What's the deal with Hollywood Studios

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

I remember a time when MGM Studios was my favorite park it feels like there's something missing now and I just can't put my finger on it. I just feel like that park had more life to it back in the day. I walk thru they're now and there's almost some kind of empty feeling with the place. I still don't get what the deal with that hat is... I'm assuming it represents Fantaisha. All I can say is I miss MGM Studios.

 

[litaljohn]

well the MGM part is gone, so that's a good place to start. otherwise I agree it seems to slip a bit for me in rank as well, although I say this as a person who's favorite park is AK which seems to be unusual round these parts.

I will say I think part of it is Epcot gets special festivals all the time and concerts, MK ha a new expansion in progress. designs are coming in for avatar in AK, in a way it seems like MGM is getting the cold shoulder in updates and improvements, wait lemme guess a new drop sequence will be made on ToT that we can't tell any difference on the previous builds?

I think the problem may be staleness. I have seen posts in others threads (forgot who said it) that mentioned just adding even shades of something new in mgm. for Instance they suggested getting rid of Aerosmith in rock n roller coaster and I next something new like, I think they suggested Bon Jovi. it would certainly be an improvement after hearing the same three Aerosmith songs over and over by now. I think it was a pretty good idea

 

[PUSH]

There really isn't an identity. It's just kind of a place with an entertainment theme. There's just attractions placed randomly. Just kind of cookie cutter type stuff.

 

[luv]

Yes, the BAH is the hat Sorcerer Mickey wore in Fantasia.

It's my least favorite park. Just a handful of things I enjoy, too. Fantasmic is a sorry excuse for a night show. But some people really like DHS and don't like the AK. To each, his own.

And it's such a confusing park! Now that Disney has made their maps slightly larger than a postage stamp, I have no idea how newbies find their way around.

 

[rufio]

I really don't know since I never went until after the name change! It is a very confusing park, but I still enjoy it on each trip and it's not the park I'd skip if I had to skip one.

 

[PUSH]

Yes, the BAH is the hat Sorcerer Mickey wore in Fantasia.

It's my least favorite park. Just a handful of things I enjoy, too. Fantasmic is a sorry excuse for a night show. But some people really like DHS and don't like the AK. To each, his own.

And it's such a confusing park! Now that Disney has made their maps slightly larger than a postage stamp, I have no idea how newbies find their way around.

Plus the entrance of the park is on the side of the map now. I understand it's facing north now, but who really cares when you're in a theme park? It's not like a CM is going to say "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is 200 yards north."

 

[yensid67]

From my point of view, I agree with the original post. I, too, think and feel like the park is missing something. My opinion is that they are missing the WORKING STUDIO part. I think that when that was in play, it made the park a favorite or more of a favorite with park goers. I do not want to waste $100 just to enjoy that park for an entire day...to me its not worth it, until it has a major rehab like DCA had! I am adding a hopper to my ticket so I can go to all 4 parks, $57 for access for 2 parks is a great deal!!!!! I cannot wait...only 15 days until WDW!

 

[wdwfan4ver]

What is missing with Hollywood Studios is it lost part of its theme by Disney Management including Eisner when they decided that Disney MGM Studios/DHS shouldn't be a working studios anymore.

When Eisner and Disney Management decided to get close the animation studio and stopped doing television and motion productions at DHS, Disney MGM Studios/DHS lost its identity.

It is one of the reasons why the Backlot Tour today so pathetic compare to the 1990's due to DHS no longer having a working studios.

 

[mrdisman]

Yes, the BAH is the hat Sorcerer Mickey wore in Fantasia.

It's my least favorite park. Just a handful of things I enjoy, too. Fantasmic is a sorry excuse for a night show. But some people really like DHS and don't like the AK. To each, his own.

And it's such a confusing park! Now that Disney has made their maps slightly larger than a postage stamp, I have no idea how newbies find their way around.

Where's the luv

 

[luv]

I really don't know since I never went until after the name change!

That's funny. I didn't even notice the use of MGM until I saw your post and went back to re-read the original.

I wonder if it will ever strike me as odd to hear it called MGM, lol.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

DHS has attractions that I enjoy such as Toy Story Midway, One Man's Dream, Muppet Vision 3d, Star Tours: The Adventure continues, and I do go one the Great Movie Rides. I also look the stores and eat a cupcake at Staring Rolls and I usually see Fantasmic once on every trip.

The thing DHS/Disney MGM Studios was rushed when it was built and a lot of its theme was lost when Disney Management decided to stop doing Television/motion pictures at the theme park.

The Park needs attractions refurbished or go away now. Doing an Expansion of the park would help it also. If DHS doesn't get anything from Disney in terms help, Universal will force Disney to wake up and improve the park. I am saying that because Universal's aim is to have more attendance at their parks than DHS and AK by adding attractions and doing stuff like adding another water park, more hotels and a 3rd Universal theme park.

 

[litaljohn]

Plus the entrance of the park is on the side of the map now. I understand it's facing north now, but who really cares when you're in a theme park? It's not like a CM is going to say "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is 200 yards north."

I think this is actually more sensible to be honest. plus what map are we speaking of in specifics? I mean if it's a park map you grab you could always just hold it a different way no?

I think why your seeing is a shift to "nextgen" it's not that way for handhelds maps but for continuity with its online brother. it makes it easier and simpler for more gps type features to have all parks deal with the same reference point

 

[Gabe1]

DHS has attractions that I enjoy such as Toy Story Midway, One Man's Dream, Muppet Vision 3d, Star Tours: The Adventure continues, and I do go one the Great Movie Rides. I also look the stores and eat a cupcake at Staring Rolls and I usually see Fantasmic once on every trip.

