Disneys Hollywood Studios about to change forever

[lockedoutlogic]

The biggest rumor out there is a new waterpark for universal I don't see a third gate for them anytime soon, they just don't have space. Also I agree disney isn't going to close the park but a lot of it is already closed.

They have all the "backstage" area on the site behind toy story that literally hasn't been touched in years and is useless. It's not "logistical" support like most park areas outside the guest paths...

They could Use a large semi
Circular tract around the entirety of the park with the closing of backlot and the car show.

But...logistics of the entries and the parking lots is the big Problem...they will have to do major excavation down towards victory way and Osceola to really build a large park now.

And...in a failure decided with probably 25 words in a boardroom in 1985...the failure to expand the monorail into a property wide
System hamstrings efforts that we discuss now.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

There is no way they would close a park...people will pay just to see a partially open park

And that's why they don't feel the need to invest
More...

Cause we're like bugs drawn to the ligjt

 

[SydneyFalco]

They don't need to close the park -- they can easily close down everything to the left of the hat and Toy Story and still hold decent crowds.

They SHOULD do a massive renovation to that left hand side of the park. Even as a seventeen year old when the Studioes were launched I was baffled by their decision to make a poor man's recreation of a Hollywood back lot in Orlando of all places.

But they wont take away the streets cause of people complaining about the loss of the christmas lights and they wont do anything of true size because ... they just wont. They'll expand TSMM and put in the racers from Carsland, and add a whole bunch of shops and a restaurant. New Fantasyland part 2. Not bad, but not exciting.

 

[Thom72]

After reading these posts, I'm so excited about the changes. Now me being a Disney fanatic, and knowing the parks inside and out. I'm just not too up on the posts with the future expansions and rumors so I'm sorry in advance if this topic has already been addressed. DHS is a lot smaller then you think so the changes being made should be done at separate times. Disney made it clear the back lot is closing on Sep 27th, but I hear nothing with Lights, Motor and Action. This is a awesome 1 time only attraction. After the last show for the day, the area becomes a ghost town. Only people I see are looking for the smoking area off to the corner of residential St. I Google earthed DHS and the area Lights, Motors and Action, Catastrophe Canyon and Back Lots take up pretty much a third of guest space in DHS. Like I said I enjoyed Lights, Motors and action, but I have no desire to see it twice. I ride toy story mania at least 3 times a vacation and Tower of Terror the same. That's why those areas are always packed and are open till the park closes. But I'm liking the news of the changes. Just wish it isn't going to be all crammed in a space already heavily occupied. Spread the crowds out Disney!

 

[Michael623]

If Pixar Place is going to expand how about the Ratatouille ride they just got in Paris? The R&D work is done. It's about time one of the US parks finally gets a trackless dark ride.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

If Pixar Place is going to expand how about the Ratatouille ride they just got in Paris? The R&D work is done. It's about time one of the US parks finally gets a trackless dark ride.

You know what's funny...

They're winning.

Ever since IOA opened...wdw fans have waited for Disney to "raise the bar" and put in a new, exciting (not necessarily thrilling) attraction or - new park - that would make it look like the boss in town again. (As far as technology...not attendance)...

We never wanted clones...that didnt make
Sense for the "flagship property"

And here we are now...regularly asking/welcoming clones.

The "better than nothing" approach is in for fans now, too.

Again, high prices are charged
For that return.

 

[rteetz]

They have all the "backstage" area on the site behind toy story that literally hasn't been touched in years and is useless. It's not "logistical" support like most park areas outside the guest paths... They could Use a large semi Circular tract around the entirety of the park with the closing of backlot and the car show. But...logistics of the entries and the parking lots is the big Problem...they will have to do major excavation down towards victory way and Osceola to really build a large park now. And...in a failure decided with probably 25 words in a boardroom in 1985...the failure to expand the monorail into a property wide System hamstrings efforts that we discuss now.

