Great Movie Ride - things that annoy me

[KevinYee]

I quite like the Great Movie Ride still. I know a lot of folks who don't. Or who think it's time has come and gone. For me, I miss the days before the Sorcerer Hat, when the Chinese Theater was the "castle" at the end "Main Street."

But a few things bug me:

1. The thin "let's pretend it's all part of moviemaking" stuff, as if we are part of the movies. Example: "when I yell 'action', you all stand up dramatically and make your exit from the vehicle!" More on this in my upcoming column about MGM's prime weakness (probably next week).

2. The unthemed ceilings. It's just pure soundstage. I understand that's part of the point of the ride, but I would just rather see 360 degrees of illusion.

and especially:

3. The movies in the finale positively reek of 1989, which is when this ride opened. A few years back several newer movies were cut into the reel, such as Lion King and Armaggedon, but there is STILL too much Sister Act, Three Men and a Baby, Good Morning Vietnam, and even some Bette Midler movie from 1989. I'm surprised Turner and Hooch isn't on there. It's too much lame Disney movies that I'm betting most folks no longer remember.

Or maybe I'm just cranky

[Rainfully]

1. I don't really have any problem with this. To me its in the same vein as the CMs at Haunted Mansion saying things like "Gather your wretched bodies in the DEAD center of the room!" The spiel is influenced by the time of attraction it is.

2. Unthemed ceilings bug me on any attraction. Like those drop ceilings in IASW. It's just not right. Lets hope they're changing that durring the refurb.

3. YES YES YES they need to update that so badly!! They should be updating that every year if you ask me.

Of course get rid of the cursed hat. Ugh. The Chinese Theater is so beautiful... why cover it up?

[figment1986]

they probably wont update much.. that is untill the MGM deal expires what this year???

(then the ride might change forever??)

[Dustysage]

For a time they were thinking about replacing this attraction with a Villian's themed ride. I'm not certain if it would be a simple redressing, or if it would be a completely different ride.

[figment1986]

Well... remember.. WDI never dumps an idea.. only stores it in cold storage to be used in 20 years... or when it is feasable... remember space pavilion took 20 years for epcot.. and the Sci fi land at DL morphed into Discovery Land At DLP....

The villian ride may happen one day... (and they do have space behind Fantasy Land now for a ride building.....)

(*remembers rumors might come from this..* spread the rumor if you want...)

[WickedQueen]

I hate the fact that the last time I went there ... there was NO pyro at all. It was a BIG let down. I was sad!

[MickeyMania]

I watched a video of this ride and, having been interested in it for years before I had access to the internet, I was suprised to see what it was.

I thought it was an omnimover dark ride but it turns out to be a boat flume like Pirates. No big deal. I did, however, expect more complex AAs from a park's star attraction. I know the ride isn't new, but many figurines didn't look like they could hold a candle to America Sings, and those ones are how old?

When the boat floated into the Marry Poppins scene, I was pleasantly suprised since I really like that film out of the classic lot, but there's little more than figurettes standing there. And when the person with the video camera looks up, even on this digitzed video I can clearly see the utilitarian ceilings. Talk about a mood-breaker! Even just blackness would have not looked so rough.

Lastly, live guides just don't work unless they're doing comedy like the Jungle Cruise. Live guides saying corny lines that would make people groan don't belogn anywhere BUT on Jungle Cruise.

[figment1986]

technically your not on a boat... it is a concrete floor(your quite high up) usig the same type of vehicles form Universe of energy.... the thing is in a soundstage and the celing was left unthemed probably do to that....

(it was probably a low budget anyway....)

[BigDaddyKyle]

GMR does house the first WDW A-100 AA. The witch was the first one in place at WDW!!!!!

[BigDaddyKyle]

A lot of people thought she was real when the ride first opened!!!!!

[lashbear]

*off topic*
Hey, bigdaddykyle, are there any A100 units in Tokyo ??

