What Happend to MGM????

[DanMedix]

Here's my thoughts on how to keep things from going belly-up in this particular park:

- Change the name to just plain "DISNEY STUDIOS" (forget filling the "MGM" void with "HOLLYWOOD". We KNOW what sort of studios they are. We won't confuse it with "DISNEY'S HACKENSACK STUDIOS"), and stick to it.

- Bring back the live taping, for both TV and movies. This will hopefully give you more to bank on than Raven (which hasn't been taping in a long time), Cory in the House (Raven's less-than-successful spinoff), Suite Life (which may be headed for the axe soon), Hannah Montana (who might not be around Disney in 5 yrs or so), and the High School Musical series of movies (to which the Disney execs are trying to raise millions upon millions to pay Zac and Vanessa, to convince them to be in HSM3). MORE SHOWS! MORE VARIETY! BETTER ACTING! HAND DRAWN ANIMATION, ALONG WITH COMPUTER ANIMATION! BETTER STORYLINES! THAT'S WHAT WE WANT IN DISNEY CHANNEL AND DISNEY MOVIES!!

- completely re-think the Backlot Stage Tour. Imagineers will have their work cut out for them.

- redo Playhouse Disney - LIVE. Kids in this demographic have NO IDEA who Bear, Stanley, and Olie anymore. (shame too, as I love Bear and Olie!) Replace them with Handy Manny, Ooh and Aah, the Sprites, and of course, Mickey.

- Pixar Place is a good idea....let's just hope and pray they do it RIGHT. How about a CARS and/or INCREDIBLES themed attraction? A restaurant featuring the style of Remy and Linguini?

- more ORIGINAL attractions and features. IMAGINEERS, are you listening??

- update Star Tours. (I love the current ride. But even if they don't update the storyline, they could at least update the technology).

- IMHO, I'd love to see an expansion of the MUPPETS area. Make a mini-attraction with Statler and Waldorf. How about making the Muppets Mobile Lab a permanent feature? Disney now owns the licenses to these guys....let's utilize them fully! Make something original that the whole family can enjoy....and that Jim Henson himself would be proud to put his name (and creations) to.

.....and the list could go on and on. Of course (to quote Dennis Miller), that's just my opinion. I could be wrong....

 

[JzeroT1437]

I want to see Rick's Cafe in Studios. Sure, they already have a ton of restaurants, but I want to be able to visit Rick's in real life.

 

[Miss Stitch]

I do agree that MGM hasnt got a lot of major attractions. But I love the place, I love the feel and the theming is great. I could just sit and people watch for hours. It makes me feel I am back in the golden age of Hollywood in the 50's but I do think they could make much more of this park.

 

[labattblue]

Have to agree. MGM has been in a slow state of decline for years now. The whole park really needs to be re-imagineered, as there isn't enough to fill a day there anymore. Toy Story Mania and Pixar Place should bring about a fresh change, but one major attraction is not going to turn the park around.

What is Pixar Place???

 

[JacknSally]

What is Pixar Place???

Pixar Place is an area they're adding into MGM that will focus on the Pixar created movies and will include a Toy Story ride that will be a cross between MK's Buzz Lightyear ride and something else... Don't remember what, though.... It sounds pretty interesting.

I agree with what someone else posted earlier... I would be so upset if they lost the atmosphere of the Studios. Sure, go on and update.. But I love the 20's-30's-40's, even into the 50's, feel of the place. You don't get that anywhere else, that old time Hollywood feel.

 

[labattblue]

Pixar Place is an area they're adding into MGM that will focus on the Pixar created movies and will include a Toy Story ride that will be a cross between MK's Buzz Lightyear ride and something else... Don't remember what, though.... It sounds pretty interesting.

I agree with what someone else posted earlier... I would be so upset if they lost the atmosphere of the Studios. Sure, go on and update.. But I love the 20's-30's-40's, even into the 50's, feel of the place. You don't get that anywhere else, that old time Hollywood feel.

