Disney's Hollywood Studios: A New Generation

[DisneyManOne]

Here's the next installment in my "New Generation" thread series...

A New Generation​

When Disney's Hollywood Studios opened on May 1st, 1989, the park, then known as Disney-MGM Studios, it was meant to be a working film studio with a theme park component. As a result, the various attractions and shows on the theme park side were not necessarily meant to take up the whole day.

Over the years, the working studio component faded away and the Disney-MGM Studios became more of a traditional theme park. However, the attractions and shows found in the park have not changed substantially enough to keep up with this change in the park’s main function. As a result, the rebranded Disney’s Hollywood Studios is still considered by many to be a half-day park lacking a sufficient number of attractions to warrant spending a whole day there.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios today is probably the park that needs the most work of any at Disney World. Although no longer a working studios, it has yet to fully make the jump to being a full-fledged theme park and it sometimes feels as though it is still looking for its true identity. One of the things that works against the park is its layout, lacking the same hub-and-spoke design that makes Magic Kingdom so easily navigable. Rather than having a defined layout, the park is more a mass of streets and buildings that blend into each other, much like a real motion picture studio; this layout makes travelling through the park from one point to another somewhat of a challenge. Another pitfall is the park’s small size, the smallest of all the Florida parks. At the same time, the park does have a few things working in its favor. First, the Hollywood theme of the park is one that encompasses so much of what Disney is about. In addition, the park already has a set of themed areas, but the themes just need to be more defined and developed.

I truly believe that Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the park with the most potential, but in order to realize that potential it will require a lot of work. My goal for Hollywood Studios is to better develop its themes, firmly establish the park’s identity, and yet still remain true to the original mission of the park as presenting “The Hollywood that never was and always will be.”

So, as they say in the movie biz, "Lights...camera...action!"
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The first major change to the park is noticeable before you even enter the park. Long-time visitors to the resort may notice this park has been given a new name. And that name is...

Guests enter from the parking lot, arriving at the entrance of Disney's Hollywoodland. The park's entrance plaza hugs the edge of Crescent Lake. The wide pathway leads to a replica of the soaring, teal Pan-Pacific Gates. The gates are modeled after the iconic entrance to Los Angeles’ loved-and-lost Pan-Pacific Auditorium. The gates serve as the entrance into the park.

Passing under the gates, guests enter not into a film set or a studio backlot, but into Hollywood in the 1930s. This is...

Hollywood Boulevard

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Hollywood Boulevard operates as the Main Street U.S.A. central point of the theme park and is loaded with tons of interesting shops and sights, filled with the nostalgic era of a 1930s Los Angeles avenue, an era of entertainment and art. The boulevard is brimming with excitment, welcoming guests into the world where the movies come to life.

As soon as we pass under the gates, we find ourselves standing in front of the Crossroads of the World, a clone of the California icon, with Mickey Mouse atop a spinning globe. The location operates as an information station for the rest of the park.

Just within the entrance to the park, guests will also find the Movieland Memorabilia shop, which sells generic Disney's Hollywoodland and Los Angeles merchandise (a perfect place to do last-minute shopping at the park).

Both Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards will see the addition of the Red Car Trolley line. Not only would this help to solidify the theme and time period of Hollywood Boulevard, but it would also serve the practical purpose of helping to transport guests into the park. Plus, it'd give the area some kinetic elements. The trolleys begin their run going past the Crossroads of the World, then heading down Hollywood Boulevard to the Chinese Theater, then to the Disney Animation building in Animation Courtyard, and then taking guests down Sunset Boulevard, dropping them off near the Tower of Terror.

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"Extree! Extree! Read all about it! Walt Disney to premiere world's first full-length animated film!" Did you hear that? That's the typical sound of the Red Car News Boys delivering newspapers...while also putting on one heck of a show!

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The buildings and architectural styles of Hollywood Boulevard reflect on the golden age of Hollywood and capture the essence to the avenue in Los Angeles, down to the last detail. The buildings mix architectural styles, just as Los Angeles does. Old-fashioned billboards and neon store lights establish themselves along the buildings. A string of palm trees line the paved sidewalk paths on both sides of the center street. To add to the atmosphere, various "Citizens of Hollywood" appear on both Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, and interact with guests, often making them part of their improvised skits.

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One of these citizens is kindly old Sid Cahuenga, who owns the One-of-a-Kind Shop. Now, as we all know, this was turned into one of those stupid Fastpass+ centers. But now, it's returned to its old roots as a shop which offers signed autographed pictures and posters from celebrities from a huge variety of different movies.

As many Disney fans know, Sid Cahuenga was played by Danny Dillon. But when he died in 2005, they retired the character as well. But now, in honor of the shop's return, Sid has returned. Sid's larger than life exuberance welcomes guests to Hollywood day in and day out. He's always ready to have a chat with guests and, having spent so much time rubbing elbows with the celebrities that signed autographs for his home turned shop, he has a keen ability for impersonations.

Oscar's Classic Cars Souvenirs is located just along the way, themed to an art-deco gas station, paying homage to a particular Mobil gas stationed that opened in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Leading down the strip of Hollywood Boulevard, on the right corner of the street, guests will find the Darkroom, a shop which features Nikon cameras and video items. This is also a shop for PhotoPass participants, where guests can see and buy their photos taken throughout the park that day.The outside of the shop takes an artistic style from "California Crazy" architecture, which is big, bold and well, crazy. The exterior of the shop is a large camera.

The Darkroom than leads to the next store on Hollywood Boulevard, Celebrity 5 & 10, which features a wide variety of Disney's Hollywoodland merchandise, as well as general Walt Disney World merchandise. The shop also features item embroidery. Just across the street from the store, on the left side of Hollywood Boulevard, guests will find Mickey's of Hollywood, which is a large gift shop, filled with different types of merchandise found from all of the different franchises throughout the park. The store also features large Mickey Mouse statues, including him as Sorcerer Mickey, Steamboat Willie and the Band Leader.

From here, guests will come across a small off-set to the left, which leads guests to the Echo Lake section of the park. Just past the path, guests will then find the Keystone Clothiers store, which offers a wide variety of clothes and accessories. The interior of the shop is designed to look like an art-deco lounge in Los Angeles, California. Just across the street, guests will find the Cover Story shop on the right hand side of the street. The store feature primarily plush toys and child clothes. From here, the road then splits off to an intersection to the right, where the road then leads down the Sunset Boulevard strip. This is the location for the Trolley Car Cafe, a good place to get some Starbucks coffee (perfect for those who need that "java jive" to get them going early in the morning).

On the right corner of Hollywood Boulevard, surrounding a fountain, is Guest Relations. This is a great location to go to receive any information that you might need while visiting Hollywood. From here, Hollywood Boulevard then proceeds to split off into the Grauman's Chinese Theater Courtyard, a much needed expanded courtyard, surrounded with lush, green foliage and planted with lining palm trees. The surrounding area is lined with liften plains of grass, planted with bountiful trees, illuminated with twinkling LED lights.

To the right of the courtyard, guests will find the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, a lavish restaurant modeled after the truly iconic location, located in the park just up the corner from the Hollywood & Vine streets. The restaurant is famously known for its' Cobb Salad, which was apparently Sid Grauman's favorite snack after he had underwent some dental work. The restaurant features wonderful meals, while completely re-inventing the iconic restaurant, which even includes the classic Bamboo Room, modeled after the VIP Space.

Back in the courtyard, guests are then led up to the Grauman's Chinese Theater, which has hosted dozens of award shows and numerous movie premieres. It is truly the icon of all of the glitz and glamour that Hollywood could imply. The theater has hosted dozens of award shows and numerous movie premieres, including two Disney films--Mary Poppins in 1964 and The Jungle Book in 1967, souvenirs from which you can find in window displays. It is truly the icon of all of the glitz and glamour that Hollywood could imply.

Outside of the theater, instrumental musical pieces from well-known movies play. The actual Chinese Theater in Los Angeles had been studied to be re-created and detailed in exact appearance here at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Not only was the exterior of the Theater created, but even the forecourt was created, having actual celebrity handprints and spurting fountains along the rim of the Theater. And, as part of the park-wide expansion and the re-branding from Disney's Hollywood Studios to Disney's Hollywoodland, “handprint ceremonies” will once again take place in the theatre courtyard, bringing attention to the new attraction and helping guests understand just how important an “opening act” Hollywood Boulevard is to the park. In the near future, as guests walk through the courtyard, they might notice the handprints of Robert Downey Jr., Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Channing Tatum and the like.

Inside the theater, you'll find The Great Movie Ride, presented by Turner Classic Movies, a 25-minute guided dark ride through the history of cinema that serves as the park’s mission statement, cataloguing and bringing to life some of the greatest stories ever told. Now, I have a lot to say about this ride, so I'm gonna end things right here, and later on, I'll post the next post, which will be a full-fledged ride-through. See ya then!

 

[FigmentForver96]

Can't wait

 

[DisneyManOne]

As promised, here's the ride-through for The Great Movie Ride.
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In 1989, The Walt Disney Company introduced to the world the “Hollywood that never was, but always will be…not a place on a map, but a state of mind…” Walt Disney World’s version of Hollywood, the then Disney-MGM Studios, fused together glitz and glamour, backstage magic, and imagination to allow guests the opportunity to be the star, become a part of the movies, and walk a metaphorical red carpet to wherever their dreams might lead them. When the reviews came in, the critics agreed, the park was a blockbuster hit worthy of two thumbs way, way up.

26 years and a name change later, Disney’s Hollywood Studios as it is now called, while still popular with guests, is also a confusing mish-mash of whatever can be bent to fit the “it’s from the entertainment industry so it fits” mold. The park doesn’t know what it wants to be, and for too long has been going through a sort of identity crisis. Although Disney is planning on rectifying this and giving the park a big DCA-esque makeover, if you really want to find the park's true identity, you just gotta look to its heart: The Great Movie Ride.

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The Great Movie Ride is the only attraction at Disney's Hollywoodland that has really yet to be changed. Sure, Turner Classic Movies came along and gave the ride a new pre-show, a new narration and an update to the ending montage film, but all in all, the ride looks almost exactly the same as it did when it opened 27 years ago, back when it shocked and amazed guests by literally taking them on a tour through the greatest films Hollywood had to offer. Since the ride’s inception, it’s always been the epitome of what a trip to The Studios was all about, in fact, the entire concept for The Disney-MGM Studios came from this attraction. Initially imagined as an attraction for EPCOT Center, CEO Michael Eisner loved the concept so much he suggested giving The Great Movie Ride its own park!

As stated above though, that was more than 20 years ago, and although the attraction is still a tour through some of the greatest films ever crafted by Hollywood, many of today’s guests don’t even know the movies that are being toured, and “As Time Goes By…” new pictures have found their way into the hearts of guests as classics. I believe the problem with the park is its aging heart, and until that heart is fixed, the park will never truly know of its potential. Fortunately, with a little bit of “surgery” (and a lot of magic and imagination), The Great Movie Ride can be restored to its former greatness and shine as lighthouse high upon a hill for the rest of Disney's Hollywoodland, guiding the park out of the “storm” that it has been stuck in for the last decade.

My inspiration for this ride concept comes from a concept we had back on the SYWTBAI forum, devised by @comics101, @Snoopy, as well as FutureImagineer and Monkey4057. Another inspiration was @MANEATINGWREATH, who devised an alternate version of The Great Movie Ride, from which I've taken one of the new scenes, as well as a new scene based on a horror movie and two updated takes on some of the ride's most well-known scenes. Another inspiration comes from @Chris82, whose ideas on the "Improving the Great Movie Ride (open brainstorming)" thread (see it here: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/improving-the-great-movie-ride-open-brainstorming.909052/) served as a great inspiration for this new spin on the ride.

And before we move on, let me make a controversial statement: I'd honestly get rid of the cast member host, as well as the hijacking. I'd have the whole ride be narrated by Robert Osborne (and if the TCM sponsorship should end, I think Leonard Maltin would be a good host. He has had quite a history as both a film critic and historian, and has had a long relationship with Disney). But don't think live actors will be completely gone. Some of the ride scenes will feature the film's characters as live actors, as you will see as the ride-through goes on. And also, all soundstage elements will be removed in the ride scenes (except for the loading area). I want to fully immerse guests in each of the scenes. And also--every animatronic in the ride will get updated to look more like the person (or character) they're supposed to look like.

Now, enough chit-chat. Let's take a look at the all-new Great Movie Ride.
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~The Queue~
Walking into the Chinese Theatre, at first, guests may not realize that some things have changed. The area still appears to be nothing more than a movie theatre lobby with a couple of glass cases scattered about holding old movie props. But, as guests get closer to the props, they’ll soon realize that not all is as it seems; the props seem to be “alive”, allowing guests to see that this is no ordinary theatre…here, the movies come to life. Lining the walls are various electronic poster stands, that change posters every two seconds or so. As guests move through the queue, the first prop they’ll find is the carousel horse from Mary Poppins. Enclosed within a glass case, the horse is still magically moving up and down and back and forth, just as it did in the movie. Continuing past the horse, guests then come across the “Mighty Thor’s” costume, and right next to it is his magic hammer, from Thor and The Avengers. While Thor’s costume is being held within a glass case, it appears the theatre staff has had a bit more difficulty with his hammer…it’s so heavy that it’s fallen through the bottom of the case! The glass has been removed, and all guests can see is the very bottom of the hammer handle poking out of a hole within the base of the case. Posted on the outside of the case is a hand-written not reading, “Too heavy—can’t lift up. Please help!” Persistent guests who attempt to pull the hammer out might find they have about as much strength as the mighty “God of Thunder”. Further in the queue, guests will find the treasure chest that holds Davy Jones’ heart, from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. If they listen closely and touch the case, they’ll be able to hear and/or feel his broken heart pulsating beneath the glass. The final prop found in the queue, just before guests step into the theatre, is the great Sorcerer Yensid’s hat, made famous by the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” scene in Fantasia. Every now and again, if guests are paying attention, they’ll notice the hat twinkling with magic.

Entering the theatre room, guests will note that nothing about this room has changed. As part of the TCM sponsorship, Robert Osborne (or Leonard Maltin) provides a pre-show, describing the various films you're about to see.

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Moving back and forth through the switchbacks, anticipation builds as guests begin to wonder which scenes the Imagineers could have chosen from the new films being represented in the ride. Heading onto the load dock, guests will still step onto a typical Hollywood soundstage, dressed up to appear as though guests are looking out to the original “Hollywoodland” sign and neighborhood.

~It Begins...~
The tram cars have been updated slightly. They're no longer driven by the cast members, but are driven automatically. After all have boarded the tram, we hear this announcement from our host (either Robert Osborne or Leonard Maltin). "Hello, everyone, and welcome aboard. At this time, I'd like to ask everybody to please remain seated throughout the ride, and keep your hands and arms within the vehicle at all times. Also, for the safety of our cast, and the comfort of those around you, please no flash photography or use of external video lights. Alright everybody, get ready, because it’s showtime! Ready when you are, C.B.!” All of a sudden a big booming voice can be heard, shouting, “Lights! Camera! And...ACTION!”

With that, a chorus of voices begins to sing "Hooray for Hollywood". And as our tram begins moving (trams will no longer go two at a time, but rather one at a time), our host announces, “On behalf of Disney's Hollywoodland and Turner Classic Movies, welcome to a celebration of cinema as you’ve never seen before! Welcome to The Great Movie Ride! Allow me to introduce myself--my name is Robert Osborne/Leonard Maltin, and I'll be your host for this one-of-a-kind experience. On this tour, we'll leave this Hollywood soundstage behind and enter into the heart of some of Hollywood's greatest motion pictures. From the Old West to the rooftops of London and along the yellow brick road, there's no place like the movies.”

