Great Movie Ride Closing?

[Mike S]

I get the gut feeling this is happening maybe because our Star Wars land had been delayed again and they want something else new for the 50th.

Then actually build something new and not another replacement.

 

[Nick]

Then actually build something new and not another replacement.

Unfortunately this won't be the last replacement/retheme in the parks future. ST and RNRC are going to be seeing changes soon-ish as well. And who knows, maybe even Tower.

 

[Mad Dog]

I never knew this. Thanks!

Wow, I though almost every serious fan knew that. It's pretty common knowledge. I guess you're really out of your element when we're taking about Disney. :ears:

 

[Teebin]

Wow, I though almost every serious fan knew that. It's pretty common knowledge. I guess you're really out of your element when we're taking about Disney. :ears:

I knew why MGM Studios was created, just not that they moved a project from Epcot. That said, after all my boyhood dreamy dreams, the MK and Epcot lost me in 1999... they didn't even have me at goodbye... but I had yet to visit AK.

 

[Mike S]

I knew why MGM Studios was created, just not that they moved a project from Epcot. That said, after all my boyhood dreamy dreams, the MK and Epcot lost me in 1999... they didn't even have me at goodbye... but I had yet to visit AK.

Here it is.

 

[Teebin]

Here it is.

Charming. :saywhat:

 

[UNIrd]

Well, likely yes when you directly compare some of the replacements:

SWL - Replacing LMA/SoA. LMA had only been playing 2 shows per day for years, SoA added no value for 10 months out of the year. Very few people got enjoyment out of this side of the park. SWL is adding 2 high capacity E-tickets and an entire land that should also be an attraction to itself.

TSL - Replacing the former backlot/backlot tour area. The BLT, which has been closed for some time now, was losing popularity for years and had become a shell of itself. Personally, TSL isn't my number 1 choice I would've gone with, but more people will be likely to experience the area/rides.

Mickey - This is where it gets tricky. GMR is a people eater and usually fills up every ride, but that doesn't mean that it's always filling to it's full capacity of 2,400 per hour. On slower days, they run less vehicles, which in turn means less per hour. The highest GMR wait really ever gets is 45 mins. It's a 22 minute ride that is scoring poorly on G-Sat surveys. I think a Mickey ride that is shorter (even if still around the 7-9 minute time), will increase the number of riders in a day on the ride as it's a more appealing "modern" attraction which guests have actually come to expect more from visiting Universal.

It would be better if the Mickey ride was an actual ADDITION to the park, but as i've said, Disney obviously isn't going to update GMR, so why bother with the ride at this point? The Mickey ride could've been a nice beginning to an expanded Animation Courtyard though.

Both SWL and TSL expand the park's guest areas though, which is one of the biggest things. More places for people to walk around. Guests have never been allowed to walk around behind TSMM or on top of the LMA plot. It's mostly been for backstage or for the show.

Is Lights Motors Action and the Backlot Tour all that's closed at DHS lately? If so, why do people act like half the park is shuttered?

 

[Nick]

Is Lights Motors Action and the Backlot Tour all that's closed at DHS lately? If so, why do people act like half the park is shuttered?

I agree with you in that people blow things out of proportion.

At the same time, LMA, BLT and SoA would've took up a TON of real estate. Probably at least 1/3 of the park.

 

[Mad Dog]

Is Lights Motors Action and the Backlot Tour all that's closed at DHS lately? If so, why do people act like half the park is shuttered?

Animation Academy, Pirates walk through attraction, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Sound Effects Show, more than half of Citizens of Hollywood fired , Parade discontinued, Streets of America closed, Premier Theater torn down,Film Museum next to BLT closed, Mulch Sweat & Shears fired, Second Fantasmic show closed on most nights, A restaurant closed...all within the last one to three years. You add those smaller things to BLT and LMA, and that's a lot of capacity lost. That's what I recall. The foot traffic areas in the park have been decreased dramatically. I would imagine the park could seem crowded at times now since people are squeezed in an area that pretty small for a major theme park. The park was smallish for foot traffic areas even before all of this.

 

[UNIrd]

Animation Academy, Pirates walk through attraction, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Sound Effects Show, more than half of Citizens of Hollywood fired , Parade discontinued, Streets of America closed, Premier Theater torn down,Film Museum next to BLT closed, Mulch Sweat & Shears fired, Second Fantasmic show closed on most nights, A restaurant closed...all within the last one to three years. You add those smaller things to BLT and LMA, and that's a lot of capacity lost. That's what I recall. The foot traffic areas in the park have been decreased dramatically. I would imagine the park could seem crowded at times now since people are squeezed in an area that pretty small for a major theme park. The park was smallish for foot traffic areas even before all of this.