[BigDaddyKyle]

Actually I couldn't tell you. My expertise is at WDW, but I would imagine so. A-100's are the new breeds of AA that make much more realistic movements. Every park should have at least one A-100 if not more!

[millionairegirl]

I have visited MGM twice in my life, once in 1989 and once in 2002. In 1989 there wasn't much there, but as a kid I had fun. I remember enjoying the Great Movie Ride.

In 2002, I was bored to tears by half the stuff there. Even Fantasmic! was a bust to this DL fan! In fact this December our plans are only to see TOT, RNRC, WWTBAMPI! (I hope it will still be there *crosses fingers*), maybe muppets (sis is a huge muppet fan), maybe the indy stunt show, and maybe GMR. Oh, I guess we'll also see the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights.

GMR was indeed the least impressive to me (well beside the Backlot Tour). The outdated movies, the painful CM spiel, and the bad AA (except The Wicked Witch who was pretty cool). The ceiling didn't bother me because I realized we were supposed to be on a soundstage. I would enjoy individual omnimovers more than the huge vehicles with the CM interaction. It was all kind of painful.

[Stephmtl]

Ok, Here's the thing about GMR. It's corny. It's a little outdated, the entire experience is pretty much predicated on your CM operators/actors. It could even use a lick of paint. Ad yet, for me anyway it zonks me right back to the first time I rode it. The props and movies in the opening hit me right in the demographic. I've gone to, or watched on video all the movies in the line up area, and god help me, I love all the inside jokes on the various parts of the ride. Also. scream real loud when the alien pops out, scares the heck out of the neubs. So yeah, she's showing her age, but I think there's still potential there. You need the CMs to be part of the show, and be able to change the show, or update it. But her heart's in the right place. Besides I don't want to ride Grauman's Hollywood RetroCoaster(tm).

On the other hand, Maybe I'm hanging on too tight. Give me a fastpass for that one too.

[iPod]

and especially:

3. The movies in the finale positively reek of 1989, which is when this ride opened. A few years back several newer movies were cut into the reel, such as Lion King and Armaggedon, but there is STILL too much Sister Act, Three Men and a Baby, Good Morning Vietnam, and even some Bette Midler movie from 1989. I'm surprised Turner and Hooch isn't on there. It's too much lame Disney movies that I'm betting most folks no longer remember.

I agree about the ending, update it! TGMR will always be one of the best, but it's time for a little change to bring back some excitement to the ride.

[angryrubberduck]

*off topic*
Hey, bigdaddykyle, are there any A100 units in Tokyo ??

Yes, from what I hear, several of the AA's are....but I could not tell you which. I just remember reading that they made most of the new AAs from the new tech.

Duck!

[angryrubberduck]

I think GMR is ok, they need to update the movie like crazy and some of the old scenes like Alien and whatnot, but for the most part, it is a movie i like to relax in.

Every park has one and that is my "sleeper"

Yawning Duck!

[BigDaddyKyle]

Welcome to the forums iPod. Hope to be seeing you around!!!!!

[20,000 Sheets to the Wind]

WWTBAM Future in doubt?

In fact this December our plans are only to see TOT, RNRC, WWTBAMPI! (I hope it will still be there *crosses fingers*),

I know that DL closed the shutters on their WWTBAM show. Are there any known plans [or heck, even rumors] to terminate it at MGM?

I would really hate that; that is by far my favorite thing to do in MGM, maybe in the whole world, being a giant trivia dork and all. I even got the grand prize there last year in my first trip!

I am continuously dragging every family member to that stupid place becase I think it is so cool and exciting, and pretty much everyone with the exception of my mother [thanks for the 'geek' gene!] is like, "Wow, where's the next ride?"

Anyone got an inside scoop?
mlm

[danyoung]

The main thing that bothers me about the GMR is the orange colored scrim behind John Wayne. This thing got stretched (water damage?) years ago, and looks just terrible. I know it's a big prop, but it's also a very obvious one, and it needs to be replaced!