Toto, I have a feeling we aren’t in Hollywood Studios anymore..

OSX

Active Member
Original Poster
Much like the park with the “golf ball”, which has and is continually being strayed furthur away from its original vision, the Hollywood that never was has now deformed itself as the Hollywood that currently is. With the new addition of ‘Toys That Come To Life and Have Stories’ Land paired like a grotesque zombie-like sandwich with ‘Burning Ball of Gas In The Sky That Has Battles’ Land, it’s no question that the vision of the largest hidden mickey park has been a-skewed. Unquestionably, it is only going to get more unrecognizable in the coming years. We now turn our heads away from the glitz and glamor of old hollywood and take our places in the seats of the aluminum bird, and also transcend new heights and swoop under bridges held together by an assortment of toys. How did we ever come to this?
 
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eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
john stewart popcorn.gif
 

righttrack

Well-Known Member
I hear you. But do consider this. Hollywood Studios (MGM at the time) was built as a hedge against Universal coming to Orlando. Universal, while still rooted in movies, is no longer that "studio tour" extension identity they built on the other coast. It's a theme park that is consistently trying to one-up Disney. Disney needed to designate some land as a catch-all, much as Islands of Adventure was a catch-all for Universal (and California Adventure in DL). I don't think they are going to court nostalgia any other place but Magic Kingdom anymore. They have declared 90s nostalgia (and 80s) non-existent by their actions.
 

Janir

Well-Known Member
Ok, Lets get this started shall we? Since we have the popcorn all loaded up.

Simple fact is both the DHS and EPCOT original theme plans for both parks were not very sustainable as time moved WDW forward. Disney isn't making movies in DHS and while they could keep it original theme plans, that will just keep the park outdated and less interesting to the majority of the guests. So DHS now is morphing into a park of immersive lands of various movies and some of the history of movie making. EPCOT, same problem of themeing of the technological future of the world isn't really much of a thing as it was in Walt's day. One could argue that by the time EPCOT was opened, that had already started passing EPCOT by. So a rethemeing is in order. The parks were never static and would not survive if they were. Eventually they would become billion dollar monstrosities that no one goes to as all the older park guests that loved what they had once upon a time are gone.
(Ok, I pulled the pin and dropped the grenade. My job is done.)
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
We came to this when Disney thought we were no longer interested in "Old Holywood". The great actors and actresses were unrecognized, the old favored films were no longer viewed as being viewable, and they thought the up and coming generations were no longer connecting with what was there. therefore it had to be replaced with something that flashes and bangs. I was surprised Brown Derby wasnt replaced, after all its filled with memories of black and white pictures of old dead ancient has beens.
 

Model3 McQueen

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I feel like there could be a few identities to Hollywood Studios. GMR (rest its soul), RnR, ToT all fit in to this park, in my opinion. I would also argue that Hollywood Studios should be the IP go-to (instead of all the Disney parks everywhere), so TSL and SWGE work. I'm not a WDW expert, but I don't quite understand the hate for what it's become. Personally it was the park I had the most amount of fun in.
 

durangojim

Well-Known Member
Don’t forget that DMGMS stopped being what it “was supposed to be” after the actual animation, movie, and television studios stopped producing anything there. I think the front of the park with the old Hollywood motif is great and unlikely to go away anytime soon. The back half of the park hasn’t known what it’s wanted to be for over 10 years. I think it’s great what Disney is doing with it and look forward to more additions.
 

OSX

Active Member
Original Poster
Don’t forget that DMGMS stopped being what it “was supposed to be” after the actual animation, movie, and television studios stopped producing anything there. I think the front of the park with the old Hollywood motif is great and unlikely to go away anytime soon. The back half of the park hasn’t known what it’s wanted to be for over 10 years. I think it’s great what Disney is doing with it and look forward to more additions.
When did they stop doing animation there? I was always curious about that.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Much like the park with the “golf ball”, which has and is continually being strayed furthur away from its original vision, the Hollywood that never was has now deformed itself as the Hollywood that currently is. With the new addition of ‘Toys That Come To Life and Have Stories’ Land paired like a grotesque zombie-like sandwich with ‘Burning Ball of Gas In The Sky That Has Battles’ Land, it’s no question that the vision of the largest hidden mickey park has been a-skewed. Unquestionably, it is only going to get more unrecognizable in the coming years. We now turn our heads away from the glitz and glamor of old hollywood and take our places in the seats of the aluminum bird, and also transcend new heights and swoop under bridges held together by an assortment of toys. How did we ever come to this?
Absolutely true. For better or for worse.
 

Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
The original concept ran out of steam within a few years of its opening, that's how we got here. Once it was clear that the concept of a working studio park wasn't feasible, the focus had to change.

What do you want? The return of Superstar TV for a generation that barely watches regular TV anymore? A back-lot tour of rotting old movie props, since there's no actual production taking place there? A rebuilt Golden Girls house exterior? The return of Monster Sound Show, starring that up-and-coming comic that all the kids are talking about, Chevy Chase?

Don't get me wrong, I love the old Hollywood movies. But young kids today couldn't recognize Clark Cable from Charlton Heston (or care who either were). I am not the future for the Walt Disney company, those born in the decades after me are. And I accept this.
 

bryanfze55

Well-Known Member
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I just don’t think Hollywood is worth celebrating as a theme. The physical area of Hollywood is actually very rundown, and peoples’ idea of Hollywood has soured over the years. While there are some stars who are very good people, I think Hollywood as a whole is basically a sect of morally-depraved egomaniacs and pompous idiots. I can’t think of many people in Hollywood I would want my kids looking to as a role model.

So if we’re going to be forced to have a Hollywood-themed theme park, it should just be similar to Universal... IP-based rides and lands that have us step into the movies we enjoy.
 

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