Is DCA the 'new and improved' HS?

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Anyone thats been to both Hollywood Studios and DCA make a comparison? We had a really fun day at HS last month (although the Tier crap for FP so-called plus is ridiculous and crowds were unreal) but it's really our favorite park. My BIL in WA state isn't that interested in DisneyLAND but after this last time at WDW and what they have done to my parks, I'm very interested in trying it out west. We have talked about it for a while, and the new FP is the nail in the coffin for me. I won't be back until Avatar opens or they fix it. In the meantime, he really liked our day at HS but isn't that into DLR, and I have gotten the impression that just about everything we like about HS is similar to DCA or maybe even better? Toy Story Mania is a MAJOR draw for us and we had to wait 80 min! We love RnRc (your CA Screamin), we like TestTrak from EP, and the Animation classes, StarTours, and I know ToT is slightly different but you got it! Can anyone who has been to both make a good comparison so we can get him on board too? Is it like DCA is the New and Improved HS? I sure hope so! I mean, WE LOVE HS, but its got its downsides...like on TSMM as the ONLY Pixar ride which translates into 80 min lines, and the tier system for FPs! Ugh!


If we had one single park in the entire Orlando to go to (including Universal, SeaWorld, all the Disney parks etc,) and we only had one day for one park, it would have to be HS. That is our park. I'm hoping DCA can meet or even exceed it? I hear a lot of positives since the last 5-10 yrs or so?

 

[jeaneg]

We visited DW before going to DCA. We loved HS. We then did 3 trips to DL/DCA before heading back to DW and HS, and we were surprised by how much HS paled in comparison to DCA. DCA has all our favorite parts of HS but also has so much more. It's a fabulous park!

 

[CassieF]

I'm a So Cal DLR regular who took a trip out to WDW in Feb. DHS and DCA have many similarities. RSR is similar to TT (RSR has better dark scenes but I loved the fastness of TT) RnR is similar to CS (I much prefer CS), TOT is in both (many prefer WDW due to the random sequence but going up first ruined it for me), TSMM is identical except the queue (WDW is more interactive but typically much long wait) plus DCA has so much more to do in general.

 

[HydroGuy]

Anyone thats been to both Hollywood Studios and DCA make a comparison? We had a really fun day at HS last month (although the Tier crap for FP so-called plus is ridiculous and crowds were unreal) but it's really our favorite park. My BIL in WA state isn't that interested in DisneyLAND but after this last time at WDW and what they have done to my parks, I'm very interested in trying it out west. We have talked about it for a while, and the new FP is the nail in the coffin for me. I won't be back until Avatar opens or they fix it. In the meantime, he really liked our day at HS but isn't that into DLR, and I have gotten the impression that just about everything we like about HS is similar to DCA or maybe even better? Toy Story Mania is a MAJOR draw for us and we had to wait 80 min! We love RnRc (your CA Screamin), we like TestTrak from EP, and the Animation classes, StarTours, and I know ToT is slightly different but you got it! Can anyone who has been to both make a good comparison so we can get him on board too? Is it like DCA is the New and Improved HS? I sure hope so! I mean, WE LOVE HS, but its got its downsides...like on TSMM as the ONLY Pixar ride which translates into 80 min lines, and the tier system for FPs! Ugh!


If we had one single park in the entire Orlando to go to (including Universal, SeaWorld, all the Disney parks etc,) and we only had one day for one park, it would have to be HS. That is our park. I'm hoping DCA can meet or even exceed it? I hear a lot of positives since the last 5-10 yrs or so?

I know that many WDW regulars look down on DHS but frankly I think it is a ton of fun. Of all the Disney parks, DCA has the most similar to feel to DHS.

Things I love about DHS? RnR is my favorite ride at all of WDW aside from EE. I have a soft spot for the Great Movie Ride. I think the LMA stunt show is extremely well done. I love the SciFi Dine-In for being so immersive. And I always take time to listen to Mulch, Sweat and Shears and the Streetmosphere characters. Frankly I like DHS better than Epcot which I think is sacrilege to WDW fans.

DCA has a Hollywood area that is not as good as the feeling at DHS. But the Aladdin show at DCA rocks. As does World of Color. The street characters at DCA are not as enjoyable as DHS but DCA is trying harder in this area. CA Screamin is a lot of fun but the theming is very weak as far as Disney coasters go. Not nearly in RnR's league. But still a fun ride.

