Great Movie Ride closes for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway

[MommaBerd]

There's the rub! Just what IS the "new direction of this park?" I have no idea. Is this park just going to be a rough collection of "Intellectual Property Lands?" How boring is that? I hope that the Disney Brass has something in mind for a master plan for DHS & EPCOT, because their moves tell me that they DO NOT.

You took the words out of my mouth, and also reinforces the need for WDW to announce the new name. Then we would have a better idea of what the future of the park may be.

WDWNT has a rumor that GMR will be replaced with a Mickey themed ride..

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/08/rumor...cing-movie-ride-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/

Now THIS is super-exciting for me!!!

 

[HopperFan]

Although it'd be an interesting building and location for Monsters door coaster. (And yes I'm baiting people!)

Completely agree and been saying this since TSMM was built. It would be a perfect fit for that. But we know how that goes.

As much as I love Mickey ...... so hard for me to wrap my head around a ride that big dedicated to him. Must be a reason he's never had a ride before

 

[rteetz]

Okay lets recap.

Great Movie Ride closes in 2017. TCM sponsorship contract doesn't end until 2018 but that won't matter.

The Great Movie Ride Facade will stay as is.

The interior will be gutted for an all new e ticket attraction themed to none other than Mickey Mouse.

The ride will be trackless and open in 2019.

 

[luisov]

A Mickey Mouse ride sounds fun. It's one of the most profitable franchises Disney owns, so I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case. Apparently it is being developed simultaneously for both coasts. Any details on that?

 

[rteetz]

A Mickey Mouse ride sounds fun. It's one of the most profitable franchises Disney owns, so I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case. Apparently it is being developed simultaneously for both coasts. Any details on that?

Its for Disneyland down the road apparently but DHS will get it first.

 

[ElyseInWonderland]

I'll admit while I love GMR it had always seemed a bit lazy to me that they never gave it the face-lift it had needed for years and years. They let the attraction go stale and instead put time and money into bigger E-ticket attractions that needed more attention.

The Mickey Mouse ride idea actually makes sense to me and here's why:
- Disney has caught a lot of criticism lately for letting go of their "nostalgic" & classic Disney attractions in favor of zippier ones. Many (including many on this site) feel like Disney has somewhat "lost it's way" and become out of touch with Walt's vision.
- An e-ticket Mickey Mouse ride could potentially be a real crowd-pleaser; something for Grandma and Grandpa to enjoy while offering new ride technology that appeals to the younger set utilizing 3-d, cool new ride vehicles, etc.
- While a lot of kids are all about the DIS franchises, how many of them actually know that much about Mickey Mouse besides the very basics (hidden Mickeys, getting his autograph at MK)? This could re-introduce Mickey to a different generation who will appreciate him for years to come.

I think this could potentially be a very cool ride and a perfect shot in the arm for DHS, if it does indeed happen!

 

[LAS2AMS]

Well it really wasn't supposed to become the theme park that it became had the original idea of a movie studio was more successful

It's kinda hard to argue that Disney didn't anticipate it becoming more theme park than movie studio. Yes, Disney hyped Orlando as likely to overtake Los Angeles as the production capital of the world but that was always part of the promotion process for the theme park (consider that Toronto was actually the production capital of the world at the time). Universal, in contrast, maintained that it would be a theme park that would offer productions as part of the theme park experience.

After the Studios opened to lackluster reviews and sagging attendance, Disney worked quickly to add entertainment, build new attractions and adjust incumbent attractions (e.g. the two-hour backlot tour). They continued to build and hyped the Tower of Terror as the park's marquee attraction and the park was only a few years old at the time.

Reality is, the Studios was quickly built in response to Universal and Disney didn't really have a solid vision for it. IMO, the park's not worth what Disney charges for a day's admission (even at the discounted price on a multi-day ticket) and most of it should be bulldozed and rebuilt. That said, most people I know who've been there love it, so that will never happen...

 

[cosmicmommy]

I'll admit while I love GMR it had always seemed a bit lazy to me that they never gave it the face-lift it had needed for years and years. They let the attraction go stale and instead put time and money into bigger E-ticket attractions that needed more attention.

The Mickey Mouse ride idea actually makes sense to me and here's why:
- Disney has caught a lot of criticism lately for letting go of their "nostalgic" & classic Disney attractions in favor of zippier ones. Many (including many on this site) feel like Disney has somewhat "lost it's way" and become out of touch with Walt's vision.
- An e-ticket Mickey Mouse ride could potentially be a real crowd-pleaser; something for Grandma and Grandpa to enjoy while offering new ride technology that appeals to the younger set utilizing 3-d, cool new ride vehicles, etc.
- While a lot of kids are all about the DIS franchises, how many of them actually know that much about Mickey Mouse besides the very basics (hidden Mickeys, getting his autograph at MK)? This could re-introduce Mickey to a different generation who will appreciate him for years to come.