~Charlie Chaplin~ (Formerly "Footlight Parade")
The guests' vehicle passes under the marquee enter into the first room, a completely black and white set with older piano music playing in the background. Standing in front of some trees on a stylized dirt road is an AA figure of Charlie Chaplin in his most famous role, the Little Tramp. Leaning on his cane a bit and tweaking his mustache, he looks at the guests and smiles. Our host says "Where better to begin our tour of Hollywood history than right here at the dawn of American film with one of its most beloved stars? Charlie Chaplin was one of the most famous actors in the history of film making. His career spanned over 75 years and both his silent and speaking films have had a massive impact on the way we make movies even today." Behind him the screen featuring the trees and background starts to change, and we are treated to a brief montage of some of Chaplin's most famous roles, from "The Gold Rush" to "The Great Dictator". As the tram moves forward, the AA figure of Chaplin waves goodbye at guests as they make their way to the next scene.

~Singin’ in the Rain~ (No Change)
I feel that this scene is a perfect scene as is and, aside from a few minor upgrades to the AA's and some upkeep, this portion of the attraction will remain exactly as it is today. Because of this, I felt that writing a paragraph for this scene was unnecessary.

~Mary Poppins~ (No Change)
Ditto for this scene, which will also require some minor AA upgrades and upkeep.

~Citizen Kane~ (Formerly 2/4 of "The Public Enemy")
From the rooftops of London, we are taken into the mansion of Charles Foster Kane, the hero of Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane. His lonely figure (using forced-perspective) stands near a distant window (the entire scene in black and white), looking out upon his empire. Echoing throughout the hollow and empty mansion resinates the haunting word of "Rosebud..." Our host says, "One of the most influential films of all time was 'Citizen Kane', which starred Orson Welles, who also served as director, producer and co-author."

~The Godfather~ (Formerly the Other 2/4 of "The Public Enemy")
Leaving Kane behind, our tram enters a recreation of 1945 New York City. Garbage litters the streets, as the buildings rust and mold in decay. Flickering street lamps and hotel signs faintly illuminate the area. A fight brews in a nearby apartment, seen only in shadow behind the window shade. We can hear city sounds in the background, such as a woman shouting "Ah, shut up up there!" "Welcome to the dangerous streets of New York City", our tour guide says, "the scene of the iconic gangster film 'The Godfather', starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino." The vehicle comes face to face with Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone family and the most powerful mafia family in all of New York City. He is in a meeting with his godson Johnny Fontaine and his son Sonny. Don Corleone is heard saying "You look terrible. I want you to eat. I want you to rest a while. And in a month from now, this Hollywood bigshot's gonna give you what you want." "It's too late", Johnny replies. "They start shooting in a month." As we leave, we hear Don Corleone tell him "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse..."

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~Animation Sequence~ (Replacing Gangster Switch Area)
Animation is one of my all-time favorite film genres. And, in my plans, with the Fantasia scene set to be removed, I still want to pay tribute to the great art of animation. So, with that said, the entire gangster switch area will be replaced with a small tribute to the animation genre.

First, on the vehicle's left, vehicles enter a small scene where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs dance to the jubilant tune of "The Silly Song".

Then, we pass by a film projection of Mickey Mouse in what his perhaps his most famous role, the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Fantasia. (This was too much of a classic not to remove fully, so it finds a new home here.)

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Finally, although Tarzan is slated to be removed, the African jungles are still represented here...but in this case, this will be a different jungle than Tarzan's jungle. Green grass pedals float back and forth as guests look upward to a familiar sight—Pride Rock. Guests see Rafiki lift baby Simba atop the rock formation as Mufasa and Sarabi proudly look on. An instrumental rendition of “Circle of Life” plays in the background. Animatronic giraffes, pouncing zebras, squealing monkeys and other animals cry out loudly, their movements graceful as they pay tribute to the newborn heir to the throne. A matte painting behind the animal figures portrays the impressive African landscapes in the distance. "Walt Disney supported conservationism and was an all-around animal lover", our host tells us, "and the legacy of animals in Disney movies continues to this day, particularly in films like the landmark animated feature 'The Lion King'."

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~Western Sequence~ (No Change)
Exiting from under Pride Rock, we enter into a southern western theme, on the desert outskirts of a ghost town. On the right, in a scene out of A Fistful of Dollars, Clint Eastwood stands outside of an old saloon. Just across the way, on the left, surrounded by a vast desert, John Wayne, atop a horse, greeting the audience from a scene from The Searchers.

~Blazing Saddles~ (Replacing Bank Robbery/Occasional Cowboy Switch)
From there, we find ourselves in the town itself. Longtime visitors may notice that this town isn't just any old ordinary Western town anymore...it's now Rock Ridge from Mel Brooks' classic comedy Blazing Saddles. Every single building is changed up to look like the Rock Ridge in the movie. There to greet the trams as they enter are live actors portraying Bart (originally played by Cleavon Little) and Jim (originally played by Gene Wilder).

Bart tips his hat and gives us a smile and a wink. "Howdy, folks! Isn't it a lovely day?" Suddenly, a gunshot whistles right past us and hits a nearby rock, causing Bart and Jim to duck. "Looks like we're under attack," Jim says. "There's only one way to go at a time like this." "And what way is that?" "The other way!" And with that, Bart and Jim dash inside one of the buildings.

After a few seconds of silence, a big gunfight starts up. Cowboys, bandits, and townsfolk alike all engage in a huge shootout a la a classic western film. It's Bart, Jim and the good people of Rock Ridge vs. Hedy Lamarr...

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...sorry, Hedley Lamarr and his goons. Humor ensues as expected in a Mel Brooks film, including a bull emerging from a laundromat with giant polka-dotted underwear on its horns, an old woman hitting a bandit over the head with her purse, and Lili von Shtupp singing German hymns with WWI German soldiers. Bart, noticing we're in the middle of the fight, directs us towards the Sheriff's Office, the doors of which magically open. We're safe...or so we think...

~The Cabin in the Woods~ (Formerly First Half of "Alien")
Suddenly, our tram begins to halt, emitting electric sparks and slamming the brakes off-and-on, off-and-on. This can't be good.

Before us is an inky, seemingly endless tunnel filled with nothing but utter darkness. That unsettling cavernous ambiance fills the air, setting a grim tone for the world of horror, the next stop on our journey. Not even our host's calming voice provides us with comfort. Without warning, a fearsome werewolf leaps from the darkness, just barely missing the trolley. Luckily, a sheet of glass is between us and the beast. The werewolf's howl echoes out in perfect pitch, lighting up a series of other glass walls. As it turns out, we have pulled right into the elevator sequence from The Cabin in the Woods. Countless monsters from both film, literature, folklore, and the imagination of the filmmakers appear from within glass elevators of all shapes and sizes, each creepy creature trying to break free and make us their lunch. A skull-faced spirit pounds away at its containment while a neighboring giant glares at us from its far-too-small elevator. Other monsters include a collection of zombies trying to break free, an angry tree-monster, a Pinhead-type character with buzz-saws protruding from his face, the Sugar Plum Fairy (a.k.a. a little girl in a tutu with a face composed of circular rows of endless shark teeth), a family wearing baby-faced masks and suits, suspicious doctors, a unicorn (oddly enough), a couple of living scarecrows, and worst of all - a clown.

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So, most of the monsters in the horror segment are either an animatronic or projection. Here is a complete list of monsters and the effects that make them possible.

Werewolf: Animatronic
Ghost: Projection
Clown: Animatronic
Giant: Forced-perspective static figure
Four Zombies: Animatronics
Four Family Members (a la The Strangers: Static figures
Angry Tree: Projection
Two Scarecrows: Forced-perspective projections (far away)
Vampire: Forced-perspective projection
Unicorn: Static figure (also forced-perspective)
Two Suspicious Doctors: Static figures
Sugar Plum Fairy: Animatronic
Pinhead-type Guy: Animatronic (he's twirling his little orb jigsaw puzzle around slowly)
Dragon: Forced-perspective projection
Giant Spider: Forced-perspective projection
Bat-Dragon: Forced-perspective projection
Ventriloquist Dummy: Forced-perspective static figure
Giant Cobra: Forced-perspective projection
Tyrannosaurus: Forced-perspective projection
Horned-Gorilla: Animatronic
Japanese Little Girl Ghost: Projection

There's actually going to be a lot of strobes in the elevator scene which will make it seem as if the static figures are...well, alive? One last note on that scene - the elevator scene needs to seem endless, so many of the boxes will be forced-perspective. Black-lit murals of even more elevators will grace the walls in addition to mirrors, making the scene even MORE endless.

~Alien~ (Minor Changes)
The giggling of the clown gives way to new sight - familiar to those fans of the original Great Movie Ride - the spaceship Nostromo from Alien. A PA announcement rings out as we enter the spaceship through a near-destroyed corridor filled with flashing lights and broken television monitors. "WARNING! REMAIN IN YOUR VEHICLE! THE AREA YOU ARE ENTERING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION." The old (albeit updated) animatronic of Sigourney Weaver remains, hiding from the title creature of the film which springs from the nearest wall in a blast of steam and strobes. The tram quickly jolts forward, leaving Nostromo behind and a vast jungle.

~Raiders of the Lost Ark~ (Updated)
Our host's voice returns. "The world of Raiders of the Lost Ark is adventurous and magical, yet filled to the brim with pure danger. Terrifying villains and greedy grave robbers lurk around every corner in addition to ancient curses, countless booby traps, vile spirits and...snakes...why did it have to be snakes?" Sure enough, a cluster of various jungle snakes swarm around the jungle floor. Amazonian natives peer out from the bushes as our tram takes us into the mouth of an ancient river-side temple, but not before nearly being bitten by a surprise snake attack from above.

Mysterious music from the film plays, putting our tram to a stop. Indiana Jones himself (a live actor) appears at the top of a nearby shrine, ready to grab a small, golden idol. He turns to see us. "Is that a - is that a tram? What are you doing here? You must leave at once, the gods of this temple will be angered by our presence. You must..." But before he can stop us, the temple begins to shake. "Now you've done it." The idol sinks down into its pedestal. Indy darts down the stairs towards us, grabbing a hold of the tram. "Get out! I've seen this happen too many times before!" But the tram won't start. It's sinking in quicksand. "Quicksand? Quicksand?!" But that's not all. A huge boulder has appeared on the other side of the tram. "Uh-oh. I have a very bad feeling about this," Indy strangely says (isn't that a Star Wars gag?). Indy darts around the side of the tram and approaches a series of floor-switches. "These booby traps outta do the trick." He slams his foot on a switch, causing a giant spike to come flying down from the vine-entangled ceiling. Just before the boulder crushes both ourselves and Indy, the spike stabs into the boulder, thus saving the day. "Well, that was a close one. Next time - leave the adventuring to the professional - me." And with that, our tram departs from the temple, but not before passing through the usual chamber filled with eerie mummies and priceless treasure. (And, as a brick joke, much like in the film, the Blazing Saddles characters are shown, still duking it out.)

~The Ten Commandments~ (Formerly 2/4 of "Tarzan")
Upon exiting the temple, we find ourselves on the banks of Egypt's Red Sea. Our tram stops short...there's no way to get across. And to make matters worse, the sound of oncoming chariots are getting closer and closer. But then, a live actor bearing grey hair and a beard, and cloaked in a red robe comes forward. This is Moses (originally portrayed by Charlton Heston). He stands up on a small rock nearby the sea, lifts his hands and cries "The Lord of Hosts will do battle for us! Behold his mighty hand!" And with that, the Red Sea parts and the tram continues forward.

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~Gone with the Wind~ (Formerly Other 2/4 of "Tarzan")
In yet another scene involving live actors, we find ourselves in Atlanta, which has been besieged by the Union Army. Utilizing the same effects as the "burning city" effect in the original Western scene in the ride, the actors playing the characters flee.

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~Casablanca~ (Minor Change)
Exiting safely from Atlanta, we come to the airport scene in another well-known film romance: Casablanca. Much like the current scene the room is decked out in drab, older colors but it has also been expanded. The entire room has been redone, with the wall opposite of Ilsa and Rick painted to look like guests are in the middle of an airport runway, with fog and lights surrounding them. To the right are still AAs of Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund standing next to the plane, as Blaine quotes the famous lines from the film. This redo however also gives Lund speaking lines as well. “I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.” “But what about us?” “We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.” “When I said I would never leave you...” “And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now... here's looking at you, kid.”

~Titanic~ (Formerly "Fantasia")
Moving on to the next room, we find ourselves lost out on the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912. To the left, in the area where the screen of Sorcerer Mickey used to be, Rose Dewitt-Bukater lies on a wooden frame, as Jack Dawson holds on from the water below, re-enacting their last moments together and one of the most iconic moments of the movie. Behind them is the Titanic, half submerged “underwater”. The lights occasionally flicker aboard the ship, and the room is dominated by the sounds of the ship’s sinking. A water effect is achieved using a semi-transparent blue plastic sheet, molded to look like waves. By placing this a few feet off of the ground in a dimly-lit room and slightly changing the lighting, the “ocean” will appear to actually move. "Listen, Rose. You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, not here, not this night. Not like this, do you understand me? "I can't feel my body." "Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me... it brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Rose. I'm thankful. You must do me this honor. Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise." "I promise." "Never let go." "I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go." Our host says, "Here is the final goodbye between lovers Jack Dawson and Rose Dewitt-Bukater from the modern masterpiece 'Titanic'. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, this film is one of the most popular films of all time, and held the record for highest-grossing movie for nearly ten years." As we exit, we can see the funnel of a sepia-toned tornado swirling in the distance...

~The Wizard of Oz~ (Minor Changes)
I am not getting rid of this scene. Besides, "The Wizard of Oz" is just too perfect a scene to end on. But however, I would change one thing. Apart from the Munchkins and Toto, I'd have all the characters be live actors. The tram will enter the scene just like they did before, but this time, they'll see Dorothy and Glinda (live actresses) looking on.

Suddenly, the Wicked Witch of the West herself appears. From there, the scene between Dorothy, the Witch and Glinda is acted out (complete with the effect of the Witch of the East's feet disappearing).

​

After the Witch of the West disappears, Glinda tells Dorothy "I'm afraid you've made a bad enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West. The sooner you get out of Oz altogether, the safer you'll sleep, my dear." "I'd give anything to get out of Oz altogether," Dorothy replies. "But which is the way back to Kansas? I can't go the way I came." "No, that's true. The only person who might know would be the great and wonderful Wizard of Oz himself!" "The Wizard of Oz? Is he good or is he wicked?" "Very good, but very mysterious. He lives in the Emerald City, and to get there, all you do is follow the Yellow Brick Road." The Munchkins start to repeat Glinda's advice, and soon break out into song. From there, Dorothy (and the guests) leave Munchkinland and enter a forest. To our right, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion (all actors) and Toto appear. They greet us as Dorothy rushes over to them. "Dorothy, look!" cries the Scarecrow. "We've made it!" Dorothy gasps. "The Emerald City! Oh, we're almost there, at last, at last!" "I've as good as got my brain!" says the Scarecrow. "I can faintly hear my heart beating!" says the Tin Man. "I'll be home in time for supper!" Dorothy says. "In another hour, I'll be king of the forest." proclaims the Cowardly Lion. "Long live the king! Well, come on, then, what are we waiting for?" "Nothing!" replies the Scarecrow. "Let's hurry!" With that, the foursome link arms and make their way towards the Emerald City, singing joyfully as they go. "We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz..."