But actual attractions.. Disney Animation was replaced by Star Wars Launch Bay. Sounds Dangerous is showing Path of the Jedi.. If I'm not mistaken, I understand the Pirates walk-thru became a meet & greet. So all that's truly gone is LMA, BLT, and the playground. Stuff most us never did anyway.

Not sure DHS deserves to be the punchline it currently is.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Unfortunately this won't be the last replacement/retheme in the parks future. ST and RNRC are going to be seeing changes soon-ish as well. And who knows, maybe even Tower.

Hadn't heard anything about RNRC other than it was designed to be easily rethemed. Please tell me it's not this band.

 

[Mad Dog]

But actual attractions.. Disney Animation was replaced by Star Wars Launch Bay. Sounds Dangerous is showing Path of the Jedi.. If I'm not mistaken, I understand the Pirates walk-thru became a meet & greet. So all that's truly gone is LMA, BLT, and the playground. Stuff most us never did anyway.

Not sure DHS deserves to be the punchline it currently is.

All that little stuff I mentioned adds up though. It decreases capacity and there's less to occupy your stay. And a M&G and a movie trailer aren't really attractions. At least the former occupants were C tickets.

 

[UNIrd]

All that little stuff I mentioned adds up though. It decreases capacity and there's less to occupy your stay. And a M&G and a movie trailer aren't really attractions. At least the former occupants were C tickets.

The point is that DHS.. or as I call it Disney's Park I Need To Walk Thru To Get To Tower of Terror.. isn't much different in it's current state than it was a few months ago. The big joke is how Disney is getting away with charging $100 for a park with so little to do but... I don't think Lights, Motors, Action (ultimately a one-and-done show) and Backlot Tour (a not-done-since-back-in-the-90's attraction) would change that.

 

[Mad Dog]

The point is that DHS.. or as I call it Disney's Park I Need To Walk Thru To Get To Tower of Terror.. isn't much different in it's current state than it was a few months ago. The big joke is how Disney is getting away with charging $100 for a park with so little to do but... I don't think Lights, Motors, Action (ultimately a one-and-done show) and Backlot Tour (a not-done-since-back-in-the-90's attraction) would change that.

Oh, I agree with that. It's been in a slowly degrading state for the last three years. The Frozen stuff saved them the previous two summers. And BLT has been closed for 2 years come next month.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Not sure DHS deserves to be the punchline it currently is.

That is the way it started. When they rushed construction of MGM Studios it was seen as a half-day Park. Even Disney sold discount tickets to it early on to get people to go there.

There are only four rides in the park. Sea World and Animal Kingdom have more than that.

Changing the name then planning to change it again doesn't help. It is the only theme park that has an identity crisis.

 

[Nick]

Animation Academy, Pirates walk through attraction, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Sound Effects Show, more than half of Citizens of Hollywood fired , Parade discontinued, Streets of America closed, Premier Theater torn down,Film Museum next to BLT closed, Mulch Sweat & Shears fired, Second Fantasmic show closed on most nights, A restaurant closed...all within the last one to three years. You add those smaller things to BLT and LMA, and that's a lot of capacity lost. That's what I recall. The foot traffic areas in the park have been decreased dramatically. I would imagine the park could seem crowded at times now since people are squeezed in an area that pretty small for a major theme park. The park was smallish for foot traffic areas even before all of this.

A lot of what you describe has been replaced with new things.

Premiere theater replaced by New theatre next to RNRC
American Idol = Frozen show
Idol Casting center = Mickey, Minny and Olaf M&G's
SD = Path of the Jedi.
Animation = Launch Bay
Pirates Walkthrough = M&G
Pizza Planet = PizzeRizzo

As for other stuff you mentioned that's closed...

LMA/SOA/Premier Theater = Star Wars Land
Backlot Tour = Toy Story Land

I hate defending this park because it sucks so much right now, but it doesn't deserved to be crucified to the level you put it to. Yes, Mulch has left and Citizens aren't the same, but Mulch played on SOA... they have nowhere to play now. Not trying to make excuses, but just logistically, where are they going to play? They can't play on Center stage because the Star Wars show is there. Also, they've taken away the parade, yes, but they've we have nightly fireworks at the park now. Over 5 different firework shows over the past 3 years. The only big plot of land that hasn't been replaced yet is HISTK Play area. That plot of land is thought to be used for a new ride.

