orlando678-
Well-Known Member
The rest is awesome btw
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A Whole New World: My Vision for a Renovated Walt Disney World
- Thread starter DisneyManOne
- Start date
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
I have no problems with the new attractions at World Showcase you added.
I don't have much of a problem with Your Future World outside Test Track, but that is more a preference.
I don't have much of a problem with Your Future World outside Test Track, but that is more a preference.
Thank you both very much! And now, we come to the third park of Walt Disney World. Long-time visitors to the resort may notice this park has been given a new name. And that name is...
Disney's Hollywoodland
Disney's Hollywoodland, which opened as Disney-MGM Studios on May 1st, 1989, is a reverent celebration of Hollywood – not as a place on a map, but as a state of mind. The notion of Hollywood is alive with sights, sounds, glamour, fame, adventure, and mystery. For that reason, Disney Hollywoodland Park is not a movie studio. You won’t see or hear the term “movie magic,” and you’d be hard-pressed to find studio-rig lighting.
Hollywood is a place of enduring hope where stories come to life and viewers escape into impossible worlds of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy. That describes Disney's Hollywoodland pretty well, too.
Hollywood Boulevard
Passing under the soaring, teal Pan-Pacific Gates (modeled after the iconic entrance to Los Angeles’ loved-and-lost Pan-Pacific Auditorium), guests enter not into a film set or a studio backlot, but into Hollywood in the 1930s. This is Hollywood Boulevard. Hollywood Boulevard operates as the Main Street U.S.A. central point of the theme park and is loaded with tons of interesting shops and sights, filled with the nostalgic era of a 1930s Los Angeles avenue, an era of entertainment and art. The boulevard is brimming with excitment, welcoming guests into the world where the movies come to life.
As soon as we pass under the gates, we find ourselves standing in front of the Crossroads of the World, a clone of the California icon, with Mickey Mouse atop a spinning globe. The location operates as an information station for the rest of the park. Just within the entrance to the park, guests will also find the Movieland Memorabilia shop, which sells generic Disney's Hollywoodland and Los Angeles merchandise.
The buildings and architectural styles of Hollywood Boulevard reflect on the golden age of Hollywood and capture the essence to the avenue in Los Angeles, down to the last detail. The buildings mix architectural styles, just as Los Angeles does. Old-fashioned billboards and neon store lights establish themselves along the buildings. A string of palm trees line the paved sidewalk paths on both sides of the center street. Just to the left of the Crossroads of the World, guests will find Sid Cahuenga's One-of-a-Kind Shop, which offer signed autographed pictures and posters from celebrities from a huge variety of different movies.
Oscar's Classic Cars Souvenirs is located just along the way, themed to an art-deco gas station, paying homage to a particular Mobil gas stationed that opened in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Leading down the strip of Hollywood Boulevard, on the right corner of the street, guests will find the Darkroom, a shop which features camera and video items. The outside of the shop takes an artistic style from "California Crazy" architecture, which is big, bold and well, crazy. The exterior of the shop is a large camera.
The Darkroom than leads to the next store on Hollywood Boulevard, L.A. Cinema Storage, a shop for PhotoPass participants, where guests can see and buy their photos taken throughout the park that day. The shop is then connected to Celebrity 5 & 10, which features a wide variety of Disney's Hollywoodland merchandise, as well as general Walt Disney World merchandise. The shop also features item embroidery. Just across the street from the store, on the left side of Hollywood Boulevard, guests will find Mickey's of Hollywood, which is a large gift shop, filled with different types of merchandise found from all of the different franchises throughout the park. The store also features large Mickey Mouse statues, including him as Sorcerer Mickey, Steamboat Willie and the Band Leader.
From here, guests will come across a small off-set to the left, which leads guests to the Echo Lake section of the park. Just past the path, guests will then find the Keystone Clothiers store, which offers a wide variety of clothes and accessories. The interior of the shop is designed to look like an art-deco lounge in Los Angeles, California. Just across the street, guests will find the Cover Story shop on the right hand side of the street. The store feature primarily plush toys and child clothes. From here, the road then splits off to an intersection to the right, where the road then leads down the Sunset Boulevard strip. This is a common location for guests to find the Red Trolley Cars, tram trolleys transporting guests from Hollywood Boulevard to the far end of Sunset Boulevard."Extree! Extree! Read all about it! Walt Disney to premiere world's first full-length animated film!" Did you hear that? That's the typical sound of the Red Car News Boys delivering newspapers...while also putting on one heck of a show!
On the right corner of Hollywood Boulevard, surrounding a fountain, is Guest Relations, as well as a tip board, which features all of the attractions in the park, as well as their wait times. This is also a great location to go to receive any information that you might need. From here Hollywood Boulevard then proceeds to split off into the Grauman's Chinese Theater Courtyard, a much needed expanded courtyard, surrounded with lush, green foliage and planted with lining palm trees. The surrounding area is lined with liften plains of grass, planted with bountiful trees, illuminated with twinkling LED lights.
Back in the courtyard, guests are then led up to the Grauman's Chinese Theater, which has hosted dozens of award shows and numerous movie premieres. It is truly the icon of all of the glitz and glamour that Hollywood could imply. Outside of the theater, instrumental musical pieces from well-known movies play. The actual Chinese Theater in Los Angeles had been studied to be re-created and detailed in exact appearance here at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Not only was the exterior of the Theater created, but even the forecourt was created, having actual celebrity handprints and spurting fountains along the rim of the Theater.
Inside the theater, you'll find The Great Movie Ride, presented by Turner Classic Movies, a 25-minute guided dark ride through the history of cinema that serves as the park’s mission statement, cataloguing and bringing to life some of the greatest stories ever told. Longtime visitors to the park may be surprised to learn that the ride has been given a massive refurbishment, highlighting some more modern-day movies. Don't believe me? Let's take a look!