~Finale~
As the trams leave Dorthy and her friends to walk along the yellow brick road, our vehicle enters a dark room, where the only light comes from a large movie screen. Our host appears and introduces a montage of classic film clips.

​

At the end of the montage, an instrumental version of "Hooray for Hollywood" starts up and plays us out of the finale room and into the unloading station. Once at the unloading station, our host gives his final spiel: "On behalf of Disney's Hollywoodland and Turner Classic Movies, thank you for joining us on The Great Movie Ride. Now before we do wrap this production, we still have one more scene to do. It's called 'The Exit'. The action begins with you remaining seated until we come to a complete stop, then you gather all your personal belongings and take small children by the hand. Now once these doors open, you will rise dramatically to your feet, and make a grand exit directly to the rear of the vehicle. Ready, everyone? And...action! Well, good-bye, everybody, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Disney's Hollywoodland. I'm Robert Osborne/Leonard Maltin and I'll see you at the movies...the stuff dreams are made of!"

And with that, our tour of the movies is complete.

Having opened 24 years ago, it's clear that The Great Movie ride has become a classic in its own right. And I did my best to preserve what I felt made the attraction classic, while still giving it an update so that the ride felt new and fresh. And if I did the job right, 24 years from now, most of the modern movies I chose will be considered classics in the same way that "Singin' In the Rain" and "The Wizard of Oz" are considered classics today.
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Well, there we have it...my vision for an updated Great Movie Ride. In the next post, our tour of Hollywood Boulevard will continue...

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Great stuff, but Idk what you even took from my ride! Haha.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Great stuff, but Idk what you even took from my ride! Haha.

Oh, silly me...I was planning on replacing the Western scene with Blazing Saddles, which I took from your "The Elephant/Adventures in Film" concept. But in the end, I went with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly/Dances with Wolves.
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Hollywood Boulevard
continued

​

Heading out of the Chinese Theatre, you'll notice a special photo-op area, where guests can pretend that their handprints are being placed in front of the Chinese Theater.

Nearby is the former home of the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. The theater's exterior has been changed to look like the Hollywood Pantages Theater, and inside, you'll find CineMagic, a breathtaking show from Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Resort Paris. This amazing show chronicles the evolution of film from black-and-white silent features of Georges Méliès to today’s most well-loved. This innovative presentation literally surrounds guests in the sights and sounds of film with unique 360-degree screens and effects where you least expect. The show is one of the most popular at the Paris park, and would make a welcome addition here.

​

Also here is the American Film Institute Showcase, which closed alongside the Backlot Tour. Well, now it's re-opened to serve as a perfect post-show for CineMagic.

​

Just off of the Chinese Theatre, to the right, leading behind the Hollywood Pantages Theater, guests will come across a vastly small alleyway, that leads down towards Muppets Courtyard. This alleyway is lined with palm trees, leading their way down the strip. This alleyway was formerly known as Commissary Lane, but has since been re-themed to become part of Hollywood Boulevard. Located to the guests' right is the ABC Bistro.

The former studio-based ABC Commissary has been re-themed to fit the feeling of Hollywood Boulevard. The exterior has changed to feature streamline moderne architecture of the 1930s, much like the former ABC Soap Opera Bistro at Disney's California Adventure, pictured above. But unlike the Soap Opera Bistro, this bistro isn't themed to soap operas. The restaurant still keeps its interior from its days as the ABC Commissary. The new restaurant has also dumped its counter-service days, and now functions as a table-service restaurant, offering such foods as pizza, soups, salads, roast chicken, sandwiches, ribs, roasted salmon, sandwiches and luscious desserts, like the famed chocolate mousse and strawberry parfait.

​

Right nearby the ABC Bistro, you'll find the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, a truly different experience unlike any other to be found in the park. In this sit-down restaurant, guests are seated in old-fashioned vehicles in a building designed to re-create the outdoor settings of a drive-in movie theater. LED stars twinkle overhead, as a huge screen in the front of the theater plays clips from old sci-fi features, including older movie theater promos and cartoons. The Cast Members serving the guests roll up to the vehicles in true era style, in roller blades. The restaurant is definitely an experience to remember. Plus, since the "actual movie studio" theme is gone, the exterior will be themed around schlocky science-fiction, complete with outrageous marquees, neon lights and cutouts.

​

Continuing down the ramp leading from the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, guests will come across The Writer's Stop, tucked away in the corner of the descending ramp, leading towards the rest of the park. The Writers' Stop is a wonderful place to get a nice cup of coffee and read a great book. A small seating area is features in the restaurant, amongst the many shelves of books and even an old 50s television, playing classic Disney cartoons.

In addition, The Writer's Stop also serves as a waiting area for those who have reservations to the nearby Sci-Fi Dine-In. A new menu has been added, featuring items like a warm pretzel with spicy mustard and cheese sauce and a selection of beer, wine, and soft drinks. Sugar Spiced Nuts and a Charcuterie and Cheese platter will also be available, in addition to the usual supply of coffee and pastries. The Writer's Stop also sells kitchen items and accessories.

Now, let us move away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood Boulevard for a bit, and take a quiet stroll in the Eastern Gardens. This is a tranquil and gorgeous garden nestled alongside the left side of the Chinese Theatre and into the Hollywoodland Hills, which serve as the street’s backdrop. Under the hill’s uneven letters reading HOLLYWOODLAND are the garden’s walking paths, bridges, streams, pagodas, and waterfalls that serve as a break from the hustle and bustle of Tinseltown.

You know, they say the Chinese Theatre Plaza here at Disney's Hollywoodland looks a lot like Mickey Mouse when you look at it from above (check out the picture at the start of this post to see). Serving as the right ear of this not-so-hidden Mickey is Echo Lake. Echo Lake is a wide lake just off of the Chinese Theatre, and reflects on the exciting 50's era of Hollywood. Mid-century architecture and oasis vegetation, not too different from that found in Southern California, wrap around Echo Lake. Echo Lake Park is an actual man-made reservoir in the Echo Lake neighborhood near the Hollywood districts and has been recreated here at the Studios as well, albeit, a much smaller version of it.

Now, I've debated with myself over this, but I personally would remove Min & Bill's Dockside Diner and Dinosaur Gertie's, because they, to me, cause nothing but visual clutter to the lake. So, anyways, let's move on. Just past the entrance to CineMagic, guests will find the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Plaza, a small courtyard made to recognize the efforts of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, highlighting several television stars, including Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey and Dick Clark, amongst several others. This plaza incorporates the role of always recognizing the legacy of which has passed before us.

Nearby this small plaza is a building that used to play host to sound-based spectacles like the Monster Sound Show and Sounds Dangerous starring Drew Carey. But nowadays, the only sound you may hear coming from that building is uproarious laughter. Why? Because I'd turn that theater into the new home of the Comedy Warehouse!

This uproarious group of comedians used to entertain at Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney before packing up in 2008. Well, I've decided to bring them back to make guests LOL. After all, since the park hosts their yearly Christmas Special, why not bring them back full-time?

​

The Comedy Warehouse shares the same building space as Casting Call. Using parts of the former American Idol audition rooms, the defunct Radio Studio and the old corporate lounge, Casting Call is a special meet & greet area. Much like Pete's Silly Sideshow and Princess Fairytale Hall at the Magic Kingdom, Casting Call has two different meet & greet areas under one roof--one area features Olaf, the beloved snowman from Frozen, and the other features Sorcerer Mickey and Minnie.

On the other side of the lake, to the left, you'll find Hollywood & Vine, a buffet style restaurant that is literally located on the corners of Hollywood & Vine. The interior of the restaurant is a quintessential Hollywood-scape, featuring neon lights and California depictions of the city-scape. The buffet is open regularly for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with Disney characters popping in for breakfast and lunch.

Right next door is the the 50's Prime Time Cafe, where guests are transported back to their parents' homes, in the dawn of the television age, where every room in this cafe features the new technology. The televisions feature early black and white television show promos and advertisements from the early days of television. The waitresses and waiters act as idealized images of "Mom" and "Dad", telling guests to eat their vegetables and to keep their elbows off of the table. These characters are a huge part of the show and help tell the story of the restaurant. In between these two restaurants is the Tune-In Lounge, which serves alcoholic beverages.

Now, one of the things I like about having a non-cluttered Echo Lake is that it will allow for this: in the lake itself, new fountains and lights have been placed throughout the lake and when night falls, the fountains come alive, synchronized to the themes of some of the greatest music from the movies, like "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King, the "Love Theme" from Romeo & Juliet, "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca, "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's, "Singin' in the Rain", "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio, as well as the themes from "Star Wars", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Mission: Impossible", "Superman", "James Bond", "Harry Potter", "Ben-Hur", "The Magnificent Seven", among others. This new feature is in no means a "World of Color" type of show, but rather, a nice, beautiful element to enhance the area, offering a beautiful display of fountains, dancing to the scores that are heard.
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And that's where we'll stop for now. Next land in the next post. See ya then!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

I wonder were Disney Hollywood Studios would have a building museum with Disney, ABC memorabilia shows from Zorro to Once Upon A Time?

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Yeah, the whole Blazing Saddles scene's only purpose was for comedy and to be used as a suitable finale where all the movies collide and interact with each other. No worries, though!

My question to you is, what are you going to do in this thread in regards to Star Wars and Toy Story Land?

 

[DisneyManOne]

Yeah, the whole Blazing Saddles scene's only purpose was for comedy and to be used as a suitable finale where all the movies collide and interact with each other. No worries, though!

My question to you is, what are you going to do in this thread in regards to Star Wars and Toy Story Land?

What am I going to do regarding Star Wars and Toy Story, you ask? Let's find out...
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Star Wars Spaceport
http://www./wp-content/uploads/2015/08/8_15_WDI_003-800x400.jpg
​

Step into this intergalactic outpost hidden among the dense foliage of distant moons. Resembling Yavin, Kashyyyk, or Endor, this forested port proves an unusual and somehow inviting shift from the bright lights of Hollywood Boulevard. Here is a 14-acre land transporting guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life.

As we all know, fans were hyped when Star Wars Land was announced at D23...

​

...but however, they didn't say exactly where the land was to be located. But, we can pretty much piece together that it's gonna be spreading from Indiana Jones (which will more than likely get replaced. Indy, in my plans, has moved to a new area in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. See here for more details: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/magic-kingdom-a-new-generation.903725/#post-6872999) to the Premiere Theatre.

If you enter the Spaceport from the park’s hub, just past the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Plaza, you’d instead pass an interstellar lighthouse and a towering (relocated) AT-AT that set the forested stage for the land.

The theming of the land is absolutely perfect. According to Bob Chapek, Disney's COO, this land "will introduce you to a Star Wars planet you’ve never seen before — a gateway planet located on the outer rim, full of places and characters familiar and not so familiar." And according to CEO Bob Iger, the land will be "occupied by many inhabitants; humanoids, aliens and droids … the attractions, the entertainment, everything we create will be part of our storytelling. Nothing will be out of character or stray from the mythology."

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2015/08/8_15_WDI_001-630x291.jpg​

As we all know, Streetmosphere plays a big part here at Disney's Hollywoodland, and Star Wars Spaceport is no exception. Here, every day feels like a Star Wars Weekend, with Stormtroopers, Clone Troopers, Rodians, Imperial Officers, Biths, Jawas, Ewoks, Sand People, Gamorrean Guards and other creatures walking around and interacting with Guests. Not only that, but you'll be able to meet up with characters like Admiral Ackbar, Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, Aurra Sing, BB-8, Chewbacca, Chopper, Darth Maul, Darth Vader, Ezra Bridger, Jango Fett, Bobba Fett, Kit Fisto, Finn, Greedo, Han Solo, Kylo Renn, Luke Skywalker, Mace Windu, Poe Dameron, Princess Leia, Queen Amidala, Rey, R2-D2, C-3PO, Sabine Wren, Shaak Ti, Wicket, Zam Wesell, and various other Jedi. That is basically the character list for Star Wars Weekends. However, the Star Wars versions of the Fab 5 will not be found here except for the Star Wars weekend events. This will be all authentic and serious in tone.

Anyways, moving into the land, you'll find a great wealth of amazing adventures. Star Wars Spaceport will offer two new groundbreaking attractions. The first one puts you inside Han Solo's famed ship, the Millennium Falcon. But you won't just be tagging along for the ride (like on Star Tours). Nope--here, you'll actually be piloting the famous ship!
Guests will be able to turn, bank and even fire weapons in this still-unnamed simulation-style experience. This type of large-scale interactive attraction is certainly unprecedented, and while we don’t know exactly how it will work, we do have an idea:

Though nothing beyond the premise of this ride has been confirmed, it seems unlikely that guests will be experiencing this attraction individually. Instead, guests may be able to man different “stations” as part of a larger "team" in this new attraction, in what could be an evolution of the Mission: Space concept that has been altered to fit the Star Wars narrative. This idea not only would allow the attraction to have good guest flow, but also would be consistent with the flight style shown in the films, which often requires cooperation between characters.

The other new attraction, based upon the recent smash Star Wars: The Force Awakens, pits guests in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance. The ride utilizes a motion base ride vehicle moving through a scene with screens (similar to what guests currently experience at The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Islands of Adventure). Though it's not made clear in the art above, it has been rumored that this ride will could be a trackless dark ride, which will be a first for Disney parks in the US (editor's note: while some commenters have pointed out that Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters will use trackless technology when it opens, this is more of a simple flat ride, rather than a complex dark ride like Ratatouille at Disneyland Paris or Pooh's Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland).

What also remains unclear is whether this attraction will also have an interactive component as well. The short clip showcasing this ride seemed to show an exchange of fire between the guests and the Stormtroopers, and while this could be a part of the ride’s story (guests exchange fire with several characters during Transformers: The Ride, also at Universal Orlando Resort, for example), it is possible that this could be yet another interactive experience that will put guests in the middle of the Star Wars universe.

Now, nothing's been set in stone yet, but I'm sure that the Backlot Express restaurant will be transformed into that "wretched hive of scum and villainy" itself--the Mos Eisley Cantina. I never knew how much space that the Backlot Express restaurant occupied. That place is HUGE, even for a quick-service restaurant. If it is necessary, space from the restaurant will be donated to the new Millennium Falcon ride. Also, with the confusion of the name, as it is nowhere near the Backlot, it makes for an obvious decision to transform this restaurant into the iconic Star Wars bar. The restaurant's fare will remain counter service, but will also include a bar serving strange intergalactic beverages, such as blue milk. As guests enjoy their meal, they encounter various alien creatures walking around the restaurant. The main attraction, however, are performances by the Cantina Band. These Audio Animatronic figures would be akin to Sonny Eclipse at Starliner Diner at the Magic Kingdom.

The area also features a "dinner club" style restaurant (featured in the art above) that will likely be either a traditional sit-down restaurant or perhaps even an in-park dinner show, similar to Club Villain on Sunset Boulevard.

Despite all these new additions, the main attraction here is the unstoppable Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, an out-of-this-world flight simulator through the Star Wars universe. With 54 different combinations of flight plans, every ride on Star Tours is different. You may visit Hoth, Coruscant, Naboo, the Death Star, the Wookie Planet and more, get a transmission from Princess Leia, Master Yoda or Admiral Ackbar and encounter with Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Boba-Fett and even Jar Jar Binks. The attraction has been arranged to mix and match the several different scenarios, so that you may never know which one you will get, always switchin up the attraction, adding to the re-ride-ability factor.

​

The guests then exit out into the Tatooine Traders shop, which is a complete shop devoted to Star Wars, which even includes a Build Your Own Lightsaber section. I'd only make one change to this ride: I'd completely remove the elements that make it look like a studio set.

