The Demise of the Great Movie Ride

[Sweettears]

I’m watching a YouTube video of the GMR. I love it and always have. I’m wondering if it’s demise had anything to do with the violence projected. Granted it was an accurate depiction of the movies represented but it got me to wondering if it wasn’t a factor.

Any thoughts?

 

[Smugpugmug]

I think it had more to do with the sponsorship from Turner Classic Movies ending and Disney didn't want to pay for a refurb and/or maintenance of the ride out of their own pockets, so they decided to close it instead.

I still think getting rid of Great Movie Ride instead of giving it the refurb it deserved was a huge mistake. They could've put Runaway Railway where the Star Wars Launch Bay is if anything.

 

[Sweettears]

Can’t argue but if you go back and watch the video there is a great deal of violence projected. I understand the sponsorship changes but the ride survived that for quite some time.

Not saying I’m right just a thought.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Can’t argue but if you go back and watch the video there is a great deal of violence projected. I understand the sponsorship changes but the ride survived that for quite some time.

Not saying I’m right just a thought.

The Turner Classic Movies sponsorship was from 2015-2017. The ride closed in August of 2017. I think the ending of the sponsorship was a nail in the coffin for the ride. It was already feeling outdated at that point and without a sponsorship, I don't think Disney wanted to bother with spending money on a refurb.

I get the violence aspect of it. It had more "scary" parts of it than other rides did. I don't think I have ever been on it without a kid crying during the Alien scene. But there are other rides that have violence/scary stuff in them as well.

 

[Sweettears]

I thought there was a gap between the Turner deal and the closure. That is what created the change in the narration

 

[Sweettears]

The Turner Classic Movies sponsorship was from 2015-2017. The ride closed in August of 2017. I think the ending of the sponsorship was a nail in the coffin for the ride. It was already feeling outdated at that point and without a sponsorship, I don't think Disney wanted to bother with spending money on a refurb.

I get the violence aspect of it. It had more "scary" parts of it than other rides did. I don't think I have ever been on it without a kid crying during the Alien scene. But there are other rides that have violence/scary stuff in them as well.

I recall our visit when Alien came out at MK. Made it sound like it would scare the bejesus out of you. I went on it with my kids youngest was probably 10 ish. We laughed through it and I had my daughter walk out with her head on my shoulder. My wife was to chicken to go in and ran up to us worried about my daughter. Still have a laugh over that one.

All in all Disney doesn’t do a lot of scary but when it appears they seem to eliminate it or at least tone it down.Understandedly so

 

[Smugpugmug]

I thought there was a gap between the Turner deal and the closure. That is what created the change in the narration

I believe in 2015 was when the new narration was added along with the new sponsorship with Turner. But yeah Turner had the sponsorship for GMR's last 2 years of life.

I have never been on Alien Encounter (was too busy not being born yet when it opened) but I can definitely see why it was toned down. I couldn't imagine Disney building a ride like that today. The closest thing to "scary" I can think of is the stretching room in Haunted Mansion. Every other time I ride it, a kid starts crying during the preshow.

 

[Sweettears]

Believe me it wasn’t very intense in any of its incarnations. Disney doesn’t do scary.

Funny you mention the stretching room. On my son’s first trip he was probably 6 and did well throughout the visit but totally lost it in the stretching room. Made the rest of the ride tolerable for him I guess.

 

[loves to dive]

I think it was a combo of the sponsorship ending and the chance to put an IP in its place. There were a lot of people complaining the scenes needed to be updated to more current movies, I'm not sure Disney wanted to spend the money to do that. It worked for them to put MMRR there if they weren't going to update it. They had been trying for a while to make HS more kid friendly (thus the whole Toy Story area). I don't think the violence had anything to do with it, there really wasn't that much and certainly not anything any kid wouldn't see on TV. I think it also had to do with the whole re-branding of HS from MGM and making it more current.

I wasn't a fan of the change, I've ridden MMRR a few times and find it a bit too busy and the dance scene is too jerky. I actually think GMR fit into the new branding of being inside the movies instead of seeing how they were made. I'm one of few who actually liked the old park and one of the reasons was because it wasn't as kid friendly (although my kid loved the heck out it).