Entering the theatre room, guests will note that nothing about this room has changed, save for the new pre-ride film with TCM host Robert Osborne. Moving back and forth through the switchbacks, anticipation builds as guests begin to wonder which scenes the Imagineers could have chosen from the new films being represented in the ride. Heading onto the load dock, guests will still step onto a typical Hollywood soundstage, dressed up to appear as though guests are looking out to the original “Hollywoodland” sign and neighborhood.
"Ready when you are, C.B.!"
Once all are aboard their "traveling theater" cars, we pass under a shining marquee advertising "A SPECTACULAR JOURNEY INTO THE MOVIES" and enter a completely black and white set with older piano music playing in the background. Standing in front of some trees on a stylized dirt road is an AA figure of Charlie Chaplin in his most famous role, the Little Tramp. Leaning on his cane a bit and tweaking his mustache, he looks at the guests and smiles. Behind him the screen featuring the trees and background starts to change, and we are treated to a brief montage of some of Chaplin's most famous roles, from "The Gold Rush" to "The Great Dictator". As the tram moves forward, the AA figure of Chaplin waves goodbye at guests as they make their way to the next scene.
In our next scene, we enter the world of movie musicals. And what better way to introduce the movie musical than with Gene Kelly, performing the iconic title song of "Singin' in the Rain", swinging from a light pole, umbrella in hand, amidst a rainy Hollywood evening. From there, we find ourselves on the rooftops of London, as cutouts of chimney sweeps sway back and forth, and Mary Poppins and Bert sing "Chim-Chim-Cheree".
From here the guests then proceed into an open city street, surrounded by old, run-down abandoned warehouse buildings. The vehicles are stopped by a red stop light just before entering the next scene. All of a sudden, a gangster by the name of Mugsy appears and questions are tour guide on what they are doing in this part of the city. Before anything else can ensue, a car pulls out of a tunnel to the right of the vehicle, as gangsters from within, start firing towards Mugsy and the vehicle. Mugsy's assistants, who happen to be audio-animatronics, continue to fire at the gangster. iLoud gunshots ring throughout the room. As the shots land, sparks fly from light poles and the buildings. Our tour guide quickly makes it out of there, as Mugsy and the gangster continue to shoot. As soon as Mugsy has had enough, he actually enters the vehicle. He shoots out the red stop light and from there, hijacks the tour, telling the guests not to do anything funny or someone may get hurt.
From here, we enter into a southern western theme, on the desert outskirts of a ghost town. On the right, in a scene out of "A Fistful of Dollars", Clint Eastwood stands outside of an old saloon. Just across the way, on the left, surrounded by a vast desert, John Wayne, atop a horse, greeting the audience from a scene from "The Searchers". We proceed through the town, which is seemingly peaceful, up until a shoot-out then begins between the bandit hiding behind the sacks of wheat and the copper on the balcony. The vehicles then proceed into the next scene.
To the left, down one of the ship passages, guests will spot "Alien" actress, Sigourney Weaver, as Warrant Officer Ripley, with gun in hand, looking quite frightened. Ship mechanics and fluids are seen oozing behind her, as a rattle is heard just ahead of the vehicle. From above the vehicle, plumes of smoke start to emit from the ceiling, as a huge alien monster descends down from the ceiling, starting to claw at the guest, as intense lighting illuminated the monster. In another plume of smoke, the alien will then dissapear from above. Continuing this "sci-fi" section of the ride, guests will enter a small area themed to "Star Wars". In space, a small model of the Death Star will take up occupation in the ride, as an immense battle ensues in space. The scene utilizes heavy use of LED star effects, lasers and projections. Tinkling stars illuminate the space atmosphere, as lasers emerge from the Death Star and surrounding ships. Darth Vader's voice booms throughout the dome.
Soon, we find ourselves in the ancient temple from "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The temple is filled with ancient hieroglyphics, and flame-flickering torches. To the right, Indiana Jones is seen lifting up the ark of the covenant. The entire temple room is filled with moving snakes, slithering and kissing at the guests. The vehicle then proceeds into the next temple chamber, where the gangster spots a priceless jewel atop a stone temple altar. The sides of the temple are adorned with hieroglypics, destroyed artifacts and mummified corpses. The gangster tells the guests to remain where they are, as they don't think a few extra bodies in the temple would seem amiss. As the hijacker makes their way up the stone steps of the alter, a narrator informs that the jewel is cursed and those who attempt to defy the curse will surely pay their lives. As the gangster reaches for the ruby jewel, a "statue" God to the right of the jewel comes to life, warning the hijacker. They disregard the God's warning and reach for the jewel. Upon doing so, plumes of orange smoke arise around the hijacker, completely engulfing them. A loud shriek is heard. When the smoke dissipates, the skeletal corpse of the gangster is seen, reaching for the jewel. The temple God then disposes of their garments, revealing to be our original tour guide, who then comes back to the vehicle and resumes the tour from there, saying that anything can happen in the movies.
Guests will then proceed into a newly renovated horror scene. To the left, a scene will be recreated from one of the first original horror films, "Nosferatu", a film based on Dracula. The scene features the sillhouette of the vampire, Nosferatu, climbing up a staircase to await their victims, in one of the more iconic scenes from the movie. The horror film then segues into a scene from "The Shining", as the vehicles stretch into an abandoned hotel room, dishevled, as the lights flicker. From a busted hole made through the door, an audio-animatronic Jack Nicholson appears from within the hole in the door, axe in hand, to scream out his famous line, "Here's Johnny!"
