Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (DHS)

[belloq87]

It's a big loss yes, but realistically, do you actually think Disney was ever going to update the ride? I mean, even with a new sponsor that put a decent amount of money into the attraction back in 2015, the AA's didn't get updated. And they likely never were going to be updated.

I'd rather see the ride go out as is than watch it decay to a state that is beyond repair like UoE has. I'm just being realistic.

Based on what we seem to be getting, I'd rather they kept The Great Movie Ride even if they never updated it beyond surface-level stuff. It's a ride the feels like somebody designed and built it just for me and my personal interests (classic film, old-school dark rides, etc.).

Now, if it were being replaced by another long-form dark ride honoring classic Hollywood - or even classic Mickey Mouse - my calculation would probably be different. I just don't think MMRR belongs in that building given the version of Mickey they're using, and it certainly shouldn't be coming at the expense of a 15-minute AA and set extravaganza.

 

[Ashhanbre]

Totally agree on what you are saying, but I'm willing to at least give the new ride a chance. It doesn't sound good as of right now, but who knows?

 

[Nick]

Now, if it were being replaced by another long-form dark ride honoring classic Hollywood - or even classic Mickey Mouse -

I respect where you're coming from as far as TGMR is concerned, but the current version of Mickey is the closest to the original/classic Mickey since that design changed. The corporate logo Mickey has been nothing close to the 1930's Mickey and this one actually has the personality of the original Mickey, too.

 

[belloq87]

Totally agree on what you are saying, but I'm willing to at least give the new ride a chance. It doesn't sound good as of right now, but who knows?

I'll certainly give it a chance! I'm sure I'll probably even enjoy it. I just know, though, that as we're gliding through bright and colorful projection mapping, I'll be longing for the physical detail and grit of stuff like the gangster/underworld set, or the Nostromo set, or the Well of the Souls.

I respect where you're coming from as far as TGMR is concerned, but the current version of Mickey is the closest to the original/classic Mickey since that design changed. The corporate logo Mickey has been nothing close to the 1930's Mickey and this one actually has the personality of the original Mickey, too.

A fair enough point. At least from a visual standpoint. I just think that if you want to do a Mickey-centric attraction, you really should be pulling from "Steamboat Willie," "Haunted House," the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment from FANTASIA, or "Lonesome Ghosts;" the iconic stuff people remember, not the flashy new version that - yes, has a following, and yes, is fun - isn't as familiar to the majority of your guests.

 

[Nick]

I'll certainly give it a chance! I'm sure I'll probably even enjoy it. I just know, though, that as we're gliding through bright and colorful projection mapping, I'll be longing for the physical detail and grit of stuff like the gangster/underworld set, or the Nostromo set, or the Well of the Souls.



A fair enough point. At least from a visual standpoint. I just think that if you want to do a Mickey-centric attraction, you really should be pulling from "Steamboat Willie," "Haunted House," the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment from FANTASIA, or "Lonesome Ghosts;" the iconic stuff people remember, not the flashy new version that - yes, has a following, and yes, is fun - isn't as familiar to the majority of your guests.

I disagree as I've already seen that and know what it is. I don't need a book report ride.

I love that they're giving us something new and never before seen with Mickey and it should be a hit. I get people were expecting something different with a Mickey attraction, but give this a chance.

 

[SeventyOne]

It's a big loss yes, but realistically, do you actually think Disney was ever going to update the ride? I mean, even with a new sponsor that put a decent amount of money into the attraction back in 2015, the AA's didn't get updated. And they likely never were going to be updated.

I'd rather see the ride go out as is than watch it decay to a state that is beyond repair like UoE has. I'm just being realistic.

* Disney is loathe to spend money
* Every "great" movie since 1970 (according to any rationale pop culture consensus) is already represented elsewhere in the park or tied up by Universal/WB
* The ride is too dependent on live spielers yet refused to have any sort of audition process, lest they look too much like actors for Equity's taste

All three of those were just too big a hurdle to overcome. The ride was going to sit and rot.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I think Disney could have kept GMR relevant and updated through the years. They didn't. It's low rated by general guests and as @SeventyOne said there were too many hurdles to jump. I also think those reasons are why the JC (at least in WDW) is doomed to closure.

 

[Nick]

I think Disney could have kept GMR relevant and updated through the years. They didn't. It's low rated by general guests and as @SeventyOne said there were too many hurdles to jump. I also think those reasons are why the JC (at least in WDW) is doomed to closure.

Jungle Cruise closing? The Rock is revamping both DL and WDWs bc of the JC movie. It's not going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[Alicia]

I think Disney could have kept GMR relevant and updated through the years. They didn't. It's low rated by general guests and as @SeventyOne said there were too many hurdles to jump. I also think those reasons are why the JC (at least in WDW) is doomed to closure.

Jungle Cruise? Nah. It'll just become automated with prerecorded voice and a new name:

Jungle Cruise: Starring The Rock

Jimmy Fallon taking over Universal Hollywood's Tram Tour, Robert Osborne taking over half of GMR's spieling -or- Jaws, Disaster, and Kongfrontation closing seem to be the way things are going. No more spiel no more.

I found it incredibly cheesy/lame to reduce the GMR drivers dialog in Mary Poppins to just say "Oh I love this song, sing along if you know it." Osborne got all the educational informative lines now. And it weakened the show.

