DHS Disney Animation-Inspired Experience Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Look... we all want to save money when going to WDW... but the parks are still pulling in significant crowds even with large parts closed and at current prices. If DCA didn't discount tickets when it was under the knife, no disney park ever will.

I don’t think anyone is seriously suggesting “lower prices”

But they will do is have to increase some pretty big discounts more and more…because they are pushing the core market away. By choice.

The rubber is already meeting that road

 

[Matthew2mrt]

I hope you like this Instagram Post. I’m so excited about this Magical Transformation at Hollywood Studios.

 

[dvitali]

Only bathrooms i can think of in operation is on Sunset Blvd and near muppets in studio.

Add the old Toy Story entrance

 

[HMF]

I'm curious how clear the premise/theme will be. It could be a sufficiently compelling area if guests understand they're in The Walt Disney Studios. For example, if there are noticeable signs on the buildings that read things like "Studio Theater" and "Soundstage #[X]." Otherwise, it's still just warehouses.

The most confusing aspect is they have spent the last ten years killing off the idea that the park is supposed to be a studio. Now, They are suddenly leaning back into it?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The most confusing aspect is they have spent the last ten years killing off the idea that the park is supposed to be a studio. Now, They are suddenly leaning back into it?

Well it doesn’t “immerse” you in Star Wars…for sure

 

[EricsBiscuit]

They are not accessible.

What a shame. Those are my go to restrooms at DHS. Almost always empty.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Dating profile...

 

[drew81]

They have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

And they are charging full price for parks largely behind walls. And the “work” is overwhelmingly replacement, not addition.

"Largely behind walls"????

What are we even talking about here?

There's a good amount of walls in MK because the area they are replacing and expanding is giant sure but there's still a healthy balance of attractions in MK.

Epcot has no walls afaik

Dinoland is getting major improvements and was one of the least liked lands of all of the Disney parks.

HS has AC which people have been saying for years is wasted space + should be replaced + no one uses it and Muppets which while sad is only 1 show and the area is also expanding, not only being replaced.

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

The most confusing aspect is they have spent the last ten years killing off the idea that the park is supposed to be a studio. Now, They are suddenly leaning back into it?

Well it doesn’t “immerse” you in Star Wars…for sure

Yep, I think both of your comments together really summarize the issue. I mention this in some previous posts:

If they're going to get rid of the studio theming, that will only work if they replace it with something cohesive (e.g., an immersive land).

If, instead, they just remove the indications that it's a studio (e.g., the "STAGE [X]" signs) without replacing the buildings themselves, that will only make things worse: they're replacing a themed environment with something that makes no sense (e.g., unexplained/unthemed warehouses rather than "soundstages," a seemingly cheap/half-finished Star Wars facade rather than a "movie set," etc).

They have to lean into one or the other. Until they replace the structures themselves and actually build something new in a given area, they should retain (or put back) the studio theming when it's needed to make sense of what guests are looking at.

I'm really glad they're finally doing that here for the time being. At least the area will (if they do it right) be visually cohesive and make thematic sense until they eventually replace it entirely.

 

[James Alucobond]

If they're going to get rid of the studio theming, that will only work if they replace it with something cohesive (e.g., an immersive land).

If, instead, they just remove the indications that it's a studio (e.g., the "STAGE [X]" signs) without replacing the buildings themselves, that will only make things worse: they're replacing a themed environment with something that makes no sense (e.g., unexplained/unthemed warehouses rather than "soundstages," a seemingly cheap/half-finished Star Wars facade rather than a "movie set," etc).

They have to lean into one or the other. Until they replace the structures themselves and actually build something new in a given area, they should retain (or put back) the studio theming when it's needed to make sense of what guests are looking at.

It’s part of the Hollywood/Sunset nexus, which will be even more pronounced via the removal of the arch. The core of the park will likely always remain Hollywood- and studio-themed, so it’s not really that contradictory to the new vision. They certainly could have separated it further to turn it into a discrete land rather than opening it up, but they obviously didn't do that for now because they had no plans at present to construct headline attractions around which to anchor such a land.

