Ted Turner, who was the founder of several broadcast companies, has died at age 87. Several movies he owned the rights to, including Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Casablanca were part of “The Great Movie Ride” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Ted Turner

Turner died peacefully in his home surrounded by family on Wednesday, May 6. He was 87 years old. He was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder, in 2018.

He also founded CNN, was a philanthropist who founded the United Nations Foundation, sough to eliminate nuclear weapons worldwide, and a conservationist.

The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios featured several films from the pre-1986 MGM library, which Ted Turner acquired in 1986. These include The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, Casablanca, The Public Enemy, and The Maltese Falcon. He sold the studio back but kept the library to fuel his networks.

Programming like “World Championship Wrestling”, “Thunder in Paradise,” and more were filmed across Walt Disney World property.

Turner Classic Movies, began a partnership with Disney in May 2015. With little-to-no-warning, the new version of “The Great Movie Ride – Presented by TCM” debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It marked some of the biggest changes to the attraction in 26 years, with new TCM branding integrated into the attraction’s marquee and facade, as well as new digital movie posters, a special handprint photo op, and a new pre-show and Finale Montage video hosted by the late, great TCM host, Robert Osborne.

Read our full review and watch the video below:

Turner also owned the Atlanta Braves when the team moved their Spring Training to Wide World of Sports.

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