DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
The sightlines really suck but I still really love the Pier wide shot. At night, it’s one of my favorite scenes in any park.
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DisneylandForward
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PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
I'm sure many, many people love it. But it's a bummer to me that it's probably THE wide shot of the resort, wasted on that.
Compared to World Showcase Lagoon, the Tree of Life, entering Tokyo DisneySea and looking ahead at Mount Prometheus, etc. it can't help but personally disappoint.
I did like it a bit more before the pleasant blue tunnels of Screamin' gave way to the harsh Red of Incredicoasters'.
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
I totally get that. I’d also agree that all of those reveals are better, though I guess I think DCA’s is better than DHS and WDS. Though that doesn’t say much.
denyuntilcaught
Well-Known Member
Agreed. I'd say during the day, the 'wide shot' falls in the low-middle range of the pack, but at night, solid middle. IMO at night it's indeed a sight when you round the bend.
But those darn sightlines...
DrStarlander
New Member
Hello, I'm new to these forums but wanted to toss an idea out there as far as the Hollywood-to-Pandora transition. I can imagine putting a new building facade -- wherever this transition needs to happen -- that is themed as an Art Deco Science Museum / Planetarium, perhaps inspired by the Griffith Observatory. Out front of the museum would be vintage signage advertising the exhibit inside: DISCOVER THE AMAZING WORLD OF PANDORA!
When you walk in there is an octagonal room, about 50 feet by 50 feet, with a dome planetarium ceiling and floating planet models. Around the perimeter, each facet of the octagon has a vintage museum display of rockets, planets, telescopes, and other science and space-travel topics. (These are playful kinetic displays like Main St. window displays.)
Right in front of you at the back portion of the room is a dramatic mural wall with bold signage for the Pandora exhibit beyond. It is framed as if scientists have discovered a new planet and this is an exhibit about that discovery, hypothesizing about what life is like there. Foot traffic would flow around either side of this wall, which blocks a direct view.
When you walk around this wall, you enter the faux fantastical jungle of Pandora. At first it feels like a Natural History Museum exhibit with artificial foliage and a painted cyclorama backdrop -- kind of charming in its vintage museum vibe. There is dramatic music and a narrator with a deep voice saying something like "Welcome to the far-off world of Pandora, a planet we are just learning about through the power of science...." This area has skylights over it so we're starting to transition from the indoors-vibe of the octagonal foyer back into an outdoor feel.
As we continue on, within 50 feet, about the length of the Frontierland-GE tunnels, this exhibit transitions to the full outdoor setting of Pandora, a transition perhaps assisted with some fine fog.
This transition aims to seamlessly link 1920s-30s Hollywood to the science fiction of Pandora, while also making clear Pandora is real, not just fiction/ a movie.
Note, accessed from the octagonal science museum foyer I would love a small "science museum gift shop" with 1920s-30s vintage-look Pandora merch, science toys, posters, etc.
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I could be wrong but I feel like Galaxy's Edge has a clear pathway leading only to Galaxy's Edge so guests are already flowing in that direction. Plus it even has a little "portal" of its own in addition to the space that allows for the transition.
Whereas Pandora's entrance will need to happen in much less space and also require a left turn off the main pathway leading to Avenger's Campus so it would need way to communicate "hey come down this way to Pandora" while also still thematically working within the Hollywood Boulevard setting
Misted Compass
Well-Known Member
IMO it's not even my favorite wide shot in DCA; that would be entering Cars Land from San Fransokyo. Plus it's generally less crowded, being a side path rather than the spine of the park.
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
That entrance is imo one of my top 5 theme park wide shots in the world, lol
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
That is like something Universal would do.
Disney is no where near creative enough to think of that.
Wow I absolutely LOVE this idea. Really creative, but also realistic enough that I can imagine it actually being executed. I think another benefit this idea would bring is by also beginning the transition to Avenger's Campus by having the retro-futuristic science museum which makes for a smoother transition to the science fiction Guardian's tower.
In some ways it reminds me a little of how Universal has executed the Diagon Alley brick transition and potentially with the fog and everything the "floo network" transition from Paris to the British Ministry of Magic
Phroobar
I think the creativity is absolutely there within Imagineering. The thing that's lacking is ambition and willingness to take risk from the executives greenlighting new projects. The fact that we're getting a glorified Islands of Adventure Spiderman ride 20 years later, across from a glorified Legoland Ninjago and Knight's Tournament is pretty pathetic IMO.
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FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
Not sure if this is the right thread for it, but runDisney added the announcement below today to the website for the Disneyland Half Marathon (Jan 29-Feb 1, 2026):
While the announcement doesn't specify what is being constructed nor where, it stands to reason that there will either be multiple projects across the resort that would make it too difficult to lay out a course (unlikely, given how lousy some of the courses have been without cancelling the event) and/or the staging area(s) will be unavailable.
Construction of the 4th hotel in the Lilo lot was officially the reason the races got cancelled circa 2017, though other issues factored into that decision as well. The recent races have been using the Pumbaa lot and Disney Way, which was previously earmarked for the Eastern Gateway; that area would likely be need to be overhauled before the Harbor Blvd drop-off area could close, if that is in fact part of the larger plan.
Update: runDisney® at the Disneyland® Resort
Due to upcoming construction impacts, runDisney races at the Disneyland® Resort will be placed on hiatus in 2026 after the conclusion of the 2026 Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend presented by HONDA. We will continue to offer races at Walt Disney World® Resort, as well as virtual offerings.
While the announcement doesn't specify what is being constructed nor where, it stands to reason that there will either be multiple projects across the resort that would make it too difficult to lay out a course (unlikely, given how lousy some of the courses have been without cancelling the event) and/or the staging area(s) will be unavailable.
Construction of the 4th hotel in the Lilo lot was officially the reason the races got cancelled circa 2017, though other issues factored into that decision as well. The recent races have been using the Pumbaa lot and Disney Way, which was previously earmarked for the Eastern Gateway; that area would likely be need to be overhauled before the Harbor Blvd drop-off area could close, if that is in fact part of the larger plan.
NobodyElse
Well-Known Member
Isn't that the warehouse they've been using for years? It sounds like they just found an opportunity to stop paying rent.
Also, Disney recently purchased a giant warehouse a little over a mile away. The warehouse measures close to 400,000 SF.
TheDisneyParksfanC8
Well-Known Member
Sounds like the EGW will break ground once the 2026 DLR RunDisney event is over. Then once the 70th wraps in August/September 2026 they hit the ground running on Avatar.
Robbiem
Well-Known Member
Great idea. You could play off the whole early sci fi vibe and pop culture from when Pluto was discovered in the 1920s.
Not sure how practical but you could try and stack the land. Have an indoor pandora, like mermaid lagoon in Tokyo with the observatory on top the whole thing themed to the Hollywood hills. Make it sort of like the seas at Epcot- enter the observatory, travel to pandora land then maybe exit from a ground level portal themed to the grifith park tunnel
SSG
Well-Known Member
That was my thought as well. Disney has used that space for a while for parade storage. The CM store is there and the off- site bakery. Maybe some more functions at the resort can be moved, but I don't see how this adds a lot on-site.