Do you have a link for this? I know Toy Story Mania is reality, but I don't remember seeing an announcement for Pixar Place.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

MGM is a tricky park for us because it doesn't take all day. We like to get to the park at opening, but then we can't manage to fill up the whole day and stick around for Fantasmic! DS11 loves the Animation building so we always go there. He loves RnRC and GMR and Star Tours. DH and I like ToT but DS hates it. We're not the target audience for Playhouse Disney. We've seen the stunt show and don't really want to see it again, same for Backlot Tour. We've seen Indiana Jones once and Beauty & the Beast once. I like B&TB but that theater is BRUTAL in the summer. We did Sounds Dangerous once and that was enough. DH likes the Streetmosphere guys but some of them are funnier than others. We always walk through One Man's Dream because DS likes it but it never changes. We like to eat at 50's or Pizza Planet but they aren't THAT important. The playground is usually too hot and/or crowded and DH can't stand Muppets.

I can do stuff at MK over and over and over, but MGM just doesn't do that for me.

 

[kgilchri]

I was really disappointed when we went in January. While I love the Muppets, ToT and RnR I still don't think it's enough to draw me to the park for very long. The last few times we've just gone to ride those things and then went to another park in the afternoon.

I used to LOVE the back lot tour. I remember back in the day when you could walk/ride through and see actors (or the Mickey Mouse Club) and that was really neat. Now I skip it all together.

 

[AaronandJessica]

I totally agree. I love getting there early for Tower of Terror and Rock and Roll .. but it is hard to spend a whole day there.

They could really make this park amazing.

Jessica

 

[hulagirl87]

just got back on sunday and we were really bummed about mgm too. It was definitely one of my favorite parks, but now we've run out of stuff to do there. With rock n roller coaster down there is really only one "thrill' ride. We did the great movie ride, voyage to the little mermaid, tower of terror (of course) and the backlot studio tour. we even went so far as to play in the honey I shrunk the kids area just to kill some time. It just feels like there used to be so much to do there and now there isn't. I miss Hunchback and the Monster sound show and Doug!!!

 

[poeticdiabetic]

To us, All parks are half-day parks! I've never spent an entire day at one park since we've been going as a family. We always spend the first half of our day at one park. We'll eat lunch there. Then we'll go to another park (the one with the extra Evening Hours) and eat dinner there.

We sleep and wait for the busses at the hotel and that's all. And I've never been to Downtown Disney in my life! (Atlanta has great shopping... I can shop there.)

We ALWAYS have a great time and we NEVER spend an entire day at one park.

That being said, Disney Studios needs to make some changes.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

Oh, there IS one thing I absolutely LOVE about MGM Studios! In May, during the Extra Evening Hours, we went to see the Muppets. The Park was about a half-hour from closing. Well, the park was just playing some dance music really loud (I guess it was for the cleaning crew), but many people (including my family) was just dancing down the street.

Well, other folks started to join in and we were all on the main strip, having a quick, impromptu dance party!

 

[FINFAN]

The highlight for us was always the animation tour...when there were actually animators working there...it was so cool to have the priveledge to see that creativity and talent. We still enjoy going in animation building and always do a few sketches with the animators who remain...but it is bittersweet. We have favorites and non-fave's at all the parks...so I still love going to MGM...but I can see the points posted here. I wish there were more "face" characters at MGM...and while it's awesome that there are new attractions/shows for the smaller kids, I wish there were some more all-age type shows there as well, a vintage disney area, or as many of us have hoped for...more focus on the Villans...a permanent area, not just for Halloween!

Pam

 

[queegeebo]

How long has the RnR coaster been down for maintenance? In the operational updates online, it says only Oct 2-4. I hope they don't keep pushing it back, because I leave on the 16th. I can't imagine them working on it that long!

 

[KorieDWnut]

Last month when we went it was the first time in about 10 years that I had even been to MGM. We normally just skip it altogether. I used to love it when I was a kid but it just doesn't hold too much interest for me anymore. I really hate that they had to put that hat right in front of the theater like that. That whole area makes me feel all claustraphobic.

 

[Rescue Ranger]

I never got bored in a park, I never have problems staying a whole day, i love just walking around and being there.

MGM needs more though, I really think they need to add something little more Muppity, the Muppets need a little something more. They could probably have their own park. Maybe a Statler and Waldorf attraction where they discuss a bunch of different disney movies and what not making fun of them or Miss Piggy's talk show or Fozzie's comedy club....

 

[Karnak]

On my solo trips I have to spend some time at the Studios because I love the Beauty and the Beast show. I think it's the best show at WDW, bar none, except perhaps the Circus of the Soul at Downtown Disney. I also enjoy TOT, and the Great Movie Ride, and wouldn't think of leaving the park in the evening without a meal at the Brown Derby.

The park is OK in my book. But then, I like all four of the parks.

Karnak