Soarin Over CA is awesome and the setting in Condor Flats feels so much better than does Soarin at Epcot. And CarsLand is like nothing else Disney has done.

If you like DHS you will like DCA. Do not expect it to be the same but do not be surprised if it gives you a similar feeling.

 

[figment_jii]

If you like DHS you will like DCA. Do not expect it to be the same but do not be surprised if it gives you a similar feeling.

I agree! While DCA and DHS have some similarities, they are not the same park, so please do not go expecting one to be like the other. As long as you remember that DCA is not trying to be DHS (and DHS is not trying to be DCA), I think you'll have a good time.

 

[seacruise]

HS is my favorite park at WDW as well, but I like DCA even more! About the only thing I miss is RnRc, but California Screamin' more than makes up for it. ToT has a bit longer sequence before the drop tower at HS, but not enough to make it that much better than the one at DCA.

 

[jemmi]

I'm not a huge fan of DHS, I love Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania and RnRc but I feel like there isn't much to do there for all day.

We just went to Disneyland for the first time in April and I fell in love with DCA, we ended up over there every day.

I agree that it had a very similar feel to HS but it also had it's own special differences. Carsland is AMAZING We hung out there every day and saw something different. Radiator Racers is the best themed ride I've been on at any disney park. It blew me away!

The shows at DCA were so good especially Aladdin which we ended up seeing twice. The parade was adorable and the counter service food was excellent.

Thanks to the crazy lines in HS my husband had never rode Toy Story Mania, we made up for it at DCA and rode it 8 times! One morning we rode it 5 times in a row.

I think you should definitely go and give it a try, I think you guys will love it. Plus Disneyland is filled with so much history, it's the perfect park for a disney lover.

 

[GatorChris]

I've been to WDW 7 times since 2002 and just went to DLR last November, so I qualify as your expert. We really liked MGM as it was called when we first went there. We loved it! We loved the big Mickey Hat when you walked in, the feel of old Hollywood as you walked down the BLVD, and the music that set the tone. When we went back for our 2nd trip in 2004, it was THE park we had to hit first. I'll say that it's slipped a little since then, but we still love to go there. And I don't blame you for skipping WDW because of all that FP+ junk. I love that place and go there at least once every two years. But we're not returning until this Plus stuff gets fixed, adjusted, whatever. Just not worth the $2K to fly my family out there when DL is just a 6 hour drive away.

As for convincing someone that DCA is as good as DHS, that's easy. Cars Land. Period. But here's some more.

DCA doesn't have RnRc, but Screamin' does a great job of replacing it. The music isn't as good (Aerosmith) but it's still a fun ride.

DCA has Tower, but I'll say that the one at DHS is better. It's random whereas the Anaheim version is fixed. It's still fun, but Orlando is a bit better.

DCA has World of Color which is like Fantasmic! without the metal benches. It has Playhouse Disney, but it's housed in a totally cool building called the Animation Building which houses Turtle Talk w/Crush, Animation Drawing training, Beast's Library, and some other really great stuff.

Bug's Land is also pretty cool for little ones, but I honestly love it. Bug's Life is my favorite Pixar film and this area brings it to life. Even Heimlich's ChewChew train, which moves at the speed of a snail, is a cute fun ride. This area totally beats up on that Honey I Shrunk the Movie Set.

ToyStory Mania doesn't have a FastPass at DCA and the queue isn't as good as the WDW version, but it's not THE attraction to hit anymore because of Cars, which translates to shorter wait times.

Soarin', the Original, is at DCA!!! Since Star Tours is over at DL, this takes its place in relation to the WDW park.

There's no Indy show, and I do miss that. But they have an Indy ride at DL so that more than makes up for it. Instead, they have an Aladdin show that's great.

There isn't a Great Movie Ride, but there is the Mickey's Ferris Wheel, Monster's Inc. ride, and whole bunch of Boardwalk Style rides to take it's place. Plus Muppets 3-D is there. The entry is a little different but I think you'll like it like I do.

And then there's Radiator Springs. It's like walking into the movie, it's so real. The rides there are great, and Flo's V-8 diner has some good food to boot.