Speaking of shops, the area boasts an open marketplace that will let guests shop, grab sometime to eat and even meet with local residents in a casual way, just like their favorite characters might have in the Star Wars films. And since Star Wars Land isn't based on any specific film or planet, you never know who you'll bump into! In-between the Mos Eisley Cantina and Star Tours is the Millennium Falcon. This is a walk-through of the ship, which is fully explorable and accurate to the movie. A cast member is stationed inside the ship at the entrance to the cockpit to help regulate crowds in this popular area.

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2015/08/8_15_WDI_002-630x355.jpg​

In the center of this outpost is the Jedi Training Academy, where young Padawans can take hold of a lightsaber and test their skills alongside Jedi Masters in an interactive show.

​

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And there we have it--my vision for a Star Wars area at Disney's Hollywoodland.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Star Tours is getting more destinations from Episode VII, and I left a post for you about Indiana Jones: Temple of the Forbidden Eye in the MK thread.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

what will happen to aerosmith?

 

[DisneyManOne]

Star Tours is getting more destinations from Episode VII, and I left a post for you about Indiana Jones: Temple of the Forbidden Eye in the MK thread.

I've heard about the update; and I've recently replied to your post in the MK thread.

what will happen to aerosmith?

Time will tell, my friend. We'll get there soon.
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Muppets Courtyard

​

It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights! Anything can happen at Muppets Courtyard, where Jim Henson’s cavalcade of creatures runs the show.

Plans for this land date back as far as the early 1990s, when the Walt Disney Company came very close to purchasing the Muppets, something they would not actually do for over another decade, and when it was looking like things were going to go ahead (Jim Henson personally thought that Disney would be good caretakers of his creations), Disney Imagineering set forth on designing a whole land for the Muppets.

Imagineers set apart a small area of the newly opened Disney-MGM Studios to create a mini-land which would be called Muppet Movieland. The area was meant to be opened by 1991 and signs were even put up showing the future location of the studio. In addition, a teaser show called Meet the Muppets had a short run at the park.

However, when Jim Henson died the Disney acquisition that would have enabled Disney to benefit from the project fell through. Without ownership of the Muppet characters, Disney was reluctant to expand the Muppet presence in the parks and the land was abandoned. The only attraction that did come to fruition was the Muppet Vision 3-D attraction that still exists today and was actually the last project that Jim Henson worked on before he passed away.

My plan calls for the creation of a Muppets-themed area similar to what was originally planned. From the hub, Hollywood Boulevard is accessed via a tree-lined studio pathway past the ABC Bistro and the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater.

In the 2011 film, the entire Muppet Studios appeared dormant and disheveled, having been unused for many years. However, that is not the case for this, which is beautifully kept in perfect order. The ground of the Muppets Courtyard is layered in brick, as are many of the surrounding buildings, creating a New York-inspired courtyard. The brick courtyard leads to a Muppet fountain right in the middle. The fountain features several Muppets, including Kermit, Fozzy, Gonzo, Animal, Rizzo and Miss Piggy, dressed as the Statue of Liberty. This area is a common place for guests to meet up with the Muppets themselves--Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Dr. Teeth, Floyd, Zoot, Janice, Rowlf, Scooter, Sam the Eagle, Sweetums, the Swedish Chef, Animal, Dr. Honeydew, Beaker and Walter.

Directly behind the fountain, guests will find the fun, outstanding Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3-D in a brick soundstage building, topped with a hot-air balloon, featuring the face of Kermit the Frog. The exterior of the attraction features the silhouette of Gonzo hanging from a clock, as well as a romantic painting of Kermit and Miss Piggy in a classic, romantic pose. Muppet-Vision has become a staple to Disney's Hollywood Studios and has become a favorite to many. The 3-D experience takes guests along with Kermit through a tour of a few of the Muppet workshops, including a trip to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Laboratory, a performance by Miss Piggy and an explosive finale. The attraction utilizes real Muppets, special 4-D effects, fiber optics and smoke effects.

​

Right across from Muppet*Vision 3-D, Pizza Planet has been removed. Thematically, it does not make sense, even more-so with the addition of Pixar Place. Much like the original plans, the area has become the Swedish Chef's Video Cooking School Restaurant. Inside the restaurant, guests are able to watch the chef’s hilariously chaotic cooking demonstrations.

​

Descending down a ramp, proceeding further into Muppets Courtyard, guests will come across the Stage One Company Store, a complete gift store themed to the Muppets. The store features three themed sections, one themed to Muppet Babies, the other themed to a generic Muppets set, featuring lighting rigs, camera equipment and real props used in the Muppet movies and the last is themed to the Happiness Hotel.

Just down the path to the left of the Stage One Company Store, guests will come across It Feels Like Christmas, a Christmas-themed gift shop, tucked away in the corner of the Courtyard, themed to The Muppet Christmas Carol. A snowman is located right outside of the shop.

​

To the left of the store, guests will find that Mama Melrose's has been turned into Gonzo's Pizzeria Parlour Pandemonium, a great Italian restaurant, specializing in pizza dishes. The aroma just flows throughout the area. While it is a great eatery, it also makes for a great entertaining experience. Given the Italian basis, the restaurant's decor would largely go unchanged.

But, throughout the dining experience, chaos breaks loose. Fire erupts from the kitchen, a pair of rats scurry across the shelves in the restaurant, a "living character" Camilla, Gonzo's chicken lover, is brought out as dinner, as Gonzo attempts to save her by climbing through the rafters above the restaurant. Platters of "food" come to life and start to talk with the audience. Pictures of the Muppets on the wall come to life and strike up conversations with nearby diners. Quite an experience.

Directly ahead, guests will find a descending ramp, the exit of the Muppet*Vision 3-D attraction.

​

Due to all this expansion going on here, the Streets of America are now gone, as well as the Phineas and Ferb/Cars meet & greets and the Premiere Theatre. Replacing the area formerly held by the aforementioned meet & greets is the marvelous Muppet Theater with its flashing incandescent marquee and sparking electrical wires. This is the home of The Great Muppet Movie Ride, the Muppets' take on the history of movies. This ride is somewhat of a spoof of The Great Movie Ride. Just like The Great Movie Ride, guests on the Muppet version would tour the history of movies, only this time it would star an entirely Muppet cast. Jim Henson described it as "a backstage ride explaining how movies were shot... and all the information is wrong."

As we make our way into the theater, we pass through several corridors littered with famous Muppet props, such as the banana sharpener, boomerang fish, Chuckie (Fozzie's dummy that has a mind of his own), crates full of singing vegetables that are heard chatting with each other, Miss Piggy's giant purple suitcases, Animal's broken drum set (two eyes peering from inside), Crazy Harry's TNT, some bags of chicken feed, Kermit's banjo resting against his bike, the baseball diamond from The Great Muppet Caper, and last but not least Fozzie's dressing room door, in which guests can knock on and hear horrible jokes from the lovable bear.

After passing by the corridors, we enter the loading area, which, in a style similar to the Hollywood mural, features a new kind of mural. Remember the ending of The Muppet Movie, where the Muppets finally get to make a movie? Well, the "set" for that scene (representing their journey to Hollywood) will serve as the mural.

Grand orchestral versions of songs like “Rainbow Connection”, “When Love is Gone”, “Man or Muppet”, “Bein' Green”, “Something So Right”, “Life's a Happy Song”, and of course, “Hey, a Movie!” At the far edge, much like the Great Movie Ride's loading area, is the theatre marquee, promoting THE MOST ACCURATE (not) TOUR OF THE MOVIES EVER!, which the vehicles pass under. The whole feel of the area is very uppity, not giving a single clue as to what's in store.

Our vehicles then pull into the loading area ready for adventure as a cast member helps us get into our seats. Our vehicles will be the same as the Great Movie Ride, but much smaller. They will seat 5 per row with 4 rows. And these will be painted yellow with “Muppet Studios” printed on the back. Kermit is then heard giving us a quick safety spiel: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, before we begin our trip through the movies, just a few simple reminders: there is no flash pictures or smoking allowed during the tour, remain seated at all times, with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the tram, please watch your children and might I say, good luck!” Our trams begin moving forward as we pass underneath the marquee which appears to have teeth as well as eyes. Inside, we pass through a tunnel of flashing yellow and green lights as a grand musical orchestration of the Muppet Show theme plays, a la Muppet*Vision 3D.

Coming out of the flashy tunnel, the lightning crashes as the cheery Muppet Show theme song changes into a dark and sinister violin track. We have entered a dark and dreary castle full of eerie eyes, spider-infested cobwebs, and possessed portraits with moving eyes, a.k.a. a portrait of Pepe the King Prawn in a powdered wig and black robe. Our trams continue on as we enter the filming of our first film, Beakerstein, where we find the first of many gags to come. To our left we see a normal soundstage where Gonzo sits in a director's chair yelling stage directions into a megaphone, Scooter holding a boom mic, Rizzo behind the camera, Animal eating a table full of snacks, and Fozzie holding two cords and looking at them strangely. Across the way we return to the haunted castle where we see Kermit and Ms. Piggy standing in an open doorway with looks of horror, watching the presumably evil Dr. Bunsen Honeydew bring his ten foot tall monster (Beaker with bolts in his neck) to life. Electrodes buzz and test tubes full of multicolored potions bubble as Gonzo yells stage directions.

GONZO: OK, this is the big dramatic finale, when Honeydew finally brings his creation to life! But Kermit and Piggy are too late, mankind has no hope now that Beakerstein has been brought into exsistence! And action!

HONEYDEW: Bwa ha ha! There is nothing you can do to stop me now!

KERMIT: (Horrible acting) Oh dear, it seems that we are too late!

PIGGY: Oh Kermie, whatever shall we do?

GONZO: And cut! Great job everyone, turn on the electrodes!

Fozzie curiously plugs the two cords he was holding together only for his tie to get caught in between them, surging a powerful electric current through him and Beaker. Fozzie's fur rises into the air, smoke streams out of his ears, and his eyes light up as he yells “Wacka wacka wacka!” Beaker suffers a similar fate, as his scruff of hair rises into the air while his eyes light up. He screams in pain until there is a huge explosion, flashing lights and walls with the word “BOOM” painted all over them.

Our trams manage to survive the explosion, but the ride is not over yet. As we exit, we pass by Statler and Waldorf in a golf cart. They give a little bit of their signature heckling (it’ll be different each time you ride) before they go off into the distance.

Our trams enter another soundstage except this time the movie is Peter Frog and we are now in a set made to resemble London. Gonzo again yells directions with his trusty script girl Camilla by his side, while rat technicians work high above us. Peter Pan (Kermit), Wendy (Janice), John (Scooter), and Michael (Fozzie) fly out of an open window, held in the air by gigantic ropes and rings.

GONZO: And action! (The Muppets fly out)

JANICE: Like wow Peter, I have like never been this high, fer sure.

KERMIT: Don't worry Wendy, all you need is pixie dust! (beat) Ahem, I said all you need is pixie dust!

PIGGY (Offstage): Alright hold your horses bub!

Suddenly all the rats scream in pain as Miss Piggy wearing a pair of plastic fairy wings, a tiny green dress, a magic wand at hand, and a blonde wig, breaks through a painted wall screaming as the rats swing her through the air on her rope.

PIGGY: Get me down from here! Ahhhhhhhhh! Help, help moi!

GONZO: Cut, cut!

​

Our trams pull out of London and passes through a tunnel that takes us upwards. Given how small the proposed space is, the ride will take place on two levels. When our ascent finishes, we're in a Western town, where the time is high noon and a showdown is a-brewin’. This is The Good, the Bad and the Cowardly. Fozzie stars as the Bear with No Name, facing off against Dragon Eyes, played by Uncle Deadly, with his partner Taco, played by Rizzo, cowering behind him. Their horses, tethered to a nearby pole, converse with each other (in high-class British accents) about what’s going on. Various Muppets peek out of the windows, one of them director Gonzo, who shouts directions from his megaphone down to the actors. The doors to a nearby saloon open, and we head inside.

Those saloon doors actually served as a transition to the next scene, where we through a dark room, eerie Muppet eyes peering from the darkness. We’re in the filming of Men in Plaid. Vaudeville music is heard playing as tomatoes appear flying through the air. Suddenly we enter a damaged street of the city, wrecked by a battle between hundreds of tiny Fozzie bears and the infamous Men in Plaid, Statler and Waldorf, armed with “tomato guns.” All the mini-Fozzies appear to be linked to a giant derby hat spaceship sitting in the heart of the scene. The annoying pests all scream “Wacka wacka wacka” and “Hey folks you have been a great audience”and “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Statler and Waldorf fight with each other as we pass slowly through the scene without stopping.

STATLER: Hey Waldorf?

WALDORF: Yeah?

STATLEr: Doesn't this remind you of that Shakespeare play Hamlet?

WALDORF: Ya you know it does.

STATLER: Well you should know, you dated his sister!

BOTH: Do-ho-ho-ho-ho!

WALDORF: Boy was she ugly.

As we exit the fight scene we enter a Caribbean town, very similar to the one in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but with the Muppet touch. This is the set of Pirates of the Amphibian: Curse of the Black Prawn. A giant pirate ship (aka a replica of the Hispaniola from Muppet Treasure Island) stands near the dock, as a whole slew of pirates from Muppet Treasure Island—Polly Lobster, Clueless Morgan, Sweetums, Mad Monty, Angel Marie, Old Tom, Really Old Tom and Dead Tom—raid the town. Some of them are on the shores, stealing pies from a pie vendor, played by Dr. Honeydew, others dunk the town’s mayor, played by Sam the Eagle, in the well. All of the pirates sing “When You’re a Professional Pirate” from the movie. However, none of them notice Captain Jack Tadpole, aka Kermit, poke his head out of a barrel, watching the fiasco. Rowlf stands behind the camera in a small boat floating in the water, filming the scene as Gonzo continues to yell directions, like “Can I get a little bit more pillaging, please?” and “Okay, Kermit, poke your head up now!” and“Good job, everyone! You’re starting to make me want pie.” Statler and Waldorf’s golf cart appears atop a bridge we pass under, and they heckle again.

We exit under the bridge and enter a dark jungle, the sounds of tropical birds and roaring tigers in the distance. The first gag appears to our right, a steamy swamp full of croaking frogs, and Pepe who sunbathes on a lilly pad, a crocodile lurking nearby. To our left we see the filming of Jurassic Pork in progress, our trams stopping for a closer look. Once again, we find Gonzo sitting in the director's chair with his trusty megaphone, Rizzo behind the camera, and Scooter holding the boom mic. Across the way we see several pigs dressed as cannibalistic natives, holding jungle explorers Kermit the Frog and Walter hostage over a boiling stew pot, while Ms. Piggy appears tied to two wooden spears at the very top of a sacrificial altar.

GONZO: And action!

PIGGY: Oh help, help, somebody help!

PIGS: Ani-mal! Ani-mal! Ani-mal! (The pigs continue to chant)

KERMIT: Don't worry Piggy we will save you!

WALTER: Kermit, did you not realize that we are tied up here?

KERMIT: Oh sorry, Walter.

WALTER: Sure thing. Say did you catch the Mighty Ducks' game last night?

PIGGY: Ahem.

KERMIT: No I didn't but I heard it was great!

PIGGY: Ahem.

GONZO: Oh you should have seen it, it was amazing!

PIGGY: AHEM!!!!!!!

KERMIT: Oh sorry.

PIGS: Animal! Animal! Animal!

The bushes behind Piggy pull apart, revealing a giant Animal panting and breathing heavily. Suddenly his eyes enlarge as he sees Piggy.

