Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (DHS)

[Sledge]

I'm still annoyed over the closure of GMR for this new ride choice. Maybe it will seem better once they actually release more info for it, but as of right now... it sounds like one big pile of

In regards to Animation Courtyard's future demise... the reason this isn't becoming a new ride over in that area is because that is apparently going to become "Monstropolis" or whatever other Pixar IP they choose. I'll believe it when I see it, but yea, even RNR is not long for this world. Expect the "Twilight Zone" theme to be removed from Tower of Terror in the near future as well. Won't be a GotG replacement obviously, but yea.. Twilight Zone is owned by CBS, which is owned by WB... you do the math. Its one of the main reasons why GMR is closing. Its a ride that shouldn't technically exist due to the fact that Disney doesn't own all of the films inside. Studios want $$$$, Disney (despite swimming in a bank vault like Scrooge McDuck) would rather get rid of said IPs for things they own. Its why partnering with other studios is bad. Its better to use what you own or buy it so you own it.

DHS is basically going to become a Pixar/Lucas Disney park... (It will always be MGM to me! ~B&T)

But by this logic, Pandora shouldn't have just been built.

 

[Wesker69]

But by this logic, Pandora shouldn't have just been built.

Yes.. "logic".. something that I need to remember doesn't exist when it comes to the theme park world unfortunately. And I'm sure at some point in time.. Avatar World will come back & bite them in the butt. Or... unlike old contracts, they were smart about it. Remember... Avatar was built "now"... NOT 25+ years ago. Different legal contracts during very different times.

Also keep in mind who Universal is partnered with... WB... and what land does Universal have that slightly hinders their new land/attractions progress in WDW? ..Marvel... They're finding ways around these contracts or just giving them up entirely rather than renewing for way more $$$ than before.

 

[Alicia]

Yes.. "logic".. something that I need to remember doesn't exist when it comes to the theme park world unfortunately. And I'm sure at some point in time.. Avatar World will come back & bite them in the butt. Or... unlike old contracts, they were smart about it. Remember... Avatar was built "now"... NOT 25+ years ago. Different legal contracts during very different times.

Also keep in mind who Universal is partnered with... WB... and what land does Universal have that slightly hinders their new land/attractions progress in WDW? ..Marvel... They're finding ways around these contracts or just giving them up entirely rather than renewing for way more $$$ than before.

Universal is not "partnered" with WB. They have agreements based on specific properties and for specific locales.

Six Flags also has agreements with WB. And WB has its own theme park in Australia.

Each deal is different. Each deal is individual.

And many of the deals in the Great Movie Ride were with MGM, the original partner in the park. MGMs properties have since been split up between Sony/Paramount and WB.

I will add that Mary Poppins, Indiana Jones, and Fantasia are Disney-owned properties that also appear in the GMR. So, they're not all owned by other studios.

I would posit that the consideration of daily running costs and maintenance costs for GMR far out-way any decision making based on whether they have to pay licensing fees for old movies. Moving from 100+ AAs to a projection based ride with less things to keep painted and fresh (and less gas being expelled on an explosion every 10 minutes,) and less cast members spieling - to a self guided ride with unpainted sets, where changing projector bulbs with be the biggest expense, has far more to do with it than who owns what rights.

Oh, that and how many guests actually enjoy the ride. If it wasn't under-performing + costs so much to run, they wouldn't be closing it in the first place.

But I digress.

EDIT: I do think that from this point on Disney will think twice about licensing an IP for a new attraction. (They'll probably just buy it outright.)

 

[epcyclopedia]

I think it's sad that GMR is going to close, but the park has really changed direction entirely.

Think of it compared to Spaceship Earth - of everyone who went into Epcot was "meh" on SSE the way they are about GMR it'd be really sad for Epcot. Between renovations SSE has lingered in that gray area.

So Studios needs a strong lure iconic attraction in that building. They chose to change it entirely instead of redo it.

 

[Wesker69]

Universal is not "partnered" with WB. They have agreements based on specific properties and for specific locales.

Six Flags also has agreements with WB. And WB has its own theme park in Australia.