Is this park DHS? Yes and No. It has so much, including the same entrance, as DHS. But it has much more like rides similar to those at AK and Epcot, plus some unique shows and rides. I'll say this: when I hit DCA in 2006, I didn't like it much at all. We'd hit Tower, Screamin', Soarin', and Bugs Land, and then walk over to DL. This park is now as good as any park Disney has. And I like it better than DHS now, which is saying a lot. I still miss the big Sorcerer's Hat, but DCA is a great park. Worth doing over and over. In fact, we got APs so we can do it over and over. Can't wait!

 

[pinksand]

We were struck more by the similarities in façade and art direction. The CM outfits on Buena Vista Street were the same as on Hollywood Boulevard; there is a Carthay Building, although it's a shop, not a restaurant, and there's even an Oscar's Gas Station, instead of Oswald's.

The streetmosphere characters are similar too. One of our favorite moments at DHS was when we saw a street character police officer and we timidly went up to him and asked "Officer Blue?"

"Officer Blue's in California. I'm Officer Club," he told us genially. He kindly wrote us a ticket so I have tickets from both officers on each coast. That's a cool souvenir to get if you're going to both parks!

 

[SultanPprShkr]

Here's my thing.. Being a SoCal Native.. When I was in DHS, i felt like i was at home. and that was NOT a good thing. Why? Because I didn't travel 3,000+ miles to be in LA again. And a very skewed LA at that, with placement of "cities" and "markets" not in the correct order. What i like and appreciate about DCA is that it's a throwback. It's clear that almost the entire park is set in the 1920s-1950s and doesn't really go beyond that. Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, Cars Land with it's historic Route 66, the Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier and even the oddly placed San Francisco row of houses back to Redwood Creek area and Condor Flats.. it's perfect and feels right.

DHS is all over the map.. and it's singular straight column style map/layout is awfully annoying. You mean I can't get to ToT from one side of the park via shortcut? I have to walk ALL the way across??

DHS's entrance also isn't much to be in awe of.. cuz where do you think they got it from? Oh that's right, the Pan-Pacific Auditorium that's here in California. So while others may think DCA is copying DHS.. DHS is the one that copied California first.. I mean.. come on Hollywood Studios? Do you really think DHS is talking about Hollywood, FL??

 

[agamble]

We've been to both, and my DH one "regret" about our WDW vacation was that we didn't spend more time at DHS. That being said, I LOVE DCA!

As far as rides go, there are a lot of similarities and differences between WDW and DL in general. DCA has more rides than DHS; DHS has more shows. Soarin' and Test Track are actually at Epcot, but Soarin' Over California and Radiator Springs Racers can both be found at DCA, and the Racers are a better overall ride than Test Track. Plus Mater's is worth a ride, or two, or more. Star Tours is over at DL, but it's such a short walk, and the wait times have gotten shorter, plus the FP works well. Screamin' is an outdoor coaster, but it's theme is the Boardwalk. It really is a great coaster, and I think mostly equal to RNRoll coaster. The TOTs are different, with WDW being slightly better, but both are a great thrill. Toy Story Midway is basically the same (except queues), but the wait at DCA is significantly shorter, especially in the morning. Aladdin is a great show, but we did enjoy the Beauty and the Beast show too. There are many other great rides too. I especially love Grizzly River Run, which is way better than Kali Rapids (AK). AND one other great thing is that you can easily walk between DCA and DL. So if you want to go over and ride Star Tours or even Indiana Jones (not available anywhere at WDW, Dino doesn't count) transportation is a cinch. That means you can hit any/all of the other thrill rides you like between the parks with little travel time. Everything is much more compact than WDW. Walking from Star Tours at DL to Soarin' at DCA is likely a shorter walk than walking from one side of WDW Magic Kingdom to the other.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Here's my thing.. Being a SoCal Native.. When I was in DHS, i felt like i was at home. and that was NOT a good thing. Why? Because I didn't travel 3,000+ miles to be in LA again. And a very skewed LA at that, with placement of "cities" and "markets" not in the correct order. What i like and appreciate about DCA is that it's a throwback. It's clear that almost the entire park is set in the 1920s-1950s and doesn't really go beyond that. Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, Cars Land with it's historic Route 66, the Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier and even the oddly placed San Francisco row of houses back to Redwood Creek area and Condor Flats.. it's perfect and feels right.