ANIMAL: WOMAN! WOMAN! WOMAN!

Animal grabs Piggy, who fights back.

PIGGY: Get your hands off me, you filthy swine!

ANIMAL: Woman hurt Animal, Animal go back to cage.

Animal disappears back into the jungle as Gonzo screams.

GONZO: Cut, cut, cut! What was that? Honestly, Animal you were supposed to take the woman, not leave! Let's do this again.

RIZZO: Take 963!

We leave the scene as the cast gets back in their original positions. The dense jungle quickly turns into the vastness of space. Our vehicle descends through the stars and enters the U.S.S. Swinetrek. We are caught in the middle of the epic battle scene from Pigs in Space: The Movie! The Swinetrek crew—Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork and Miss Piggy—attempt to use their ship’s weapons to take down their foe—the dreaded Space Pi-rats (a bunch of rats with laser pistols, bandannas and cutlasses), led by the nefarious Captain Rizzo. The rats swing above our heads on ropes. As we exit the Swinetrek through an escape pod, we see Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again. A laser beam slices the cart in half.

Finally, we enter a room very similar to the final room in The Great Movie Ride, as Kermit tells us, “And now, we’d like to end your ride on The Great Muppet Movie Ride with a little tribute to the greatest movies of all time—our movies.” And with that, clips from the Muppet movies play as “Hey, a Movie!” from The Great Muppet Caper plays. But as the montage ends, all chaos breaks loose. Muppets dance in dressed as famous movie characters, fireworks go off, props fall from the ceiling, and finally the screen falls off the wall and lands with a CRASH! in front of us.

Kermit appears in the hole that the screen left behind, and says “Well, everyone, I…I guess that concludes The Great Muppet Movie Ride. Now, we don’t want to hurt yourselves, like some people I know, so when your car comes to a full and complete stop and the doors open, gather up all your belongings and take your little ones by the hand and exit out to your right. Thanks for joining us, everyone, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Disney's Hollywoodland, and uh…I hope I don’t see you in court.” He leaves, and, after a few seconds, that giant Animal from the Jurassic Pork section pokes his head out of the hole and roars before walking away. We pass by Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again, they give us some parting words, and we pull into the unload area and depart our car.

STATLER: Well, did you think that was any better than Muppet*Vision 3D?

WALDORF: I think it was worse. At least in Muppet*Vision, you could get out of your seat and LEAVE!

BOTH: Doh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!

To close out the Muppets Courtyard, right across the street from the Muppet Theater, guests will find Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Muppet WaterWorks, an outdoor water playground, which stretches through the unused, large outdoor queue of Muppet*Vision 3-D. The area is a great place to relax, while also offering a water feature into the park, which is the only park in all of WDW that lacks some sort of water interactivity. This is also a common location for the Muppet Mobile Lab to appear, another interactive experience, where "living character" Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker take members from their audience to help enlist in the creation and performance of their new inventions.

​

Another pair of gates mark the way out of the Muppets Courtyard and into the next land...
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And that's where we'll stop for now. In the next post, we're going to visit Pixar Place, but it'll be a bit different from the last time you saw it.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

So with Muppets Studio is it going to have elements from the upcoming TV show as well?

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

That one nighttime show with films have you thought of a alternate show that is like celebrate the Wonderful World of Walt Disney that uses not only uses projection mapping, but also the mist screens in Fantasmic like Disneyland Forever did?

 

[DisneyManOne]

So with Muppets Studio is it going to have elements from the upcoming TV show as well?

Not really. I wouldn't involve Denise in anything, because I'm dead-certain that Kermit and Miss Piggy will get back together in an episode or two (hey, I'm genre-savvy).

That one nighttime show with films have you thought of a alternate show that is like celebrate the Wonderful World of Walt Disney that uses not only uses projection mapping, but also the mist screens in Fantasmic like Disneyland Forever did?

Nope. Fantasmic will remain the park's nighttime spectacular.
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Pixar Place

​

In the current Disney's Hollywood Studios, Pixar Place is always bustling with activity ever since Toy Story Midway Mania opened in 2008. The attraction is always a fun ride and always pulls in a great deal of guests. While the attraction is an overwhelming success currently, the success of the attraction is also a bit of a problem. The attraction opened in a park where there was no other sort of attraction to pull capacity from the attraction. Everyone ALWAYS rushes to TSMM to receive multiple FastPasses and get on the ride. Even after the recent renovation of Star Tours, it still proved to be the head honcho of the park, with no other attractions to pull the same sort of excitement. The addition and expansion of Pixar Place will surely see to fix that.

By the way, huge shout-out to @MANEATINGWREATH, whose excellent Dream Resort thread--which features a Pixar Place area--served as my inspiration for portions of this large expansive new land.

From Star Wars Spaceport, a path splits into two directions. One way leads to Muppets Courtyard, and the other way leads to Pixar Place. Dense forests fill our field of vision. At last, we find ourselves standing in front of a replica of the Pixar studio's entrance gates. Being huge Pixar fans ourselves, we dart below the trestle and enter yet another huge, immersive land.

On the other side of the entrance gates, we stumble upon a fanciful recreation of Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. This area, aptly referred to as Emeryville, acts as the "Main Street" to Pixar Place, a miniature stretch of land leading into the various worlds ahead.

Being the only sub-area representing the real-world, slight touches of fantasy are strung about the miniature studio, each touch representing a familiar flight of fantasy - Edna Mode's latest designs appear in a storefront, Buy *n* Large provides operation to all the snack carts, a certain green apatosaurus peers out of an opened-window, etc. It seems only fitting that our first stop is the Buy *n* Large Superstore, a high-tech 711 of sorts selling various goods and snacks in a futuristic, robot-filled environment. Don't worry, the cashiers are human...or are they? Spirit of Adventure, inspired by Up, sells all sorts of things for the adventurer in your family. There's even a little stand outside that sells balloons! Bug City is a truly bizarre shop named for a primary location in a bug's life that, while miniature in size, sells all things related to critters, whether they be rubber bugs, rubber snakes, rubber rats, remote-controlled spiders, or other souvenirs of the bizarre. Bug City shares a complex with Merida's Marvels, a distinctly girl and boy-friendly shop that sells not just princess gowns, but also bows, arrows, and swords, not forgetting stuffed black bears with rather humanistic expressions. Also in the same complex is The Good Dinosaur, a gift shop that sells all manner of prehistoric-related memorabilia, including the fossils of common dinosaur-era creatures, such as shark teeth and horseshoe crabs. The Pixar Company Store at the end of the left-hand side of the campus sells all things Pixar, from toys to books, to movies, to stills, to you name it.

On the right-hand side is The Pixar Story, a museum that features exhibits about Pixar's history, how their films are made, an area featuring sneak peeks of their newest films, often presented with 4D effects in fabulous HD-3D, concept art galleries, hands-on interactive stuff, demonstration videos, and an auditorium showing Pixar short films and used for Special Events. Think of the Pixar exhibit that was featured at the Museum of Science in Boston. That's what I want to emulate here.

​

The museum exits out into the Knick-Knack gift shop, offering merchandise themed around the Pixar universe. Of course, there will be a shelf behind the cash registers featuring the knick-knacks from the short--Sunny Egypt, Sunny Israel, Sunny Death Valley, Sunny Florida, Sunny Palm Springs, Sunny Jamaica, Sunny Miami and of course, Knick the Snowman.

Before branching off at the right-hand end of the street, we find a miniature recreation of Hidden City Cafe, the infamous cafe where the likes of WALL-E, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc. trace their origin, as mentioned by director Andrew Stanton in the teaser-trailer for WALL-E. The cafe itself sells fresh sandwiches and coffee of the non-Starbucks variety, though the real attraction here are the wall-hangings of Pixar concept art and napkin-drawings. Nearby that is a replica of the Pixar campus' famed Cereal Bar, where you can get a big bowlful of your favorite type of morning-time treats.

​

Like Main Street at the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Boulevard here at Disney's Hollywoodland, Emeryville breaks off into a miniature hub of sorts. In the center of this hub, a familiar desktop lamp towers over guests' heads, neighbored by an equally-familiar ball.

Throughout Pixar Studios, many of Pixar's classic characters are found walking about, allowed free range over the whole of the studio. Flik, Atta, Carl, Russell, Dug, Merida and several others are just a small handful of the featured characters in this area, mostly as they are not represented through the five sub-areas found throughout Pixar Place.

From here, paths split off into five different sub-areas, each one themed to the world of a different film: Monstropolis, Metroville, Place de Paris, Riley's Head and Andy's Backyard.

Our first natural instinct is to head east towards Monstropolis, the first sub-area.

​

Inspired by the architecture of 1960's America, Monstropolis is a natural "realistic" extension of Emeryville, a bustling center of trade and commerce in a fanciful world inhabited by thousands of varying monster species. Bizarrely-structured automobiles of different sizes (some dwarf-sized, other giant-sized) and different tire-counts park along the sidewalks and spiked-fire hydrants, a compliment to overhead billboards advertising the various goods and services of the monster world; "Odorant, Now Featuring Roadkill," "Monsters, Inc. We Scare Because We Care," and "Primordial Ooze, Now with More Calories!" The whole of Monstropolis consists of a main drag with the Monsters Inc. headquarters at the far end. Venturing down the street, we put on our monster-fangs and try to blend in among the local populace.

Tony's Grossery is our first stop, a small "grossery" store owned and operated by the tentacled-Tony, the happiest Italian-grosser in all the land. Although his inventory consists of treats and fresh fruits considered delicious to humans, several monster-friendly items are also seen behind the counter, such as "Bag O' Calories" and "Sugar, Salt, and Fat in a Bag." Of course, we can't actually buy these treats, after all, monsters still think that humans are toxic. Gallerie de Domenique, just a few doors down from Tony's isn't so much a fine art gallery as it is an indoor meet-n-greet for Mike, Sulley, Boo, Celia and Roz.

​

A satellite campus for Fear Tech also appears on this main drag. Inside, we are treated to fictitious advertisements and promotional materials for the second-best scaring school in the monster world, also finding a cleverly-disguised bathroom.

The premiere dining establishment in Monstropolis is none other than Harryhausen's, the park's one and only sushi and Japanese-inspired restaurant. An animatronic octopus-like monster serves as the in-house "chef," chatting away with diners and chopping rather unnatural-looking fish with an unbelievable amount of skill and tentacled-precision. Named for the legendary special effects artist, Ray Harryhausen, the restaurant features framed caricatures of some of the real-life artist's monsters, such as the Kraken from Clash of the Titans and the Cyclops from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Each caricature is naturally given a classy signature by the pictured monster and scattered about the walls of the lobby, a la Sardi's in New York City.

Speaking of caricatures, it's only fair that Van Gore, an earless monster with a spike-beard runs a caricature-producing shop (namely, the Van Gore Caricature Shop) where mere humans are re-illustrated to resemble more "monstrous" figures.

A simple walk up and down the main drag of town provides several interactive elements triggered by the simplest of tricks. Knocking on one window will cause a giant eyeball to draw the shade and make aggravated eye contact. Walking directly over a sewer grate will cause the gelatinous monster living beneath it to complain about his sudden lack of sunlight. Twisting an eyeball-shaped doorknob on one door will cause an overhead panel to slide away, revealing a rather irritated door...man? These are just a few of the seemingly endless details scattered throughout the sub-area.

Making our way to the end of the main drag, we come upon a familiar sight: the Monsters, Inc. Factory.

​

The familiar eggshell-white factory boasts the first major E-Ticket in PIxar Place, this of course being the long-awaited but never-built Disney attraction, the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster.

​

We enter the impressive factory through its equally-impressive lobby where a mosaic map of the world inspires both oohs and awws. It's only fair that this suspended roller coaster found deep in the factory takes us into the monstrous door room seen in Monsters, Inc. Caught in the midst of the film's climax, we hop aboard a door of our own and depart from the eerily-empty scare floor, immediately overwhelmed by the seemingly thousands upon millions of doors surrounding us in the aforementioned door room. When Randall shows up to claim Boo, things get a bit hairy as our door makes a dramatic turn down a roller coaster-like transportation system, whisking us through other open doors and into other worlds, all the while bumping into Mike, Sulley, and Boo as they attempt to evade the slimy paws of Randall. Naturally, following the ride's climactic finale, we pay witness to Randall receiving his just desserts at the hands of a trailer park resident... Oh, and no trip is complete without a "loving" farewell from Roz, beloved employee and head of the C.D.A.

The ride exits out into the Monstropolis Merchants shop. This store features every kind of monster merchandise imaginable. A portrait of Waternoose, the then-CEO of M.I. hangs proudly above the cash register, often shifting its eyes around before quietly shifting back into place. Small and large plush versions of everyone's favorite monster characters may be found here as well as videos, CDs, DVDs, books and apparel, including the ever-popular I Heart Monstropolis T-shirt.

Every day, in front of the Monsters Inc. building, you can show off your school spirit at the Monsters University Pep Rally. Inspired by the 2013 Pixar prequel, this show is in a way similar to the former High School Musical/Disney Channel traveling show that used to play in front of the Sorcerer's Hat. The performers, featuring a few dance team, and small marching pep band, arrive on a traveling stage decked out with blue and white, the colors of Monsters University. At one point, Mike and Sulley show up and get the crowd goin'! This is one pep rally you don't want to miss!

From the Monsters Inc. factory, two paths lead in two different directions. To the left, the path leads towards the Great Muppet Movie Ride in Muppets Courtyard. But if you go to the right, you'll find yourself in Metroville, home of...The Incredibles!

​

Unlike Monstropolis, there are only two buildings along the drag. To the left is the Metroville Hall of Fame, where you can meet up with the likes of Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Dash, Violet and Frozone. To the right is Designs by Mode, which sells the latest in non-Disney fashion, as well as Disney fashion, each and every outfit designed by the former seamstress of "gods," Edna Mode. The streets of Metroville are always abuzz with activity (including daily streetmosphere demonstrations by the town’s would-be villains, always thwarted by their own illusions of grandeur).

Much like how the Monsters, Inc. factory dominates the Monstropolis skyline, the International Supers Museum dominates the Metroville skyline. Here is where we can get in on the action at The Incredibles Adventure, a breathtaking ride through a new and original superhero caper. @TRF of Imagineerland is the creative genius behind this attraction.

The premise is that our group has won a chance to follow the Incredibles, winners of this year’s Supers Achievement Prize, for a day. The queues work through the museum, passing exhibit cases on past Supers winners and large exhibits on each of the Incredibles. The largest room of the queue shows off super hero vehicles, including large hovervehicles, planes, cars, and the special vehicle we will be riding in. eventually, 30 of us at a time are let into the load room.

There are 5 vehicles at the dock before us, each seating 6 with 3 seats in 2 rows. We are directed to a row and load before seat check. Our vehicle turns to face forward to get a message from Mr. Incredible, telling us to meet them outside the building. The Incredibles music cue starts and the ride begins.

The 5 vehicles move forward one by one through the doors and tunnel out to the streets. The interior of the ride is heavily stylized like the end credit sequence of the film. We turn to the left and through a warehouse loading door into a dark room. All 5 vehicles arrive in the room and move into place before the sudden arrival of the Incredibles. This moment is a highlight of the ride. Two more LPS vehicles glide into the room, one with an animatronic of Mr. Incredible and one with Mrs. Incredible riding on it. They pull into the center of the arc our vehicles have formed and give us our mission. Three of us are going to follow Mrs. Incredible and two will follow Mr. Incredible out into the streets looking for trouble. We are to go ahead while the Incredibles stash the vehicles and will meet us in a moment. We break and the vehicles divide and head out 2 separate doors. The 2 vehicles with animatronics remain and then move back into a maintenance room where they wait till the next group of vehicles. The 2 vehicles with Mr. Incredible go through the door and wait as it closes.

