WWTBAM-Closing

[dvcconvert]

From people close to the source:

Who Wants to be a Millionaire, has been scheduled for closing August 19th 2006.

Edited to add: That this is not yet officially offical and therefore the exact timing is subject to alteration.

[Rozzie]

Oh NO!!!! :thumbsway


We love it, even though we don't do it every trip, we do it every year. I guess I can never depend on things being around forever.....

[carolina_yankee]

I moved the thread to news and rumors. Thanks for the heads up!

I think they're planning to replace Millionaire with the still unannounced "Midway Mania" attraction. It's supposed to be a next generation technology based on Buzz Lightyear, but with a lot more projection technology and even 3-D.

I like Millionaire, but it's a big time kill. Of course, I say that having gotten in the hot seat my first time, and then never again!!!

Dirk

[gopherit]

Well, as long as they don't bump the date before the 17th, we will be ok! We LOVE that thing...

I guess we knew it had to end soon, though... the question is, what will they put in its stead?

Dancing with the Characters, wherein audience members are put with various Disney characters and the WWTBAM keypads are used to vote for your favorites?

The SuperNanny, wherein audience members get to tell obnoxious tourons what they are doing wrong with their kids on vacation?

LOST - The Game! 5 audience members are plopped in various WDW underground tunnels and try to figure their way out, while the rest of the audience watches on monitors... Depending on how close you get to the destination point, you win a hat, a pin, a coffee mug, or, if you're reallllllly good, you "get lost" at Castaway Cay for a week.


Hmmmmm..... all sorts of ABC options, eh? :scratchch

[carolina_yankee]

Personally, I think it ought to be a cross between Desperate Housewives and Big Brother. You could put Minnie, Daisy, Kanga, and - wait, are all the other characters single or living in non-traditional household? (Where did Max come from? I've never seen a Mrs. Goofy!)

Dirk

[gopherit]

How about The Bachelor - and we will all VOTE on a "Mrs. Goofy" to solve the problem!!

[Ginger]

Oh NO!!!! :thumbsway

We love it, even though we don't do it every trip, we do it every year. I guess I can never depend on things being around forever.....

My thoughts exactly. :( :( :thumbsway

[withdisneyspirit]

I'd better get ready for an ultra whiney husband :( He will be very sad! At least he can enjoy it in July...

[Rash]

Although we really enjoyed it, it does seem a bit dated. Lets' hope they don't replace it with Deal Or No Deal, with an annoying Howie Mandel type host.:holymoly:

[athenna]

Bummer, I have always enjoyed this. Even thought I never came close to the hot seat:laughing:
Scott was really looking forward to this, oh drats.:thumbsway

[Blue&Gold]

Although we really enjoyed it, it does seem a bit dated. Lets' hope they don't relace it with Deal Or No Deal, with an annoying Howie Mandel type host.:holymoly:

Wrong network...

[doombuggy]

You can catch the Deal No Deal show over at Universal. :laughing:

It is my understanding that while the official announcement has not been made, this closing is a go.

[CRSNDSNY]

Why the heck would they keep Sounds Dangerous, but nix WWTBAM??!!

[Rozzie]

Why the heck would they keep Sounds Dangerous, but nix WWTBAM??!!


my thoughts exactly! :confused:

[carolina_yankee]

That's a good point. The only thing I could think of is cost of running the show. With WWTBAM-PI, you need talen and several of the hosts (or all?) come from local media, so they must cost money. Not to mention the full crew. I imagine it's also getting harder to fill the audience, and there's nothing more depredssing than a "live" show with a half empty theater. I bet summer and peak seasons are the only times they're full now.

Dirk

[jnrrt]

Well, that's too bad. I've never done it since I thought my kids would be uninterested, and I thought we'd wait until this year. Too bad we're going in September. Bummer, man. That's twice! Apparently I can't keep putting off stuff...

[withdisneyspirit]

Why the heck would they keep Sounds Dangerous, but nix WWTBAM??!!

I certainly agree too, although the points Dirk made are valid...

[Leftcoaster]

Personally, I think it ought to be a cross between Desperate Housewives and Big Brother. You could put Minnie, Daisy, Kanga, and - wait, are all the other characters single or living in non-traditional household? (Where did Max come from? I've never seen a Mrs. Goofy!)

