Re: DHS expansion -further evidence the Backlot tour is Going bye bye

[RescueRanger]

Those "latest" shows on destination america are really old. I have that particular episode in a boxed set of dvds that I bought at Sam's club a few years ago. The stuff on Avatarland was the only new part and was added for the airing on their channel.

Not the show last night. It was new. It had the new TT, the new FLE, and an imagineer even spoke about Avatarland being worked on. I think the description was wrong on the channel guide, but it was a NEW show.

 

[rteetz]

**Rampant, unconfirmed, speculation follows***

In the latest Disney special on Destination America (Ultimate Disney World, I think), the Hat was nowhere to be found. Earful Tower was featured pretty front and center in the same way the other park icons were used. In past shows, you've seen the BAH and very rarely the Earful tower.

Now...why would Disney opt to do something like that in their latest puff piece? Kinda makes you think....

They also did discuss Avatarland for a while, so I'd say the chances of that getting canned are approaching 0.

First things first is Avatarland is being delayed and we don't know what going on with that because construction was supposed to be well under way already. And the rumors I have stated were that the hat will be moved or removed and those were pretty resent rumors within the last few months. I have heard them from multiple sources as well including the disunplugged podcast. TV shows love to show the hat as the main icon and barely include earful tower at all even the disney travel DVDs do that but that never stops disney from doing anything. The main reason for a hat move was because of a new and exciting parade coming to DHS and that makes sense because they just got rid of the other one there.

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[rteetz]

Not the show last night. It was new. It had the new TT, the new FLE, and an imagineer even spoke about Avatarland being worked on. I think the description was wrong on the channel guide, but it was a NEW show.

I looked up the show and in fact it is not new here is the link of the air times of this show since its debut

http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/tv/infoevent.php3?id=37

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[tjkraz]

First things first is Avatarland is being delayed and we don't know what going on with that because construction was supposed to be well under way already.

Not really. From the moment it was announced, Disney said that construction wouldn't begin on Avatar until 2013. The year is only 1/3 over.

Working with James Cameron adds another level of complication to the project, so delays are always a possibility. But Disney has taken every opportunity to re-confirm its plans to build Avatar attractions.

And the rumors I have stated were that the hat will be moved or removed and those were pretty resent rumors within the last few months. I have heard them from multiple sources as well including the disunplugged podcast.

I'll believe it when I see it. I've been around the block long enough to have gone through a dozen waves of "it's really happening this time!" rumors regarding the hat.

Until construction walls are up and cranes start lowering sections to the ground, today's rumor is no more meaningful than the one from last month, or last year, or 5 years ago...

 

[RescueRanger]

I looked up the show and in fact it is not new here is the link of the air times of this show since its debut

http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/tv/infoevent.php3?id=37

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Once again, yes it was new. I watched it, did you? I told you that the information on the channel guide was wrong. It was a show about the new TT, FLE, and even a mention of Avatarland.

 

[WillJenDisney]

I'll confirm what Rescue Ranger has said. The channel guide said it was the show from 2003, so I almost didn't record it, but I'm glad I did. It featured things that are happening right now or just happened in the past year, so it was obviously not the '03 show despite what the channel guides said. The same was true of the Disneyland episode which said it was from '02 or '03 but then featured the new cars land and new star tours in 3d.

Glad I didn't pay attention to the dates and just recorded anyway. I figured they had to have some new stuff worked in or the whole 'Disney week' thing would be a joke

 

[Lesleyluvsdisney]

Wasn't the earful tower once the trademark or logo for MGM studios though?
I have a pin from the 90's with my name, Mickey, Minnie and Donald with Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth and the Earful Tower.

Yes it was. I've still got souvenir stuff from late 90's and it has sketches if SSE TOL Earful tower and castle x

 

[CatelynnMarie]

I don't know why people hate the hat so much
I personally really like it. As for the Backlot Tour, if it goes, it doesn't phase me. It was never an attraction that I personally was into. However I am not a fan of a Cars Land being built. Just, no.

 

[eadavis]

Bringing in Cars Land will begin the transformation of DHS into DCA, a random grouping of random rides strewn about. We can call it Mini-Universal...

 

[uccats97]

I'll confirm what Rescue Ranger has said. The channel guide said it was the show from 2003, so I almost didn't record it, but I'm glad I did. It featured things that are happening right now or just happened in the past year, so it was obviously not the '03 show despite what the channel guides said. The same was true of the Disneyland episode which said it was from '02 or '03 but then featured the new cars land and new star tours in 3d.

Glad I didn't pay attention to the dates and just recorded anyway. I figured they had to have some new stuff worked in or the whole 'Disney week' thing would be a joke

I thought it was a rerun and did not record it! Do you know the exact title of the show or if it will be aired at a later date?

 

[rteetz]

I thought it was a rerun and did not record it! Do you know the exact title of the show or if it will be aired at a later date?

I'm wondering the same thing I didn't know it was even on TV.

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[Jubilee]

Backlot Tour....yeah, so not a staple for me. I saw it when I was a kid, I saw it now. Not impressed either time. Best part about it was running through it at the Tower of Terror 10 miler.

DHS, in general......

I just watched Indiana Jones Stunt Show yesterday for the probably 40th time, and it's pretty much identical to when I saw it 20 years ago as a child. I also noticed that it looks extremely dated. I am a huge fan of Indiana Jones, but I am not sure how I feel about the replay value of many attractions at this park.