Fortunately, our next section is much lighter and softer: a tribute to Disney animation. Replacing 1/4 of the Tarzan scene, to our left, we see an AA of Ariel, aka "The Little Mermaid", leaning on a rock and looking out to the right at Prince Eric’s Castle. As the wind blows, she recreates the famous scene from the film. “I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but I know something’s starting right now... Watch and you’ll see, someday I’ll be part of your world!” As she sings the last note, she lifts herself up on the rock and the tide crashes behind her. Then, replacing the other 3/4 of the Tarzan scene, the vehicle then travels under a rock arch formation and into the middle of the African savanna. Green grass pedals float back and forth as guests look upward to a familiar sight—Pride Rock. Guests see Rafiki embrace Simba atop the rock formation as an instrumental rendition of “Circle of Life” plays in the background. “The Lion King was one of the feature films to be released during the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s.” Animatronic giraffes, pouncing zebras, squealing monkeys and other animals cry out loudly, their movements graceful as they pay tribute to the newborn heir to the throne. A matte painting behind the animal figures portrays the impressive African landscapes in the distance.
The vehicle travels underneath Pride Rock and into the classic airport scene in Casablanca. Much like the current scene the room is decked out in drab, older colors but it has also been expanded. The entire room has been redone, with the wall opposite of Ilsa and Rick painted to look like guests are in the middle of an airport runway, with fog and lights surrounding them. To the right are still AAs of Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund standing next to the plane, as Blaine quotes the famous lines from the film. Replacing the "Fantasia scene" is a scene from "Titanic". Replacing the projection of Sorcerer Mickey, an AA Rose Dewitt-Bukater lies on a wooden frame, as Jack Dawson holds on from the water below, re-enacting their last moments together and one of the most iconic moments of the movie. Behind them, the great ship begins to sink, after colliding with a giant iceberg.
Exiting this scene, guests find themselves caught inside a sepia-colored tornado funnel. We quickly leave the funnel and find ourselves in Munchkinland, from "The Wizard of Oz". The scene is beautiful, with small houses in bright colors, rolling hills and beautiful flowers. Dorothy's Kansas house has just landed on the Wicked Witch of the East, as her feel stick out from under the house, wearing ruby red shoes. The munchkins soon rise to sing "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead", before the Wicked Witch appears herself, in a plume of smoke, taunting the guests, asking them who killed her sister. She threatens the guests with her famous lines from the segment, before disappearing in another burst of smoke.
From here, the guide asks where to go. The Munchkins soon lend a helping hand by offering the guests to follow the yellow brick road, singing "Follow the Yellow Brick Road". The guide then steers guest out of Munchkinland and into a forest, where we see Dorothy and Toto, the Scarecrow, Tinman and the Cowardly Lion looking over a distant Emerald City scene, winding down the yellow brick road, leading through a poppyfield.
The vehicle then proceeds back into the loading and unloading station, as the tour guide thanks them for joining them on their trip through the movies, the stuff dreams are made of!
Well, this is where our tour of Disney's Hollywoodland will end for now. In the next part of our tour, we'll explore the rest of Hollywood Boulevard. See ya then!
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Hollywood Boulevard
continued
Just off to the side of the Chinese Theatre, you'll find the former home of the American Idol Experience. The theater's exterior has been changed to look like the Hollywood Pantages Theater, and inside, you'll find CineMagic, a breathtaking show from Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Resort Paris. This amazing show chronicles the evolution of film from black-and-white silent features of Georges Méliès to today’s most well-loved. This innovative presentation literally surrounds guests in the sights and sounds of film with unique 360-degree screens and effects where you least expect. The show is one of the most popular at the Paris park, and would make a welcome addition here.continued
Also here is the American Film Institute Showcase, which recently closed alongside the Backlot Tour. Well, now it's re-opened to serve as a perfect post-show for CineMagic.
Now, let us move away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood Boulevard for a bit, and take a quiet stroll in the Eastern Gardens. This is a tranquil and gorgeous garden nestled alongside the Chinese Theatre and into the Hollywoodland Hills, which serve as the street’s backdrop. Under the hill’s uneven letters reading HOLLYWOODLAND are the garden’s walking paths, bridges, streams, pagodas, and waterfalls that serve as a break from the hustle and bustle of Tinseltown.
On the other side of the lake, to the left, you'll find Hollywood & Vine, a buffet style restaurant that is literally located on the corners of Hollywood & Vine. The interior of the restaurant is a quintessential Hollywood scape, featuring neon lights and California depictions of the city-scape. The buffet is open regularly for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with Disney characters popping in for breakfast and lunch. Right next door is the the 50's Prime Time Cafe, where guests are transported back to their parents' homes, in the dawn of the television age, where every room in this cafe features the new technology. The televisions feature early black and white television show promos and advertisements from the early days of television. The waitresses and waiters act as idealized images of "Mom" and "Dad", telling guests to eat their vegetables and to keep their elbows off of the table. These characters are a huge part of the show and help tell the story of the restaurant. In between these two restaurants is the Tune-In Lounge, which serves alcoholic beverages.
Hollywood Boulevard
1) Red Car Trolleys
2) The Great Movie Ride
3) CineMagic
4) American Institute Film Showcase
5) Eastern Gardens
6) Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Shopping
A) Crossroads of the World
B) Movieland Memorabilia
C) Sid Cahuenga's One-of-a-Kind Shop
D) Oscar's Classic Cars Souvenirs
E) The Dark Room
F) L.A. Cinema Storage
G) Mickey's of Hollywood
H) Keystone Clothiers
I) ICovery Story
Dining
A) Hollywood Brown Derby
B) Hollywood & Vine
C) 50's Prime Time Cafe
D) Tune-In Lounge
Well, there we have it--Hollywood Boulevard! Until the next post, if you have any thoughts, comments or concerns, leave 'em here!