Dirk


Well, I know for a fact that Minnie is having an affair with Goofy. ;)

[withdisneyspirit]

Well, it sure is nice to see you, SoF!! :D

[bavaria]

Dancing with the Characters, wherein audience members are put with various Disney characters and the WWTBAM keypads are used to vote for your favorites?

The SuperNanny, wherein audience members get to tell obnoxious tourons what they are doing wrong with their kids on vacation?

LOST - The Game! 5 audience members are plopped in various WDW underground tunnels and try to figure their way out, while the rest of the audience watches on monitors... Depending on how close you get to the destination point, you win a hat, a pin, a coffee mug, or, if you're reallllllly good, you "get lost" at Castaway Cay for a week.




:ROTFL: :ROTFL: :ROTFL:

OK, confession time - I've only been there once, and I figured that since I am a geek who lives in a paper bag and knows nothing about popular culture, I wouldn't get into the hot seat, so no fear.

Of course, the question was something historical and yes, you guessed it, I got picked for the hot seat! I was too mortified and just declined, making everyone think that I was a CM and ineligible.... :bugeyed:

[dvcconvert]

It's now officially official


Millionaire attraction to close at Disney-MGM


Orlando Sentinel - Walt Disney World is closing the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire -- Play It! game at Disney-MGM Studios in August and reportedly will replace it with a new indoor ride.

The interactive game, modeled after the once immensely popular TV show, will play for the last time on Aug. 19.

Officially, Disney confirmed Tuesday only that Millionaire is closing Aug. 19, based on the company's regular course of re-evaluation.

"Preparation will begin for a new guest experience in that sound stage later this year," said Walt Disney World spokesman Jacob DiPietre. He could not comment further about the new attraction.

Some Disney-MGM employees were advised of a new ride this year.

One, Bob Frazier, a veteran Disney employee who is a trainer, coordinator and attraction host at Disney-MGM, said the planned new ride was described to him as a top attraction, and as a cross between Universal Studios' Men in Black and Disneyland's Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

Both of those rides take people in cars through a maze of indoor scenes with robotic characters and other special effects. On Men in Black, riders shoot ray guns at aliens and tally scores. On Roger Rabbit, riders have some control over driving their cars.

The Disney Millionaire attraction premiered just a little late, April 2001, to take advantage of the peak popularity of the TV game show.

The show premiered in 1998 in the United Kingdom, then opened on Disney-owned ABC-TV in 1999 with Regis Philbin as host. It quickly became a huge hit on American TV, but by the spring of 2001 the TV show was dropping rapidly in the TV ratings. The show is now in syndication with Meredith Vieira hosting.

Disney-MGM's version is similar to the TV show, though participants compete for points instead of cash. The top scorer gets a prize, such as a vacation on the Disney Cruise Line. The studio seats 650 people, who all get to play. On Tuesday, it ran nine times.

Some industry observers said Tuesday the Disney-MGM game has probably run out of steam, just like the TV show.

"I think Millionaire's tired," said Jerry Aldrich of Amusement Industry Consulting in Orlando.

Steve Baker of Baker Leisure Group, an Orlando-based theme-park consulting firm, noted that most of the attractions along Disney-MGM's backlot area are fairly passive and said, "An icon attraction would be a good idea."

Still, Millionaire has its loyal fans, such as Lenard Summers of Brooklyn, N.Y., who were disappointed by the news. Summers, his wife, Paula, and three of their four children played the game for the first time Tuesday, after learning it from TV. He called the Disney-MGM version great because it's fun and educational, noting that one of his daughters posted the family's highest score.

"It's entertaining, and it makes the kids more studious," Summers said. "It's one of the few games you can play with the whole family."

Beth Olcott of Baltimore, who has played several times, also was saddened by the news. "That's a shame," she said. "That was a lot of fun."

[carolina_yankee]

I'm happy to see the Studios get a new attraction, but I know a lot of people will be disappointed at Millionaire's closing. The broadcast version is tired, but it's still a fun show to play and it gave so many people the opportunitiy to see how a game show works.

WDW Today podcast said there's a petitition move afoot to save it by transfering it to another soundstage. I'm sure it won't happen, but it speaks to the fan base.

Dirk