Will there ever be a Great Movie Ride update/refurb? About This Page:

[LizCatMom]

Originally Posted by GingerJ

I seem to be in the minority here, but my family and I find that ride boooring. But, hey, that keeps the line shorter for those who love it, so everyone's happy!

I would like to see an update, but think how expensive it would be to get rights from the different studios, unless they stayed with their own film vaults. Actually, that would be pretty cool, Disney/Pixar/Touchstone pictures are usually pretty good....

Ginger

This was more along the lines of what I was thinking. Disney has soooo many great movies that, IMO, are left out or not represented at all in any of the parks. Didn't mean to step on anyone's toes (bite my tongue? ) and I totally get nostalgia and "the classics" -- huge, I mean, HUGE Gone With The Wind fan here...but, I just think the ride could be greatly improved AND updated. That's all.

[MustangDrivingDisneyLover]

I am one that does love this ride. And so does my family. But we watch classic movies, including those in Black and White. So we love to go through and try to name as many movies as possible.

[yalibrarian]

This a one of our must-do rides in WDW! My husband used to be a movie projectionist, we both love old movies, and we have passed that love along to our son, age 23. He harbors no prejudice against black and white films; Fred and Ginger are simply wonderful even without the color.

We consider TGMR a survey of film history. We would hate to see the Wizard of Oz set changed, but we wouldn't object to updating a couple of films. Alien could certainly be replaced with another equally scary/spacey film. No bouncing or 3-D though, as motion sickness is a huge problem for me (have to close my eyes during some of the end shots).

[Dave Marx]

Originally Posted by LizCatMom

This was more along the lines of what I was thinking. Disney has soooo many great movies that, IMO, are left out or not represented at all in any of the parks.

Well, yeah, they could fill the entire attraction with bygone live-action Disney films without blinking an eye, everything from 20,000 Leagues through the Fred MacMurray/Dean Jones era... Does Disney still have rights to anything in the Miramax archive?

But...One thing I like about Disney's studio-themed parks and lands around the world is that they do go beyond the Disney archive, making them a celebration of movies in general. Disney's affiliation with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg has given us some pretty fine attractions. Every other park is a celebration of Disney in particular (well, until Avatar Land opens at AK), I think we can spare a few not-so-Disney attractions here and there.

One of the most memorable attractions from my visit to Disneyland Paris is CineMagique, an homage not only to Hollywood, but French, English, German, and Russian cinema as well (probably the reason it was never brought back to the States). It's effectively the GMR of WDSP, and it's done without all the moving vehicles and Animatronics used on GMR. Both, however, do incorporate live CMs into the movie magic. (Ya think they told Imagineering, "We need a Great Movie Ride for the new park, but at a much lower budget and operating cost?")

CineMagique was directed by Jerry Rees, who's responsible for a pile of other great Disney parks attractions, including Alien Encounter, Back to Neverland (the Robin Williams/Walter Cronkite film that used to run at Art of Disney Animation), Cranium Command, the current version of O' Canada, Sounds Dangerous, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular... He also worked on The Fox and the Hound and Tron, and wrote and directed The Brave Little Toaster. Jerry is also responsible for Animation Magic, the new show that will debut in Animators Palate on the Disney Fantasy. Hmm... CineMagique, Animation Magic... ya think we have something to look forward to? I'll let ya know in about a month.

[dolphin041599]

Originally Posted by GingerJ

I seem to be in the minority here, but my family and I find that ride boooring. But, hey, that keeps the line shorter for those who love it, so everyone's happy!

I would like to see an update, but think how expensive it would be to get rights from the different studios, unless they stayed with their own film vaults. Actually, that would be pretty cool, Disney/Pixar/Touchstone pictures are usually pretty good....

My DD and I would have to agree with you. We rode it once and never again. We couldn't wait for this ride to be over with.

[mommadjones]

About five years ago they did switch the live part up a bit. If my memory serves the CM that would jump on the car was a cowboy/girl now they are a gangster. I think they added a bit to the live action as well but I only was able to see the old version once or twice so its not very fresh in my mind.

We love this ride and make sure to ride it multiple times. If they ever change it I really hope they keep it as close to how it is now, not a fan of the 3D simulator rides(don't hate them but prefer the old school rides).

[goghmalone]

I love GMR and I am 26. Young people are just too busy wanting everything to be modern. Kids need to learn to enjoy older stuff. Parts of GMR may be outdated, but as a whole its great! It's a Small World looks ridiculously outdated too, but that is what makes it so fun and charming. Appreciating the past that got us to where we are now is important. I say leave it alone.

[Ashli]

Originally Posted by mommadjones

About five years ago they did switch the live part up a bit. If my memory serves the CM that would jump on the car was a cowboy/girl now they are a gangster. I think they added a bit to the live action as well but I only was able to see the old version once or twice so its not very fresh in my mind.

They've actually always had both the cowboy scenario and the gangster scenario with the CM. It just depended on which vehicle you were in as to which one you stopped at and had the interaction.

[allgiggles]

Originally Posted by mommadjones

About five years ago they did switch the live part up a bit. If my memory serves the CM that would jump on the car was a cowboy/girl now they are a gangster. I think they added a bit to the live action as well but I only was able to see the old version once or twice so its not very fresh in my mind.

