WDS at WDW??

[SpaceMountain_uk]

Hi,

I just returned from a wonderful 2 week trip at WDW. While I was looking through the pins at the World Of Disney Store I came across a pin with Mickey dressed in a directors outfit with the words saying 'The Walt Disney Studios' could this be the begining of the MGM name change?

This couldnt have been a pin for the new park opeing next year at Disneyland Paris because the pins at DLP say Walt Disney Studios Paris.

[MickeyMoose15]

The name change has been rumored for a very long time. Walt Disney Studios Florida is what I have and always will call it. Disney renewed the contract with MGM in 1999 but we do not know for how long. It would be nice to change the name before the 100 Years of Magic Celebration.

[SPAGo 98]

Yes, I also noticed a sizeable amount of merchandise that was labeled "Walt Disney Studios". I'm hoping for the name change, too. WDS is so much classier than Disney-MGM.

[MickeyMoose15]

Recent reports say that the name may be changed. It seems that Paul Pressler wants to get rid of the studio portion of the park (I.E. MGM name, studio buildings) and just turn the place into a giant studio themed roller coaster park. A sort of Islands of Adventures sort of thing.

[HorizonsFan]

The name change has little to do with the attractions at MGM studios or with Pressler. The name change has to do with negotiation for the rights to MGM properties (like many of the scenes in the Great Movie Ride). This has been an ongoing process. I have a pin that I bought at the studios two years ago that says The Walt Disney Studios. The name change was supposed to have happened last year, but the rights were secured to continue using MGM properties for an undisclosed amount of time. We don't know when (or if) the name change will happen.

[lrodk]

The new 100th B-day Vacation Planning video also refers to the studios as the "Disney Studios".

[Another Voice]

The license to use the name and logo does not allow Disney to use MGM or the lion logo for any promotion of the park – videos, commercials, etc. The term “promotion” is rather vague and the exclusion of the MGM name has always been somewhat inconsistent. At the time the deal was originally signed MGM Grand Inc. was in the middle of developing their theme park and casino in Las Vegas. In a classic case of “not knowing what the other hand was doing"; MGM legal completed the deal without knowing about the plans in the works in Veags. At first MGM tried to get out of the license arrangement, but had to settle for some minor changes in the contract. The theme park section of the MGM Grand Hotel in Vegas was less than successful and now has been completely closed (and half of it was rebuilt as a new pool and convention center).

Disney signed a short-term deal to retain the some rights to some MGM movies (like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ scene in ‘The Great Movie Ride’), and the name rights just came along with the deal. The ‘Oz’ scene is about all that remains of MGM properties used in the park. The change in the park’s name has been long rumored, but it will probably wait for a final determination about ‘The Great Movie Ride’ replacement. It’s interesting to note that the ‘MGM’ name was not used for the Hollywood section of California Adventure or for the new studio theme park opening shortly at Disneyland Paris.

Almost all of the ‘Walt Disney Studios’ merchandise you see at the Disney/MGM Studios Theme Park started out as merchandise for the employee stores at the Studios in Burbank. Hollywood loves its logo clothing and all of the major lots and companies have their own lines of clothing and knickknacks (does anyone really wear the Panavision Camera boxer shorts?). It’s sold in the park to promote ‘The Walt Disney Studios’ as a company, not to promote the theme park – just like they sell Touchstone Pictures tee shirts.

[JeffH]

So all the other scenes in tGMR are not MGM owned (Aliens/Indiana Jones/Tarzan/Casablanca/...)? Do they pay the other studios for these rights?

[JeffH]

Actually my daughter would love it if they turned it into the Great Disney Movie Ride featuring scenes from the great Disney animated movies and a few of the live action ones as well.

[Another Voice]

Yes, Disney must pay for the rights for any property that it does not hold the copyright on. The scenes with ‘Casablanca’, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, ‘Aliens’, etc. are all covered by contracts and money does change hands. Disney also has to pay fees to many of the actors or their estates that are shown in the park as well. Many of the attractions at the parks are covered under existing guild agreements and contracts. If you know where to look, you can even see “credit signs” in some of the shows that use film footage. The agreements with the actors’ and directors’ guild require that the people who made the film be given screen credit for their work. Since Disney didn’t want to put stand movie-like titles on the rides (like the film you see in the cabins for ‘Body Wars’), they put them on sings in the waiting areas as a compromise. Disney, in some cases like merchandise, must also pay to use the word ‘Hollywood’ because of a strange law the Chamber of Commerce pushed through. And BIG bucks are required if for any representation of the Hollywood sign.

[MickeyMoose15]

Interesting Fact:

Did you know that the scene with Mickey Mouse from Fantasia was not originally planned for TGMR? They originally wanted the twister from the Wizard of Oz to transport you to Oz but since the man who created the effect had a seperate patent to it, Disney didn't want to pay that much money for that small of a role.

[HorizonsFan]

Thanks, AV. You are a fountain of useful information. BTW, I'd wear the Panavision boxers if I had some...

[MickeyMoose15]

George Lucas owns copyrights to Star Wars and Indiana Jones so they have a special deal (Disney and Lucas) and Lucas also helped with Alien Encounter.

[OnWithTheShow]

We have carried the discussed merchandise at stores here in the Disney/MGM Studios for over two years now.

[MickeyMoose15]

Disney renewed the contract with MGM in 1999 but we don't know for how long.

[YoHo]

Actually, If you read some of the accursed Jim Hill's comments on Alein Encounter, Lucas may not have been involved as much as one may hope. GL and ME's relationship has (according to AV) soured recently which is a disappointment to me. I don't think Disney pays royalties to Paramount or Fox respectivly for Indy or Star Wars. But they may pay George. Indy is interesting to me, as Speilberg likes Universal a whole lot. It just goes to show who wears the pants in that freindship. :)

[MickeyMoose15]

The soured relationship between Michael Eisner and George Lucas is what is causing problems for the update of Star Tours, so I've heard.