DHS DHS Soundstage 1 Renovation - Toy Storia Mania expansion

[The Visionary Soul]

Wow. You don't take up John Lasseter's time to fly him across the country unless this is something BIG.

You just promise to take him drinking and he'll go anywhere. If Lasseter stays overnight in Orlando, 10 bucks says you'll find him at a bar or lounge at Disney tonight somewhere.

 

[Ignohippo]

Since the queue already exists with the current ride there would be room to do a complete mirror of the current double track ride system. Then depending on whether a disabled guest load zone is incorporated, there may not need to be any programming required at all.

Does anyone know what TSMM capacity is currently running at? 1500 guests per hour?

There's no need to add more disabled access. Since the current one is set up for it, they could just funnel the disabled riders into that track (as they are doing now).

 

[PhilharMagician]

There isn't enough room. I explained why a few pages back. And if Toy Story is getting that many people per hour, then someone has hacked the ride system and lowered the time between vehicles. I asked a cast member once and they said the most could get on with those two tracks was only around 1300, and usually it's only around 1200.

Shortly after TSMM opened I know they were reporting numbers as high as 1550 per hour. I thought that number was down. I wasn't thinking down to 1200, but I believe it. The CM's were pushed to the limit early on when TSMM opened. The ride only operates as fast as you can load and unload guests.

 

[Ignohippo]

You just promise to take him drinking and he'll go anywhere. If Lasseter stays overnight in Orlando, 10 bucks says you'll find him at a bar or lounge at Disney tonight somewhere.

Agreed. I hate to hear that about him though. He needs to get that under control.

 

[flynnibus]

I think what everyone may be missing is that the TSMM expansion may simply be one small component of a much larger expansion.

No I'm not ignoring that - still doesn't make expanding tsmm with the same thing more cost effective.

I'm only saying I would be shocked if they expand the current tsmm with the same thing. It doesn't fit their mo

Maybe there is another alternative where it's not just a third track but an alternative version... Or they add variation, etc to the whole thing. so not just adding capacity but actually expanding the ride concept. Just thinking about things that would help 'sweeten" the deal to make it more justifiable.

They need a lot of roses to get past some of that stink....

 

[The Visionary Soul]

Shortly after TSMM opened I know they were reporting numbers as high as 1550 per hour. I thought that number was down. I wasn't thinking down to 1200, but I believe it. The CM's were pushed to the limit early on when TSMM opened. The ride only operates as fast as you can load and unload guests.

The only way you could reach 1550 is if they were filling every single seat (they used to have a singles line, so that's not too far off) and if a lot of rows had three people riding. I call BS on the reporting of 1550 an hour, even early on.

 

[GoofGoof]

I wasn't arguing they were. They're clearly here for another reason. No they're not gonna come out just for a moved frozen celebration and added track. But, that doesn't mean those things aren't also happening.

I'm with you on this. They just closed a ride that gives them a lot more space then just SS1. That's a tiny fraction of the available space. I'm sure they will do more with it than expand a single ride, but it doesn't mean they won't do both. FLE wasn't just a doubling of dumbo. They built other stuff too.

 

[The Visionary Soul]

No I'm not ignoring that - still doesn't make expanding tsmm with the same thing more cost effective.

I'm only saying I would be shocked if they expand the current tsmm with the same thing. It doesn't fit their mo

Maybe there is another alternative where it's not just a third track but an alternative version... Or they add variation, etc to the whole thing. so not just adding capacity but actually expanding the ride concept. Just thinking about things that would help 'sweeten" the deal to make it more justifiable.

They need a lot of roses to get past some of that stink....

Amazingly, I actually agree with you here. However, the expansion of the ride is just exactly what they are doing. What you may not know (or maybe you do) is that seasonal overlays exist to be implemented for Toy Story Mania and would require little to no down time. But there's no way that current management wants to do anything that would make the current demand even greater without first expanding the capacity of the ride. Plus, there is a game going on with those FP+ numbers. You can rest assured that someone's spreadsheet doesn't look good somewhere, and this should fix it. Starting to sound a lot more like their mo now, doesn't it?

Plus, like everyone is saying, it's not "just" the expansion of Toy Story Mania. Tom Staggs and his crew of misfits wouldn't be out here looking at everything with a fine tooth comb if that was only it. It's "part" of the puzzle. When you put it all together, it makes complete sense from a business perspective.

 

[flynnibus]

Do all of the Midway Mania's have the same goofball queue style with the zero themed stairway that heads up and over the track and down again?

Dca does not. The station is almost outside

 

[doctornick]

Dark green and pink = queue. Soundstage 1 would be to the left of this image.

I wanted to bring this image back to remind everyone about the current setup. Seems to me that the logical plan is the current track being FP+/DAS only and the new track being standby.