Ditto what Ashli said. I remembered seeing both versions (cowboy and gangster) on our trip in 2001. Every trip after that, we only saw gangster. When we were there last June we rode on it one morning and once again saw the gangster version. I was convinced they were only doing gangster anymore. We went back for a 2nd ride that afternoon and I started chatting with a CM while we were waiting in the pre-ride room. I asked her if they still did both versions. She told me they did. I asked if there was any way to see the cowboy version because my kids didn't believe that there was one. She pulled our group out of the line we were in and took us through the other door (we were lined up to go through the "lower" set of doors originally but she pulled us out and took us through the "upper" doors....I'm sure all the people in that line were thrilled. ). We were in the first row of the ride vehicle so I was able to chat with that CM as well (my DH is convinced I will talk to anyone with a Disney nametag ). He was a CP and he said he grew up about 15 minutes away from Disney and visited the parks several times a year for the last 5 or 6 years and rode TGMR most of those visits. He said *he* had no idea there were two versions of the ride experience until he started working there and his manager handed him two scripts to learn. He said he looked at him and said, "Since when is there a cowboy version of this ride????" I suspect a lot of people have only seen the gangster version.

[LizCatMom]

Originally Posted by goghmalone

I love GMR and I am 26. Young people are just too busy wanting everything to be modern. Kids need to learn to enjoy older stuff. Parts of GMR may be outdated, but as a whole its great! It's a Small World looks ridiculously outdated too, but that is what makes it so fun and charming. Appreciating the past that got us to where we are now is important. I say leave it alone.

I guess since I'm the OP, this could be aimed at me, to which I take as a compliment. Although, the truth is, I've got about 10 years on you I stand by what I said, though. I think it could be redone to where everyone enjoys it and appreciates it more.

[Nyreak]

Originally Posted by Ashli

I also would object to the 3-D motion simulation. They already killed Star Tours for me so I can barely ride it once a trip (I can do rollercoasters, tea cups, anything else, but 3-D simulation? Nope.); I would if they did it to GMR.

I agree. Motion simulators are bad enough for me without them being 3-D. Add the 3-D in and forget it. I rode the new Star Tours once, just so I could experience it, and spent half of the time looking away from the screen.

I do enjoy GMR, but I wouldn't mind seeing some new scenes added.

[mommadjones]

Originally Posted by Ashli

They've actually always had both the cowboy scenario and the gangster scenario with the CM. It just depended on which vehicle you were in as to which one you stopped at and had the interaction.

Wow didn't know that. For the past 5 years we have only seen the gangster version!

[allgiggles]

Originally Posted by mommadjones

Wow didn't know that. For the past 5 years we have only seen the gangster version!

If you want to see the Cowboy version, I would ask one of the CM's at the entrance to the ride which line you should get in. Like I mentioned in my previous post, we were pulled from the "lower" line (we had been stopped right at the doors before you go into the room to load the vehicles) and moved to the "upper" line and seated in the first car so that we could experience the cowboy version. However, when we rode earlier that day, we had been in the "upper" line and were also seated in the first car and we saw the gangster version. The ride was a walk-on (no wait) in the morning but in the afternoon we waited 10 minutes to ride. Since we basically rode the "same" ride vehicle both times but had two different experiences, I suspect they may do only the gangster version during slower times and add the cowboy version when the crowds pick up....maybe???? That would explain why so many people have only seen the gangster version (several people on our ride commented that they didn't know there was a cowboy version).

[BJ Wanlund]

I haven't been on GMR since 1997. No joke.

But here's the thing: I'd like to see some kind of a refurb of Hollywood Studios on the whole, because now that there are so many buildings that are unused there, the park has essentially become a half-day park that is a total shell of its former self. I really, really enjoyed all the behind-the-scenes attractions that have now essentially been gutted from the park.

Also, maybe now's the time to bring back the short-lived Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show from 1991, given that the franchise is getting a big fat comeback?

BJ

[Tabitha34]

Originally Posted by allgiggles

If you want to see the Cowboy version, I would ask one of the CM's at the entrance to the ride which line you should get in. Like I mentioned in my previous post, we were pulled from the "lower" line (we had been stopped right at the doors before you go into the room to load the vehicles) and moved to the "upper" line and seated in the first car so that we could experience the cowboy version. However, when we rode earlier that day, we had been in the "upper" line and were also seated in the first car and we saw the gangster version. The ride was a walk-on (no wait) in the morning but in the afternoon we waited 10 minutes to ride. Since we basically rode the "same" ride vehicle both times but had two different experiences, I suspect they may do only the gangster version during slower times and add the cowboy version when the crowds pick up....maybe???? That would explain why so many people have only seen the gangster version (several people on our ride commented that they didn't know there was a cowboy version).

I always assumed that one ride vehicle going in was the cowboy and one was the gangster. That way the ride vehicles are not getting slowed down by each other. In other words, because I don't think I am making any sense , when the first ride vehicle is in the cowboy part and doing their thing, the second one is in the gangster part doing their thing. Or vise versa. Make sense?? We have seen both of them probably the same amount of times. We like them both.