DHS is all over the map.. and it's singular straight column style map/layout is awfully annoying. You mean I can't get to ToT from one side of the park via shortcut? I have to walk ALL the way across??

DHS's entrance also isn't much to be in awe of.. cuz where do you think they got it from? Oh that's right, the Pan-Pacific Auditorium that's here in California. So while others may think DCA is copying DHS.. DHS is the one that copied California first.. I mean.. come on Hollywood Studios? Do you really think DHS is talking about Hollywood, FL??

I wish I had your life! I would move in a minute. I feel so stuck here.

Basically no one will argue that Hollywood studios (which of course was MGM in the beginning as a way to answer losing guests to Universal Studios) is no replacement whatsoever for the actual Hollywood. However, it opened prior to CA opening. So my pondering was whether they took the needed improvements into consideration when they made CA and that's why it would be improved. Obviously nothing beats the real thing. For us East Coasters, we love the feel of DHS altho I can see it being somewhat hokey to people actually from there. Layout is odd. I think they stuck the hat there just so we know "go to the hat, its in the middle, and then go back around." Otherwise the hat is ugly. And I get incredibly lost in the muppets/pizza planet area back there. Everyone on the Strategies board seems to agree that DHS needs some love and the tiering for FPs is abysmal. 80 min waits on TSMM because that's the only Pixar there. That's why Im hoping DCA is going to be everything we love bout HS and a lot more!

Wish my honey could pick up a tech job out there or in FL. Whenever I come back here, all I want to do is plan another trip away. I've since learned that some people actually live where they want to be, not just vacation there.

 

[HydroGuy]

I wish I had your life! I would move in a minute. I feel so stuck here.

Basically no one will argue that Hollywood studios (which of course was MGM in the beginning as a way to answer losing guests to Universal Studios) is no replacement whatsoever for the actual Hollywood. However, it opened prior to CA opening. So my pondering was whether they took the needed improvements into consideration when they made CA and that's why it would be improved. Obviously nothing beats the real thing. For us East Coasters, we love the feel of DHS altho I can see it being somewhat hokey to people actually from there. Layout is odd. I think they stuck the hat there just so we know "go to the hat, its in the middle, and then go back around." Otherwise the hat is ugly. And I get incredibly lost in the muppets/pizza planet area back there. Everyone on the Strategies board seems to agree that DHS needs some love and the tiering for FPs is abysmal. 80 min waits on TSMM because that's the only Pixar there. That's why Im hoping DCA is going to be everything we love bout HS and a lot more!

Also, DHS was built in response to Universal Studios in Orlando which equally does not below there but is there. Since Disney does produce movies they felt they could compete in that space and built DHS.

USO and DHS are not trying to replace Hollywood and if anything DCA and its HollywoodLand is the strangest as it is only 40 miles from the real Hollywood. If anything USO and DHS inf Florida make more sense than DCA in this regard.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

We've been to both, and my DH one "regret" about our WDW vacation was that we didn't spend more time at DHS. That being said, I LOVE DCA!

As far as rides go, there are a lot of similarities and differences between WDW and DL in general. DCA has more rides than DHS; DHS has more shows. Soarin' and Test Track are actually at Epcot, but Soarin' Over California and Radiator Springs Racers can both be found at DCA, and the Racers are a better overall ride than Test Track. Plus Mater's is worth a ride, or two, or more. Star Tours is over at DL, but it's such a short walk, and the wait times have gotten shorter, plus the FP works well. Screamin' is an outdoor coaster, but it's theme is the Boardwalk. It really is a great coaster, and I think mostly equal to RNRoll coaster. The TOTs are different, with WDW being slightly better, but both are a great thrill. Toy Story Midway is basically the same (except queues), but the wait at DCA is significantly shorter, especially in the morning. Aladdin is a great show, but we did enjoy the Beauty and the Beast show too. There are many other great rides too. I especially love Grizzly River Run, which is way better than Kali Rapids (AK). AND one other great thing is that you can easily walk between DCA and DL. So if you want to go over and ride Star Tours or even Indiana Jones (not available anywhere at WDW, Dino doesn't count) transportation is a cinch. That means you can hit any/all of the other thrill rides you like between the parks with little travel time. Everything is much more compact than WDW. Walking from Star Tours at DL to Soarin' at DCA is likely a shorter walk than walking from one side of WDW Magic Kingdom to the other.