I agree rumors have been floating around that there is a plan in place to redo this entire park even change where the entrance is. This park has a lot of expansion space but of course today's disney isn't going to use this to its full capacity. The monorail is an entire separate issue that I don't even want to discuss because Disney again could do a lot there but chooses not to.

 

[rteetz]

You know what's funny... They're winning. Ever since IOA opened...wdw fans have waited for Disney to "raise the bar" and put in a new, exciting (not necessarily thrilling) attraction or - new park - that would make it look like the boss in town again. (As far as technology...not attendance)... We never wanted clones...that didnt make Sense for the "flagship property" And here we are now...regularly asking/welcoming clones. The "better than nothing" approach is in for fans now, too. Again, high prices are charged For that return.

Toy story, ratatouille, cars all have been done why aren't we asking for new. Exactly like you said it's better than nothing is how most people see it.

 

[Kimosabe]

They don't need to close the park -- they can easily close down everything to the left of the hat and Toy Story and still hold decent crowds...

Fully agree with this. In my own mind, they could/should move Muppets to the AI theater for the long-term (rather than the presumably short-term Frozen sing-along)...and maybe yank LMA (forever) and Mama Melrose and Pizza Planet (temporarily...to re-open later in different area of the park, post-massive-construction). This would give them a ton of space over to the "left" to basically put up a construction wall and do whatever they're going to do with Star Wars and/or Pixar without really taking away the enjoying of the rest of the park (my apologies to the rabid LMA fans). When they are ready to take down the wall, then Star Wars and Pixar will be taking people to the back of the park rather than clogging that front Echo Lake area. I have heard a few rumors that Echo Lake will be part of Star Wars, but it just doesn't seem like standard theme park strategy to have a new, likely-crazy-popular area to be right at the front of a park.

Frankly, they could also put a wall around Backlot Express without really interfering with foot traffic and turn that into something Star Wars related (Ackbar?). OK - I realize I just shut down three restaurants temporarily. Where will people eat? Bring in food trucks and line them up and down Streets of America. Not perfect, but very popular these days and very portable/movable and easy to shift to other areas of the park as needed. Why move PP and MM? If an expanded Pixar presence is going to be built as an extension of the area around TSMM, then it would seem like Pizza Planet could/should be moved that direction anyway. I can also see in my own armchair Imagineering role that Mama Melrose could be re-done as something connected to Ratatouille (keep the Italian theme, but add a few French dishes to make the connection)...and again, move it over to the Pixar side and then use the existing MM space for Mos Eisley).

With the 50th anniversary of WDW coming in 2021, it doesn't surprise me that a lot of construction is being done and/or announced and/or rumored. That sounds like a long time, but really just seven years...not long in theme park (WDW) time, especially with all that is confirmed or seriously rumored to be done by then.

 

[Joben]

With all the changes happening I am seriously considering just cancelling our trip. It will be our first and so far I'm hearing nothing but everything will be closed for upgrades or changes for when we go. To me I'm wondering if it's worth it since this is the park that has something that appeals to all my boys.

wow my response to you came out sounding pretty bad, I sent you a private message with an apology and a clarification but wanted to make sure you saw this. Sorry about that, I hope my private apology is worded better.

 

[ilovethisplace]

Toy story, ratatouille, cars all have been done why aren't we asking for new. Exactly like you said it's better than nothing is how most people see it.

Wasn't Magic Kingdom a "clone" of Disneyland?

 

[Spacedog1975]

Toy story, ratatouille, cars all have been done why aren't we asking for new. Exactly like you said it's better than nothing is how most people see it.

While I agree with this as much as not wanting Carsland/RSR, Ratatouille and other Eurasian attractions just aren't that accessible to me. If I have the chance to visit Paris/Shanghai/Tokyo, should my first stop be a Disney park?

I for one would welcome a clone of cool overseas attractions. I don't need something to be exclusive or new to be excited about it.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Wasn't Magic Kingdom a "clone" of Disneyland?