Suddenly a crash behind us causes us to turn and we see The Underminer on a drilling vehicle breaking through a wall, coming towards us. We turn and evade him looking for Mr. Incredible. We turn to the next scene which is a projection screen built into the city facades. We see the Underminer breaking through the ground and Mr. Incredible arriving just in time to save the day. These few screen based scenes are not in 3d but are supplemented with practical effects such as smoke, lights, vehicle movement, and moving set pieces around the screen. They fight for a moment before we are driven away by the smoke from an explosion. We turn a corner, spinning out of control and find another screen where the short fight concludes. We turn to the right and continue down a city street. Suddenly we get an incoming radio call that there is a building on fire and that we are needed quickly.

The 3 vehicles with Elastigirl go through the doors and wait for Elastigirl also. Suddenly on the rooftop straight ahead, Bomb Voyage appears in animatronic form. He throws bombs at us, causing us to swerve and avoid the plumes of light and smoke coming from the floor. We make it around the corner and find a large screen. Here they battle, and we are forced to continue dodging bomb blasts. Eventually we round the corner after the defeat, and hear the same message about the fire. The two groups then move forward and meet and turn a corner, seeing a building on fire in front of them, simulated with light and smoke. We enter one by one, weaving through the flaming ruble. We pass scenes of Mr. Incredible holding up a falling beam and Elasticgirl stretching to hold someone from falling, both in animatronic form. We are almost hit by a falling beam, causing us to wildly spin out. We leave the burning building and move back out into the street and end up in front of a screen the blends into the façade. We see Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl break through the wall and come up to us. Suddenly Violet and Dash appear to meet up with their parents, saying they finally finished their homework so are ready for the night. Just as they think the trouble for the night is over, we get another call. This time we hear that another Omnidroid has just landed downtown and is causing havoc, we have to get down there.

We turn the corner to the largest room of the attraction. In the dark street there is a large omnidroid, with 2 feet stationary on the ground and 2 able to move. The Incredibles tell us over the radio that they need us to distract the omnidroid and they will take care of the rest. Therefore our group of 5 vehicles begins to weave around the street, going under and around the legs, dodging the swaying arms. Eventually we go around a corner to a screen scene of the Incredibles together preparing to fire a large weapon at the omnidroid just as in the movie. It fires and we can see and hear a big explosion and crash behind us. We turn to another scene of the omnidroid crashed into the pavement. We go through the doors in front of us back into the Supers Museum. In front of us is all 4 Incredibles in animatronic form congratulating us and saying goodbye, using various unique phrases for each ride. We go through the tunnel and back to the dock, now in a separate unload room. We exit the vehicles and go into the ISM gift shop.
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We'll end things right here and save the next three areas of Pixar Place for the next post. See ya then!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

I know that. I meant like when Fantasmic is over the screens are half on, and when the new show starts the screens are fully up for those who can't see it at Hollywood Blvd. Kinda like how Disney encourage fans to watch Disneyland Forever at the Small World area, castle, main street, matterhorn, and rivers of America.

 

[DisneyManOne]

I know that. I meant like when Fantasmic is over the screens are half on, and when the new show starts the screens are fully up for those who can't see it at Hollywood Blvd. Kinda like how Disney encourage fans to watch Disneyland Forever at the Small World area, castle, main street, matterhorn, and rivers of America.

Ah, interesting idea, Twilight...I don't know if that would be feasible or not, but it is an interesting idea.
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Pixar Place
continued​

Continuing onward from Metroville, our travels take us into the mind and imagination of an eleven-year old girl, this girl being none other than Riley, the star and primary "filming" location of Inside Out. Riley's Head is the world's first theme park land themed to Inside Out and one of the most immersive areas in the entire park, seeming to be straight from the reels of Pixar's Academy Award-winning classic.

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Taking place shortly after the events of the film, Riley's Head takes us from the asphalt streets of Metroville and Monstropolis and magically transports us into the imaginative world of Riley's still-developing brain where anything can happen. The "weenie" of this area is none other than the Headquarters Tower, Riley's mission control center. As we draw closer and closer to the tower, we notice that the asphalt has suddenly transformed into a bizarre, almost rock-like material that appears to be strangely organic. The usual trees and plant life along the walkways are swapped out in favor of Long Term Memory Banks, shelves of varying sizes filled with an almost infinite amount of memories contained within multicolored orbs that give an ethereal glow. A closer glimpse into one of these orbs reveals that these aren't just typical theme park props; there are actual clips of Riley's life playing in them, just like in the film.

On the horizon, we catch a glimpse of the distant Islands of Personality (represented as forced perspective miniatures): Family Island, Friendship Island, Hockey Island, Honesty Island, and Goofball Island, each and every one animated and moving to the theme of their respective title. At night, the whole of the sub-area is washed aglow in surreal lighting as Riley "falls asleep" for the night, a perfect compliment to the already immersive land. One island makes its home a little bit closer to us than the other islands do, this island being Shopping Island. Shopping Island, marked by several mechanical-based silhouettes and figures in an abstract shopping mall on its rooftop is exactly what one would expect to find in the world of Inside Out, a hyper-surreal spin on an everyday shopping mall. Giant photographic memories (literally, they're actual photographs) of Riley shopping with her family and friends appear on the walls, whilst the blob-shaped Mind Workers busily work away at machinery powering the aforementioned display on the rooftop.

Approaching the Headquarters Tower, we find that it is surrounded by a large pit that has since been railed-off since the events of the film. This pit is none other than the Memory Dump, the massive chasm where memories go to disappear once they are no longer needed. A statue of Bing Bong rests near the edge of the pit, reportedly built by Joy as a tribute to the fallen imaginary friend and his great sacrifice. Fortunately for us, a glass-enclosed escalator has also been installed near the banks of the abyss on either side, leading upward to the entrance of the not-so-distant Headquarters Tower. Once inside, we find a meet-n-greet for Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust amid their memory-filled mission control center. Whilst participating in the meet-n-greet we are often given glimpses of Riley's current location, as if we were actually looking through her eyes at her changing world.

A short distance from Shopping Island and the escalators to Headquarters is the entrance to Imagination Land, a sub-area within a sub-area! Who knew?

In the spirit of the interactive playground of Disneyland Paris' Adventure Isle, Imagination Land takes us into a small but immersive, three-dimensional playground of pure imagination and wonder, starting with the salty, er...trees of the French Fry Forest. Amid the towering deep-fried potatoes, we are given the opportunity to purchase sized-down and edible versions of the giant fries at Fryley Riley, where the fries are always cooked fresh and to order in several flavor varieties, including the cinnamon-drenched apple fries. Trophy Town, a golden city where everyone's a winner, allows us the opportunity to take part in several games of chance which allow us to win a trophy of our own, albeit a smaller version of the giant trophies scattered about the place. Even if we don't win, we still are given a participation award for trying. The House of Cards actually serves as a rather "unstable" (meaning the floors and walls shake when touched) mirror maze and super slide that may or may not get one lost for...hours...just kidding, only twenty minutes...or thirty... Lastly is the Imaginary Boyfriend Generator which allows guests to create their ideal Pixar-animated significant other on a tablet screen. Upon completion, the character will be submitted to the generator for production, only to soon after appear on a giant screen and declare that they would in fact "die for *insert name of guest here*!"

The last portion of Imagination Land is the one and only station stop for the Train of Thought, a purplish freight train with a knack for communication from the rest of Riley's mind to Headquarters up above. The Train of Thought is our main form of transportation used in the area's major attraction, Inside Out: Tour de Riley.

Tour de Riley (a play on "Tour de France") takes us into the brain's first ever "open house" tour of everyone's favorite eleven-year old. Hosted by Joy and Sadness, we hop aboard the Train of Thought's engine to take a dark-ride tour of all the places in Riley's Head that we have been unable to explore thus far, including Abstract Thought, which does turn us temporarily into abstract imagery, the Subconscious, a not-so-safe realm of Riley's greatest fears, Dream Productions, where dreams are made, and settings that weren't even seen in the film, such as Deja Vu and Critical Thinking. As expected, the tour goes off without a hitch, until the imaginary monster under Riley's bed (Bing Bong's evil twin "Ding Dong," also voiced by Richard Kind) pulls himself up from the depths of the Subconscious, promising to wreak havoc on the innocent tour. What ensues next is a wild thrill ride through Riley's brain, ending with Ding Dong getting eaten by a giant bear in Riley's subconscious in a most humorous fashion.

Leaving Riley's Head behind, we return to the Emeryville hub, this time facing the eastern walkway. What we find is absolutely beautiful. What can be said about it besides, "Ah, the city of lights..."

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Welcome to the enchanting and delightful Place de Paris, which brings a lovely Parisian courtyard--as well as the world of Ratatouille--to life.

If you stand at the center of the plaza and stare directly at it, to your right is the back alley of Emile’s Place, where you can meet Remy and Emile alongside oversized banana peels and trash can lids – a perfect photo spot for rat fans.

If that's not enough, Linguini and Colette often meet guests in the courtyard.

In the center of this Parisian courtyard is Ratatouille: Remy’s Recipe Hunt, a trackless LPS dark ride adventure through the kitchens of Paris alongside Remy as he hunts for the perfect ingredients… and startles a few patrons along the way. The breathtaking dark ride – based on the attraction at Walt Disney Studios in Paris – is a new classic through-and-through, and a perfect ride for the whole family.

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Of course, once you’re through cooking with Remy, you might as well share the spoils! You’ll disembark with an exclusive view into the regal Gusteau’s Bistro where fine dining awaits. This is located to the left if you stand in the center of the plaza.

As we head out of Place de Paris, we, to quote the Haunted Mansion, "sense a disquieting metamorphosis". Giant blades of grass protrude among the walkways, while typically-small objects suddenly appear greater in size among the giant blades; building blocks and Legos stand at ten-feet in height, a Casey Jr. animal cracker box stands taller than an average house; Christmas lights of an unusual size string across from overhead; it seems as if we've been shrunk down to the size of a toy. It seems as if we've just stepped foot into the fifth and final sub-area of Pixar Place: Andy's Backyard.

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This land, much like its sister lands at Walt Disney Studios Paris and at Hong Kong Disneyland, are meant to bring guests into the world of Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang in a whole new way. Consider this area a spiritual successor to the former Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure, because here, guests are "shrunken down" to the size of a toy and end up exploring Andy's backyard from a toy's point of view.

The entrance to Toy Story Mania would be switched from the current front of the building, to the rear of the building, which would make the entrance from inside Toy Story Land, and not on Pixar Place - which would likely be closed (hence why I had the road leading to the Pixar Place area blocked).

Here's a video from the D23 Expo, showcasing the elements of the land:

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The entire area is themed as if you're viewing Andy's backyard from a toy's point of view. Bamboo acts as grass; Christmas lights hang from above; Tinker-Toys make up buildings and so on.

Andy's Toy Box provides wonderful retail opportunities; while the Toy Treats restaurant offers delightful dining. Throughout the land, meet & greet opportunities with all your Toy Story friends--Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Rex, Hamm, Mr. Potato Head, Mrs. Potato Head, Bo Peep and the Green Army Men--can be found at every turn.

There are three major attractions here: First is Slinky Dog Dash, a family coaster attraction you’ll want to ride again and again. The attraction features a coaster track that Andy has built all over his backyard using his Mega Coaster Play Kit, but as you know, he has a pretty amazing imagination, so he’s combined it with some of his other toys. On Slinky Dog Dash, you will zip, dodge and dash around many turns and drops that Andy has created to really make Slinky and his coils stretch to his limits.

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Another new attraction is Alien Swirling Saucers. This attraction is designed as a toy play set that Andy got from Pizza Planet, inspired by the first Toy Story film. Aliens are flying around in their toy flying saucers and trying to capture your rocket toy vehicle with “The Claw.”

As you rotate around the toy planets and satellites as part of the game, you’ll swirl to the beat of fun “Space Jazz” music developed just for this experience. The music, the lighting, and the sound effects will add to the flurry of your adventure while “The Claw” looms ominously over you.

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And then, of course, we have Toy Story Midway Mania!, a spinning, smashing, popping, dart-throwing adventure that sends you right inside Andy’s newest board game.

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With all these new additions, Pixar Place will definitely help put Disney's Hollywoodland on the map. However, at the farthest right-hand edge of the land, a giant hill stands, with a tunnel inside it...but where does it lead? Well, that's a different story for a different time. See ya in the next post!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Animation Courtyard

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Animation Courtyard is a land devoted to the business that has made Disney what it is today - animation. Walt Disney was an innovator, a dreamer, a conceptualist, a designer, but had started his influential career as an animator. Ever since he was a child, he was a drawer and loved the process of putting together images to simulate moving pictures. He had studied all sorts of information regarding this new kind of art. He had created some of the most beloved characters, such as Mickey Mouse, whom he had drawn and provided the voice for in the earliest years of the character.

Animation Courtyard used to serve its' purpose as an actual studios where animated features used to be produced. Beyond the current Magic of Disney Animation building, there is a much larger building, which hosted the Animation production buildings. Ever since 2004, all animation production at the park has been stopped and has been re-routed to the Disney Animation Studios is Burbank, California. With the renovation of Disney's Hollywoodland, this section of the park will see a true re-development of the entire area, something to focus on both the process of animation and Walt Disney's inspiration that had led to a sweeping career. The heart of animation has always been at the heart of The Walt Disney Company, so this area is as important as ever to be represented in the Studios. Animation is a source of inspiration, it creates stories and lovable characters that society finds endearing.

We enter Animation Courtyard from the central hub of Hollywood Boulevard, just off of the Hollywoodland Hills. The archway that used to serve as the entrance into the courtyard has been removed. To the left, a pathway leads to the Hollywoodland Hills and the Eastern Gardens. The entire area has been refurbished to share the same feeling as Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. The exteriors are themed after the exteriors of Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure.

Nestled in the shadow of the Hollywoodland Hills, guests will find the Walt Disney Theatre, the former home of Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Due to the film being featured as a dark ride in the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland and because of the show's older quality in the park, I have decided to remove the show from the Studios, unfortunately. The original theater, as well as the In Character shop, has been destroyed and been re-built in a whole new way. Modeled after the concept art proposed for Disney California Adventure’s Hyperion...

...the brick-faced clock tower exterior of this theatre betrays its regal grand interior. The iconic theater logo from the Cruise Line, seen below, decorates the entrance to the theater.

The theater's extravagant lobby is decked out in shades of gold. Two passages lead to the theater's upper level and to the balcony seats.

Of course, the interior would look like the theater on the Disney Cruise Line ships.

The Walt Disney Theatre is equipped to present Broadway-style tellings of Disney’s finest. In fact, each day of the week will bring a different show with it, so much so, that the theater will need its own Times Guide to let guests know what show will be playing on a given day. Plus, two posters will line the entrance doors, advertising the theater's current tenant.

Each show lasts roughly from 45 minutes to an hour. The first four shows in the rotation come from the Disney Cruise Line: Hercules: The MUSE-ical, Toy Story: The Musical, Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular (despite closing at DCA, the show still plays on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship) and Tangled: The Musical. In addition, three shows will be re-worked to fit a 45 minute performance time, those shows being: the beloved park classic Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage, the Disneyland show Snow White: An Enchanting Musical and Journey into the Jungle Book, a show that used to run at Disney's Animal Kingdom (I plan to have a ride of the same name at DAK, but I feel that if the show runs only one day in the rotation, there won't be any major confusion).