The thing DHS/Disney MGM Studios was rushed when it was built and a lot of its theme was lost when Disney Management decided to stop doing Television/motion pictures at the theme park.

The Park needs attractions refurbished or go away now. Doing an Expansion of the park would help it also. If DHS doesn't get anything from Disney in terms help, Universal will force Disney to wake up and improve the park. I am saying that because Universal's aim is to have more attendance at their parks than DHS and AK by adding attractions and doing stuff like adding another water park, more hotels and a 3rd Universal theme park.

I missed the 3rd gate. Who what when where?

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I missed the 3rd gate. Who what when where?

WDW1974 mentioned it.
Proof of WDW1974 mentioning 3rd park:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...ns-ii-nge-baxter.859440/page-209#post-5437615

 

[Gabe1]

WDW1974 mentioned it.
Proof of WDW1974 mentioning 3rd park:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...ns-ii-nge-baxter.859440/page-209#post-5437615

Well that explains why I missed it.

 

[FettFan]

I love behind the scenes stuff. It's the reason I follow Stan Winston Studios and Steve Johnson on YouTube. Blue/green screen magic, props, animations....that's what I fell in love with at Disney-MGM, and why it was always MY park in our family. (mom and sister were Magic Kingdom, dad was always World Showcase, while I was crazy for MGM).
Last time I visited and the studios were still open was in 1998-ish, and they were working on parts of Band of Brothers there. They actually had one of the soundstages converted into the Ardennes forest for the Battle of the Bulge episode. That was the day that I learned that fake movie-snow was actually finely-shredded paper.


Once they stopped producing movies and shows, and then gutted the backstage area....yeah it was tragic for me. But I held out hope that they would turn it into a better theme park.

They never did. DHS as it stands today is in some kind of awkward theme-park puberty phase, and for whatever reason, TDO doesn't seem willing to make it flourish into something really great.

 

[All Disney All The Time]

They should close HS and wait until the poll results are in from WDWMagic before deciding what to do with it.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

They should close HS and wait until the poll results are in from WDWMagic before deciding what to do with it.

They're no doubt biting their nails.


But in all seriousness, it appears that DHS is the WDW park that has been hardest hit by Potter. DAK is too different, EPCOT is about dining and events nowadays, the MK is simply invincible. DHS took the brunt of the UNI attack. So I think that DHS will see great investment the coming few years. Either Star Wars or Cars, with more Pixar stuff thrown in for good measure.

I wonder if that will truly help the park, or merely serve to further dilute DHS' theme. 'Random collection of rides based on IP properties' looms for DHS. Which is UNI's formula, it would only mean Disney being dragged down to UNI's level, from where UNI will beat it from experience and agression.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I really don't know since I never went until after the name change! It is a very confusing park, but I still enjoy it on each trip and it's not the park I'd skip if I had to skip one.

Everything (except the Hat) when walking from Star Tours all the way to ToT is sheer theme park perfection. In theme, beauty, atmosphere, rides. It's awesome, the very best of Disney, it rivals the MK and EPCOT.

The back half of the park is problematic. DHS has always been a theme park + studio combo. The first half is still there, strong as ever. The second half is the confusing bit. It is not a working studio anymore, but they haven't really given up on the pretense. Which leads to underwhelming experiences as the current watered down Tour and Animation. It's not all that pretty back there either. Which originally it didn't have to be because it was all build as actual soundstages and movie sets.

It is entirely underwhelming to walk from the Pixar sign to the Backlot entrance. Along the 1862 movie Honey I Shrunk the Nobody Cares playground to the Cars&Explosions show, down to the Pizza Planet that does not at all resemble Pizza Planet. The back half just doesn't really work, there is no mechanism here of 'the whole is more than the sum of the parts'..

I'm curious what, if any, solution they will try. In the meantime though, I remain absolutely smitten with what is right in my lovely little park.

 

[englanddg]

Where I think Disney misses the boat is that...they don't have to compete with anyone outside of themselves.

A clue to that should be forums like the myriad of Disney Forums online. Disney already has brand loyalty for the Parks. They don't need to spend a dime there. You don't see forums about Universal all over the place (though I'm sure they exist, they are not very prominent).

There shouldn't be a "Harry Potter" shot back. Just make attractions that are memorable and fun!

Once you make it a competition, it becomes just that. One group tries to "one up" the other...Harry Potter is fantastic. For Disney to rush out a project they are not committed to in the long term (like Avatar) to try and compete, is just silly. This is the same mentality that led to the downfall of Hollywood Studios (rushed out to compete with Universal...now look where it stands)...

Where they should focus is on WHY people take their kid to an Amusement Resort for a vacation.

This past trip, I did Universal for the first time in a very long time, and...I got better memories out of that trip (4 days at Uni, 10 at Disney) than I did the Disney side.

That being said, I felt no urge to go back to Uni anytime soon (though, I found both parks and Citywalk excellently done, and much better on average than anything Disney has going right now)...

Disney set such a high bar for themselves, they need to get back to that sort of out of the box thinking, and that doesn't mean years spent on new ride vehicles.

Many of the classic rides at Disney captivated a generation, and yet largely all had the same ride vehicle. Also, it's not about "story", per se. Or thrills. It's about presentation.