The Great Movie Ride takes place inside of a replica of the Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Outside in the cement are hand and foot prints of various celebrities and if you look carefully you’ll find the boss, Mickey Mouse, out there alongside C3PO and R2-D2… Sorry, I nerd’d up there for a second. The grounds are worth some exploring and as with everything at Disney, be sure to look for the elusive hidden Mickey. On days when the queue isn’t long you get to enter through the main doors at the front of the building. When you do, and if the line allows, take a moment and examine the detailing, and as a matter of fact try and do this everywhere. Disney Imagineers work tirelessly to add details that no one may ever see. A perfect example is at Muppet Vision 4-D, around the back of the building where guests normally don’t go, I just happened to wander back that way and found that the air vents were painted with faces.
Once inside the building the queue winds around movie props like Dorothy’s ruby slippers, a carousel horse from Mary Poppins and, last time I was there, Arwen’s dress from Lord of the Rings. The pre-show area in which you wait just before boarding the ride vehicles is a movie theatre. Shown here are trailers for movies such as Casablanca, Singing in the Rain, Fantasia, Aliens and Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. As you meander through this room you can notice that the entire theatre has been painstakingly recreated in 1930s style. Keep the movies that you have been watching in mind because you will be visiting these again.
When it’s your turn to enter the boarding area, it quickly turns from the magic of the movie theatre to the sound stage of a big Hollywood picture. There are lights and cameras, wires and time markers placed around the loading zone. At my best guess the ride vehicle holds about 150 to 200 pe
After the last scene in the ride but before you exit; a montage of classic movies plays to show filmmaking over the last almost 100 years. From black and white silent movies with Buster Keaton, to Gone with the Wind, Street Car Named Desire, Good Morning Vietnam, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid all the way to Star Wars. Film has certainly progressed and The Great Movie Ride is a reminder of that. In my opinion it is time for a rehab of some of the scenes in The Great Movie Ride, but until it goes down I will continue to ride it as a loyal fan.
The Great Movie ride is such a classic Disney attraction now and you did a fantastic job writing all about it!
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