The downfall of Hollywood studios

[psukardi]

I go but normally don't spend more than 1/2 a day and try to synch it up with a dinner @ the Brown Derby. I go on the marquee rides & maybe check out a few of the shops but when you only have a few e-ticket rides it's hard to stretch your time

 

[KaneMarko]

When we go to DHS, most of our time (however long that is) is spent in and around Sunset. We may venture off to the other parts of the park while waiting for a FastPass to kick in or something. But, for us, there's just not a lot that interest us outside of Sunset at DHS. Like I said in my previous post, the park just seemed to be thrown together randomly from a layout perspective. A lots of the park seem more like afterthoughts and just decoration.

I don't know how feasible it is for a complete DCA-like renovation. But I think the overall "idea" behind DHS is good. Least what I think the overall "idea" is. Disney owns a TON of properties i.e. Marvel, Star Wars, etc. They really need to start leveraging these properties they own similar to how Universal turned the HP movies in to the WWoHP. With DHS being the smallest of the parks, I'd assume it'd be the perfect places to start turning some of these properties they own into A-list attractions. Too lazy to look at Google maps to see how much build-able land is around DHS. But if there is a good amount of land that is available...

Slightly off-topic: We haven't been down to Orlando in a few years. Before WWoHP opened. But I was just curious if anyone knew if Universal is stealing some of Disney's business with Hogsmead and Diagon Alley coming online in recent years?

 

[Victor Kelly]

DHS is still a half day park, only after you have been there several times. For new people, a full day.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

When we go to DHS, most of our time (however long that is) is spent in and around Sunset. We may venture off to the other parts of the park while waiting for a FastPass to kick in or something. But, for us, there's just not a lot that interest us outside of Sunset at DHS. Like I said in my previous post, the park just seemed to be thrown together randomly from a layout perspective. A lots of the park seem more like afterthoughts and just decoration.

I don't know how feasible it is for a complete DCA-like renovation. But I think the overall "idea" behind DHS is good. Least what I think the overall "idea" is. Disney owns a TON of properties i.e. Marvel, Star Wars, etc. They really need to start leveraging these properties they own similar to how Universal turned the HP movies in to the WWoHP. With DHS being the smallest of the parks, I'd assume it'd be the perfect places to start turning some of these properties they own into A-list attractions. Too lazy to look at Google maps to see how much build-able land is around DHS. But if there is a good amount of land that is available...

Slightly off-topic: We haven't been down to Orlando in a few years. Before WWoHP opened. But I was just curious if anyone knew if Universal is stealing some of Disney's business with Hogsmead and Diagon Alley coming online in recent years?

I'll put it this way-my husband and I now spend time on our Disney trips at Universal, which takes time (time=money) away from Disney. I can imagine other families are doing this too, or maybe even more severe, doing a duel trip where they stay on Uni property. It's inevitable and I think it'll only continue more over time. I must say its worth it.

 

[BrerJon]

There isn't that cohesive immersive feeling that you get when you walk into the Magic Kingdom or Epcot or even Animal Kingdom, you feel like you're at any other amusement park for most of the place

There used to be. It sounds minor, but taking away the giant hat, revealing the Chinese Theater, and you're totally immersed in the glamorous world of old Hollywood. The hat and stage have shattered that though.

 

[C&D]

I am not nearly as negative as most of the posts, however, I can concede that some changes/additions/expansions would be welcome. Even if none are forthcoming I'm still going to visit the 'Studios' (and probably multiple times during our trip).

 

[Matt_Black]

My sister has said that it's probably her favorite park. I'm quite fond of it myself.

 

[doctornick]

There are 54 combinations, but only 11 unique scenes to see. It's still extremely unlikely that you've only gotten 3 particular combinations in all your rides. People would complain to me all the time when I worked there that they "saw the same movie" twice in a row, yet when I would ask about their flights they would almost always admit that there actually WERE differences after all.

Last year, my son and I rode it and he had just become a pretty big SW fan from watching the cartoon. I told him ahead of time how the ride was different each time you rode and we did it back to back -- and got the exact same scenes (Vader/Tatooine/Leia/Coruscant). He complained that it wasn't any different. We went on one more time later in the day and got Vader/Hoth/Leia/Coruscant (yes, only one scene changed) but at least I could point out something was different.

It was some bad luck unfortunately.

 

[doctornick]

DHS needs a California Adventure makeover x 2 to redo parking, expand the park, give it an better identity, create a less awkward layout, create more defined lands with rich storytelling, with updated attractions, but still flexible space for new and exciting things to come.

A lot of people have mentioned this and it is definitely true. DHS needs a massive overhaul -- not just new attractions (but, yeah, that too) but a complete redo of the layout and theming of the park. It really needs a comprehensive master plan to determine the state of the park in both the short term and long term. DHS has the smallest footprint of any of the WDW's parks and has terrible inefficient use of that land. Haphazardly adding Star Wars or Pixar attractions in places won't solve the park's primary issues (though will provide more to do).