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Lucasland
This section of Disney's Hollywoodland is inspired by one of Hollywood's greatest producers and directors, George Lucas and two of his most prominent franchises, Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Yet, the park today only features three attractions based around these franchises: Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Star Tours and Jedi Training Academy. Universal has seen tremendous gains since it opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including a 29% jump in attendance at Island of Adventure in 2011. Star Wars and Indiana Jones have the same type of following as Harry Potter (if not more so) and an increased emphasis on these properties could really help put Disney's Hollywoodland on the map. Personally, I think the main access road running on the complete perimeter of the park will be somewhat re-routed to ensure the construction of this and other attractions.Moving on from Echo Lake, you'll find the former stunt show entrance area has been covered in dense foliage to separate Echo Lake from the first area of Lucasland--Indiana Jones. Standing tall in the former location of the stunt show, guests will find Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. This popular Disneyland adventure has been given a second home over here in Florida and utilizes the space to occupy this great Indiana Jones experience, and possibly, one of the best rides that Disney and George Lucas have ever created.
To the left of the attraction, continuing to the former location of the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost, which was a gift shop, guests will find the Temple of Doom, a new interactive maze, themed to Indiana Jones, in a very similar style themed to the Pirates Lair over at Disneyland. The maze and interactive temple features take an inspiration from the second film in the franchise. Located on the opposite end of the Indiana Jones Adventure, guests will find the Indiana Jones Truck, in its' current location, which features Indiana Jones merchandise.
Hidden in a corner right in-between the Temple of Doom and the 50's Prime Time Cafe, guests will find Dr. Jones' Warehouse, where Indiana keeps all his findings. The idea for this attraction comes from the Conceptual Theme Park Planning site. Here's how they described it:
The area does a great job at immersing the guests in the realm of Indiana Jones for the first half of the section, completely immersing the guests in a dense, forested environment, ablaze with flickering torches and calligraphy inscribed into the temple walls.
The second and final section of Lucasland is devoted to Star Wars. Resembling Yavin, Kashyyyk, or Endor, this forested port proves an unusual and somehow inviting shift from Indiana Jones' jungles. If entering the Outpost from Hollywood Boulevard, just past the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, you’d instead pass an interstellar lighthouse and a towering (relocated) AT-AT that set the forested stage for the land. With treehouses above and a galactic village below, this land is foreign, yet familiar.
Entering from the Indiana Jones area, you'll find that the Backlot Express restaurant has been transformed into that "wretched hive of scum and villainy" itself--the Mos Eisley Cantina. I never knew how much space that the Backlot Express restaurant occupied. That place is HUGE, even for a quick-service restaurant. If it is necessary, space from the restaurant will be donated to either the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction or an upcoming, new Star Wars attraction. Also, with the confusion of the name, as it is nowhere near the Backlot, it makes for an obvious decision to transform this restaurant into the iconic Star Wars bar.
With 54 possible combinations of flight plans, every ride on Star Tours is different. You may visit Hoth, Coruscant, Naboo, the Death Star, the Wookie Planet and more, get a transmission from Princess Leia, Master Yoda or Admiral Ackbar and encounter with Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Boba-Fett and (unfortunately) Jar Jar Binks. The attraction has been arranged to mix and match the several different scenarios, so that you may never know which one you will get, always switchin up the attraction, adding to the re-ride-ability factor. The guests then exit out of the Tatooine Traders shop, which is a complete shop devoted to Star Wars, which even includes a Build Your Own Lightsaber section.
Across the forested plaza, taking the place of the former ABC Sound Studio, is the Jedi Temple, home to the Jedi Training Academy, where young Padawans can take hold of a lightsaber and test their skills alongside Jedi Masters in an interactive show. You'll also find the unforgettable Yoda Experience. Using the digital puppetry technology of Epcot’s Turtle Talk, this once-in-a-lifetime encounter provides Padawans young and old with the rare opportunity to seek guidance from the Jedi Master himself…. And Yoda may have a few questions for you, too…
Now, here's one of the reasons the road will have to be re-routed: a brand-new ride that will finally give Universal's Harry Potter a run for its money: Star Wars--Live the Force!
This is an all-new Kuka-arm system experience, taking guests back to the epic climax from the original Star Wars (aka A New Hope), where the Rebel Alliance performs its awe-inspiring attack on the Death Star. The ride could be called similar to Harry Potter, but it is much larger and less intense. I see that it feels a bit like a copy, but a proven ride system is a proven ride system and should not be avoided just because Universal used it first.
Again, like Dr. Jones' Warehouse, this idea comes from Conceptual Theme Park Planning. Let's see what they had to say:
Lucasland
--Indiana Jones--
1) Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye
2) Temple of Doom
3) Dr. Jones' Warehouse
--Star Wars--
4) Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
5) Jedi Training Academy
6) Yoda Experience
7) Star Wars: Live the Force!
Dining
1) Mos Eisley Cantina
Shopping
1) Indiana Jones Truck
2) Tatooine Traders
Stay tuned for the next part, because things are about to get a little bit wacky...
In this post, we're gonna be covering TWO lands! That's right, two, because one of the lands is very, very small. Let's go!
The ABC Commissary quick-service restaurant is a large, indoor dining area, inspired by the Cast and Production eateries often found in live studio production grounds. The ABC Commissary offers a selection of grilled entrees, such as as burgers and chicken, while also offering salads and other healthier items. The interior of the Commissary boasts palm trees, stretching towards the ceilings and real props from ABC productions. Promotional posters from ABC shows hang on the walls around the room. From several televisions located throughout the room, promotional spots from recent ABC television shows such as, "Once Upon a Time" and "Modern Family" play.
Located right next door is the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, a truly different experience unlike any other to be found in the park. In this sit-down restaurant, guests are seated in old-fashioned vehicles in a building designed to re-create the outdoor settings of a drive-in movie theater. LED stars twinkle overhead, as a huge screen in the front of the theater plays clips from old sci-fi features, including older movie theater promos and cartoons. The Cast Members serving the guests roll up to the vehicles in true era style, in roller blades. The restaurant is definitely an experience to remember. Plus, since the "actual movie studio" theme is gone, the exterior, as seen above, will be changed to look more like the entrance to an actual 50's-era drive-in theater. And on top of that, the idea that the drive-in is a soundstage is also gone.