True...

But EPCOT, studios, and animal
Kingdom were nothing of the sort...

Nor was Disney best park built since EPCOT...Tokyo Disney sea

 

[tjkraz]

Toy story, ratatouille, cars all have been done why aren't we asking for new. Exactly like you said it's better than nothing is how most people see it.

I'm generally opposed to cloning attractions between Disneyland and WDW. Would rather not see Cars Land added to any of the Florida parks.

But cloning attractions from the international parks is a little more palatable. I doubt there are many guests who frequent the likes of Paris or Tokyo AND either WDW or DL.

 

[rteetz]

Wasn't Magic Kingdom a "clone" of Disneyland?

Yes but, it's much much bigger, and has differences, both have HMs but are different, both have pirates but both are different etc.

 

[rteetz]

I'm generally opposed to cloning attractions between Disneyland and WDW. Would rather not see Cars Land added to any of the Florida parks. But cloning attractions from the international parks is a little more palatable. I doubt there are many guests who frequent the likes of Paris or Tokyo AND either WDW or DL.

I agree for the most part. LMA came from Paris and I would've it rather just stayed in Paris. I also agree that Disneyland and WDW should stay different and not close each other because they are within the same country.

 

[ahoyle]

First of all, Disney doesnt need the Cars Racer from California, we already have Test Track. Second, if they did do that, shouldnt they theme it to pod racing and Star Wars? Either way, I don't need a variation of Test Track since we already have that WDW.

I'm worried about what this will do to crowds. I hate to see them close two attractions (AI and Backstage) without a quick replacement lined up. If assume very few people come to the parks for those attractions, and its just 2 less things to do, thats going to equal more people in line for TSM, TT, RnR, etc...

 

[clsteve]

Toy story, ratatouille, cars all have been done why aren't we asking for new. Exactly like you said it's better than nothing is how most people see it.

And they can still get significant economies of scale without doing a carbon copy of the rides between Parks.

Especially for Ratatoulie - the new tech, any new tech would be met with parades and streamers in Orlando - who says it has to be the rat running through the restaurant?

(it's a fave of my youngest who couldn't pronounce the title so that's what he called it when he wanted to re-watch it...)


Dozens of other titles would work on that same platform in DHS - that huge space means minimal if any scaling necessary ---- just the new theme-ing and sync-ing.

Not trivial in and of itself, but my gracious, a win-win on both sides

It would be nice to see DHS enter the 21st Century before 2020 to 2025......

 

[Reddog1134]

First of all, Disney doesnt need the Cars Racer from California, we already have Test Track. Second, if they did do that, shouldnt they theme it to pod racing and Star Wars? Either way, I don't need a variation of Test Track since we already have that WDW.

I'm worried about what this will do to crowds. I hate to see them close two attractions (AI and Backstage) without a quick replacement lined up. If assume very few people come to the parks for those attractions, and its just 2 less things to do, thats going to equal more people in line for TSM, TT, RnR, etc...

I've seen this same argument with the Indiana Jones ride and Dinosaur and I have to disagree.

To me, that would be like saying "We don't need Pirates of the Caribbean" because we have Small World and they are both boat rides". Or "We don't need Haunted Mansion because we already have other Omnimover rides".

 

[ahoyle]

I've never rode the Cars ride...but my wife said they were pretty similar. And they look similar to me. The rides you mention are all quality rides because of the quality story and theming. There is no thrill of the boat ride itself in pirates, etc...its all about the story. In test track, at least for me, it is 95% about the thrill of the ride. Thrill rides are different than dark rides in that regard. And while I don't doubt that the Cars one is better and would be much better than test track, it would eliminate any desire to ride test track in my house hold...which leaves Epcot with an old Soarin...

Of course...If Avatar is under construction and still 3 years away...I can't imagine the timeline on this stuff at HS.