Originally Posted By brotherdave I know that the Tram Tour has been rumored for the chopping block the last few years. But, as one of the original attractions at DHS, it, along with the Great Movie Ride and other opening day attractions, will be celebrating it's 20th anniversary in 2009. Unlike others, I truly feel that the Backlot Tour could be saved and turned into something dynamic and memorable. I feel that it has potential to become a truly 'must see, E-Ticket' attraction when visiting WDW, much like Universal Hollywood's famed tram tour in California. Somehow, though, if given the right budget, I can picture DHS's tour rivaling Universal's, if done the right way. So, if you were given a 'blue sky' budget to redesign the attraction into something truly spectacular, what would you add???
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I don't have any ideas, but I think I would change the premise of the ride. The DHS is not a real working studio, so keeping the ride as it is is silly IMO.
Originally Posted By Indigo I would much rather see 'cars land' and 'star wars universe' be built in this area. Bye-bye Backlot.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I agree with the above. It makes no sense to have a backlot tour of the sewing shop, wardrobe, etc when it is no longer a working studio. I would pretty much scrap everything there, including Catastrophe Canyon, and create an attraction called 'Remembering Disney World'. It would be a dark ride with the premise that you were watching a film being made about WDW history. Similar to the Great Movie Ride you would go on a fairly long tour through scenes of past WDW. In some cases WDW probably still has historic items that could be used; in other cases they would just create new facsimiles. You could have scenes from Dreamflight, Mission to Mars, 20K Leagues, Mr. Toad, a scene of animators working like you used to see in the Animation Bldg, Horizons, World of Motion, the original Imagination, Discovery River Boats, River Country, Discovery Island, etc. You would end up with a film montage of very popular current WDW attractions and locations that weren't originally in WDW ... ToT, Rock and Roller, Splash Mountain, Mickey's Philharmagic, Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Expedition Everest, Soarin', Test Track, Mission Space, Blizzard Beach, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, etc. to show that WDW has added new and exciting things. You could maybe even throw in some teasers about possible future development. Yes, it would be taking a bit of a chance because it could increase criticism that WDW should have never removed some of that stuff in the first place. But I think the chance to catch glimpses of past WDW would be extremely popular with guests and would far outweigh any possible downside. I think it would become on of the most popular attractions at DHS.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA The thing that makes the Backlot Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood so great is that you're looking at the actual sets where movies like 'Spartacus' 'The Sting' 'Dirty Harry' 'Psycho' 'Jurassic Park' 'Bruce Almighty' and hundreds and hundreds of other movies were actually filmed -- and currently being filmed. Six Points Texas was an actual shooting location for old westerns. There's real history at Universal Hollywood that dates back to the early 1900s when Carl Laemmle opened the studio in the silent area, and people came to watch movies being filmed. So, to take a tram ride around the backlot -- it makes sense. At Disney's Hollywood Studios -- you're touring around, but what are you looking at? Set pieces from 'The Rocketeer'? I like the notion of just getting rid of it altogether. It served a purpose when the studio park first opened (back in the late 80s / early 90s when Florida was going to be 'Hollywood East') But today, it's just a relic of something that didn't work out and has become meaningless.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I like your idea, RT, but I am not exactly sure how that fits into the theme of DHS. Maybe they could do something that would showcase more of Walt's Hollywood experience?
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I like your idea, RT, but I am not exactly sure how that fits into the theme of DHS>> I know it is something of a stretch. But then so is Rock and Roller. The premise I used in my original post was: <<It would be a dark ride with the premise that you were watching a film being made about WDW history.>>
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<There's real history at Universal Hollywood that dates back to the early 1900s when Carl Laemmle opened the studio in the silent area, and people came to watch movies being filmed. So, to take a tram ride around the backlot -- it makes sense. At Disney's Hollywood Studios -- you're touring around, but what are you looking at? Set pieces from 'The Rocketeer'? I like the notion of just getting rid of it altogether. It served a purpose when the studio park first opened (back in the late 80s / early 90s when Florida was going to be 'Hollywood East') But today, it's just a relic of something that didn't work out and has become meaningless.>> Exactly ... there was a rationale that made sense for building the attraction ... and running it for a decade ... but now? There's simply no substance there. The fact Catastrophe Canyon exists is not a justification for keeping it. Neither is the fact they store old props and the like. You could stick them in a soundstage building and show em off. Now ...? I just don't get why it still exists other than management doesn't want to spend the funds needed to replace properly. It reminds me of true American capitalism ... it basically is a shell that exists in name only with little substance. Discuss.
Originally Posted By MPierce Happy trails to you Backlot Tour. A Cars attraction would work nicely in that spot. Take the movie memorabila clean them up, and have a walk-thru attraction.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 Disney needs to let go of the last vestages of the working studio concept and get rid of the tram tour. The whole working studio concept was a disaster right from the beginning with Disney twisting arms to get production working in the soundstages. I remember working with a production company outside in the studios and they had to stop filming everytime Cat Canyon exploded. Lots of fun.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I never understood how 'Catastrophe Canyon' had anything to do with making movies. If a scene like that were to be shot for a movie, it would look nothing like that. As my 14 year old daughter likes to say....'random'
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad Well I guess I stand alone. I still like Backlot. I would just like to see it upgraded. Don't care if it is a working studio. Parts of it are still entertaining. Upgrade the movie props, explain a little more about movie making and show some more special effects we would be good to go.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> I never understood how 'Catastrophe Canyon' had anything to do with making movies. If a scene like that were to be shot for a movie, it would look nothing like that. << You mean they really weren't filming back there?
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Well I guess I stand alone. I still like Backlot. I would just like to see it upgraded. Don't care if it is a working studio. Parts of it are still entertaining. Upgrade the movie props, explain a little more about movie making and show some more special effects we would be good to go. << The problem is they don't seem to have any intention of up-grading it. Ever since the stunt show opened up the Backlot Tour has been going downhill. Disney took a once classical attraction, that had a great walking section as well as the tram, and knocked it down to what you see today.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 The problem has always been that Disney could not attract enough production to utilize the soundstages and the running of a theme park of the Hollywood Studios size made it very hard to use the streets for anything other than random things.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA The problem is that there was/is no incentive to film on Walt Disney World property -- whether on the Disney-MGM Studio property or not.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad >>>The problem is they don't seem to have any intention of up-grading it. Ever since the stunt show opened up the Backlot Tour has been going downhill. Disney took a once classical attraction, that had a great walking section as well as the tram, and knocked it down to what you see today<<<...........................................................................................................................Unfortunately MPierce I think you are right. The condition of the movie vehicles shows that they have no intention of maintaining the attraction. Fixing them wouldn't have cost much originally but now they are in such a state that they probably can't be fixed and would have to be recreated from scratch. It is a shame because it could be such a great ride with a little TLC.
Originally Posted By magic0214 I say take a wrecking ball to it all, make a real soundstage, ans bring back MMC or Whose Line Is It Anyway. *I'm Spartacus* If you get that good for you!!!
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 I don't care if it's a working studio or not. But I really enjoy seeing how movies are made, behind the scenes stuff. To me, that's what the studios should be about. I could never connect RNR to any movie, tho.
Originally Posted By Hista98 roadtrip the only prob;em with your idea i think is that it would be too comercial, what i would do, is relocate Dsney channel to DHS and have it become a working studio again, and on the backlot tour, you could visit, sets from several of the Disney channel shows. want to see them animating DC Cartoons, then just head over to Diusney Animation where finais and ferb are being drawn up, also make the backlot area a place where ABC Shows are getting filmed like, wysteria lane from Desperate house wives.