I love the Little Mermaid and all, but that show is such a waste (they could do a lot more with this theater) and is very dated, as well. The Beauty and the Beast show is still mostly saved just due to the fact that they have tried to keep it fresh with costume changes and the actors do a good job bringing their personality (the amazing Gaston and of course most of the other crew besides Belle--which is usually extremely pitchy. My husband says they probably make her sing this way to prove it's not a track, but I digress...) but the Muppets should've been extended or added to when the Muppets movie was released. I know it's a "classic" but it's just too dated for me.

All in all, it's the park I think has changed the least since I was a child. In a sense, it brings back the most nostalgic memories for that reason (it is literally like going back in time in a way) if you aren't looking at a stupid American Idol sign, that is. At the same time, some of it is just too reminiscent of how they perceive competing with Universal Studios in the "movies & film" genre back when the park opened.

 

[WillJenDisney]

I thought it was a rerun and did not record it! Do you know the exact title of the show or if it will be aired at a later date?

I still have it saved on my DVR, it was "Ultimate Walt Disney World" and the guide said it was from 2004.

The Disneyland one was called "Disneyland Resort: Behind the Scenes" and it claimed it was from 2003.

Too bad they didn't update the dates on these programs so people knew they weren't the same thing we've all seen on the Travel Channel, Netflix, or on the DVDs we bought at the parks.

A quick search of my DirecTV guide didn't show the Ultimate WDW program being on again...

 

[OklahomaTourist]

We were at WDW last week for vacation and both my son (12) and I were very disappointed at the changes in Backlot tour since the last time we were there in 2008 or 2009. The whole tour is now on an audio track. We were with my niece who has Noonan's Syndrome and uses her stroller as a wheelchair so we sat in the front car reserved for wheelchairs. There was a driver and the person who in the past always did the speaking. He just sat there and stared at us. He was completely lifeless and may have even been asleep hiding behind his sunglasses. He had zero interaction with the guests. It was actually kind of awkward. Also the preshow were they have 3 or 4 people act out the boat taking on water scene was eliminated. We loved that ride but if this is the way it is going to be I certainly won't be interested in going on it anymore.

The BL tour was stripped down when we went last two years ago. There was barely a large enough crowd to fill our tour (on a weekend day during the summer), there was no water/flood in the aircraft scene, and the waiting-in-line video about SFX in "Pearl Harbor" was terribly dated even then.

Time to stick a fork in it.

 

[Spacedog1975]

but the Muppets should've been extended or added to when the Muppets movie was released. I know it's a "classic" but it's just too dated for me.

As far as I'm aware, this was the last project that Jim Henson directed and voiced before his premature death. I imagine it would be difficult to consider making many changes to it. I'm a huge Muppet/Henson fan, so I'll visit the theater every time I'm in Florida whether they add to it or not.

It would be cool to have an audio animatronic ride to go with it, somehow.

 

[TisBit]

There was old trams (I believe) by the Epcot parking lot. I saw them while walking to the corrals during the Princess half. I remember thinking that they were from the backlot but looked like they may have been older versions. It was 4:00 a.m. so my memory is a little fuzzy.

You are correct. There were old trams (looks very similar) in the backstage area of Epcot along the road they use to access the start lines for their races. That road was actually pretty cluttered and I know they are looking to fix some of the congestion area's back there. I would not be surprised if these are the same trams, if they cleaned up that roadway they wouldn't have such a hard time getting people to the start lines for the races.

Disney is only adding races and it would make sense to expedite the route they use to the start lines, not to mention improve this only semi-backstage area now that it is used so much.

 

[daber]

I don't know why people hate the hat so much

Because the park was prettier before the hat blocked the Chinese Theater. Imagine if you will something built in the hub that blocked your view of Castle in the MK. Add to that that it is a shop for pins. They could have put it anywhere but there!

 

[CatelynnMarie]

Because the park was prettier before the hat blocked the Chinese Theater. Imagine if you will something built in the hub that blocked your view of Castle in the MK. Add to that that it is a shop for pins. They could have put it anywhere but there!

hmm this is true. I never thought of it that way, plus it's all I know. My first visit was in 2001 and the hat was already there.

 

[OklahomaTourist]

Well, considering that they really don't produce anything at DHS anymore, (with the possible exception of some in-house promotional spots for movies, I suppose) the whole concept of a "Backlot Tour" seems pretty pointless. There's no "lot" to go "in back of" to see anything.

Seems to me that implies that for DHS to survive/remain relevant, it's going to have to be not just updated, but substantially rethemed.

 

[Spacedog1975]

Well, considering that they really don't produce anything at DHS anymore, (with the possible exception of some in-house promotional spots for movies, I suppose) the whole concept of a "Backlot Tour" seems pretty pointless. There's no "lot" to go "in back of" to see anything.

Seems to me that implies that for DHS to survive/remain relevant, it's going to have to be not just updated, but substantially rethemed.

It's too bad that they couldn't make a case for keeping one live and one animated production there for the sake of the park. I understand why the animation unit evaporated (even if it ought not have), but I don't have a good understanding of why live action productions departed.

Even without this, I don't know that it needs a complete retheming more than an expansion. A minor refocus on the celebration of movies as opposed to their production.