Also, let's not kid ourselves and pretend that some of those things that we "lost" or were replaced were things that we will miss. Nobody cares about LMA, the BLT, SD or American Idol unless they want to use it in an argument.

 

[Mad Dog]

A lot of what you describe has been replaced with new things.

Premiere theater replaced by New theatre next to RNRC
American Idol = Frozen show
Idol Casting center = Mickey, Minny and Olaf M&G's
SD = Path of the Jedi.
Animation = Launch Bay
Pirates Walkthrough = M&G
Pizza Planet = PizzeRizzo

As for other stuff you mentioned that's closed...

LMA/SOA/Premier Theater = Star Wars Land
Backlot Tour = Toy Story Land

I hate defending this park because it sucks so much right now, but it doesn't deserved to be crucified to the level you put it to. Yes, Mulch has left and Citizens aren't the same, but Mulch played on SOA... they have nowhere to play now. Not trying to make excuses, but just logistically, where are they going to play? They can't play on Center stage because the Star Wars show is there. Also, they've taken away the parade, yes, but they've we have nightly fireworks at the park now. Over 5 different firework shows over the past 3 years. The only big plot of land that hasn't been replaced yet is HISTK Play area. That plot of land is thought to be used for a new ride.

Also, let's not kid ourselves and pretend that some of those things that we "lost" or were replaced were things that we will miss. Nobody cares about LMA, the BLT, SD or American Idol unless they want to use it in an argument.

Heh, I'm the guy who four years ago, DHS was my favorite Disney park, and I would spend more hours there than any of the Disney Parks. I'm not degrading what the park might become. But right now it's a shadow of itself with basically just a bunch of M&G's replacing good entertainment, real shows and attractions. I'm talking about what DHS is today, August, 2016. It's not a park I would care to frequent today as a tourist. I was there last October, and it wasn't this bad, but it was still pretty lousy in comparison to four years ago....It will be a better park when SWL is completed but that's in a galaxy far far away. And TSL hold zero interest for me. But I'm sure little kids will like it.

 

[MillenniumDragons]

Hadn't heard anything about RNRC other than it was designed to be easily rethemed. Please tell me it's not this band.

No, it's this one.

 

[Nick]

Heh, I'm the guy who four years ago, DHS was my favorite Disney park, and I would spend more hours there than any of the Disney Parks. I'm not degrading what the park might become. But right now it's a shadow of itself with basically just a bunch of M&G's replacing good entertainment, real shows and attractions. I'm talking about what DHS is today, August, 2016. It's not a park I would care to frequent today as a tourist. I was there last October, and it wasn't this bad, but it was still pretty lousy in comparison to four years ago....It will be a better park when SWL is completed but that's in a galaxy far far away. And TSL hold zero interest for me. But I'm sure little kids will like it.

4 years ago the park was no real gem either if we're being honest.

I get what you're saying, but still, you said in another post that you agreed that BLT and LMA aren't helping this park at this point. So what do you want them to do? How do you expect them to fix the problem. Both need to go in order for new, better and higher capacity things to come. LMA was only filling up twice a day what the Star Wars battle ride will be able to do in a few hours. Not to mention it will be an entirely themed land.

And I know you said you are talking about today. I don't agree that the park should be priced what it is. But it's not going to change and the park is what it is for the mean time. Don't go for a few years if you don't like it. I'm a local and I go maybe 2-3 times a year (out of probably of a hundred theme park visits per year at least)... I just don't care about it.

 

[Mad Dog]

4 years ago the park was no real gem either if we're being honest.

I get what you're saying, but still, you said in another post that you agreed that BLT and LMA aren't helping this park at this point. So what do you want them to do? How do you expect them to fix the problem. Both need to go in order for new, better and higher capacity things to come.

It wasn't a gem, but I liked it nonetheless.
They really waited too long to fix the park in an orderly fashion. Now, the park is reaping the problems of that. I really see no reason to visit this park until SWL is completed. And, even then they will still have capacity issues trying to fit the Star Wars crowds into the park. They have serious problems facing them and I really don't see any easy solutions. It's a mess, and I'm sad, because I really enjoyed the park, even though it had shortcomings....If they would have started fixing the park, bit by bit, four years ago when they had Kathy Magnum fresh off Cars Land to look at the fix, they'd be in way better shape. Disney just dragged their feet for so long. Prime example was shutting down BLT two years ago and doing nothing with it.