense of a great concept that just needed some TLC to be great again.

 

[Professor_Jason]

I've always wondered how many kids saw the Great Movie Ride and went home and discovered old movies because the ride captured their imaginations. I think we've lost a great gateway for people who have only seen movies with fast edits and action, action, action to go and find their own appreciation for the art of old cinema

 

[rob0519]

My first exposure to classical music was from a 30 minute serial tv show called the Lone Ranger, I knew it was cool then I found out it was the William tell overture. It leed me to find more, one never knows where ones first inspiration will come from and where it will leed. and then there is just plan old respect and tribute to the great part of the arts. Maybe a kid rides the GMR for the first time and see a girl named Dorothy accompanied by some great music and sez, mommy who is that, what movie is this? And maybe just maybe it is the beginnings of something for her?

I'll have to give you this point. The attraction had it's merits for exposing children to some of the classics, but honestly, Disney let it, much like a lot of other longtime attractions just run into the ground without any updates or refurbishments. Maybe that's why I don't consider it a huge loss. Along those lines, wow many of us heard Elmer Fudd singing "Kill the Wabbit, Kill the Wabbit, not knowing it was Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries".

 

[Seabasealpha1]

But, TGMR was on huge outside IP attraction. How can that one be so wonderful and any mention of any other reacted to like someone just insulted ones grandmother. And pray tell, how does Mickey Mouse not fit in a Disney Park? I'm confused! Pretty much fact that Disney didn't have that many "classic" films to display when GMR was built. Nothing really but fluff. Fun movies, but, not what the world would call classic. It would have been a pretty empty building if it relied strictly on Disney history at that time.

Mickey Mouse fits...and I agree completely with you...

However, the way they delivered the goods made a big difference...and the stuff they filled it with was already classic...

Now-a-days...the movies just don't hold a candle much...and then you have the fact that they made an attraction that wasn't necessarily beholden to box office performance...it was a concept for the theme park only that didn't depend on screaming brats and their parent's buying merchandise in a gift shop...

I guess I should have done a better job at dividing up my opinions in my post...that may have helped...and again, I totally get and agree to what you're saying...

I'm of mixed emotions about the Mickey Mouse ride...maybe it's because I see that DHS is going the way of DCA...a big pile of ideas that don't fit anywhere else...all piled up on each other...thematically jumbled...

 

[Seabasealpha1]

This struck a chord with me, because living in LA and going to DL my entire life...I feel like it has less magic than WDW in a lot of ways. The whole GOTG replacing ToT was one of the biggest corporate blunders at any Disney park recently in my eyes and such an obvious maneuver to shoehorn and shove a currently hot property down people's throats, more so than what I have seen at WDW. It's been going on a while at DL, too. When they replaced the beloved Tahitian Terrace with the Aladdin's Oasis back in '93 it was a huge blow and stunk of corporate IP shoehorning. That Oasis area is such a waste now. DL needs to turn that back into a full sit-down restaurant year-round for daily usage. I first visited WDW in '89 and have been 8 more times since. For me, WDW is the Disney man's park/resort.

I say this all the time, the grass is always greener on the other side.

I'll trade you! lol

At the moment...I'll happily trade you for a while... DL really is wonderful... and honestly, I don't love one (WDW or DL) over the other...and personally, I don't feel like the DL vs WDW thing that some folks get into is even a thing or necessary. I guess, for me, they have different needs they fill...they have different feels...they operate differently...they're sisters moreso than any of the others are and they're both part of the same story...

...but, let me just say that you CA folks are blessed and have something to be very proud of. Ain't nothing like the original from what I've seen...and that's reason enough to treasure it always.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Mickey Mouse fits...and I agree completely with you...

However, the way they delivered the goods made a big difference...and the stuff they filled it with was already classic...

Now-a-days...the movies just don't hold a candle much...and then you have the fact that they made an attraction that wasn't necessarily beholden to box office performance...it was a concept for the theme park only that didn't depend on screaming brats and their parent's buying merchandise in a gift shop...

I guess I should have done a better job at dividing up my opinions in my post...that may have helped...and again, I totally get and agree to what you're saying...

I'm of mixed emotions about the Mickey Mouse ride...maybe it's because I see that DHS is going the way of DCA...a big pile of ideas that don't fit anywhere else...all piled up on each other...thematically jumbled...

Yea, I know. The older I get the more obvious that it is to me that the world is changing rapidly and I am not either able to or willing to keep up with most of it. It's just not my time anymore, it is someone elses. And those someone elses are what is driving the economy and the way that business does business. My way of looking at it is that I can either relax and go along for the ride or get all knotted up about things and not enjoy what I have left of my life. I chose the former. Please understand though that this applies only to Theme Parks. Other things still have my attention and my resolve.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Yea, I know. The older I get the more obvious that it is to me that the world is changing rapidly and I am not either able to or willing to keep up with most of it. It's just not my time anymore, it is someone elses. And those someone elses are what is driving the economy and the way that business does business. My way of looking at it is that I can either relax and go along for the ride or get all knotted up about things and not enjoy what I have left of my life. I chose the former. Please understand though that this applies only to Theme Parks. Other things still have my attention and my resolve.