Each deal is different. Each deal is individual.

And many of the deals in the Great Movie Ride were with MGM, the original partner in the park. MGMs properties have since been split up between Sony/Paramount and WB.

I will add that Mary Poppins, Indiana Jones, and Fantasia are Disney-owned properties that also appear in the GMR. So, they're not all owned by other studios.

I would posit that the consideration of daily running costs and maintenance costs for GMR far out-way any decision making based on whether they have to pay licensing fees for old movies. Moving from 100+ AAs to a projection based ride with less things to keep painted and fresh (and less gas being expelled on an explosion every 10 minutes,) and less cast members spieling - to a self guided ride with unpainted sets, where changing projector bulbs with be the biggest expense, has far more to do with it than who owns what rights.

I'm well aware of ALL of that (and what WB is associated with when it comes to the theme parks). And technically... an agreement is the same thing as partnered when it comes to the theme parks. They all have a contract with a dotted line. If it was in the film world, it'd be a different thing.

I never said everything inside GMR was not Disney-owned. And thats my point.. all of the deals were done 25+ years ago.. when MGM was still actually a thing.

As for the cost of upkeep for the ride itself... yea.. that was the whole reason for TCM... and TCM slapping their stupid logo/name all over the ride. As well as taking away part of the Ride Spieler's job with pre-recorded narration. TCM was supposed to dump money into GMR's necessary maintenance costs.

Liscensing fees are a factor though. Again.. look at ToT here at DCA... its now become Marvel (which i hate, but at least they own that).

 

[Alicia]

I'm well aware of ALL of that (and what WB is associated with when it comes to the theme parks). And technically... an agreement is the same thing as partnered when it comes to the theme parks. They all have a contract with a dotted line. If it was in the film world, it'd be a different thing.

I never said everything inside GMR was not Disney-owned. And thats my point.. all of the deals were done 25+ years ago.. when MGM was still actually a thing.

As for the cost of upkeep for the ride itself... yea.. that was the whole reason for TCM... and TCM slapping their stupid logo/name all over the ride. As well as taking away part of the Ride Spieler's job with pre-recorded narration. TCM was supposed to dump money into GMR's necessary maintenance costs.

Liscensing fees are a factor though. Again.. look at ToT here at DCA... its now become Marvel (which i hate, but at least they own that).

I hear ya. And apparently Disney ended the TCM deal early. They really want to get rid of this ride.

And who knows. Our ToT could exist without the Twilight Zone IP... They took the Alien IP out of Alien Encounter, that worked out fine.

 

[rhino4evr]

I see them retheming Rock/Roller
Coaster before Tower of Terror. Aerosmith ain't getting any younger.

I'm still shocked that Disney supposedly listened to the fan reaction and kept ToT as is in WdW. That's a first. Considering it's supposedly doing well over in California. I'm also surprised they would geeen light a ride in EPcot instead .

Maybe one day they will gut Spaceship Earth and make it a giant indoor super loops. Lol.

 

[OLSinFLA]

I'm still annoyed over the closure of GMR for this new ride choice. Maybe it will seem better once they actually release more info for it, but as of right now... it sounds like one big pile of

In regards to Animation Courtyard's future demise... the reason this isn't becoming a new ride over in that area is because that is apparently going to become "Monstropolis" or whatever other Pixar IP they choose. I'll believe it when I see it, but yea, even RNR is not long for this world. Expect the "Twilight Zone" theme to be removed from Tower of Terror in the near future as well. Won't be a GotG replacement obviously, but yea.. Twilight Zone is owned by CBS, which is owned by WB... you do the math. Its one of the main reasons why GMR is closing. Its a ride that shouldn't technically exist due to the fact that Disney doesn't own all of the films inside. Studios want $$$$, Disney (despite swimming in a bank vault like Scrooge McDuck) would rather get rid of said IPs for things they own. Its why partnering with other studios is bad. Its better to use what you own or buy it so you own it.