Commissary Lane
Dining
1) ABC Commissary
2) Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights! Anything can happen at Muppet Studios (the only studio-themed area left in the park) where Jim Henson’s cavalcade of creatures runs the show.
When entering into the Muppet Studios, guests will come across an open entrance gate, reading "The Muppet Studios", very similar to the studios seen in The Muppet film and Jim Henson's Studios out in Hollywood. In the film, the entire Muppet Studios appeared dormant and disheveled, having been un-used for many years. However, that is not the case for this studios, which is beautifully kept in perfect order. The ground of the Muppet Studios is layered in brick, as are many of the surrounding buildings, creating a New York-inspired courtyard.
The entire land will receive significant exterior refurbishments. The backside of the facades from the adjacent Streets of America have always been one-sided, leaving open rafters and metal beams to be seen fron the other side. New exteriors will be placed to cover the backsides of the facades, to make the theming of the Muppet Studios to seem all the more realistic. The brick courtyard leads to a Muppet fountain right in the middle. The fountain features several Muppets, including Kermit, Fozzy, Gonzo, Animal, Rizzo and Miss Piggy, dressed as the Statue of Liberty.
Directly behind the fountain, guests will find the fun, outstanding Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3-D in a brick soundstage building, topped with a hot-air balloon, featuring the face of Kermit the Frog. The exterior of the attraction features the silhouette of Gonzo hanging from a clock, as well as a romantic painting of Kermit and Miss Piggy in a classic, romantic pose. Muppet-Vision has become a staple to Disney's Hollywood Studios and has become a favorite to many. The 3-D experience takes guests along with Kermit through a tour of a few of the Muppet workshops, including a trip to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Laboratory, a performance by Miss Piggy and an explosive finale. The attraction utilizes real Muppets, special 4-D effects, fiber optics and smoke effects.
Right across from Muppet*Vision 3-D, Pizza Planet has been removed. Thematically, it does not make sense, even more-so with the addition of Pixar Place. I had originally intended on just making the restaurant into a new quick-service location themed to the Swedish Chef and Rizzo the Rat and his rat friends, something possibly inspired off of "The Muppets Take Manhattan", but I realized that, really, the last thing that is really needed is another restaurant. I'm NOT actually getting rid of Pizza Planet, it is moving elsewhere and with the Mos Eisley Cantina, ABC Commissary and another quick-service location towards the end of the Streets of America, there are so many different quick-service locations within two blocks of each other, that a restaurant replacement for Pizza Planet is not necessary.
Instead, the space will now be occupied by the Muppet Labs. According to legend, Kermit once opened the previously-private labs so that world-renowned scientists could do research there. Unfortunately, none of them showed up. So, Kermit decided to open the labs up to anyone who came to visit the Muppet Studios. The Muppet Labs is an interactive exhibit that’s half Epcot’s ImageWorks and half Innoventions with a hint of madness and music thrown in. Fans will appreciate the Rainbow Connection Corridor, a recreation of a famous Epcot landmark.
Descending down a ramp, proceeding further into Muppet Studios, guests will come across the Stage One Company Store, a complete gift store themed to the Muppets. The store features three themed sections, one themed to Muppet Babies, the other themed to a generic Muppets set, featuring lighting rigs, camera equipment and real props used in the Muppet movies and the last is themed to the Happiness Hotel. Just down the path to the left of the Stage One Company Store, guests will come across It Feels Like Christmas, a Christmas-themed gift shop, tucked away in the corner of the Studios, themed to The Muppet Christmas Carol. A snowman is located right outside of the shop.
To the left of the store, guests will find that Mama Melrose's has been turned into Gonzo's Pizzeria Parlour Pandemonium, a great Italian restaurant, specializing in pizza dishes. The aroma just flows throughout the area. While it is a great eatery, it also makes for a great entertaining experience. Guests sit within the restaurant and from within the kitchen, a photo realistic screen, guests can see the Swedish Chef, as well as Rizzo and his rat friends preparing their food. Throughout the experience, chaos breaks loose. Fire erupts from the kitchen, a pair of rats scurry across the shelves in the restaurant, a "living character" Camilla, Gonzo's chicken lover, is brought out as dinner, as Gonzo attempts to save her by climbing through the rafters above the restaurant. Platters of "food" come to life and start to talk with the audience. Pictures of the Muppets on the wall come to life and strike up conversations with nearby diners. Quite an experience.
Directly ahead, guests will find a descending ramp, the exit of the Muppet*Vision 3-D attraction. To the left, in the former location of the Phineas and Ferb and Cars Meet & Greets, guests will find a replica of the Muppet Theatre. This is the home of The Great Muppet Movie Ride, the Muppets' take on the history of movies.
As we make our way into the theater, we pass through several corridors littered with famous Muppet props, such as the banana sharpener, boomerang fish, Chuckie (Fozzie's dummy that has a mind of his own), crates full of singing vegetables that are heard chatting with each other, Miss Piggy's giant purple suitcases, Animal's broken drum set (two eyes peering from inside), Crazy Harry's TNT, some bags of chicken feed, Kermit's banjo resting against his bike, the baseball diamond from The Great Muppet Caper, and last but not least Fozzie's dressing room door, in which guests can knock on and hear horrible jokes from the lovable bear.
After passing by the corridors, we enter the loading area which closely resembles that of an extravagant movie theater lobby. Grand orchestral versions of songs like “Rainbow Connection”, “When Love is Gone”, “Man or Muppet”, “Bein' Green”, “Something So Right”, “Life's a Happy Song”, and of course, “Hey, a Movie!” On the walls are posters for all seven Muppet movies (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted). Little statues of the Muppet characters adorn the place. At the far edge, much like the Great Movie Ride's loading area, is the theatre marquee, promoting THE MOST ACCURATE (not) TOUR OF THE MOVIES EVER!, which the vehicles pass under. The whole feel of the area is very uppity, not giving a single clue as to what's in store.