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

It’s part of the Hollywood/Sunset nexus, which will be even more pronounced via the removal of the arch. The core of the park will likely always remain Hollywood- and studio-themed, so it’s not really that contradictory to the new vision. They certainly could have separated it further to turn it into a discrete land rather than opening it up, but they obviously didn't do that for now because they had no plans at present to construct headline attractions around which to anchor such a land.

It's possible there's a miscommunication, because it sounds like we're saying the same thing here.

My point was that unless/until they replace the "studio" style buildings (e.g., the "soundstages"), they should lean into the studio theme rather than removing such theming and thus leaving us with unexplained warehouses.

They did in fact remove the "STAGE 5" sign from the Disney Jr. building in Animation Courtyard - seemingly as part of the "remove the studio theme" plan - and I'm glad it looks like they're adding back that type of explanatory theming to the area.

 

[James Alucobond]

It's possible there's a miscommunication, because it sounds like we're saying the same thing here.

My point was that unless/until they replace the "studio" style buildings (e.g., the "soundstages"), they should lean into the studio theme rather than removing such theming and thus leaving us with unexplained warehouses.

They did in fact remove the "STAGE 5" sign from the Disney Jr. building in Animation Courtyard - seemingly as part of the "remove the studio theme" plan - and I'm glad it looks like they're adding back that type of explanatory theming to the area.

Ah, I guess I read it in the context of the post you quoted suggesting that the choice to lean back into the studio aesthetic was directionally and/or thematically jumbled given other recent steps taken. I thought your softening at the end was meant as an "it's okay for now but it should eventually change", whereas my thought is that it's actually kind of okay in perpetuity for as long as it's organized as proposed; I would personally be very much okay with preserving the courtyard and shifting a potential new land behind it.

 

[MisterPenguin]

DHS would seem to have three overall themes:

1. The Hollywood that never was and always will be. As seen in almost all the public spaces. Hollywood and LA place-setting.

2. The magic of making movies. While this was one time the main them, it's now a minor one. Not all "studios" theming was removed. There is still Backlot Express, and the Launch Bay and Walt's Dream museums. (I'm not going to look up actual names.) Tho, no more explicit "watch us make a movie!"

3. Ride the movie. Walk into and ride the setting of a famous Disney movie and be a bit player or star of the show.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Dating profile...

View attachment 884815

This may be a little niche, but this image immediately made be think of this photo of Mexican singer Juan Gabriel that has become a bit of a meme in Latin America.

 

[HMF]

3. Ride the movie. Walk into and ride the setting of a famous Disney movie and be a bit player or star of the show.

There was a reason why Universal had that slogan instead of Disney at the time.

 

[Casper Gutman]

"Largely behind walls"????

What are we even talking about here?

There's a good amount of walls in MK because the area they are replacing and expanding is giant sure but there's still a healthy balance of attractions in MK.

Epcot has no walls afaik

Dinoland is getting major improvements and was one of the least liked lands of all of the Disney parks.

HS has AC which people have been saying for years is wasted space + should be replaced + no one uses it and Muppets which while sad is only 1 show and the area is also expanding, not only being replaced.

You wrote all this and failed entirely to refute or even address the contention that the Disney World parks have a vast number of construction walls at the moment and will continue to have those walls for years to come. It's very, very bad show and that used to matter.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

You wrote all this and failed entirely to refute or even address the contention that the Disney World parks have a vast number of construction walls at the moment and will continue to have those walls for years to come. It's very, very bad show and that used to matter.

I’m not refuting that there are walls. I’m refuting that the parks are “behind walls”.

Not to mention that this always happened? You talk about bad show as if the parks were always perfect with no walls and nothing wrong previously which is wrong

 

[JD80]

I’m not refuting that there are walls. I’m refuting that the parks are “behind walls”.

Not to mention that this always happened? You talk about bad show as if the parks were always perfect with no walls and nothing wrong previously which is wrong

He's being hyperbolic and emotional. I wouldn't bother arguing.

 

[flyerjab]

I actually think that it is fantastic show. That indicates investment in the parks, new attractions, new restaurants, shows, etc. I’ve been through massive change in the 2010s and it kept me wanting to come back. Change that drives new customers, as well as repeat customers, IS good show.

If I was going year over year and there were no signs of construction, I would eventually lose interest. This is a good thing.