[PrincessPooh]

From WDW Magic:
I know this has been gone over but i thought this was a very good article on it

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."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busin...tory?track=rss

[Prezcatz]

I'm sorry to hear that. I always wanted to play Millionaire, but didn't get the chance last trip. I wonder what the theme for the new ride will be? Monsters Inc?

Prezcatz Paul

[Goofy E]

I think it's going to be Monsters Inc. since DL just opened that ride.

[OffKilterFan]

Whew! Good thing our trip is before it closes! I MUST get in the hot seat!

[cinderbella]

The Dave is NOT going to be happy about this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


As a matter of fact, Bellas not to happy either!

[Amelia's Man]

Hopefully it'll be a Monsters Inc. themed ride! Or even..........dare I say it.............Cars! THAT would be cool!

[PrincessPooh]

Originally Posted by Amelia's Man

Hopefully it'll be a Monsters Inc. themed ride! Or even..........dare I say it.............Cars! THAT would be cool!

That would be SO AWESOME!

But if you here the previouse grumbles and rumors, they are talking of another Toy Story ride. Here is the link to the other thread I posted with info:
http://www.mousebuzz.com/forum/wdw-t...e-closing.html

[skwak]

We liked this ride so I am sorry to see it go. I am keen to see what will actually open in its spot!!

[cinderbella]

I still can't believe this is happening..why did no one at Disney consult me??!??!

I broke the news to The Dave the other day...he was heart broken..

[tragic312]

we never got to play Millionaire. for some reason, we just never got a chance to play every time we were there.

[millermouse]

On our last trip my DH got to play Milllonaire and got 3rd place for the hot seat....we were spending two days in each park and I walked around the park with the baby while he played (we were spending 2 days in each park). I was too tierd to go that day and planned to go the second day of the trip. On the second day of the trip the game was closed....I don't know why, but I never got to play....I said I would next trip. Boy was I wrong! I am so sad it is closing!!!!

[alandjen]

We've always tried to do this attraction on our MGM days.

The Star Wars geek in me wanted to protest some of the "right" answers they accepted during the Star Wars Weekends, but that's another story, preferably to be told on a therapist's couch!

Ultimately, I think MGM has a lot of time consuming attractions (time consuming in not just the time it takes to get in, but the time spent in the attraction). For us, MGM used to be a halfday park, now it could easily be a two-day affair depending on whether you catch the right show times. So, I think all in all, I'll welcome an attraction that's entertaining, but that won't throw off the rest of the schedule for the day.

[dznygrl]

I liked Millionaire. I already miss it over here! I never got a chance to get in the hotseat either, because although I scored high enough multiple times, I was a cast member...and cast members can't play. Now that I'm not a CM, of course they're taking it away!

Oh well. I'm sure the Midway Madness or whatever it is will be pretty cool!

[woohoo]

We did this game the last time we were there and I thought that it was rather slow and a big time killer. Could have been the day we were there though. Also the kids were bored really fast as the questions were over their heads. I would love to see something different when we go next time!

[cheeseyjello01]

this is unfortunete so does anyone know what is going into its place