Our vehicles then pull into the loading area ready for adventure as a cast member helps us get into our seats. Our vehicles will be the same as the Great Movie Ride, but much smaller. They will seat 5 per row with 4 rows. And these will be painted yellow with “Muppet Studios” printed on the back. Kermit is then heard giving us a quick safety spiel: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, before we begin our trip through the movies, just a few simple reminders: there is no flash pictures or smoking allowed during the tour, remain seated at all times, with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the tram, please watch your children and might I say, good luck!” Our trams begin moving forward as we pass underneath the marquee which appears to have teeth as well as eyes. Inside, we pass through a tunnel of flashing yellow and green lights as a grand musical orchestration of the Muppet Show theme plays, a la Muppet*Vision 3D.
Coming out of the flashy tunnel, the lightning crashes as the cheery Muppet Show theme song changes into a dark and sinister violin track. We have entered a dark and dreary castle full of eerie eyes, spider-infested cobwebs, and possesed portraits with moving eyes, a.k.a. a portrait of Pepe the King Prawn in a powdered wig and black robe. Our trams continue on as we enter the filming of our first film, Beakerstein, where we find the first of many gags to come. To our left we see a normal soundstage where Gonzo sits in a director's chair yelling stage directions into a megaphone, Scooter holding a boom mic, Rizzo behind the camera, Animal eating a table full of snacks, and Fozzie holding two cords and looking at them strangely. Across the way we return to the haunted castle where we see Kermit and Ms. Piggy standing in an open doorway with looks of horror, watching the presumably evil Dr. Bunsen Honeydew bring his ten foot tall monster (Beaker with bolts in his neck) to life. Electrodes buzz and test tubes full of multicolored potions bubble as Gonzo yells stage directions.
Gonzo: OK, this is the big dramatic finale, when Honeydew finally brings his creation to life! But Kermit and Piggy are too late, mankind has no hope now that Beakerstein has been brought into exsistence! And action!
Honeydew: Bwa ha ha! There is nothing you can do to stop me now!
Kermit: (Horrible acting) Oh dear, it seems that we are too late!
Piggy: Oh Kermie, whatever shall we do?
Gonzo: And cut! Great job everyone, turn on the electrodes!
Fozzie curiously plugs the two cords he was holding together only for his tie to get caught in between them, surging a powerful electric current through him and Beaker. Fozzie's fur rises into the air, smoke streams out of his ears, and his eyes light up as he yells “Wacka wacka wacka!” Beaker suffers a similar fate, as his scruff of hair rises into the air while his eyes light up. He screams in pain until there is a huge explosion, flashing lights and walls with the word “BOOM” painted all over them. Our trams manage to survive the explosion, but the ride is not over yet. As we exit, we pass by Statler and Waldorf in a golf cart. They give a little bit of their signature heckling (it’ll be different each time you ride) before they go off into the distance.
Our trams enter another soundstage except this time the movie is Peter Frog and we are now in a set made to resemble London. Gonzo again yells directions with his trusty script girl Camilla by his side, while rat technicians work high above us. Peter Pan (Kermit), Wendy (Janice), John (Fozzie), and Michael (Walter (from the 2011 Muppets film)) fly out of an open window, held in the air by gigantic ropes and rings.
Gonzo: And action! (The Muppets fly out)
Janice: Like wow Peter, I have like never been this high, fer sure.
Kermit: Don't worry Wendy, all you need is pixie dust! Ahem, I said all you need is pixie dust!
Piggy (Offstage): Alright hold your horses bub!
Suddenly all the rats scream in pain as Miss Piggy wearing a pair of plastic fairy wings, a tiny green dress, a magic wand at hand, and a blonde wig, breaks through a painted wall screaming as the rats swing her through the air on her rope.
Piggy: Get me down from here! Ahhhhhhhhh! Help, help moi!
Gonzo: Cut, cut!
Our trams pull out of London and passes through a Western town, where the time is high noon and a showdown is a-brewin’. This is The Good, the Bad and the Cowardly. Fozzie stars as the Bear with No Name, facing off against Dragon Eyes, played by Uncle Deadly, with his partner Taco, played by Rizzo, cowering behind him. Their horses, tethered to a nearby pole, converse with each other (in high-class British accents) about what’s going on. Various Muppets peek out of the windows, one of them director Gonzo, who shouts directions from his megaphone down to the actors. The doors to a nearby saloon open, and we head inside.
Those saloon doors actually served as a transition to the next scene, where we through a dark room, eerie Muppet eyes peering from the darkness. We’re in the filming of Men in Plaid. Vaudeville music is heard playing as tomatoes appear flying through the air. Suddenly we enter a damaged street of the city, wrecked by a battle between hundreds of tiny Fozzie bears and the infamous Men in Plaid, Statler and Waldorf, armed with “tomato guns.” All the mini-Fozzies appear to be linked to a giant derby hat spaceship sitting in the heart of the scene. The annoying pests all scream “Wacka wacka wacka” and “Hey folks you have been a great audience” and “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Statler and Waldorf fight with each other as we pass slowly through the scene without stopping.
Statler: Hey Waldorf?
Waldorf: Yeah?
Statler: Doesn't this remind you of that Shakespeare play Hamlet?
Waldorf: Ya you know it does.
Statler: Well you should know, you dated his sister!
Both: Do-ho-ho-ho-ho!
Waldorf: Boy was she ugly.
