Changes

| sponsor= Turner Classic Movies <br>(2015-Present)<br> Coca-Cola (1989-??1998)

The attraction that would one day be known as The Great Movie Ride actually began as an idea for [[EPCOT Center]] <ref name= "Studios"> http://www.studioscentral.com/history-great-movie-ride </ref>. In the early 1980’s a team of Imagineers, led by Randy Bright and WDI president Marty Skylar Sklar were tasked with creating two new pavilions for Future World <ref name= "Studios"/>. The team came up with two ideas, the [[Wonders of Life]] pavilion and the Great Moments at the Movies pavilion<ref name= "Studios"/>. While the Wonders of Life was green lit for inclusion in EPCOT Center, the Great Moments and the Movies attraction was set aside by Disney CEO Michael Eisner<ref name= "Studios"/>.

During the development of As the attraction there were a few changes continued to the ride's plot. Originallyevolve, the room that eventually became the Fantasia scene was going to house the Tornado scene from the Wizard of Oz <ref name= "Korkis"> http://allears.net/ae/issue802.htm </ref>. Likewise, the final scene in the attraction was also going to be an extension of the Wizard of Oz scene <ref name= "central"> https://web.archive.org/web/20080623221337/http://www.greatmovieride.com/originalconcept.html </ref>. In this scene, guests would have come face to face with the Wizard, who would say his famous line “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain”<ref name= "central"/>. Following this, the curtain would open showing that the bandit (or gangster) who had hijacked the ride earlier was still alive<ref name= "central"/>. Finally, guests would approach a large platform where models of all of the Audio Animatronic characters seen earlier in the ride would reappear and take a bow<ref name= "central"/>. Eventually however, Imagineers learned that they did not have the rights to use more of the Wizard of Oz then had already been used <ref name= "central"/>. MGM had originally agreed to let Disney use audio from the film's munchkin scene, the Wicked Witch of the West's dialog, and a small amount of Dorothea's dialog when she finds the Emerald City <ref name= "central"/>. With MGM unwilling to give up more rights for free, and Disney unwilling to pay, the ideas were eventually scrapped. Instead, a suspiciously windy Fantasia scene replaced the Wizard of Oz's tornado, and the montage of films replaced the Wizard finale<ref name= "central"/>.

Construction on the The Great Movie Ride began in 1986 <ref name= "Studios"/>. When creating the replica of the Chinese Theater that would house the attraction, Imagineers used the original blueprints of the 1927 Meyer and Holler building for reference <ref name= "Korkis"/>. Furthermore, when building the theater Imagineers chose to create the building to scale and not use forced perspective <ref name= "Korkis"/>. When the building was being constructed, the 22 ton central roof was built separately and then placed atop the structure <ref name= "Korkis"/>. Finally, the The Great Movie Ride opened with the Disney MGM Studios on May 1, 1989 <Ref> http://www.thisdayindisneyhistory.com/Disney-MGMGrandOpening.html </ref>.

The next major change to the The Great Movie ride came in 1998, when Coca Cola ended its sponsorship of the attraction. Next, in 2001 the theater's spires were removed <ref name= "Martin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?cat=3</ref>. This was done at the time that the large Sorcerer's Hat was constructed in front of the theater <ref name= "Martin"/>. in 2008 when the Wicked Witch of the West Audio Animatronic was replaced with a newer model. On November 25 2014, Disney and Turner Classic Movies announced that TCM would become the new sponsor of The Great Movie Ride <ref> http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/26/business/media/disney-pairs-up-with-turner-to-promote-shows-and-a-ride.html?_r=0 </ref>. As part of the agreement on May 30, 2015 the attraction’s preshow and closing montage were updated <ref> http://attractionsmagazine.com/great-movie-ride-receives-upgrades-part-sponsorship-tcm/ </ref>. Following the update TCM host Robert Osborne introduces the film clips seen in the attraction’s preshow and the closing montage. Furthermore, Osborne was added as the attraction’s narrator <ref> http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/the-daily-disney/os-dewayne-bevil-disney-great-movie-ride-20150604-column.html </ref>. Following these changes, the live cast member is still featured in the interactive parts of the ride; however Robert Osborne is the one who narrates The Great Movie Ride’s scenes <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/the-great-movie-ride/news/29may2015-photos-and-video---new-tcm-updates-debut-at-the-great-movie-ride.htm </ref>.

On November 25July 15, 2017 Disney and Turner Classic Movies announced that TCM would become the new sponsor of The Great Movie Ride <ref> http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/26/business/media/disney-pairs-up-with-turner-would be closing on August 13, 2017 to-promote-shows-and-make way for a-ride.html?_r=0 </ref>. As part of the agreement on May 30, 2015 the attraction’s preshow new Mickey Mouse attraction titled "Mickey and closing montage were updated <ref> http://attractionsmagazine.com/great-movie-ride-receives-upgrades-part-sponsorship-tcm/ </ref>. Following the update TCM host Robert Osborne introduces the film clips seen in the attraction’s preshow and the closing montage. Furthermore, Osborne was added as the attraction’s narrator Minnie’s Runaway Railway" <ref> http://www.orlandosentinelwkyc.com/travelfeatures/attractions/the-daily-disney/os-dewayneworld-bevilclosing-disney-great-movieiconic-ride-20150604for-column.html </ref>. Following these changes, the live cast member is still featured in the interactive parts of the ride; however Robert Osborne is the one who narrates The Great Movie Ride’s scenes <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/thenew-greatmickey-moviemouse-rideattraction/news/29may2015-photos-and-video---new-tcm-updates-debut-at-the-great-movie-ride.htm 457273881 </ref>.

* If guests look closely at the left hieroglyphics in the Indiana Jones scene, they can see Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, R2D2 and C3PO<ref name= "trivia"/>.