The Great Movie Ride opened with Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios) at Walt Disney World on May 1, 1989. Considered to be the signature attraction of the park, The Great Movie Ride was originally considered for a standalone Future World Pavilion at Epcot. Michael Eisner and the team soon realized that the idea was evolving beyond a simple pavilion, so they got to work on a new movie studio theme park, partnering with MGM Studios on the new venture. The Great Movie Ride, which closed in August 2017, included scenes from such classic movies as The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Alien, The Searchers, Singin' in the Rain, and dozens of other Hollywood films.

In this episode, we explore the history and details of The Great Movie Ride, including some of the Easter eggs and historic movie props you might have missed, as well as a few plans and ideas that were never realized. We also talk about the decision to remove The Great Movie Ride to make way for Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, and we experience the attraction together thanks to a binaural audio recording provided by Virtual WDW (you can find the full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHTdBMW1GWE).

If you were an Imagineer and could bring The Great Movie Ride back to life, what new films would you feature, and what would those show scenes look like? Send me your feedback via email or through direct or public message at any of the following and [with your permission] I'll include your message in a future show:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ImagineerPodcast

Be sure to check out our sponsor WDW Magazine, the premier magazine focused on Walt Disney World, available in print or digital.

Disney news and travel tips: Be sure to visit our Disney news partner, The Kingdom Insider:

• Website: https://thekingdominsider.com

Vacation Planning: Planning a trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, or another Disney destination? Visit our trusted partner, Academy Travel: 

• Walt Disney World: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/waltdisney/IP

How to Support the Show

• Share the podcast with your friends

Special thanks to our Hero Patreon members!

• Thomas N

Enjoy the show!