The one quibble I would have is that I think DHS has always stunk. Even when it was a working studio and had a realistic Backlot tour, the park was way too small and had little to do. Yeah, you spend 3-4 hours on the tour and it was kind of like "that's it?". It's good that they added Sunset Blvd which greatly expanded the stuff to do, but they needed to really continue that much more aggressively to get rid of the lame filmmaking vestiges and make it into a celebration of entertainment (stuff like stunt shows are fine, but they need to be the filler in the park, not a bulk of the experience).

 

[Redsky89]

I'm pretty burned out by Hollywood Studios. I can go to Magic Kingdom and Epcot over and over and not get sick of it but Hollywood Studios I need a break from. Theres not enough there to keep me there all day. Toy Story Mania is always a ridiculous wait and other then that you got Star Tours, Tower of Terror, and Rock'n Roller Coaster. Shows aside thats it. The streets there don't have the magic they had when I was a kid going there 15 years ago. As a adult its just kind of whatever to me now.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

It was always a half day park for us. Even as new guest.
We used to hit the park on morning emh days then do the fantasmic dining package with lunch at the brown derby, back to our hotel and swim, then head back for fantasmic.

 

[ctxak98]

For many years my family and I have loved the Disney Studios! Back in the day I would say it was our favorite park, but somewhere down the line it lost it's spark! The park really has no clear vision right now! I don't even mind what's still there, it's just all mix matched right now!

There are a couple of things they could do to make the park fresh again!

1. Make parking structures to save room in parking lot for expanding!

2. Remove the hate and open up the view to Chinese theater

3. Keep GMR the same but update AA figures to be even more real!

4. Expand Rockn area to be music area and move American idol over there! It would make more sense, and they could possibly swap music contests when one gets old!

5. Make Star Wars land

6. Make a muppets miniland

7. Expand Pixar place to hold monsters door coaster and incredibles E ticket!

8. Change beauty and the beast and mermaid, with frozen and tangled!

That's just to start but that way it would be more cohesive lands and not just a mashup or sorts!

I do love things they have there like Hollywood boulevard and sunset are amazing!! Don't need to change a thing! I love the scifi theater so I don't want that to change either! Although the food isn't incredibly unique, the experience is! But yeah I see a lot of work they could do to that place to make it awesome again!

 

[Beholder]

It's frustrating the park with so much untapped potential has been, in my words, neglected and allowed to stagnate. I know that word (stagnate) gets thrown around a bit, and perhaps I don't mean it the strictest terms, but when compared to what the others parks get and the NEED for more, it works just fine. With Disney's vast catalog of animation, live action films, Pixar, and now all these I.P.'s, DHS should be the easiest to "fix". If I has access to all that creative media and was tasked with shaking things up at DHS, the only difficult part would be figuring what to and not use. I like the GMR, love ToT, and really enjoy RnR and ST. I still like Indiana Jones, but mostly for the atmosphere and it's now tradition that we do it. This is a park that could be so much better. It needs direction, a better adherence to its dedication, and more quality, family attractions worthy of being Disney created.

 

[Beholder]

For many years my family and I have loved the Disney Studios! Back in the day I would say it was our favorite park, but somewhere down the line it lost it's spark! The park really has no clear vision right now! I don't even mind what's still there, it's just all mix matched right now!

There are a couple of things they could do to make the park fresh again!

1. Make parking structures to save room in parking lot for expanding!

2. Remove the hate and open up the view to Chinese theater

3. Keep GMR the same but update AA figures to be even more real!

4. Expand Rockn area to be music area and move American idol over there! It would make more sense, and they could possibly swap music contests when one gets old!

5. Make Star Wars land

6. Make a muppets miniland

7. Expand Pixar place to hold monsters door coaster and incredibles E ticket!

8. Change beauty and the beast and mermaid, with frozen and tangled!

That's just to start but that way it would be more cohesive lands and not just a mashup or sorts!

I do love things they have there like Hollywood boulevard and sunset are amazing!! Don't need to change a thing! I love the scifi theater so I don't want that to change either! Although the food isn't incredibly unique, the experience is! But yeah I see a lot of work they could do to that place to make it awesome again!

Oh yes, the BAH.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

I'm going to put an optimistic spin on it and say that DHS is merely in it's "Awkward Puberty Years".

I like your optimism. I have to say that I will NOT be skipping the park when I go. I enjoy that I don't have to RUN from one place to the other while I'm there and can take in the sights. I, however, have not been there during the Frozen pandemic that has taken over, so maybe my thoughts will change while I am there.

