Where’s the love for Hollywood Studios?

[Masonmj84]

I generally like HS and think it's four biggest headliners (TSM, R&RC, TOT, and Star Tours) are really good attractions. That said, after recently visiting California Adventure, I couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for HS.

As a PP noted, I feel like HS is not a complete park. This is what I would like to see done with HS:

1. Build a Cars Land similar to DHS that includes a Radiator Springs Racers type attraction (doesn't have to be exactly the same as I realize there are weather differences between CA and FL)

2. Change the Indy stunt show into an Indy ride similar to the one at DL

3. Build a Cantina themed Star Wars restaurant near Star Tours (I don't really care much about a Star Wars land above and beyond that)

4. Build a Monsters Inc. ride similar to DCA so there will be another ride attraction with no height requirements

4. Dump the Lights, Motors, Action stunt show

5. Make H&V a Toy Story Mania or Pixar themed character meal (instead of Disney Jr.) and have the characters for all 3 meals.

If they just made these 5 changes, HS would be a dramatically better park. Heck, if they just did the first one (Cars Land is amazing) it would be a dramatically better park.

 

[texasroni75]

Our two most recent trips we spent the MOST time at DHS. DS(10) could ride TOT and Star Tours all day long. I'm a huge RNR and Muppets fan. So, between that and the cupcakes, it's still an all-day park for us. We would love to see the closed attractions replaced quickly of course, but it is still a must visit park during our stays.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I love Hollywood Studios. It has been my favorite park since my first visit in 1992 when I was 8 years old. I can go to that park 3 or 4 times in a week's visit and not get enough. I can ride Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, and Great Movie ride multiple times. Thanks to some suggestions here involving non-drowsy Dramamine started 2 days before the trip. I can now do Star Tours multiple times. I love spending significant time in One Man's Dream. Animation Academy is another favorite for me as well as my family. Sci Fi and 50's Prime Time are two of the best themed restaurants on property, in my opinion, and my husband and I have some wonderful memories from Mama Melrose. I love Muppet Vision 3D and just sitting on Commissary Lane with a cupcake while I listen to the old theme songs and people watch. I cheered when the hat when down and I could see that beautiful theater as soon as I entered the park once again. If I don't see Fantasmic, I feel like my trip is incomplete. I can sit on Hollywood Blvd., Sunset Blvd., or in front of Great Movie Ride and be content for a good amount of time. I get excited every time I put my hands in the cement outside the theater where Annette put hers and still get excited when my hands fit. Beauty and the Beat and Little Mermaid still hold significant appeal for me. I love that park. I'm also not the normal visitor.

A lot of people go to Disney looking for rides and DHS is lacking. It currently has 5 rides and only 2 of those do not have a height requirement. Of those 2, one can still really scare small children. That leaves one ride that doesn't have a height requirement and isn't scary. That makes it difficult for families to enjoy the park. When you take into account that young children could have trouble operating TSMM and that you are likely to only get to ride it once now that FP+ is in place, it makes it even more evident that families with young children will have trouble with the rides. I like the shows for the most part, but can see how people would say that they are stale. Indy has been there forever, LMA, while the newest show, does not appeal to a lot of guests, and many complain that Muppet Vision 3D has been the exact same since it opened (to be fair, they recently changed the preshow but not for the better, in my opinion). When you add in that counter service restaurants here are very lacking, it's easy to see why people don't care to spend multiple days here. So, what's the solution?

They have to expand. We all know that Star Wars need to expand and we have all heard the rumors that it will. I'm not a big Star Wars fan, but I do think that it would be a very successful expansion. Since we know it is cheaper for Disney to recreate rides they have already built, I also recommend that they bring some rides from Disneyland and DCA over. Mike and Sully To The Rescue, Maters Junkyard Jamboree, Jumpin' Jellyfish, and Radiator Springs Racers would all do well around Pixar Place. The Indiana Jones ride would also be a nice addition in the thrill ride department. Bring in some classic favorites like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Snow White's Scary Adventures somewhere around Animation Academy expand out where the bungalows currently are) and you're really starting to see some great improvements. Make it into a studio park where the different "lands" are studios. Bring in some new counter service restaurants that have real themes. That, on top of the rides for the whole family will really revive the park while still maintaining its theme and identity and I'm willing to bet you see an increase in visitors.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

DHS is my favorite park, but after a half day there I found myself asking this thread's title to myself multiple times.

 

[Flamingeaux]

I love DHS!!! It has some of the best rides and shows.