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Nearby the theater is the Off the Page store, a re-themed Studio Store, which showcases merchandise from several classic animated Disney films. The exterior will look just like the Off the Page store at DCA, which also blends into the brickwork of the nearby Walt Disney Theatre.

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Right across the courtyard from the Walt Disney Theatre, guests will find Disney Junior - Live on Stage!, a live show which utilizes puppetry, sets and live performers to bring life to the Disney Junior television shows. The show showcases several of Disney Junior's shows, including "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", "Sofia the First", "Doc McStuffins' and "Jake and the Neverland Pirates". The show also utilizes plenty if in-theater effects, such as bubbles and heavily utilizes the performance of puppeteering. The show will remain virtually unchanged from what is currently there. The exterior has been heavily changed to better look like a television recording studio, much like the exterior for the show at Disney California Adventure (besides, the fake sky painted on the side of it isn't fooling anyone, ya know).

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Jake, Sofia and Doc McStuffins hold meet & greet opportunities nearby the theater and around the courtyard.

But, if you want some true one-on-one time with your favorite Disney Junior pals, then drop by the theater during Evening Extra Magic Hours; there, you'll be able to take part in a dance party with the characters.

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Phineas and Ferb are also found here in Animation Courtyard, meeting up with fans and trying to get new ideas for their next big plan.

In the center of the courtyard, guests will find the Disney Animation building. As you all know, the original Magic of Disney Animation has closed to make way for the Star Wars Launch Bay. But, given that it's meant to be temporary until Star Wars Land opens, I've decided to replace the original attraction with an all-new version of the attraction, largely based on the one at Disney California Adventure. Stepping towards the building, you'll notice the first change: the exterior, which has been given a more post-modern Deco-revival style, also like Disney California Adventure.

Now, before we go inside the building, let me just take this opportunity to tell you about a special piece of entertainment that occurs every day in front of the building. It's a show called Drawn to the Magic, a show that used to dazzle guests at Disney California Adventure from 2004 to 2010. In the show, we join three animators as they invite guests to see how they get inspiration for their drawings. Three volunteers are even brought up to help them out by posing a certain way. Then, after a medley of songs from the Disney films, the sketches they've been working on are revealed, and in a true bit of magic, the character they've sketched appears before our very eyes! After the show, guests are even invited to meet the characters inside the Disney Animation building's lobby or right outside nearby the animators' easels (perfect photo-op if you ask me).

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Now then, let's head inside the Disney Animation building itself. Everything you see in this building (except for the Animation Gallery store) is entirely new. First, guests are led inside of the Animation building's lobby. This is a beautiful space, and a perfect way to introduce guests to the wonder they're about to see. Completely surrounding the rooms are several scrims, in which projected images from Disney films are seen. Throughout the room, musical scores and songs from several Disney movies are heard, as the projected images on the scrims correspond to the music, showcasing the actual film animation, concept art, character art, screenshots from the film in question, backgrounds and sketches. The films date back from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Peter Pan, all the way up to current films like Tangled and Zootopia. The loop here at Disney's Hollywoodland will combine elements from both the old (pre-2011) and new (post-2011) loops. But, if you don't want to watch the loops, here are the films that would be featured in Hollywoodland's loop (The films from the original pre-2011 loop are marked with an asterisk).

• The Little Mermaid
• Beauty and the Beast
• Fantasia/Fantasia 2000
• Bambi
• Finding Nemo
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Atlantis: The Lost Empire*
• The Incredibles
• The Jungle Book
• Toy Story trilogy
• Cinderella
• Mulan
• Hercules*
• Monsters, Inc.
• Ratatouille
• Lilo & Stitch
• Tarzan
• A Bug's Life*
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame*
• Pinocchio ("Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee")
• Alice in Wonderland
• The Emperor's New Groove*
• Up
• Lady and the Tramp
• Tangled
• Dumbo
• The Lion King
• Frozen ("Let it Go" sequence)
• Zootopia
• Cars
• Pocahontas
• Sleeping Beauty
• Aladdin ("A Whole New World")
• Peter Pan
• Pinocchio/"When You Wish Upon a Star" Finale

The top video is the original lobby loop, the middle video is the current loop and the bottom video is the recently added-in "Zootopia" sequence.
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From the lobby, paths lead to all the different exhibits and attractions waiting to be found.

• "The Art of Animation": This is a fifteen-minute film which focuses on the creation of an animated feature from start to finish, from everything including research, design, conceptual planning, characters, paint cells, voice-acting and wrapping production. The film also informs us of the evolution of animation, including archival footage of Walt Disney and other previous and modern day artists talking about the evolution of art. It'll end with this montage of scenes from all 54 and counting of Disney's animated films, which should look similar to this:

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• Animation Academy: This is a drawing classroom, where guests can be taught by an actual animator on how to draw some of their favorite characters. By the time the class is finished, they have polished work of art that they have hand-drawn themselves.

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• Walt's Workshop: This interactive exhibit space is themed to a picture-esque Kansas City, Missouri, art studio, where Walt Disney had lived to pursue a career in art. As the story goes, Walt had begun his art career in Kansas City, where he had opened his own studio and hired many animators to become a part of his team. Today, the guests are Walt's new employees. In Walt's Workshop, guests can find out what Disney character they are most like, they can create their own virtual paint portraits and mosaics, they can do a bit of their own voice-acting and recording work, they could piece together their own Silly Symphony short or create an adventurous and romantic plot to their own animated film. Inside the Screening Room in the workshop, you can meet up with the characters from Disney's latest animated film.
• Disney Through the Decades: This is a meet & greet to end all meet & greets. This innovative character area features different rooms, each themed to a different decade. As you go through the rooms, there are a bunch of different set pieces, each one themed to a different animated movie from that era (and the characters you'll find inside). It's sorta like Pete's Silly Sideshow, where each character has their own distinct background. There will be five rooms: 20's/30's/40's, 50's/60's, 70's, 80's/90's and 2000's/2010's. I'd prefer to purely stick to the roster below, so we don't have to update things everytime a new film comes out. That's why I added in the Screening Room in Walt's Workshop, so that the most current film characters can meet guests. Anyways, here are the films that will be represented.

30’s/40’s: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, The Three Caballeros
50’s/60’s: Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book
70’s: The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Rescuers
80's/90’s: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan
2000’s/2010’s: The Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Lilo & Stitch, Chicken Little, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6​

• Mickey's PhilharMagic: This epic 3D show, which has moved here from the Magic Kingdom, stars Donald Duck, as he explores the musical realms of such films as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin.

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Leading back through the lobby, guests will then be able to exit the building through the Animation Gallery store, which showcases fantastic paintings, sculptures, arts and crafts materials and other sorts of animation art collectibles.

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Just outside of the building on the left, tucked in-between Disney Animation and Disney Junior - Live On Stage, guests will find the Animator's Palate, the restaurant which has become acclaimed to fame aboard the Disney Cruise Line, which is now finding its' home within the park. The attractions' location is actually going to be taking up the space of a Cast Member break restaurant called Take Five, which will be routed elsewhere along Sunset Boulevard. In this restaurant, guests arrive to a black and white dining room, adorned with paintings of Disney characters, all adorned in black and white, even their wait staff is in black and white attire, but as their dinner continues, color begins to envelop the room, creating a beautifully decadent dining experience.

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Now, after such an exciting trip through Animation Courtyard, I suggest we take another break. But don't think the animation magic isn't over yet. In the next post, we'll explore an all-new land, themed around toons. See ya then!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Toontown

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I'm sure many animation buffs have heard of the 1988 classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit? In the movie, cartoon characters (called "toons") were not just drawings on a page, but actually had a life of their own. All toons, when they were not in the studio making movies, resided in a place called Toontown.

Now, the idea of bringing guests to Toontown is nothing new, since Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland each have a Toontown of their own. But a fully Roger-Rabbit based Toontown has been on the DHS drawing board ever since the film came out. The so-called Roger Rabbit's Hollywood, sometimes known as Maroon Studios after the cartoon studio featured in the 1988 film, would have been a mini-land based around Roger Rabbit and the other inhabitants of Toontown. Planned at the height of Roger's popularity, a New York Times article described the land: “This will be a kind of Toontown, where - as in the movie - only cartoon characters may live.” It would look like the cartoon studio buildings featured in the film with all the cartoon peculiarities such as boxes of TNT, grand piano's hanging above the sidewalk, and Roger shaped holes in the walls. I'd base this new Toontown on this original idea, as well as the ideas of @TRF, who created this land for his Hollywood Studios plan.

You enter Toontown one of two ways. I'll get to the second way later, but the first way is from Sunset Boulevard. The exterior façade, viewed from Sunset Boulevard, would look like the exterior of Maroon Cartoon Studios from the movie, which blends in well with the classic Hollywood feel of the area.

Once passing under the archway and into the studio itself, guests would then find themselves in the whimsical Toontown. Buildings are oddly shaped, signs sometimes make no sense, and everything looks like a life-size, three-dimensional cartoon. Toontown is also a very "hands-on" place; just about every door , lever, button, and handle you find does something or makes some sound-effect when operated. The right-hand side of the street is mainly just building facades, to fully immerse guests in the Toontown setting. But the left-hand side features a few diversions for the guests to enjoy.

Immediately entering Toontown from Sunset Boulevard, to your left is the Gag Factory store. The Gag Factory is Toontown's major souvenir store. Despite the name, there aren't many gags available here. You will find a whole lot of Disney's Hollywoodland souvenir merchandise, particularly the kind featuring famous Disney characters.

When you walk in the door, you'll probably notice the Gag Factory's most prominent feature: a giant "gag making machine". The main part of the machine is located in the center of the store. Hands, suspended above the store by a cable and pulley system, bring parts to the machine where they are converted to gag items and then taken to the warehouse by an additional set of suspended hands. This and other decorative items around the store solidify this shop's wackiness.

Serving as a neighbor to the Gag Factory is the Character Warehouse, which serves as a meet & greet area for a rotation of rare animated characters. You never know who may show up here, so keep your eyes peeled!

Speaking of characters, you'll be able to find Roger Rabbit, Jessica Rabbit and Eddie Valiant out and about on the streets of Toontown. Be sure to stop by and say hi!

Nearby the Character Warehouse is an intersection between two different points. The right-hand point is the "Cast Members Only" door. But the left-hand point is the aforementioned entrance from Animation Courtyard. Much like how Toontown was accessed by a tunnel in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, a tunnel from the Disney Animation building leads to the intersection and into Toontown at large.

Entering Toontown from Animation Courtyard, to your left is ToonTalk, an interactive Toon Comedy Club, much like the current Laugh Floor. Across from that is the Ink and Paint Club, the nightly hang-out spot Roger and Eddie like to frequent.

The Ink and Paint Club here serves as a table-service restaurant. Here, you can dine on various nightclub treats, each one made to tantalize the senses. The stage does provide some live entertainment, but a lot-more family-friendly. Expect a 20-minute/half-hour show put on by Mickey and the gang, alongside Roger and Jessica.

But then, of course, the buildings lead up to a semi-circle courtyard. A fountain of Roger sits in the middle of the courtyard. And this courtyard is special, because this is where you'll find Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin takes you on a wacky cab ride down twisty streets and back alleys in a world inspired by the hit movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Characters from the movie are seen throughout the attraction, and the plot of this attraction loosely follows the plot of the original movie (although you won't find any Warner Bros. characters like Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck here).

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin is something like a Fantasyland dark ride, but with an added twist—quite literally. The cars have large "steering" wheels, which, when turned, spin the car around. It's similar to the Mad Tea Party, except you're on a track running through the attraction. I don't recommend spinning the wheel too fast—at least not on your first time on the ride—because you may miss some of the great scenes this attraction has to offer.

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin is a lot of fun, and I highly recommend it.

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And there we have it--Toontown! In the next post, we'll head for the last area of Disney's Hollywoodland--Sunset Boulevard. See ya then!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Cool so yeah the places you could watch the show would be near the Chinese Theater, and Streets of America via projection mapping, Sunset Blvd. with Fantasmic mist screens.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Sunset Boulevard

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Sunset Boulevard takes guests back to a different side of Hollywood, as well as the different sides of the entertainment industry. Just off of Hollywood and Vine, guests will find the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, a reminiscent take on a classic 1940s Hollywood street. The street is very similar to Hollywood Boulevard, as it is filled with shops and eateries, stretching into the eastern most part of the park. Sunset Boulevard is definitely a place filled with excitement, charm, thrills, all while keeping the classic Golden Age of Hollywood intact.

The buildings that form the exteriors of Sunset Boulevard are meant to portray a theater district in California, for both cinemas and live theater performances. The exteriors feature grand ornamentations and heavy detail work to provide heavy detail throughout the area. Some of the buildings are topped with billboards, showcasing the innovations and entertainment that were all the rage over seven decades ago. The area features more stylistic designs to the architecture, as opposed to Hollywood Boulevard. Sunset Boulevard is inspired by the reviving architecture that was starting to be re-used in California during the decade, showcasing the many different ornate and intricate building designs. The boulevard curves slightly, as lined palm trees align the way to the back of the boulevard, where the tall, inactive Hollywood Tower Hotel rests.

On the left side of the street, guests will find the Starring Rolls Cafe, adjacent to the Hollywood Brown Derby on Hollywood Boulevard. The quick-service location only operates in the morning and in the early afternoon. Starring Rolls offers an excellent array of bagels, crescents, muffins and other breakfast pastries, as well as sandwiches and a selection of desserts. The location makes for one of the best places to grab a light breakfast.

Just beyond the cafe, guests will find the Beverly Hills Theater, the home of Sweet Spells, a sweet confectionery, including elements of the Disney Villains, as portraits of Disney Villains hang from the walls of the sweet candy store. In the windows of the store, guests will find figures of the Old Witch from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and Maleficent from "Sleeping Beauty".

Connected to Sweet Spells is Reel Vogue, where your big-screen dreams will make the leap from reel to real in this elegent emporium of Tinseltown treasures, featuring the finest in toys, plush, housewares and more!

Just across the street, guests will find Legends of Hollywood, found inside of the exterior of the Academy Theater. The location features generic Disney's Hollywoodland merchandise, as well as a selection of Disney jewelry and watches, including limited edition pieces.

Nearby is the Planet Hollywood Superstore, features Planet Hollywood brand merchandise including housewares, children's clothing, and three lines of adult clothing: Classic, Contemporary and Sporty. The store also carries "Celebrity Edition" artwork and movie memorabilia.

Continuing down the right side of the street, replacing the Sunset Club Couture, Mouse About Town and Once Upon a Time shops, guests will then find the iconic white tower of the Carthay Circle Theatre.

This iconic theater is where Walt Disney risked it all in 1937, where he premiered the world's first full-length animated feature film. Step inside the theater and be whisked away into the world of that iconic film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Carthay Circle Theater is decked out as it was on that fateful day--December 21st, 1937--when Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs made its Hollywood debut. Guests first step through the lobby, which is nothing more than elegance and opulent beauty. After passing through this lobby, we enter through a pair of curtains into the "theater". What we find is quite a surprise...

Passing through the curtains, we find ourselves inside the film's iconic forest, bloomed in imaginative three dimensions. The atmosphere seemd only peaceful, harmonious, enchanting and inviting – promising a grand fairytale adventure with elegance. On the right hand side of this peaceful fairytale forest atmosphere, an ingeniously realized waterfall splashes happily with shiny vibrating strings portraying the water. Next to the waterfall is the Seven Dwarfs' Diamond Mine "entrance" – although it's actually the exit of the ride vehicles. In the middle of the forest is a three-dimensional miniature of the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage.