As we exit the fight scene we enter a Caribbean town, very similar to the one in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but with the Muppet touch. This is the set of Pirates of the Amphibian: Curse of the Black Prawn. A giant pirate ship (aka a replica of the Hispaniola from Muppet Treasure Island) stands near the dock, as a whole slew of pirates from Muppet Treasure Island—Polly Lobster, Clueless Morgan, Sweetums, Mad Monty, Angel Marie, Old Tom, Really Old Tom and Dead Tom—raid the town. Some of them are on the shores, stealing pies from a pie vendor, played by Dr. Honeydew, others dunk the town’s mayor, played by Sam the Eagle, in the well. All of the pirates sing “When You’re a Professional Pirate” from the movie. However, none of them notice Captain Jack Tadpole, aka Kermit, poke his head out of a barrel, watching the fiasco. Rowlf stands behind the camera in a small boat floating in the water, filming the scene as Gonzo continues to yell directions, like “Can I get a little bit more pillaging, please?” and “Okay, Kermit, poke your head up now!” and “Good job, everyone! You’re starting to make me want pie.” Statler and Waldorf’s golf cart appears atop a bridge we pass under, and they heckle again.
We exit under the bridge enter a dark jungle, the sounds of tropical birds and roaring tigers in the distance. The first gag appears to our right, a steamy swamp full of croaking frogs, and Pepe who sunbathes on a lilly pad, a crocodile lurking nearby. To our left we see the filming of Jurassic Pork in progress, our trams stopping for a closer look. Once again, we find Gonzo sitting in the director's chair with his trusty megaphone, Rizzo behind the camera, and Scooter holding the boom mic. Across the way we see several pigs dressed as cannibalistic natives, holding jungle explorers Kermit the Frog and Walter hostage over a boiling stew pot, while Ms. Piggy appears tied to two wooden spears at the very top of a sacrificial altar.
Gonzo: And action!
Piggy: Oh help, help, somebody help!
Pigs: Ani-mal! Ani-mal! Ani-mal! (The pigs continue to chant)
Kermit: Don't worry Piggy we will save you!
Walter: Kermit, did you not realize that we are tied up here?
Kermit: Oh sorry, Walter.
Walter: Sure thing. Say did you catch the Mighty Ducks' game last night?
Piggy: Ahem.
Kermit: No I didn't but I heard it was great!
Piggy: Ahem.
Gonzo: Oh you should have seen it, it was amazing!
Piggy: AHEM!!!!!!!
Kermit: Oh sorry.
Pigs: Animal! Animal! Animal!
The bushes behind Piggy pull apart, revealing a giant Animal panting and breathing heavily. Suddenly his eyes enlarge as he sees Piggy.
Animal: WOMAN! WOMAN! WOMAN!
Animal grabs Piggy, who fights back.
Piggy: Get your hands off me, you filthy swine!
Animal: Woman hurt Animal, Animal go back to cage.
Animal disappears back into the jungle as Gonzo screams.
Gonzo: Cut, cut, cut! What was that? Honestly, Animal you were supposed to take the woman, not leave! Let's do this again.
Rizzo: Take 963!
We leave the scene as the cast gets back in their original positions. The dense jungle quickly turns into the vastness of space. We go up a ramp and aboard the U.S.S. Swinetrek. We are caught in the middle of the epic battle scene from Pigs in Space: The Movie! The Swinetrek crew—Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork and Miss Piggy—attempt to use their ship’s weapons to take down their foe—the dreaded Space Pi-rats (a bunch of rats with laser pistols, bandannas and cutlasses), led by the nefarious Captain Rizzo. The rats swing above our heads on ropes. As we exit the Swinetrek through an escape pod, we see Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again. A laser beam slices the cart in half.
Finally, we enter a room very similar to the final room in The Great Movie Ride, as Kermit tells us, “And now, we’d like to end your ride on The Great Muppet Movie Ride with a little tribute to the greatest movies of all time—our movies.” And with that, clips from the Muppet movies play as “Hey, a Movie!” from The Great Muppet Caper plays. But as the montage ends, all chaos breaks loose. Muppets dance in dressed as famous movie characters, fireworks go off, props fall from the ceiling, and finally the screen falls off the wall and lands with a CRASH! in front of us.
Kermit appears in the hole that the screen left behind, and says “Well, everyone, I…I guess that concludes The Great Muppet Movie Ride. Now, we don’t want to hurt yourselves, like some people I know, so when your car comes to a full and complete stop and the doors open, gather up all your belongings and take your little ones by the hand and exit out to your right. Thanks for joining us, everyone, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Disney's Hollywoodland, and uh…I hope I don’t see you in court.” He leaves, and, after a few seconds, that giant Animal from the Jurassic Pork section pokes his head out of the hole and roars before walking away. We pass by Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again, they give us some parting words, and we pull into the unload area and depart our car.
Statler: Well, did you think that was any better than Muppet*Vision 3D?
Waldorf: I think it was worse. At least in Muppet*Vision, you could get out of your seat and LEAVE!
Both: Doh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!
To close out the Muppet Studios, right across the street from the Muppet Theater, guests will find Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Muppet WaterWorks, an outdoor water playground, which strethes through the unused, large outdoor queue of Muppet*Vision 3-D. The area is a great place to relax, while also offering a water feature into the Studios, which is the only park that lacks some sort of water interactivity. This is also a common location for the Muppet Mobile Lab to happen, another interactive experience, where "living character" Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker take members from their audience to help enlist in the creation and performance of their new inventions.
Muppet Studios
1) Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D
2) Muppet Labs
3) The Great Muppet Movie Ride
4) Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Muppet WaterWorks
Shopping
A) Stage One Company Store
B) It Feels Like Christmas
Dining
A) Gonzo's Pizzeria Parlour Pandemonium
Commissary Lane
Just off of The Great Movie Ride, to the right, leading behind the CineMagic theater building, guests will come across Commissary Lane. Commissary Lane is a vastly small alleyway, themed to to the ABC Television Network, which Disney owns. Commissary Lane is lined with palm trees, leading their way down the strip. Promos and billboards from ABC shows line the surrounding show buildings. Within the area, theme songs from several ABC shows are played. The area is the smallest section of the park, consisting of only the ABC Commissary and the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater.