The thing that bothers me most is that it could be so much more.

 

[Davey Jones II]

DHS is my second favorite park at WDW (after the MK, and edging out AK), because it has some of my favorite rides. It does need a revamp, though, because it always had too many shows compared to rides, and shows (except for Fantasmic!) get a little stale after multiple visits.

Let us hope that the Star Wars plans for DHS are in full swing! They certainly haven't broken any ground on that yet.

 

[JimmyBean42]

We are big fans of DHS but agree it could use some more attractions to better level the lines at the bigger spots. Some more attractions for younger ones would be great, as it really doesn't have as much for the younger crowd, although does have some great character m&g's there my kids love.

 

[angierae]

Hollywood Studios is my favorite park.

1. The only thing they have even close to a "real" roller coaster (RnRC) (which is still super tame, to me)
2. Muppets
3. Star Wars
4. Animation Academy
5. TSMM
6. All the cool street performers
7. Fantasmic!
8. ToT
9. Beauty and the Beast show
10. Indiana Jones
11. Voyage of the Little Mermaid

It's my favorite park and I'm spending my birthday there in 2016!

 

[disneyseniors]

Yea, OP, I don't get it either! I have always felt like something was wrong with ME because I love HS. I find a lot to do what with all the attractions already mentioned. I have yet to see Beauty and the Beast but will this time I love the old Hollywood atmosphere and the people of Hollywood and their skits. I even like the randomly confused areas. I like to wander them and see things I have not seen before. We love Sci Fi Restaurant with it's cheesy old horror films. TOT is the best ride in all Disney in my opinion. We find things to do and see in every part of the park. We have not done the animation academy yet, never even knew it was there til recently, and will do that next time. I guess I don't see what all the fuss is about. Sure, it's lost some attractions as have the other parks, but it still has enough for US to look forward to going there each time. I'm glad to see that "we are not alone".

 

[loves to dive]

Like others it is possibly my second favorite park, except for me Epcot is my favorite not MK. We generally make MK a half day park and spend more time in AK than most. We don't go for the rides, there are certain rides that we must do but for the most part we just enjoy the parks for themselves. I love the feel of HS and though like others I miss the original back lot tour and seeing the animators working, I still go to the park more than once on every trip. Mind you, we have always had PH and now I'm an AP holder so hopping between HS and another park means you don't feel like you have to do everything at once. I never ever never miss going to both HS and Epcot on my last day there before I drive home, sometimes just to walk through both parks and say goodbye.

 

[PeasandCarrots]

It's my 3rd favorite park behind MK and Epcot, but I still really like it and would not consider missing it. I don't do the stage/stunt shows yet still feel like it's worth going to. I love GMR and ToT! I like RnR, Star Tours, Muppets, and Toy Story. I love Mama Melrose! If I had to skip a park it would be AK, not HS. When we go for 8 days we usually spend 2 long mornings at HS (rope drop to around 2pm).

 

[MataHari22]

It's funny that while we love most things there we still spend time longing for what is lost. it hits us most when we get to the NY street and remember how great Hunchback was, how cool it was to see the prop houses and then remember when there were actual working sets and production you could see animators working, then we see the the empty buildings and closed attractions and it becomes a bummer. By this point we're ready for lunch and end up going to EPCOT because there is no good food in HS and spend the rest of our day there.

Used to love it, but it has quickly fallen to my least favorite park. Right now it has tired shows and a lack of capacity to handle the crowds. It's why the line for GMR is too long on most days. I actually feel bad for the park.

^^This. I loved the park when there was production going on and you could see the animators working. Loved the Back Lot Tour. I even liked all those original shows where you got picked to participate, but I can see why they replaced some of them. Back when it was MGM it was like getting a peak inside the movies. I also liked when they had the parade. I never did Tot or RnR and won't, but I do love ST, GMR and F!, so I do still go, but it has fallen to my least fav park.

 

[tinkerhon]

They need to bring back the "Hunchback" show !!! (and Matt (the Juggler !!!)

)

 

[ArwenMarie]

Thinking about it more, I think DHS is most uneven park. Some of the attractions are so great, but it is just missing something.

I do think revamping some of the shows would help tremendously. Think even if they put in a new show into the BaTB theatre, people would love that.

And more rides.

 

[DisneyFive]

Bummer, well that was a thread killer. I was enjoying reading the replies and discussion.

32 replies in under 3 hours, then the thread gets moved to a different forum, and now 1 reply in just under 6 hours. Sorry, I'll stop whining now.

Dan