At the left hand side, near the loading area is the Evil Queen's Castle, emerging from murals into impressive three dimensions as the Castle Courtyard. Winding through the queue, we eventually reach the stretch of land located in front of the cottage, finding a parade of mine cars pulling in and out, loading and unloading happy (or not-so-happy passengers). Each mine car sits a maximum of six people and bares the name of one of the dwarfs. Boarding a mine car ourselves we are given a quick safety spiel by an unseen hag. "For a safe adventure, please remain seated, keeping your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the mine car, and please do watch your children. And remember, smoking and flash photography are never permitted in this enchanted world, hee hee hee! Farewell!" With her cackles behind us, our car pulls forward into the forest, the three-dimensional trees seamlessly emerging from the beautifully-painted wall mural behind it.

Heading towards the Evil Queen's Castle, we make a loop around the Wishing Well. As we pass by, we hear Snow White sing "I'm Wishing", dreaming about "the one I love". The same song was heard at this Castle Courtyard area, echoing even to the queue area. Much like before, the version you hear is the same version heard in The Mickey Mouse Revue (from 0:41 to 1:24 in the video).

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After the vehicle circles the Wishing Well, it drives towards the miniature of the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage, makes a u-turn and approaches the Castle Courtyard itself. Under the golden sun, Snow White sits on the stairs in her scullery maid garment and holding a white dove. The singing of "I'm Wishing" is a bit more louder, to feel as if she's singing it. Behind wonderfully stylized flower bushes, the Prince, sitting atop his white horse, watches her. Behind Snow White and the Prince, the remaining courtyard is lit with dramatic blue, as the Evil Queen stands behind a window and spies upon the Princess.

From there, we make a sharp left and enter the Castle itself. Inside, we come face to face with the Slave in the Magic Mirror through a simple but impressive projection effect. The exquisitely painted set featured the Magic Mirror in its 1937 movie appearance, with the ornamental stone frame with signs of the zodiac around the mirror. Inside, the Mirror's Slave reveals: "Alas, Snow White is the Fairest One of All".

"Never!" yells a voice behind the vehicle. It's the voice of the Queen! We make a sharp turn to our right and find ourselves in the Queen's Throne Room. standing in front of her mirror, arms in the air, summoning the dark powers: "Magic Mirror on the wall..." Suddenly, the Queen turns around with a thundering sound effect – revealing that she has transformed into a wart-nosed old hag before our very eyes! As the Witch, she continued: "With this disguise, I'll fool them all! Heh heh!"

Suspenseful music, taken from the film, and the distant sound of howling wind and howling wolves welcome us to the narrow corridors of her Dungeon, ghostly voices telling us to turn back. Countless skeletons pop up in the dungeons, some hanging from chains on the walls, others simply fallen to the floor. Perhaps the most iconic of these skeletons (from a memorable moment in the film) is a skeleton trapped beneath iron bars, reaching for a nearby pail of water, having died doing so. We turn towards a archway leading to the relative safety of the outside world set in a blue night sky with glistening stars. Our escape is foiled - the Hag has summoned a large portcullis to come crashing down, blocking our path. We turn right into the Queen's laboratory. Whirring gizmos and bubbling potions on either side of the track illuminate the Hag dipping a skull-faced apple into a green-glowing cauldron, taunting us..."Apple deary?" Her cackle follows us as barely avoid being by falling equipment shelves and turn a sharp left outside of the Castle and into the Frightening Forest.

No music is played here, just an eerie howling wind and the rustling noises of the forest. From out of nowhere the old Hag drifts out from underneath her Castle on a boat, the apple in one hand, a makeshift oar in the other. "Fresh apple...tasty apple!" The trees suddenly take on the appearances of monsters as their gnarling teeth, red eyes, and gnarled branches reach for us, intimidating eyes staring down at us from the treetops, alligator-resembling logs snapping at us, bats flying through the darkness.

Much like Tokyo, this ride's version of the Frightening Forest scene creates truly spooky yet elegant ambience with very few sound effects. The most significant sound of these is the eerily ethereal "banshee wail" that was created for Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Now there is music, adding on to the suspenseful theme. The Huntsman stands before a tree up ahead, speaking to a screaming Snow White a few feet away. "Quick! Run away! And never come back!" Snow White screams as we cross through some more trees and into a miniature briar patch, where logs that look like alligators come towards us. In the darkness, ominous eyes glow, but as we turn away, we find out that the eyes are those of the kind-hearted woodland creatures, who point the way to the Seven Dwarfs' Mine.

Inside we are immediately immersed into a glistening grotto filled with dazzling jewels and diamonds embedded into the walls, stacked into piles, and stocking lonesome mine cars. The dwarfs appear hard at work, singing "Dig-a-Dig-Dig" diligently. Grumpy and Bashful have their backs turned, picking away into the cavern walls, Sleepy asleep in a deer-pulled mine car, the deer very angry at his lazy rider. Making a left we pass by a small shaft opening in which Happy and Sneezy emerge on a handcar very slowly. Sneezy suddenly gathers up a sneeze and creates a rather powerful sneeze, sending the handcar flying forward. Doc and Dopey appear surveying diamonds to our right. Although Doc takes his work seriously, Dopey sees it as a game, holding the diamonds up to his eyes and instantly causing thousands of his eyes to be projected throughout the mine in a stunning effect, taking them down and removing the projections, putting them again and restoring the projections.

Another mine shaft door moves aside for us, allowing us access into the forest at sunset. We find ourselves about to go under a log spanning a canyon, a miniature waterfall near our path. As we pass under, we see the Seven Dwarfs actually march atop the log, singing "Heigh-Ho".

We pass under the log and make a right turn. True enchantment may have fill the hearts of some travelers, as the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage emerges from the serene forest ambience. Inside the cottage, the Seven Dwarfs made merry music and singing a "Silly Song". Immediately inside the dwarfs can be seen dancing about, singing, playing miniature instruments, and having an all-together good time with Snow White who waltzes about the room gleefully with Dopey standing on Sneezy's shoulders wearing an over-sized jacket. The woodland creatures have also gotten in on the fun, watching from the windows.

The fun is cut short however when we exit the cottage (through the ride's many "crash doors")...

The near second we exit the Cottage we are immediately greeted by the Hag who lurks outside a window, clutching the apple, her raven perched on her free hand. "Go on deary...take a bite!" She cackles once more, our car making a sharp right back into the woods, passing by the Prince. "Snow White! Where are you?" The searching Prince is quickly left behind as we head back towards the Cottage, the dwarfs lining both sides of the track, each one warning us not to proceed, others shouting for Snow White to run. Making a left turn explains the shouting: Snow White appears inside the Cottage, popping out of the front half of an opened door, ready to bite into the apple. The Hag stands close by with a big ole' grin, "That's right deary! Take a bite!" Thunder and lightning crash, sending us straight back into the Mysterious Woods. As we enter the Hag can be heard shouting “Now I'm the fairest in the land!” Two mean-eyed vultures watch us pass, their heads moving in perfect unison as they follow our every move.

Thunder rumbles above the hills as we hear the Dwarfs' commotion with Doc's flustered voice: “It's the Quicked Ween—the Wicked Queen! Come on men!” We pass through some trees to find ourselves at the Stormy Mountain, where the Dwarfs are seen on a nearby cliff, scared.

Why are they scared? I don’t know, maybe because…the Witch is about to crush them (and us) with a boulder! Rain falls heavily (and even seems to run down the side of the cliff). The Witch is seen, ready to dislodge the boulder. “Fools! I’ll crush your bones!” she yells. She laughs wildly, only to lose her footing and fall backwards, screaming in horror (her scream taken directly from the film), a burst of fog and light occurring (this hides the figure which falls backwards into a hole, raising back up for the next vehicle seconds later).

We pass under the mountain and find ourselves back in the forest. A moving choral rendition of “Someday My Prince Will Come” fills our ears, cuing the ride's Finale. Directly before us lies Snow White in her opened glass coffin, the now peaceful forest surrounding us via colorful murals, a beautiful sunset at hand. Our ride vehicle (using silent brakes) slows down a bit and we actually witness the Prince kissing Snow White awake.

Turning right we see six of the dwarfs bidding Snow White and her Prince goodbye as they ride away towards the Castle in the Clouds (the couple, horse and Dwarfs are figures, the castle is part of a mural.) Dopey on the other hand waves in the opposite direction - classic Dopey - waving down to us and wiggling his ears from a top an overhead bridge.

A set of painted doors showcasing a beautiful sunset on the horizon. A painted-on banner reads "...and they all lived happily ever after". The doors move apart and we wheel back into the loading area, exiting our mine car.

Right across from the Carthay Circle Theatre, guests will find the former space of the Sunset Ranch Market. The former space is now occupied by two different things. On the space formerly held by Anaheim Produce and surrounding seating area is the Sunset Ranch Diner. Despite the closing of Sunset Ranch Market, this large space features every single item from each of the five different areas of Sunset Ranch Market--Anaheim Produce, Catalina Eddie's, Fairfax Fare, Hollywood Scoops and Rosie's All-American Cafe. So, if you're a fan of one area, don't fret. You'll still be able to find the food from that area on the large menu. Located above Sunset Ranch Diner is the Hollywood Club, an exclusive club reserved only for special people.

On the other site formerly held by Sunset Ranch Market, where all the other areas were found, is a small park area with a gazebo. North of this park is the Maroon Studios entrance to Toontown.

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Right beyond the corner of the Carthay Circle Theater, guests will find the Theater of the Stars on the right. The theater itself has received a significant refurbishment, completely enclosing the theater, improving technical, theatrical and performance aspects of the show. With an enclosed theater, the lighting is better and crisper, weather is no longer a factor--an enclosed theater just creates a better production. The exterior façade of the theater now has the appearance of the grand movie palaces prevalent during the Golden Age of Hollywood. It looks even more opulent sitting atop the beautiful water feature the current theater has.

With the refurbishment of the entire theater, a new show is being placed into the theater. Now, one day I was thinking, "Hey, the park wouldn't be a tribute to Hollywood without having a big awards ceremony." Well, we've got just that, in the form of...The Golden Mickeys!​

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The premise of this show is that guests are attending an awards show highlighting achievements by various Disney animated films in several different categories, such as romance, villains, heroes, comedy, etc.

Right from the get-go, the feeling of being at an awards ceremony hits you. The entrance ramp that leads up to the theater are outfitted with a red carpet and banners. There's no mistaking that a special event is about to take place. A velvet rope is set up a few feet away from the entrance doors. Behind this cordoned off area is a video camera.

An announcement is made that Rona Rivers, famed red carpet hostess, will be interviewing guests as they arrive for the show. A beautiful woman in a gold evening gown arrives and begins her sound and camera checks. A display of the awards to be presented is set up behind her. As the special guests (passengers) arrive, Rona selects a few to interview. Each is asked what "designer" line they are wearing, who's their favorite Disney character and other "red carpet" questions. While this is fun to watch in person, you can see these interviews as they're broadcast inside the theater.

The show is hosted by a reluctant young newbie, who finds himself/herself (in this version of the show, I'd like to have this role be able to be played by both men and women, much like the host of the Disney Junior show) in the unexpected role of emcee. It follows the age old show biz tale of the star unable to perform with the understudy stepping into and shining in his/her role.

The show does not highlight one movie, but many. In fact, here is a list of movies and songs that will be represented, and what category they will be part of.

Opening: "Golden Mickeys" Opening Song
Classic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

• "Someday My Prince Will Come"
• "Whistle While You Work"
• "Heigh-Ho"

Heroism

• "Son of Man" (Tarzan)
• "I'll Make a Man Out of You" (Mulan)
• Disney Trio: "Just Around the Riverbend/Go the Distance/Out There" (Pocahontas, Hercules and The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

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Symphony

• "Under the Sea" (The Little Mermaid)

Villains

• "Cruella de Vil" (101 Dalmatians)

Friendship

• "You've Got a Friend in Me" (Toy Story)

Romance

• "Bella Notte" (Lady and the Tramp)
• "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (The Lion King)
• "I See the Light" (Tangled)
• "Beauty and the Beast" (Beauty and the Beast)

Finale: "When You Wish Upon a Star" (Pinocchio) and "Golden Mickeys" Song Reprise

The beauty of this show is that the musical sequences can be switched out over time to keep the show fresh and up to date; already the Disney Cruise Line has added in a new musical sequence from Tangled. After watching this show, you'll definitely agree--everyone who attends The Golden Mickeys is a star!

Continuing to the back end of Sunset Boulevard, to the left, guests will find a courtyard leading to the Mercury Radio Studio. Step inside the 1938 studio to tour the recording booths. You just may happen upon Orson Welles, who’s reading a news bulletin being beamed to American households everywhere about an alien invasion currently underway. Is it real? Could there truly be lights in the sky over Los Angeles? Proceed through the studio and witness for yourself aboard Invasion!, a launched roller coaster into the dizzying recesses of radio and wonder.

To a riveting musical score interspersed by Welles’s narration of an intergalactic attack, you’ll blast into the light and through the stars aboard the ride formerly known as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. This sensational attraction will leave you wondering if we’re alone in the universe.

Located a few steps behind the radio studio is the Sunset Showcase.

The Sunset Showcase serves as host building for some of the most elite clubs in all of Disney's Hollywoodland. As of January 16th, 2016, the Showcase plays host to Club Villain.

On select evenings, guests can enter into this exclusive club and enjoy a night of fright. The club's host is Dr. Facilier, the voodoo villain from The Princess and the Frog, and the menu here reflects the tastes of his hometown of New Orleans. There's tender beef striploin rubbed with herbes de Provence, Voodoo sticky “pig wings” with citrus gremolata and spicy shrimp sautéed with Andouille sausage, tomato, okra and onions over creamy polenta. You can wash all that down in fiendish cocktail concoctions--specialty alcoholic drinks plus beer and wine.

After all that eating, you can burn those carbs off on the dance floor (the club DJ is one of the best in all of Hollywood) alongside such dastardly villains like the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, the Evil Queen from Snow White, Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians and the Mistress of All Evil herself, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

At the eastern most part of the park, guests will find the Hollywood Tower Hotel, casting a foreboding shadow against the Hollywood streets. Looking at it from the side, something bad has happened. A giant, cracked hole in the middle of the tower appears, as a complete part of the building has seemingly been ripped from the hotel. Upon entering into the lobby of the former hotel, guests will arrive upon a deserted hotel, everything in order as it was nearly one hundred years ago, left in untouched condition. Legend has it that the hotel was once the pinnacle of the hotels in Hollywood, until lightning struck on Halloween of 1939, sending an elevator and five people into parts unknown. But now, the hotel doors have mysteriously opened up, allowing guests to take an unusual journey aboard that haunted elevator as they plummet, rise and fall through the elevator shafts of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, or as it's more commonly referred to today...The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

The experience ends through the Tower Gifts store, which showcases Twilight Zone Tower of Terror merchandise, while still remaining in the Hollywood Tower Hotel motif. Just outside of the shop, on the left and right, guests will find stone stairways, leading to the upper tier balcony of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Here, guests will find the Tip Top Club, an exclusive club, much in the style of Club 33 in Disneyland's New Orleans Square. Admittance into the club is strictly for very selected people. Club members will board a separate elevator in the tower, leading up to the rich club, where they can indulge and be catered to wonderful delicacies, beverages and an excellent view of the theme park.
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Wasn't that fun? Now, in the next post, we won't dive into the entertainment just yet. Instead...well, you know how the different areas of Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center each have distinct logos? Well, Disney's Hollywoodland will have those, too, and I'll demonstrate what they'll look like. See ya then!