Great Movie Ride Update

[JacknSally]

Sorry if there's already a thread.. I didn't see one.

Great Movie Ride underwent an update to the queue preshow, onboard audio, and the final scene.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...tcm-updates-debut-at-the-great-movie-ride.htm

I can't lie, I'm a little heartbroken over this. I loved the original GMR! Granted, MGM (not DHS) will always be my favorite park, and the original GMR was one of the few things left from MGM, so it's probably more a nostalgic sadness than anything.

One thing I do wonder about - the photo op at the end, with the concrete handprints... Are the handprints and footprints not in front of the theatre anymore?? Or can you not access them anymore? I just think it's a little weird that they went out of the way to make a designated photo spot for this when they're right there...

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The concluding montage is okay. I prefer the original but it was dated in what they had for "current" movies that would be classics. The old version "told a story"--don't know how to explain it, but the music flowed to me. But maybe they is because I was used to it. I thought the very end of it seemed--Star Wars like. And would it kill them to add more Disney classics to it?

Would have preferred Mr Osbourne to be on a movie set for his bit at the end.

(I have not been on, just took a quick peek at the video. Maybe it all works on the ride.)

I hope this isn't a foreshadow of the Living With the Land treatment where we lose our tour guide permanently.

But it seems fresh. And I do like that.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I like a lot of the changes! I am looking forward to seeing the new preshow when we go in October. I will say that I don't like the first sign on the ride, the one that used to say, "A cast of thousands. A sweeping spectacle of Thrills! Chills! Romance!" I thought that old sign was a little more fun. As a whole, though, I think the changes are pretty good. Really love the digital posters in the lobby. I'm also excited about the photo at the end. I love the ride and it's nice to see it get a little love and updating after getting ignored for so long.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Maybe I can check it out tomorrow if the line isn't outrageous (although if I'm looking for AC in between my FP times, I might just stand in their AC line anyway.) This is not one I have done yet since I moved. I refuse to burn an FP on it though...

 

[themetaphorgirl]

Sorry if there's already a thread.. I didn't see one.

Great Movie Ride underwent an update to the queue preshow, onboard audio, and the final scene.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...tcm-updates-debut-at-the-great-movie-ride.htm

I can't lie, I'm a little heartbroken over this. I loved the original GMR! Granted, MGM (not DHS) will always be my favorite park, and the original GMR was one of the few things left from MGM, so it's probably more a nostalgic sadness than anything.

One thing I do wonder about - the photo op at the end, with the concrete handprints... Are the handprints and footprints not in front of the theatre anymore?? Or can you not access them anymore? I just think it's a little weird that they went out of the way to make a designated photo spot for this when they're right there...

The courtyard handprints are all still there!! The photo op is a separate thing between the exit of the ride and the pretzel cart. They're trying to add more Photopass options- especially since we're now able to take Photopass pictures outside of the ride!

 

[GF Girl]

Sad that they changed the film montage. Not quite the same all those scenes were classic, and the music was so much better.

 

[Fantabulously Cherry]

I can't wait to see the changes in September, but I'm a little sad as well. I loved the montage at the end! Did they change the beginning with the trailers? I always loved seeing the Raiders of the Lost Ark trailer (yummy Harrison Ford!).

 

[newdeal]

I watched the video of the new ending and I must say it looks a lot better to me. The only thing I really hope though is that they don't take out the cast members completely at some point and replace it entirely with audio narration like they did on the backlot tour

 

[ELSA711]

Of all the years we've gone, we have never done this. Afraid any film clips would be to scary for my kids.
Can anyone give feedback on the clips they show? Or do I misunderstand the ride completely...lol

 

[jc040404]

I loved the new preshow, especially seeing Clark Gable! My biggest worry was potentially losing Gone with the Wind, but there seems to be more of it now. It was awesome to see how quiet guests were to watch this. I love what Mr Osborne adds throughout the ride. I've been a fan of his for a while. However, the cast member interaction was odd. It didn't flow very well. I honestly thought it would have been better without most of their lines.

 

[themetaphorgirl]

Sad that they changed the film montage. Not quite the same all those scenes were classic, and the music was so much better.

People seem very very divided- they either love it or they hate it! Personally, I like just have something new- Finale hasn't changed since 2005, so we were due for an update. My biggest dislike is that there's no Snow White or Shirley Temple clips. But some of the clips actually came from the original 1989 finale film, so I like that.

I can't wait to see the changes in September, but I'm a little sad as well. I loved the montage at the end! Did they change the beginning with the trailers? I always loved seeing the Raiders of the Lost Ark trailer (yummy Harrison Ford!).

Preshow has changed as well! It's now a 45 minute documentary-style film. The Raiders trailer is still there, just a different longer version.

I watched the video of the new ending and I must say it looks a lot better to me. The only thing I really hope though is that they don't take out the cast members completely at some point and replace it entirely with audio narration like they did on the backlot tour

This is something we've been afraid of. There's no way to completely get rid of the tour guide, unless they get rid of the hijacking (a proposed script change in the early 2000s called for that and it was TERRIBLE) but we're about 60% autospiel now. And the lines we do have are...mostly stupid.