I think this could potentially be a very cool ride and a perfect shot in the arm for DHS, if it does indeed happen!

Could also go outside just the realm of Fantasia and incoporate it as a history of Mickey Mouse type thing. Start with Steamboat Willie, go through the many Mickey fairy tales (Jack and the Beanstalk, etc), then do Fantasia and then do the "future" of Mickey Mouse? Instead of "The Great Movie Ride" it could be "The Magic of the Mouse" - the very last scene should be a dedication to Walt and the initial vision. It could tell kids to never stop dreaming and never give up and include his quote that it "all started with a dream and a mouse" (paraphrasing here)

 

[PuppyJonathan]

After the Studios opened to lackluster reviews and sagging attendance, Disney worked quickly to add entertainment, build new attractions and adjust incumbent attractions (e.g. the two-hour backlot tour)

Sagging attendance? When it first opened the park hit capacity so much that they only expanded just to give the park a little bit more capacity

Ok if the Mickey rumor is true... Shut down Great Movie Ride ASAP and let's get a move on on this!!!! May be a little unhealthily obsessed with Mickey

 

[LittleDreamer]

Great Movie Ride closes in 2017. TCM sponsorship contract doesn't end until 2018 but that won't matter.

The ride will be trackless and open in 2019.

This makes me wonder on the planned open date for Toy Story Land. To loose another large attraction without something to add interest seems risky for the park.

 

[rteetz]

This makes me wonder on the planned open date for Toy Story Land. To loose another large attraction without something to add interest seems risky for the park.

Toy story still opens in 2018. In order for the mickey attraction to get done by 2019 it needs to close next year.

 

[skier_pete]

Well turns out wdwmagic sources are saying the new ride will be the first Mickey Mouse themed ride. Color me surprised for sure.

The other thing to note on the article says it would close AFTER the opening of the Star Wars themed land - so chalk this one up to "Doubtful". This plan will change 18 times before then. OR just contradictory rumors.

 

[rteetz]

The other thing to note on the article says it would close AFTER the opening of the Star Wars themed land - so chalk this one up to "Doubtful". This plan will change 18 times before then.

WDWNT is said to not be right on the timeline here. All of the WDWmagic sources say this will close next year and open in 2019. I am not chalking this up as doubtful.

 

[Ai12gani]

I an very intrigued by this as Disney has never done a ride with Mickey and/or the rest of the gang (well not that I can think of). If it does turn out to be trackless that will be WDW's first or second trackless ride depending on how you look at it. If this does happen I am very interested on what exactly it will be about.

With that said close the ride already I want this new one NOW.

 

[skier_pete]

WDWNT is said to not be right on the timeline here. All of the WDWmagic sources say this will close next year and open in 2019. I am not chalking this up as doubtful.

My point was that THAT version of the rumor was doubtful. (But I'm still doubting the whole thing.)

 

[rteetz]

My point was that THAT version of the rumor was doubtful. (But I'm still doubting the whole thing.)

Well the additional e ticket attraction rumor has been around for months and it was always said to be controversial which we know now why. Its all starting to make sense. The theme of the ride is surprising but it is what it is.

 

[Dfan79]

It'd be funny if they partnered with AMC. They could have Walter White from "Breaking Bad" in his Meth Lab in one scene, a horde of zombies eating a horse and the church shootout from "The Preacher". Think of all the possibilities.

(Just kidding that would be terrible.)

Seriously though, I don't like the idea of a Mickey ride. I think they should just make it a Great Disney Movie ride. It would be cool to see the little used and underused animated movies get their own attraction.

 

[rteetz]

It'd be funny if they partnered with AMC. They could have Walter White from "Breaking Bad" in his Meth Lab in one scene, a horde of zombies eating a horse and the church shootout from "The Preacher". Think of all the possibilities.

(Just kidding that would be terrible.)

Seriously though, I don't like the idea of a Mickey ride. I think they should just make it a Great Disney Movie ride. It would be cool to see the little used and underused animated movies get their own attraction.

What's wrong with Mickey? Remember it all started with a mouse... Well not really

 

[Dfan79]

What's wrong with Mickey? Remember it all started with a mouse... Well not really

LOL, I love Mickey, but I don't think the Mickey idea fits and I don't think it will be a popular ride. If they are going to do it over they might as well make a real top tier attraction.

 

[rteetz]

LOL, I love Mickey, but I don't think the Mickey idea fits and I don't think it will be a popular ride. If they are going to do it over might as well make a real top tier attraction.

Its supposed to be a top tier attraction. Trackless e ticket. You can't get any better than that.