 

[Scott W.]

The Jungle Cruise is one of those rides I hated as a kid but got awesome as an adult.

 

[captainmoch]

I rode this last week for the last time and... slightly unpopular opinion, but I'm not gonna miss it. I understand why people are upset, so I'm gonna put my thoughts in a spoiler tag to not interrupt any grieving.

Spoiler

GMR has always just felt... kind of disorganized to me, if that makes sense. You go from movie to movie, in no real order, and with the length of the ride vehicles, you're often hearing the spiel for a scene you're not even in. When two vehicles are running and they have to move at a snail's pace, which screws with the pacing even more (don't even get me started on the slowdown in the Tarzan and Casablanca scenes). The script for the live actors is stale, and improvisation is obviously not allowed. The added Robert Osborne voice-over made it even worse; not only is he the driest and most bland narrator they could have chosen, but he barely mixes well with the live actors at all.

So yeah, GMR always felt like a bit of a mess and I feel like unless it got a major renovation, I still wouldn't care for it.

 

[Mad Dog]

Jungle Cruise has to be one of the most overrated theme park attractions, in it's present form. A perfect example of nostalgia clouding peoples opinions.........I'm ducking right now since I know people are cursing my post :angry::bolt:....Such a huge footprint for such a cheesy outdated attraction. ...Hoping they either redo the entire ride, or flatten it and put in two nice E tickets....or maybe add Screenz to the tunnel scene. That might help out this terribly boring ride.

 

[Nick]

Jungle Cruise has to be one of the most overrated theme park attractions, in it's present form. A perfect example of nostalgia clouding peoples opinions.........I'm ducking right now since I know people are cursing my post :angry::bolt:....Such a huge footprint for such a cheesy outdated attraction. ...Hoping they either redo the entire ride, or flatten it and put in two nice E tickets....or maybe add Screenz to the tunnel scene. That might help out this terribly boring ride.

Yep, can't agree with you there and I'm not even a huge fan of the ride. No nostalgia for the ride either.

 

[belloq87]

I love that they're giving us something new and never before seen with Mickey and it should be a hit. I get people were expecting something different with a Mickey attraction, but give this a chance.

I'm giving it a chance! I'm just skeptical that I'll come away feeling it was a worthwhile trade-off. That's all.

I rode this last week for the last time and... slightly unpopular opinion, but I'm not gonna miss it.

That's not an unpopular opinion.

Jungle Cruise has to be one of the most overrated theme park attractions, in it's present form. A perfect example of nostalgia clouding peoples opinions.........I'm ducking right now since I know people are cursing my post :angry::bolt:....Such a huge footprint for such a cheesy outdated attraction. ...Hoping they either redo the entire ride, or flatten it and put in two nice E tickets....or maybe add Screenz to the tunnel scene. That might help out this terribly boring ride.

I like Jungle Cruise plenty, but I'd have no problem with it being replaced... provided the replacement was worthy of the location and massive in scale.

 

[Scott W.]

Jungle Cruise has to be one of the most overrated theme park attractions, in it's present form. A perfect example of nostalgia clouding peoples opinions.........I'm ducking right now since I know people are cursing my post :angry::bolt:....Such a huge footprint for such a cheesy outdated attraction. ...Hoping they either redo the entire ride, or flatten it and put in two nice E tickets....or maybe add Screenz to the tunnel scene. That might help out this terribly boring ride.

Knowing roughly what age you are, you have the brain of a teenager and I love it

 

[Cwoolboy]

Went ahead and ordered one of the closing day shirts for GMR. Should give me something special to wear when I head up there in a few weeks for my birthday. Also planning on buying a rose or flower (I imagine they must sell those somewhere in DHS) to lay in front of Mann's (I know, I'm a sentimental softie).

 

[Skold]

Jungle Cruise has to be one of the most overrated theme park attractions, in it's present form. A perfect example of nostalgia clouding peoples opinions.........I'm ducking right now since I know people are cursing my post :angry::bolt:....Such a huge footprint for such a cheesy outdated attraction. ...Hoping they either redo the entire ride, or flatten it and put in two nice E tickets....or maybe add Screenz to the tunnel scene. That might help out this terribly boring ride.

Where's the "HATE" button?

 

[Cwoolboy]

Do you suppose they will close off the Mann's Chinese Theater facade to guests while work commences inside? I just can't imagine that facade being surrounded by construction walls, it would be too surreal, would feel so wrong.

 

[Alicia]

Do you suppose they will close off the Mann's Chinese Theater facade to guests while work commences inside? I just can't imagine that facade being surrounded by construction walls, it would be too surreal, would feel so wrong.

Only briefly I imagine to take down signage. Then again to install new signage/change outside queue and awning when we get closer to opening. But that's just a guess.

EDIT: With the two projection shows they do now, plus Jingle Bam later in the year, they can't cover up their projection surface too long.

 

[Nick]

Do you suppose they will close off the Mann's Chinese Theater facade to guests while work commences inside? I just can't imagine that facade being surrounded by construction walls, it would be too surreal, would feel so wrong.

I'd expect to see walls up in front of the Theatre courtyard at park opening tomorrow, but that's just an educated guess based on what Disney has done in the past.

I certainly don't expect the actual theatre to go behind scrims though. At least not yet.

EDIT: I'd also say that the removal (or at least cover up) of attraction signage is probable as well.