Of all the years we've gone, we have never done this. Afraid any film clips would be to scary for my kids.
Can anyone give feedback on the clips they show? Or do I misunderstand the ride completely...lol

Sure! In the preshow/finale films there's clips from Alien, Poltergeist, and a brief shot of Freddy Krueger's face, as well as some gunshot sequences from gangster films/Indiana Jones. In the ride itself, there's a shootout in the gangster/bandit scenes (depending on which vehicle you're on) and some kids get spooked by the mummies scene and the aliens (or as one precious girl on my vehicle called it, "the lobster in the ceiling.")

I loved the new preshow, especially seeing Clark Gable! My biggest worry was potentially losing Gone with the Wind, but there seems to be more of it now. It was awesome to see how quiet guests were to watch this. I love what Mr Osborne adds throughout the ride. I've been a fan of his for a while. However, the cast member interaction was odd. It didn't flow very well. I honestly thought it would have been better without most of their lines.

The Gone with the Wind part is my favorite part too!

The script we were given is barebones- no filler and no options like previous scripts. The update was supposed to happen in January, but we didn't start training until May. They changed lines frequently on us during training- they literally changed a whole chunk of dialogue the morning we went live! Believe me, the tour guides are doing our best, but we don't have a lot of leeway.

(Additionally, I just want to say that tour guides only had two days of training, one day with the script and one day on the vehicles, and then had to go back to performing the old script until the update went live. I had three weeks between my training and my actual first show with the new script! This is on top of spring break crowds and a hiring freeze; we couldn't train any new CMs until the updates went live, so we went a good six months without any new cast members. It's been rough!)

 

[MataHari22]

Of all the years we've gone, we have never done this. Afraid any film clips would be to scary for my kids.
Can anyone give feedback on the clips they show? Or do I misunderstand the ride completely...lol

Not sure if film clips would be scary for the kids, because I've not seen the new ones, but part of the ride you go through is from the movie Aliens and another part is from the Wizard of Oz and has the wicked witch of the west. I've heard children freak out at those two places. You could always watch the ride on YouTube and decide if you think it'd be ok for your kids.

 

[kaybird]

Of all the years we've gone, we have never done this. Afraid any film clips would be to scary for my kids.
Can anyone give feedback on the clips they show? Or do I misunderstand the ride completely...lol

Film clips are very short, can't imagine kids would be scared. The ride itself is on a slow moving tram through animatronic scenes of various movies. Alien can be a little frightening, depending on where you are in the tram.

Your question made me think of a hilarious You tube video, where a cast member is trying to explain the ride to a clueless guest. Think you will enjoy it!!!

 

[themetaphorgirl]

Film clips are very short, can't imagine kids would be scared. The ride itself is on a slow moving tram through animatronic scenes of various movies. Alien can be a little frightening, depending on where you are in the tram.

Your question made me think of a hilarious You tube video, where a cast member is trying to explain the ride to a clueless guest. Think you will enjoy it!!!

This video makes me laugh till I cry!!

 

[ELSA711]

Thanks all! Freddy Krueger did it in for me, my 5 year old would not sleep for weeks if she got that image in her head. She can barely handle the snow white witch. And gangster shoot outs...my 11yr old would have a fit. She was mad I let her watch Home Alone, with that shoot out scene Kevin watched on TV...LOL
I got wimpy kids...

 

[MataHari22]

Film clips are very short, can't imagine kids would be scared. The ride itself is on a slow moving tram through animatronic scenes of various movies. Alien can be a little frightening, depending on where you are in the tram.

Your question made me think of a hilarious You tube video, where a cast member is trying to explain the ride to a clueless guest. Think you will enjoy it!!!

That was so funny.

 

[mickeymom629]

Kids do get scared on this!! I remember one year when we were in line and someone asked me if it was scary. I was thinking about it and said no, it's really cute. WELL, I had totally forgotten about all the LOUD, scary parts and this poor child cried the entire time! I felt so bad

 

[BarbieGal457]

We were on it I believe the second day it went live, and I did enjoy the updates. It did feel like a big commercial to me, but I guess that's what happens sometimes when it's sponsored. When I was little, half this ride terrified me! While the film clips are shorter, I know as a kid if I even saw a flash of some characters I was afraid of, it would stay with me. Overall a nice update though.

 

[BarbieGal457]

Also the CMs were not replaced. It was the typical Western scene where our CM ran off the ride and was replaced by the other CM, who she then replaced in the Indiana Jones scene. There was a bit less narration from her, and the recording was a bit difficult to hear at times, but overall the CMs were still very involved.

 

[themetaphorgirl]

Kids do get scared on this!! I remember one year when we were in line and someone asked me if it was scary. I was thinking about it and said no, it's really cute. WELL, I had totally forgotten about all the LOUD, scary parts and this poor child cried the entire time! I felt so bad

Oh no!! That definitely happens. I just hate it when people ask "will this scare my child?" I don't know how to answer- every child is different! I end up giving a spiel that covers all my bases, just in case.

Also the CMs were not replaced. It was the typical Western scene where our CM ran off the ride and was replaced by the other CM, who she then replaced in the Indiana Jones scene. There was a bit less narration from her, and the recording was a bit difficult to hear at times, but overall the CMs were still very involved.

We still do the hijacking, but the ride is about 60% autospiel now.