Yep. That's what I'm hearing. How am I gonna wait a whole year plus?!

 

[luisov]

Considering that DLR hast just two parks, the ride concentration at each park is much bigger than that of WDW parks. Yeah, many people will agree that DL is a better Magic Kingdom than WDW's MK because of its ride concentration. Same goes for DCA vs HS. There's just more rides per park.

DCA has all of DHS big attractions (with CS being RnRC's counterpart) and more. Carsland and World of Color are a big plus.

 

[SultanPprShkr]

Also, DHS was built in response to Universal Studios in Orlando which equally does not below there but is there. Since Disney does produce movies they felt they could compete in that space and built DHS.

USO and DHS are not trying to replace Hollywood and if anything DCA and its HollywoodLand is the strangest as it is only 40 miles from the real Hollywood. If anything USO and DHS inf Florida make more sense than DCA in this regard.

yes but the real Hollywood is sad. what people want to see when they visit LA is not Hollywood, LOL. they want to see Burbank and Beverly Hills. and DCA's Hollywood Land is via 1920s-1930s.. so I guess it's okay? there's no "manns chinese theater" or hand/foot prints in cement, no walk of fame.. just a hyperion theater, carthay theater (that isn't DHS' version of a store ??), some building facades and ToT.. placed at the end of Hollywood Land.. unlike DHS' ToT randomly by the "farmer's market" of Santa Monica. LOL.

 

[HydroGuy]

yes but the real Hollywood is sad. what people want to see when they visit LA is not Hollywood, LOL. they want to see Burbank and Beverly Hills. and DCA's Hollywood Land is via 1920s-1930s.. so I guess it's okay? there's no "manns chinese theater" or hand/foot prints in cement, no walk of fame.. just a hyperion theater, carthay theater (that isn't DHS' version of a store ??), some building facades and ToT.. placed at the end of Hollywood Land.. unlike DHS' ToT randomly by the "farmer's market" of Santa Monica. LOL.

Well, Disney is in the business of romanticizing. I suspect most princes and princesses were much less beautiful and much less friendly than the ones you see at DL. So nothing new there.

I think Hollywood and the film industry does have a romantic appeal to the general culture and Disney taps into that in the most positive way possible.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

More rides. No FP+. Two parks instead of 4. I think you guys have been keeping DLR to yourselves hush hush all these years!

 

[StephanieCG]

I haven't been to DLR or DCA yet, but we were at WDW this past fall. DHS needs MORE rides for little kids. The only one they can really go on is TSM, which has very high wait times unless you get there first thing, and even then it's not guaranteed. Great Movie Ride doesn't have a height requirement, but the ride was way too intense for my girls when that alien came out of the ceiling. They have Disney Jr show, beauty and the beast show, and Muppet Show...but it's all shows, and some littles want RIDES. It wasn't too disappointing though, my girls loved searching for all the characters there, so that was fun. And my oldest did the drawing class a few times she loved it so much. But DCA has the bugs life land, and a few other rides for the younger set (without the height requirement). Now that my youngest is at the magical 40 inches, I'm excited that we will be able to go on everything as a family when we finally get out to DLR and DCA.
I'd love to see them do a Disney Jr land with a few rides based on Jake, MMCH, Sofia, etc. That would be perfect for DHS, but I dont know if that would happen anytime soon.

 

[GatorChris]

More rides. No FP+. Two parks instead of 4. I think you guys have been keeping DLR to yourselves hush hush all these years!

Tell me about it! I live just 300 miles north of DL and went to WDW all the time. DL definitely has a lot of good things going for it. Especially with Legacy FP still being around. And eating when and where you want without ressies. And walking the distance of a football field to park hop.

But the biggest drawback for me is those other two parks that are missing. I can spend 8 or 9 full days in the WDW parks and not get bored at all. But at DL, by day 5 you're thinking "I wonder what's at Universal?" I really miss Epcot and AK when I hit Anaheim. Those parks enable the visitor to spend more time on a vacation and get lost in the Magic.