Ranking All the Movies Featured in the Great Movie Ride

The Great Movie Ride closed on August 13, 2017, but it remains a favorite of many Disney fans. The opening day attraction at the Disney/MGM Studios in 1989 fit perfectly with the park’s mission statement to celebrate movies. Located in a recreation of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the slow-moving ride included scores of Audio-Animatronics depicting classic films. An on-ride host described each show scene and ultimately participated in the action. The 22-minute attraction remains one of Disney’s most ambitious and complex attractions, especially for the time period.

In this article, I’m describing all the movies featured with scenes inside the Great Movie Ride. These 12 films receive specific references with animatronics and memorable moments. Instead of just summarizing each one, I’m ranking the selections from 1-12. This doesn’t include all the movies that appear in the finale montage. I still have a lot more of those to watch, and that would also be a massive list! Narrowing the scope to 12 makes it manageable.

I should give a few caveats before diving into the list. First, the Great Movie Ride includes scenes that reflect genres in general like horror, gangster, or westerns. I’m sticking with the movies that are shown directly. Most importantly, ranking these films is an impossible task. When you’re talking about some of the greatest movies of all time, it feels ridiculous to choose. In particular, I could make an argument for any of the top seven, if not even further down. It’s just a fun way to spotlight amazing movies. If you’re on Letterboxd and would like to track which ones you’ve seen, I’ve compiled the 12 films in this list. We should also connect on there too if you use Letterboxd. Let’s get to my rankings!

12. Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)

If Disney had chosen to update the Great Movie Ride instead of replacing it, the obvious choice was the Tarzan scene. While you could relate this moment to multiple films with the Johnny Weissmuller character, I watched the first entry. Tarzan the Ape Man introduces the iconic character, which the former Olympic swimmer would play in 12 films. Sadly, there’s a large gap for me between this choice and the other 11 options in this list.

This story involves Jane Parker (Maureen O’Sullivan) joining her father James on a trip to Africa to search for ivory. Tarzan captures Jane and they fall in love after some frightening moments for her. There are exciting scenes, including a face-to-face battle between Tarzan and a lion. However, it also has painful depictions of African characters as simple and violent. Actors also wear blackface to portray the captors in the final act. Because this is a pre-Code film, it’s rougher around the edges than you might expect.

11. The Public Enemy (1931)

It feels too simple to just rank one gangster film here; the shootout scene depicts the overall genre more than a specific movie. The ridiculous accents of the cast members also recall a lot of different pictures. I’m including The Public Enemy for the obvious reason of the James Cagney animatronic. It’s a quick scene but does a great job conveying the type of character that populated gangster films in the 1930s. I prefer the original Scarface from that era, and Cagney is better in his later role in White Heat. Even so, this scene aptly represents the early gangster classics.

Cagney stars as Tom Powers, a small-time criminal who starts to make his name in Chicago during Prohibition. The rise-and-fall story will seem familiar if you’ve seen basically any gangster film, but this is one of the first examples. A notorious moment has Cagney pushing a grapefruit into Mae Clarke’s face, which is shocking and a bit ridiculous. The Public Enemy isn’t required viewing unless you’re a completist, but Cagney definitely throws everything into the role.

10. Footlight Parade (1933)

I recently caught up with this pre-Code musical and knew virtually nothing except that Busby Berkeley created the musical numbers. The Great Movie Ride scene was mostly known for its failed effects, which led to a mostly static moment right at the start of the ride. I did not expect to enjoy Footlight Parade so much, but it really charmed me. Cagney is perfect for this type of frenetic musical with snappy dialogue and clever lines. His rapport with Joan Blondell, who keeps the show moving while pining for him, transcends the chaos.

The story structure doesn’t follow the back-and-forth of typical movie musicals. We spend the first two acts meeting the characters and understanding the situation facing Cagney’s Chester Kent. It mostly drops away for a series of musical numbers in the last act, however. “By the Waterfall” stands out with its complicated swimming routines and “human waterfall”, which is presented on the Great Movie Ride. While the musical parts are cool (beyond the cringe-inducing “Shanghai Lil”), I enjoyed the screwball comedy of the first hour even more. The time flew by, and there were fewer restrictions in the pre-Code era. I’m wondering if Footlight Parade should place a bit higher on this list.

9. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Clint Eastwood’s appearance feels similar to Cagney representing the gangster genre. He stands near the doors to a saloon looking super cool as the “Man With No Name”. The trilogy of Spaghetti Westerns from Sergio Leone in the 1960s created a star in Eastwood. John Wayne gets the prime spot on the left side of the Great Movie Ride all lit up on his horse. Eastwood lurks more in the shadows and is easy to miss once the shooting starts.

I had seen both Yojimbo and even the unfortunate Last Man Standing with Bruce Willis before A Fistful of Dollars, so this story felt extremely familiar. It’s basically a straight-up remake of the Kurosawa samurai film with a stranger pitting two rival families against each other. Because it’s fairly predictable and straightforward, I don’t view this Western as one of the greats. Even so, Eastwood’s character remains iconic and deserves a spot in the Great Movie Ride.

8. Fantasia (1940)

I struggled on where to place Fantasia within these rankings; it really depends on the individual segments. The main reason I placed it this high is the technical achievements, which remain impressive today. It was also a big change for Disney from previous animated features. This is not the type of film I’ll revisit often, but it deserves serious attention.

My favorite segments in Fantasia are “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “Night on Bald Mountain”, and both are well-known today. It’s not a surprise that the former appears in the Great Movie Ride, especially with Mickey involved. Just having a clip from the movie in the attraction is disappointing, but it is a small space. I’ll talk a bit more about that section with my next film, which receives a bigger show scene.

7. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The climax of the Great Movie Ride is definitely The Wizard of Oz scene, which featured the most complicated audio-animatronic created by Disney at the time. The Wicked Witch of the West definitely stood out from the other famous characters shown in the attraction. Our ride vehicles stop for the confrontation, and we have become part of the story. We aren’t just drifting by and checking out favorite scenes from movies we’ve loved in the past.

The Wizard of Oz works as a classic fantasy today and includes a lot of memorable sequences. Even if you haven’t seen the film, you know references like “Follow the Yellow Brick Road”, the ruby slippers, and “there’s no place like home“. I noticed that most stand-out scenes happen in the first hour. The visit to Oz and encounter with the title character don’t stick as much. It’s interesting that initial plans involved a tornado scene instead of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. That replacement happened pretty late in the process due to rights issues. It would have seemed odd to have the tornado (which occurs earlier in the movie) there, but it probably would have flowed better.

6. The Searchers (1956)

We’ve entered territory where I can’t believe I’m ranking films even this low. You could easily make the case that each choice deserves to be at the top of this list. John Ford’s 1956 epic The Searchers is one of the all-time great Westerns. It includes a ferocious performance from John Wayne, who avoids his typical persona as Ethan Edwards. This character’s mail goal is vengeance against the Native Americans that slaughtered family and captured his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood). Unlike his companion Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), Ethan seems more interested in revenge than recovery.

My favorite part of the Great Movie Ride’s queue is seeing the trailers for the movies featured inside the attraction. The preview for The Searchers stands out in my memory, especially the dramatic scene of Ethan encountering a grown-up Debbie as a Comanche. The animatronic John Wayne mostly stands out because of his trademark delivery and lines. It doesn’t connect directly to big moments in the movie but provides a cool shot of the famous actor on a horse. There’s so much to unpack from this Western, which ranks among the most complicated work from Wayne and Ford.

5. Mary Poppins (1964)

We have reached what might be Disney’s greatest live-action film, and it still works today. This classic musical won five Oscars, including Best Original Score and Best Actress for star Julie Andrews. The perfect mix of songs, effects, and heart still charms both kids and adults. Watching Mary Poppins as a dad, I was surprised by how much I connected with the story of Mr. Banks. His sad walk through beautiful London to face his professional doom is one of the best scenes.

The Great Movie Ride depicts the “Chim-Chim-Cheree” scene, which makes sense given its importance in the movie. It’s hard to capture the magic of Mary Poppins in a quick scene, and I’ve always found this moment a bit lacking in the attraction. The music plays and we see the characters, but it can’t convey all the action and energy within the movie. It’s a high point during Walt Disney’s time at Disney, and you can feel his hand throughout the story. As we see in Saving Mr. Banks, Walt was closely involved in making this ambitious production happen.

4. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

We’re continuing the run of my favorite musicals with this 1952 blockbuster production. I was lucky enough to watch Singin’ in the Rain for the first time on the big screen during an AFI showcase about 15 years ago. Amazingly, I knew very little about the movie beyond the scene with Gene Kelly depicted in the Great Movie Ride. While that’s a cool moment, it’s one of many throughout the movie. Upbeat numbers like “Make ‘Em Laugh”, “Good Morning”, and others are right there with it, and it works even for people that don’t like musicals.

Another part of Singin’ in the Rain that succeeds is the comedy about the transition away from silent films. The silliness of actors struggling to shift to sound (and technical issues) works apart from the musical numbers. It helps to have performers like Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor along with Kelly in the mix. The Great Movie Ride scene is quick and early on after Footlight Parade, and that makes sense given the focus on musicals in that spot. Those films were such a big part of Hollywood’s success and deserve a prominent spot inside the attraction.

3. Alien (1979)

On our first trip to the Disney/MGM Studios, I was extremely nervous about one particular scene in the Great Movie Ride. The preview video really focused on Alien, so I expected something a lot more horrifying. Thankfully, the attraction scene didn’t haunt my nightmares. It does a great job creating tension, which fits perfectly with the tone of the movie. Ridley Scott doesn’t rush us into the action. Instead, the film slowly builds the overall sense of dread.

If you haven’t watched Alien in a while, its slow pace in the first hour might surprise you. Scott introduces the Nostromo in a lengthy sequence before we even meet the crew. Tom Skerritt feels like the obvious hero, especially for that time period. The famous dining scene remains shocking even today, even when you know what’s coming. I considered making this movie #1 because it is so influential on the horror genre. We’ve seen many imitators (including a lot of sequels) during the past 42 (!!!) years, and very few come close to the original.

2. Casablanca (1942)

Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. This is one of so many classic lines in Casablanca. Its status as one of the all-time greatest films feels obvious now, but it wasn’t produced as a prestige film. What keeps it so effective is the sharp and biting dialogue, which fits within the story but transcends the material. Humphrey Bogart portrays Rick as a tragic, yet idealistic figure who’s world-weary but wants to do the right thing.

The Great Movie Ride scene includes Casablanca‘s climactic moment with Rick and Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa. It’s quick but captures the essence with a cool set of the plane in the background. All we really need is “here’s looking at you, kid” and the famous characters to make it work. It’s one of my favorites, yet even that wasn’t enough to reach the top spot. That prize goes to a film that combines everything I love about movies into one amazing package.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

There were few doubts that my top choice would be Steven Spielberg’s most entertaining movie (which is saying a lot). All the pieces come together to craft a fast-paced adventure that recalls classic serials but with a modern perspective. Harrison Ford displays the charm that made him a star as Han Solo but with rougher edges as Indiana Jones. From the opening moments with Jones avoiding deadly traps to grab a precious idol, Raiders of the Lost Ark just works.

The truck chase is one of the all-time great action scenes, and you could argue other moments are even better! Indy battles Nazis, dodges a giant boulder, faces down a chamber full of snakes, and avoids danger at every corner. There is no way a scene in the Great Movie Ride can match that level of excitement, but the quick moment is a little disappointing. We encounter Indy and Sallah as they discover the Ark of the Covenant. The best part of this segment is hearing the amazing John Williams score as we venture into the unknown of this attraction.

Related Articles: Great Movie Ride

The Tomorrow Society Podcast, Episode 135: Skipper Ben Rebstock on the Original Disney/MGM Studios

A Visit to the Disney/MGM Studios in 1989 (Photo Essay)

The Tomorrow Society Podcast, Episode 83: Sound Designer Greg Meader on the Disney/MGM Studios, On-Board Audio, and the Carousel of Progress

Check out my list of the 12 ranked films on Letterboxd or the full Great Movie Ride collection (including the montage) and see which choices you’ve seen. You can also follow me on Letterboxd.

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