 

[Sweettears]

I think it was a combo of the sponsorship ending and the chance to put an IP in its place. There were a lot of people complaining the scenes needed to be updated to more current movies, I'm not sure Disney wanted to spend the money to do that. It worked for them to put MMRR there if they weren't going to update it. They had been trying for a while to make HS more kid friendly (thus the whole Toy Story area). I don't think the violence had anything to do with it, there really wasn't that much and certainly not anything any kid wouldn't see on TV. I think it also had to do with the whole re-branding of HS from MGM and making it more current.

I wasn't a fan of the change, I've ridden MMRR a few times and find it a bit too busy and the dance scene is too jerky. I actually think GMR fit into the new branding of being inside the movies instead of seeing how they were made. I'm one of few who actually liked the old park and one of the reasons was because it wasn't as kid friendly (although my kid loved the heck out it).

I absolutely agree with everything you say. The one point I would disagree with is the level of violence. Don’t get me wrong I take no exception and understand it’s place within the ride. I just wonder that with all that has gone on through the years that there wasn’t some thought of eliminating that aspect,

Probably not a motivating factor but possibly a contributing one. I only brought it up because I was watching the video and was surprised at the intensity even though I have seen it several times in the past with no reaction.

 

[Sweettears]

I think it was a combo of the sponsorship ending and the chance to put an IP in its place. There were a lot of people complaining the scenes needed to be updated to more current movies, I'm not sure Disney wanted to spend the money to do that. It worked for them to put MMRR there if they weren't going to update it. They had been trying for a while to make HS more kid friendly (thus the whole Toy Story area). I don't think the violence had anything to do with it, there really wasn't that much and certainly not anything any kid wouldn't see on TV. I think it also had to do with the whole re-branding of HS from MGM and making it more current.

I wasn't a fan of the change, I've ridden MMRR a few times and find it a bit too busy and the dance scene is too jerky. I actually think GMR fit into the new branding of being inside the movies instead of seeing how they were made. I'm one of few who actually liked the old park and one of the reasons was because it wasn't as kid friendly (although my kid loved the heck out it).

As far as MGM is concerned, they rushed the whole deal with a semblance of concept with the main idea of opening before Universal. Although there were good elements in the early days it has taken a long time to make it into a respectable park. And after having achieved that they have eliminated parades fireworks street entertainment and …..

 

[Sweettears]

I just want to clarify that I have no personal objectoon. Just reacting to a momentary observation

 

[DodgerGirl]

In my eyes why Disney Hollywood Studios closed The Great Movie Ride was simply because it had run it's course and it was time to replace it with something new and fresh. When my family went on The Great Movie I didn't think it would be good but I ended up liking it and the only violence that The Great Movie Ride had that I remembered it had was the gangster scene where your guide was being chased but then the guide reappeared towards the end good as new and another hidden surprise about The Great Movie Ride that people didn't know about it is that if you or your kids were really brave throughout the ride they would give brave kids and people a certificate known as an Oz Award that proved that you were brave enough to ride The Great Movie Ride. I still have my Oz Award certificate today and my Dad was proud that I got it. But they should've put Mickey And Minnie's Runaway Railway in Magic Kingdom and put another ride in The Great Movie Ride's place but it was a cool ride and I rode it twice when I visited Walt Disney World in 1997

 

[wabbott]

I still ain't over this mistake by DIS. One of the greatest attractions ever, just thrown away. I've done Micky's Runaway once. I have no interest or time to bother with it any more.

 

[CalOilerGurl]

They really missed an opportunity to keep it as the Great Movie ride but have as a tour through iconic Disney films...

 

[palavra]

I haven't ridden the new Mickey and Minnie ride, but I loved the Great movie Ride. I'm sad that the Hollywood nature of the park seems to be going away except for Start Wars.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I thought GMR was a little boring and hokey. Wouldn’t have minded it if they had changed it into an omnimover and moved the scenes in closer, so it felt more like you were in the movies. I didn’t care for the large ride vehicle or the whole gangster steals your ride.

I like MMRR better.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Had they made the change now, yea
Since they made the change 5 years ago, nah
Violence wasn't the social issue 5 years ago that it is now.

 

[GoingSince1990]

I don't think movie gangsters firing guns at each other in GMR is significantly different from stormtroopers firing massive weapons at the ride vehicle in ROTR in terms of the degree of violence depicted, so I don't think violence was really a factor in the decision.

 

[wabbott]

One of the greatest movies scenes ever committed to film, and part of the Great Movie Ride. Just thrown away just like yesterday's trash.