I can agree that I don't particularly care for Lights, Motor, Action - Indian Jones is the same every time (which is fine), the Backlot Tour is pretty uneventful (especially with the corny intro that I'm not interested in) and the Streets of America needs to become something (ANYTHING) else. I agree that much could be done, but I still love the park and enjoy leisurely walking through it. One last thing... I also like seeing the (museum-like) walk through of Walt Disney and the little video that tells about him and his life and Disney World. Nothing like that any other park (that I can think of).

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

DHS has some of the most high intensity rides in WDW and that is what needs to be expanded upon. Lose that back lot tour and car extravaganza thing and put another coaster or two there. DHS could be the "it" park for teenagers who want the thrill rides.

I definitely agree with this!

 

[Tinkwings]

DHS My least favorite for time spent, food, theming cohesiveness, and relaxing.....that stage with the High School Musical at full blast one year was so overload imho it detracted from entire time in park.....yes I love muppets, startours, TSM and....? Once seen the shows 3-4 times I don't desire to see same again....I would like to see carsland added and a monsters coaster.....there is no food item there I look forward to either. Have not eaten at Brown Derby nor seen Fantasmic....two things I still aim to do, but that being said? I have not done either because we always leave for Epcot before lunch.....I guess I really liked one time when we witnessed an impromptu street act that was quite good....otherwise? With boys I never got to hit Beauty or Mermaid shows....TOT and Rock/Roller Coaster don't do it for me.....so in summary, any trip 5 days or less would exclude DHS. MK, Epcot and AK are a must.....DHS to me is fill for longer trips...and mostly to ride TSM once.....too much travel time wasted! Oh yes and that hat like the wand isn't plussing...its junk that detracts....

Ok I feel much better now......

 

[bethymouse]

TOT, RNRC, TSMM, Star Wars : 4 rides for a whole day? We go to parks now for rides ( kids getting older). The boys are getting tired of the shows! They are getting tired of the "plain jane" dark rides. There's just not enough at either DHS or AK IMHO. We do love watching the animals at AK, but there again, only EE, Dinosaur ( yuck sadly), Primeval Whirl ( the boys like this ride).
We spend most all of our time at MK, and then at EPCOT only because the boys love Test Track! But there again, the boys are getting tired of World Showcase, although they do like Maelstrom. They enjoy Soarin' as well, not so much Mission Space.
Sadly, we all love Disney World very much, but it's getting to be a trip to MK only with a bit of EPCOT as well. The boys are getting older, and they want more rides- hence Universal!
Hopefully though in the years to come, Disney will realize the need for more rides that appeal to families with children ages 10 and up, not ages 10 and under.

 

[Cubfan300]

TOT, RNRC, TSMM, Star Wars : 4 rides for a whole day? We go to parks now for rides ( kids getting older). The boys are getting tired of the shows! They are getting tired of the "plain jane" dark rides. There's just not enough at either DHS or AK IMHO. We do love watching the animals at AK, but there again, only EE, Dinosaur ( yuck sadly), Primeval Whirl ( the boys like this ride).
We spend most all of our time at MK, and then at EPCOT only because the boys love Test Track! But there again, the boys are getting tired of World Showcase, although they do like Maelstrom. They enjoy Soarin' as well, not so much Mission Space.
Sadly, we all love Disney World very much, but it's getting to be a trip to MK only with a bit of EPCOT as well. The boys are getting older, and they want more rides- hence Universal!
Hopefully though in the years to come, Disney will realize the need for more rides that appeal to families with children ages 10 and up, not ages 10 and under.

Pretty much in the same boat, although we do like spending time in DHS. AK doesn't offer us much as we lived in the St. Louis area for much of our lives and had one of the best (and free) zoos in the country at our disposal. I just set up our FP+ for our upcoming trip and EE, Dinosaur and KS are the only items of interest. Your Epcot experiences are very similar to ours as well (flipping Mission Space for Soarin' <boring>, leaving MK for 4 days of our 7 day vacation.

 

[Tinkwings]

Yes but at least AK IS cohesive, nicely themed and extremely detailed.....there are many hidden treasures overlooked there....last trip, after about 7 there, we tried the bird show.....IT WAS AWESOME! Plus just walking along the off the beaten path trails and being surrounded by the lush happy plantings is necessary for me as I am always there in part to escape the barren cold grey/white thing going on at home in the North. I have no problem tweaking entire day making Boma my 5:00 dinner closing.....if we are weary we like to take bus to the Lodge and explore and sometimes seek out the hidden mickeys....nice shop too!

Ok OT but just sayin' AK has much more to offer imo than DHS.....and the food is much much much better to boot. But I do agree with you Cubfan300....in that MK will always take the bulk of our trip for every reason we go to Disney. Shoot....I can honestly say I would not mind spending 7 days at MK.... But that's me....