There wouldn't be a need to build much of a new queue at all -- you just reconfigure the current standby (dark green) a bit so that the end of the line passes Potato Head and ends at the upper left. From there you punch a hole in the wall to SS1, put in a shelf for glasses pickup and go to a new load area. They you do the track. The new track would roughly be the length of orange + light green/blue + red -- probably similar to light green but more compact. Even with the service area (the gray part to the right), you could do that in 2/3 of SS1. There would be room for something else -- like a queue for another ride or a M&G or a merch location.

The FP+ queue stays as the pink one. No need to change that. FP+ capacity is increased because you don't have standby people to merge with.

 

[djlaosc]

Serious thought: If they are truly only putting in one track, that won't require all of the SS1 building. It's conceivable that they could put TSMM in the "back" and use the front part of the building for a smallish attraction -- say, a Monsters Inc M&G? (which would thus fit the theme)

How much space does the Laugh Floor take up?

 

[The Visionary Soul]

I wanted to bring this image back to remind everyone about the current setup. Seems to me that the logical plan is the current track being FP+/DAS only and the new track being standby.

There wouldn't be a need to build much of a new queue at all -- you just reconfigure the current standby (dark green) a bit so that the end of the line passes Potato Head and ends at the upper left. From there you punch a hole in the wall to SS1, put in a shelf for glasses pickup and go to a new load area. They you do the track. The new track would roughly be the length of orange + light green/blue + red -- probably similar to light green but more compact. Even with the service area (the gray part to the right), you could do that in 2/3 of SS1. There would be room for something else -- like a queue for another ride or a M&G or a merch location.

The FP+ queue stays as the pink one. No need to change that. FP+ capacity is increased because you don't have standby people to merge with.

My money is on the merchandise location at the exit. Ha.

Though, if you think about it, if they built a new ADA area, it could increase the efficiency dramatically. The current setup for ADA isn't well designed because the ADA vehicle still has to go through the general loading area and there isn't enough room for the vehicles to backup if someone takes too long to load. Not saying this would be a good ROI for Disney, but it would help the capacity. And does anyone know the legal aspects of building a standalone ride that is basically an identical experience? Would that still be required to have an ADA loading area? Somehow I doubt it, because it's separate but equal on the other side, but still... I don't have a law degree. Ha!

 

[The Visionary Soul]

How much space does the Laugh Floor take up?

Not much, but unless they bring back Timekeeper, (Which they're not) there is no reason to move the Laugh Floor anywhere.

 

[The Visionary Soul]

Dca does not. The station is almost outside

DCA's does, it's just on the exit side. It has to exist somehow.

 

[doctornick]

DCA's does, it's just on the exit side. It has to exist somehow.

It wouldn't have to if people load and unloaded on the same side of the vehicle. Which would probably require separate load/unload areas -- but they could do that with a new track.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

I say move the flippin' laugh floor to DHS. And while they're at it...move the autopia there too and theme it to Sugar Rush from Wreck it Ralph. Then make tomorrowland WORTH visiting by buidling some new stuff....that's well done for a change.

On a side note...what the friggin' heck is going on with the Top Brass and imagineers at DHS? IS something brewing? Should I get somewhat excited?

 

[epcot2004]

Imagineers after visiting Studios: "Wow, that place needs some serious attention!"

 

[doctornick]

I say move the flippin' laugh floor to DHS. And while they're at it...move the autopia there too and theme it to Sugar Rush from Wreck it Ralph. Then make tomorrowland WORTH visiting by buidling some new stuff....that's well done for a change.

I'd love to see Laugh Floor moved to DHS. Yes, there's already a bunch of shows at DHS, but it's a better fit there and could be integrated into a larger "Monstropolis". Makes no sense in TL. There's a lot of properties that could be put into TL instead -- like the previously planned Tron coaster or something related to Guardians of the Galaxy, etc.

 

[RSoxNo1]

No I'm not ignoring that - still doesn't make expanding tsmm with the same thing more cost effective.

I'm only saying I would be shocked if they expand the current tsmm with the same thing. It doesn't fit their mo

Maybe there is another alternative where it's not just a third track but an alternative version... Or they add variation, etc to the whole thing. so not just adding capacity but actually expanding the ride concept. Just thinking about things that would help 'sweeten" the deal to make it more justifiable.

They need a lot of roses to get past some of that stink....

I suspect the budget was rolled into a larger Pixar expansion. I also wouldn't be surprised to see new games included, with the 3rd Soarin' theater they're updating to digital as well as a new film potentially creating greater demand.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Honestly... These 3 guys that showed up at HS don't look like very enthusiastic men. They all seem pretty boring. And yes, I am judging them based on a website picture and physical appearance.

Sometimes, I wish everything was run by a large group of out-of-college kids. At least there would be some creativity in some new attractions. Not.. "Oh, we need to expand this ride so more people can get in. Hey, Star Wars and Frozen are really popular, let's just expand on those. Avatar got lots of money in the movies, that means we'll get money! HURHURHUR"

I have no idea where I was going with that post. But I'm sure there's a point in there somewhere.