DHS is basically going to become a Pixar/Lucas Disney park... (It will always be MGM to me! ~B&T)

CBS is owned by National Amusements (which also owns Viacom) and not WB. CBS and WB co-operate The CW Network, but that has nothing to do with Twilight Zone. TWZ is owned by CBS

 

[SeventyOne]

RUMOR (among the DHS groundlings): The sets for this ride are already complete, sitting in a warehouse. It's just a case of gutting the building and throwing them up before they can start testing and tweaking. In other words, more of a Universal timeline than a typical WDW one.

SPECULATION (same group): TDO realized they're opening Toy Story Land--which appeals to younger children--with two rides that have height restrictions. Order came from on high to have the all-ages Mickey ride ready to go when TSL opens to allay any criticism of that issue.

 

[Alicia]

Here's a screenshot I took during the live panel. It shows what the backgrounds look like without projection. As I figured, blank. So, quick to construct, easy to maintain.



Here they are designing it in the computer. This makes it super easy to create the weird cutout shapes they require since the can split up their 2d-image into layers digitally first:

 

[AlexanderMBush]

RUMOR (among the DHS groundlings): The sets for this ride are already complete, sitting in a warehouse. It's just a case of gutting the building and throwing them up before they can start testing and tweaking. In other words, more of a Universal timeline than a typical WDW one.

SPECULATION (same group): TDO realized they're opening Toy Story Land--which appeals to younger children--with two rides that have height restrictions. Order came from on high to have the all-ages Mickey ride ready to go when TSL opens to allay any criticism of that issue.

So it's the Mission Breakout of Hollywood Studios?

 

[Alicia]

That falls in line with them getting this open ahead of Star Wars. If they knew the space it was going in I'm sure they retrofitted the show scenes/load/unload/queue into the existing space in their plans to save construction time.

 

[RevFreako]

Universal is not "partnered" with WB. They have agreements based on specific properties and for specific locales.

Also, I don't think you could call the Uni/Marvel agreement a "partnership" in the same sense as the ones mentioned above. universal really had Marvel bent all the way over the barrel when their deal was signed. Other than licensing revenues, which admittedly is free money, Marvel/Disney are by far the little spoon in that bed.

 

[belloq87]

Order came from on high to have the all-ages Mickey ride ready to go when TSL opens to allay any criticism of that issue.

If they are really going to be able to have this ride open within a year, then I'm even more convinced this probably isn't going to be a ride for me.

 

[Scott W.]

If they are really going to be able to have this ride open within a year, then I'm even more convinced this probably isn't going to be a ride for me.

Why?

 

[Alicia]

I still think Toy Story Land will open first. Then this by early 2019. Then Star Wars laaaaaate 2019.

Maybe softs start for Mickey by holidays 2018. Maybe. But even at their fastest Disney isn't usually that fast.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

This could possibly have a Mission Breakout timeline.

Facade stays the same, queue stays the same with changes to props and posters. Ride gets gutted and walls are put up right after. This could be done in a year.

 

[Alicia]

This could possibly have a Mission Breakout timeline.

Facade stays the same, queue stays the same with changes to props and posters. Ride gets gutted and walls are put up right after. This could be done in a year.

Maybe. But Mission Breakout did not require a new ride system, so that will add extra time.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Maybe. But Mission Breakout did not require a new ride system, so that will add extra time.

If the rumor holds up of this being trackless, it can be done quite quickly.

 

[belloq87]

Why?

That fast of a turnaround schedule would imply that the interior is just as I've been suspecting: blank, flat, extremely simple sets (if they could even be called sets) upon which the ride's environments will be projected. It would be like they're testing the absolute minimum amount of practical show elements they could possibly get away with, and that just doesn't interest or excite me very much at this point.

Projection mapping can be dazzling, but I don't want to ever see that become a replacement for the practical and the physical. But that's just me! I know plenty of other people see that as positive technological progress, and that's fine. I just don't necessarily share the belief that technological progress has to come at the expense of classic dark ride techniques and elements, especially if the attraction is taking over for a quintessential example of the classic Disney dark ride.

ETA: Again, I point to Mystic Manor as an example of using the best of both worlds, proving such a thing can absolutely be done.