Being I guess "Gen X" (born '71) everything catered to the Baby Boomers until the moment everything catered to the Millennials. I feel like my generation never got a turn. We're all just going to WDW and Star Wars movies.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Being I guess "Gen X" (born '71) everything catered to the Baby Boomers until the moment everything catered to the Millennials. I feel like my generation never got a turn. We're all just going to WDW and Star Wars movies.

Well, you should have spent less time playing computer games, wondering where Disco went and being entitled and concentrated on "running things".

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Well, you should have spent less time playing computer games, wondering where Disco went and being entitled and concentrated on "running things".

Ha!

Oh, we worked! Or we didn't get anything LOL. If I wanted a new atari game, I got it when I saved up enough from my two paper routes.

When I was too young to get a paper route (you had to be I think 10 or 11 to qualify) I shoveled snow and sold hand-drawn cartoon characters to neighbors door to door LOL(!!!) Roy could have shut me down for doing Mickey Mouse and Pluto but I only sold them for 5 to 10 cents each. The neighbors were good sports.

"Entitled" skipped a generation (ours.)

Disco is alive and well in my store! (Hard work pays off.)

But politicians and big companies sometimes skip over our voice as a generation because we have less voting/buying power IMHO.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Should have remade that ride except longer and ride by omnimover

 

[WondersOfLife]

I wouldn't have minded the close of The Great Movie Ride... If Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land was FINISHED. HS REEEALLLYYY needed that ride!

 

[Darth Figment]

It definitely could have used some upgrades. But it was one of my favorites hate to see it go

 

[Goofyernmost]

What we have lost is a little bit of history... Theme Park history. It is important to many of us, but, in the larger picture is not all that important. It is captured on many video's and will always be able to be seen again. Heck, Martin has practically made a career out of his Disney hobby. All he has to do is remove the "these are not for sale" messages from his video's.

This lack of concern over history has happened in this country basically since it was formed. Go to Europe and history is everywhere to be seen and marveled at. How big a parking lot would we now have if the Roman Colosseum had been located in Rome, NY instead of Rome, Italy. It's part of our culture, level the old and build the new. Probably why we grew so fast was our ability to let go of the past.

I do have a question about European History though. While touring the Roman Forum I had to wonder why there were only random pieces of stone buildings left there in random locations? The entire buildings were made out of stone, where is the rest of it? OK, maybe they recycled and used the stones in other newer buildings, but, why did they leave what is there? Why wouldn't they have clean up the area and built new stuff there? That place is PRIME downtown Rome property. There could have been numerous adult book stores or Pizzeria's located in that spot. Who thought centuries ago... Hey, if we leave it like this hundreds of years from now people will come by the thousands to look at it and wonder why there are three random pillars standing there and not a single trace of the rest of them. This was a marketing genius.

 

[larryz]

This struck a chord with me, because living in LA and going to DL my entire life...I feel like it has less magic than WDW in a lot of ways. The whole GOTG replacing ToT was one of the biggest corporate blunders at any Disney park recently in my eyes and such an obvious maneuver to shoehorn and shove a currently hot property down people's throats, more so than what I have seen at WDW. It's been going on a while at DL, too. When they replaced the beloved Tahitian Terrace with the Aladdin's Oasis back in '93 it was a huge blow and stunk of corporate IP shoehorning. That Oasis area is such a waste now. DL needs to turn that back into a full sit-down restaurant year-round for daily usage. I first visited WDW in '89 and have been 8 more times since. For me, WDW is the Disney man's park/resort.

I say this all the time, the grass is always greener on the other side.

I'll trade you! lol

DLR has more of a "pure Disney" vibe than WDW... and there's nothing wrong with a Disney IP being highlighted in a Disney park. The whole Original Park was based on IPs. Heck, the whole park IS a Disney IP.

 

[KimAnnFran]

IMHO, we have lost a lot.
A look at the golden age of films, famous stars of the past, the set for the Wizard of Oz and that sequence were always so good. Also I'll miss (personally) the alien part (original, with attacking aliens from front, back and sides).....and the final movie.

 

[Andsome]

We've lost a lot. Back in the day, CMs would state before the ending montage that the ride (and some could argue the park as a whole) was "only scratching the surface of what Hollywood has to offer", but with the ride closed and the park shifting gears in which the end result is focusing on just two(!) film franchises, they're barely laying a finger on the art of cinema.

Even if they revisit the concept, it won't feel the same. They'll cut corners by putting screens in place of physical details, the AAs will have mapped faces, etc., which would lessen the "oomph" factor that made GMR so great in the first place.