Well it’s truly an end of an era for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Matter of fact it should be the end of Disney’s Hollywood Studios all together. The last attraction that even symbolized or mentioned Hollywood is gone. It’s time to change the park’s purpose and identity. Which I truly don’t understand because calling it Disney’s Hollywood Studios gives you a intellectual property free-for-all. The center attraction establishes the old, Hollywood vibe of the park. Now that’s going away to be replaced by Mickey Mouse. If you think about it we can take it like… The Great Movie Ride was so good the only thing that could ever replace it was Mickey Mouse.
It’s just sad because it’s the end of a certain way of storytelling. Although we have seen the ride change over the years. The storytelling has mostly remained the same. The live-action elements in a attraction are mostly going away. You no longer need a mumbling cast member to tell me facts about Footlight Parade. Later the mumbling cast members who tried to narrate the ride were replaced by TCM’s Robert Osborne. (This also happened at Epcot. Living with the Land use to have cast members narrate the show. They were replaced by a pre-recorded voice.) Although Mr. Osborne sadly passed away. His voice and passion for the movies added an extra spark to the attraction. I always said Leonard Maltin who hosts Treasures from the Disney Vault on TCM should narrate The Great Movie Ride. Too late for that now.
I immensely enjoyed TCM’s updates to the dated attraction. I know some people didn’t like the new narration because it watered-down the live action bits. The live action bits could either be really good or very bad. It all depended on the cast members involved. The TCM update gave me hope we were going to see an updated ride in the future with new scenes. I felt like The Great Movie Ride was becoming the Spaceship Earth type ride for Hollywood Studios. A slow moving tour throughout Hollywood history. Very similar to a slow moving, time traveling tour throughout World history.
Disney is ending the slow moving, narrating rides. If your a fan of Spaceship Earth hold on for dear life. Just look at The Great Movie Ride and even the slow moving Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Both are closing. Hopefully a classic narrating ride like The Jungle Cruise stays without being harmed. Even Spaceship Earth may be at risk. Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Bob Chapek said “nothing in Walt Disney World will go untouch.” That could be a very dangerous statement for most fans.
You would also think a ride like The Great Movie Ride that hasn’t been touched for so long wouldn’t be going anywhere. Especially with the rest of the park being renovated and changed. Well nothing is sacred anymore. Mickey Mouse bloody murdered The Great Movie Ride. For those of you like myself who won’t get a chance to see it one last time. Let’s have a look back at all the moments in The Great Movie Ride. We may never see another attraction like this in a Disney Park without the infusion of screens. So as the storytelling ends about Hollywood heyday. Let’s remember it’s iconic past at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Let’s begin our journey with the queue. This is where the TCM update helped. As you past glass cases featuring notable props, costumes, and set pieces from numerous Hollywood productions. You also get to see digital movie posters before heading into the actual pre-show area.
Once you are ushered into the pre-show area. TCM host Robert Osborne gives you his commentary and insight on classic films across multiple genres. He evens gives you commentary and insight on some of the films you will see on your journey.
The ride begins and “Hooray for Hollywood” starts to play over the speakers. We are introduced to our host Robert Osborne. The first film scene we past is from Footlight Parade. Which was a 1933 musical film. It starred James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, and Dick Powell. The film and its choreography was directed by Busby Berkeley.
The next musical scenes are from Singin’ in the Rain and Mary Poppins. The scene from Singin’ in the Rain is Gene Kelly (alumni of Peabody High School which is now named the Barack Obama Academy of International Studies.) swinging from a lamp post. The Mary Poppins scene shows the titled character singing on top of a roof with Bert (Dick Van Dyke).
The next scene is a tribute to gangster films. James Cagney that I mentioned earlier is back but this time as gangster Tom Powers from Public Enemy. There is a possibility that a live action scene does occur here.
After the tribute to gangster films it becomes a tribute to the Western genre. Here we encounter Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) and Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) on top of their horses. There is a possibility a live action scene occurs here.
We then travel into the spaceship Nostromo from the movie Alien. The film was directed by Ridley Scott. A scary alien animatronic flies down from the ceiling to scare the guests. After escaping Nostromo, guests get to look at a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Another live action scene proceeds to happen at this area of the ride.
After briefly crossing over mummy tombs in the horror genre section. We enter Tarzan the Ape Man. The audio-animatronic Tarzan is swinging on a vine. Jane is sitting on top of a Elephant. The ride moves into the final scene from Casablanca. The ride progresses and you see Sorcerer Mickey projections on the wall from Fantasia. The final scene in The Great Movie Ride takes guest to Munchkinland. This showcases singing Munchkins and the Wicked Witch of the West audio-animatronic. Before the grand finale you past animatronics of Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Toto.
The grand finale is a montage of classic film moments. Moments from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Steamboat Willie, and Frozen happen. Films like Forrest Gump, Grease, and It’s a Wonderful Life are all featured in the montage yet probably deserved to be in the actual ride. Reminiscing on this attraction reminded me of how good it was. The attraction did serve a purpose. Despite what people may think this attraction could get up to lengthy wait times.
Although the attraction did need some updating. I felt like it was a classic ride. The Great Movie Ride was the thesis statement for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Now Mickey Mouse will be. A historical ride showcasing Mickey’s career up to now would be compelling. Especially because it would save the TCM sponsor. Losing The Great Movie Ride means we lose the Treasures from the Disney Vault specials. Another thing to be mad about.
Maybe the competitor from down the street could do this topic. Universal has rights to a lot of classic films. They could just do a film ride about their films, in their own unique way. I mean I wouldn’t expect it to look like Disney’s. It would be cool to think about. That wouldn’t happen but with the way theme parks are becoming more and more vigilant with intellectual properties. The more properties equals the more opportunities. Also means outdoing your rival. I’ve talked about this before the IP arms race. The Great Movie Ride had a ton of IP. Although Disney was just licensing it.
How would I write the eulogy for The Great Movie Ride? I feel like I did that in this piece. Summarizing the incredible experience on board of the ride. Talking about how the ride closing is the end of a way of storytelling at Disney Parks. Saying that the ride was so impressive that it needed Mickey Mouse to replace it. Explaining how it was the “Ultimate Celebration of the Movies” and how it’s closing affects not just the park but Turner Classic Movies. I also suggested that this concept could work at other places. Good ideas never die.
I will be excited for its replacement. At the end of the day I like new experiences coming into the parks. It just will be interesting how it stacks up against The Great Movie Ride. As for the state of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Can we please get the name change announcement? If we can’t get that can you explain the new mission of the park. I think this park needs more explaining then the future of Epcot.
It was funny in what would become its “dying days.” It was falsely reported that The Great Movie Ride was going to be a tribute to musicals. Essentially creating The Great Musical Ride. The rumor sounded incredibly fake but intriguing. In the end we got Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway with 2 1/2 D. It makes sense we get wacky technology along with wacky shorts. Once all this construction is over. Can we please get rid of Fantasmic. So we can have another immersive land or more attractions. That would be a trade I make. Even when Disney comes back from all this construction. Disney’s Hollywood Studios will only have 10 rides. Also who knows if Muppet Vision 3D survives this purge. That is compared to Epcot’s 17.
Goodbye to The Great Movie Ride. The last of the opening day attractions. So sorry that Sorcerer Mickey decided to take you out back. Hopefully we can see this concept again soon. Although it’s not likely we can dream.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief at the Boardwalk Times.
