Building Design

[Photo: The covered exterior queue area of The Great Movie Ride.]

The building that houses The Great Movie Ride is an almost-exact replica of Gruman's Chinese Theater. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is the most sought-after theatre in Hollywood for studio premieres. Fans flock to these events to see the celebrities arrive and walk up the red carpet into the theatre. Rich in movie tradition, with its cement hand prints and footprints in the forecourt, the Chinese Theatre immortalizes the brightest stars. More than four-million visitors from all over the world visit Grauman’s every year. From 1972-2002, the theater was renamed Mann's Chinese Theater because of changes in ownership. When a cooperative between Warner Bros. And Paramount Pictures bought the property, the original name of the theater was restored. The Chinese Theater in Disney-MGM Studios is simply called the Chinese Theatre because Disney did not secure the rights to either brand.

[Photo: View of the large dragon mural on the front of the Chinese Theatre.]

The original theater was created to resemble a classic Chinese pagoda or tiered tower. Traditionally a pagoda is a temple which features many mythical symbols that carry various meanings. Anyone that has visited the China area in Epcot's World Showcase will see the tall pagoda dominating the skyline. The Chinese theater is lavishly decorated to great detail. Above the front door is a large mural of a snake-like dragon. The dragon, both a symbol of the Chinese culture and imperial authority makes a strong statement.

Outside of the door lies two large imperial guard lion statues, sometimes called Fu Dogs, that prevent evil from entering according to Taoist principles. When facing the theater, the lion on the left is the yin (female) and the lion on the right is the yang (male). Together the lions represent a balanced force. The male lion has his right paw on a globe, representing an awareness earth's pulsing energies. The female has a lion cub under her left paw, highlighting her need to protect. Symbolically, the male guards the building, while the female protects those inside.

Standing outside the forecourt is the wall that features the neon-lit sign for The Great Movie Ride. On this wall is a poster holder that shows a generic movie poster for the ride itself. The Disney-MGM Studios version of the theatre features a series of small awnings in the forecourt that hold a queue line. Above the first awning is the attraction's name.

Check out the handprints in the forecourt >>