When the Disney-MGM Studios opened in 1989, its main thoroughfare was consciously themed to the heyday of the Golden Age of Hollywood. In an attempt to capture the “Hollywood that never was and always will be,” Hollywood Blvd. included designs based on actual buildings in and around Los Angeles. At the end of Hollywood Blvd. sat the stately Chinese Theatre, a symbol of the glitz and glamour of old Hollywood. This lovely recreation of the California landmark is exact in its details, down to the handprints and footprints of famous celebrities of stage and screen. Sadly, the Chinese Theatre is now obscured by a horrendous hat. Fortunately, if you walk around that gaudy oversized pin shop, the theater is still there, complete with one of the Studios' signature attractions: The Great Movie Ride.
While we've passed by this attraction for many years, now that the kids are older we decided to revisit it this summer. We were impressed, again, with the lovely lobby area of the theatre and the stunning details; the artifacts from famous films added a nice touch, although we were disappointed that some of the better-known artifacts (such as Julie Andrews' carrousel horse from Mary Poppins and the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz) are no longer featured.
The clever use of the “theater” itself as a pre-show holding area is effective, and we enjoyed the “coming attractions” film to some degree. It seems that an updated, digitally cleaned-up version is in order. It would also be nice to see the original trailers for films such as Fantasia and Mary Poppins rather than the reissue versions shown here.
The actual attraction—a “ride through the movies”—as the poster promises, features an extensive cast of Audio-Animatronic characters as well as actors/guides who interact with the animatronics as guests ride along on large moving theater cars. It's interesting to note that this attraction began life as a proposed entertainment pavilion for EPCOT Center's Future World. In many ways, the design and execution of this attraction are similar to several classic EPCOT attractions, namely Horizons and World of Motion. Designed to entertain guests of all ages, this attraction fulfills the long forgotten Imagineering dictum that Disney attractions should be suitable for guests ages “8 to 80” to enjoy together.
The first act of The Great Movie Ride is dedicated to the Hollywood musical. It begins inauspiciously with a static and strangely uncomfortable salute to the Bugsby Berkeley musicals of the 1930's with a black and white “tower” of bathing beauties. It's tacky and dull, and despite the addition of some spinning photographs, inexplicably still remains as the first scene of the attraction.
Things get much better, quickly, as guests are asked to turn their attention to Gene Kelly perched above a lamppost in a rainstorm singing the immortal “Singin' in the Rain.” This scene strikes just the right note—the film is a salute, of sorts, to the early days of motion pictures and the Audio-Animatronic here is beautifully rendered.
Next is a lovely scene from the Walt Disney classic Mary Poppins, featuring that fair lady, Julie Andrews, as Mary Poppins and the affable Dick van Dyke as Bert, the chimney sweep. The two cavort across the rooftops of London as they sing the immortal “Chim-Chim-Cheree.” It's a shame that this all-too-brief scene from one of Walt Disney's most memorable films composes the only extended reference to Mary Poppins found in any Disney attraction. Here's hoping that someday, in the near future, retired Imagineer Tony Baxter's proposal for a Mary Poppins attraction will see the light of day—maybe in the old Millennium Village area behind the United Kingdom in EPCOT's World Showcase.
While a longer stay in Edwardian England might be lovely, the next scene switches abruptly to the much darker shades of film noir. Motion pictures like The Public Enemy with James Cagney receive an extended tribute here, complete with a shoot-out, a moving car full of thugs, and a live actor who takes over the tour. It's okay, but not especially engaging. This film genre has seen its day, and while classics are by nature timeless, the gangster film is one that in unfamiliar for much of the general public.
The classic western is up next, and while westerns, too, have seen their day, this section is very engaging and a lot of fun. In fact, we request this section when loading the attraction vehicles. We get a glimpse of John Wayne from The Searchers as well as Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. In this scene, a live actor robs a bank, blows it up with dynamite, and takes over the attraction vehicle.
Science-fiction is next, and what better film to represent this genre than the classic Alien. The sets are incredibly realistic, giving guests that feeling of “being there” with incredible detail. The actual appearance of the alien, however, is anti-climatic and not very scary at all. Maybe this is intentional so that younger guests aren't frightened. Nonetheless, it could be more exciting.
Thankfully, the next scene is exciting. The next film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, comes complete with soaring ancient sculptures, scores of snakes, mummies, skeletons with glowing eyes, and a huge pyramid complete with a forbidden treasure. This scene comes complete with an extended storyline involving the gunslinger or the gangster (depending on which previous scene guests experience) interacting with the pyramid and the forbidden treasure. Detailed, fun, exciting, and clever, this scene represents Imagineering at its best.
The nest vignette, Tarzan and the Ape Man, is a let down. Static characters and dull scenery leave guests disappointed. Casablanca is next, complete with airplane and Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. It is the sole representation of serious drama in the Great Movie Ride. Authentic and moving, it's as memorable as the film it honors.
Next up is a brief—very brief—salute to Walt Disney's Fantasia. It's basically a wind tunnel with a projection of Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice playing on a themed wall. Mickey is always a welcome addition to any attraction, but seriously? Doesn't the Mouse deserve better than this in a “great” movie ride?
The final scene is a shiny, Technicolor wonder saluting The Wizard of Oz. There's a black-and-white farmhouse atop the remains of a wicked witch, and marvelously realized Munchkinland, Munchkins galore, and music. Lots and lots of music. The Wicked Witch of the West is one of Disney's most detailed Audio-Animatronic figures, and with her menacing green face, realistic gestures, and puffs of sulfurous smoke, she continues to terrorize delighted generations of movie-goers. At the end, there's a charming scene of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion gazing wistfully at the Emerald City. Wonderful indeed.
The attraction ends with a montage honoring some of Hollywood's best remembered films, everything from The Birth of a Nation to Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl. There are many memorable scenes represented, but some of the clips are shamelessly self-promoting on Disney's part. Pearl Harbor? Down and Out in Beverly Hills? Three Men and a Baby? The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? Anyway, many of the films deserve their inclusion here and conjure great memories of film favorites from years gone by. Surely, this montage could use some updating and the inclusion of some of the films that have been dropped from the original montage—films like It Happened One Night, High Society, The Lion King, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Singin' in the Rain—all of which were cut in favor of some of the films mentioned above. With just a little attention, this portion of the attraction could be vastly improved.
Overall, my family enjoyed The Great Movie Ride and would recommend this classic to visitors to Walt Disney World. Nonetheless, here's hoping that when—or if—the oft rumored changes come to Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Great Movie Ride will receive some much needed attention to make this very good attraction truly great as its name promises.