The ABC Commissary quick-service restaurant is a large, indoor dining area, inspired by the Cast and Production eateries often found in live studio production grounds. The ABC Commissary offers a selection of grilled entrees, such as as burgers and chicken, while also offering salads and other healthier items. The interior of the Commissary boasts palm trees, stretching towards the ceilings and real props from ABC productions. Promotional posters from ABC shows hang on the walls around the room. From several televisions located throughout the room, promotional spots from recent ABC television shows such as, "Once Upon a Time" and "Modern Family" play.
Located right next door is the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, a truly different experience unlike any other to be found in the park. In this sit-down restaurant, guests are seated in old-fashioned vehicles in a building designed to re-create the outdoor settings of a drive-in movie theater. LED stars twinkle overhead, as a huge screen in the front of the theater plays clips from old sci-fi features, including older movie theater promos and cartoons. The Cast Members serving the guests roll up to the vehicles in true era style, in roller blades. The restaurant is definitely an experience to remember. Plus, since the "actual movie studio" theme is gone, the exterior, as seen above, will be changed to look more like the entrance to an actual 50's-era drive-in theater. And on top of that, the idea that the drive-in is a soundstage is also gone.
Commissary Lane
Dining
1) ABC Commissary
2) Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
Muppet Studios
It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights! Anything can happen at Muppet Studios (the only studio-themed area left in the park) where Jim Henson’s cavalcade of creatures runs the show.
When entering into the Muppet Studios, guests will come across an open entrance gate, reading "The Muppet Studios", very similar to the studios seen in The Muppet film and Jim Henson's Studios out in Hollywood. In the film, the entire Muppet Studios appeared dormant and disheveled, having been un-used for many years. However, that is not the case for this studios, which is beautifully kept in perfect order. The ground of the Muppet Studios is layered in brick, as are many of the surrounding buildings, creating a New York-inspired courtyard.
The entire land will receive significant exterior refurbishments. The backside of the facades from the adjacent Streets of America have always been one-sided, leaving open rafters and metal beams to be seen fron the other side. New exteriors will be placed to cover the backsides of the facades, to make the theming of the Muppet Studios to seem all the more realistic. The brick courtyard leads to a Muppet fountain right in the middle. The fountain features several Muppets, including Kermit, Fozzy, Gonzo, Animal, Rizzo and Miss Piggy, dressed as the Statue of Liberty.
Directly behind the fountain, guests will find the fun, outstanding Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3-D in a brick soundstage building, topped with a hot-air balloon, featuring the face of Kermit the Frog. The exterior of the attraction features the silhouette of Gonzo hanging from a clock, as well as a romantic painting of Kermit and Miss Piggy in a classic, romantic pose. Muppet-Vision has become a staple to Disney's Hollywood Studios and has become a favorite to many. The 3-D experience takes guests along with Kermit through a tour of a few of the Muppet workshops, including a trip to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Laboratory, a performance by Miss Piggy and an explosive finale. The attraction utilizes real Muppets, special 4-D effects, fiber optics and smoke effects.
Instead, the space will now be occupied by the Muppet Labs. According to legend, Kermit once opened the previously-private labs so that world-renowned scientists could do research there. Unfortunately, none of them showed up. So, Kermit decided to open the labs up to anyone who came to visit the Muppet Studios. The Muppet Labs is an interactive exhibit that’s half Epcot’s ImageWorks and half Innoventions with a hint of madness and music thrown in. Fans will appreciate the Rainbow Connection Corridor, a recreation of a famous Epcot landmark.
Descending down a ramp, proceeding further into Muppet Studios, guests will come across the Stage One Company Store, a complete gift store themed to the Muppets. The store features three themed sections, one themed to Muppet Babies, the other themed to a generic Muppets set, featuring lighting rigs, camera equipment and real props used in the Muppet movies and the last is themed to the Happiness Hotel. Just down the path to the left of the Stage One Company Store, guests will come across It Feels Like Christmas, a Christmas-themed gift shop, tucked away in the corner of the Studios, themed to The Muppet Christmas Carol. A snowman is located right outside of the shop.
To the left of the store, guests will find that Mama Melrose's has been turned into Gonzo's Pizzeria Parlour Pandemonium, a great Italian restaurant, specializing in pizza dishes. The aroma just flows throughout the area. While it is a great eatery, it also makes for a great entertaining experience. Guests sit within the restaurant and from within the kitchen, a photo realistic screen, guests can see the Swedish Chef, as well as Rizzo and his rat friends preparing their food. Throughout the experience, chaos breaks loose. Fire erupts from the kitchen, a pair of rats scurry across the shelves in the restaurant, a "living character" Camilla, Gonzo's chicken lover, is brought out as dinner, as Gonzo attempts to save her by climbing through the rafters above the restaurant. Platters of "food" come to life and start to talk with the audience. Pictures of the Muppets on the wall come to life and strike up conversations with nearby diners. Quite an experience.
Directly ahead, guests will find a descending ramp, the exit of the Muppet*Vision 3-D attraction. To the left, in the former location of the Phineas and Ferb and Cars Meet & Greets, guests will find a replica of the Muppet Theatre. This is the home of The Great Muppet Movie Ride, the Muppets' take on the history of movies.
As we make our way into the theater, we pass through several corridors littered with famous Muppet props, such as the banana sharpener, boomerang fish, Chuckie (Fozzie's dummy that has a mind of his own), crates full of singing vegetables that are heard chatting with each other, Miss Piggy's giant purple suitcases, Animal's broken drum set (two eyes peering from inside), Crazy Harry's TNT, some bags of chicken feed, Kermit's banjo resting against his bike, the baseball diamond from The Great Muppet Caper, and last but not least Fozzie's dressing room door, in which guests can knock on and hear horrible jokes from the lovable bear.
After passing by the corridors, we enter the loading area which closely resembles that of an extravagant movie theater lobby. Grand orchestral versions of songs like “Rainbow Connection”, “When Love is Gone”, “Man or Muppet”, “Bein' Green”, “Something So Right”, “Life's a Happy Song”, and of course, “Hey, a Movie!” On the walls are posters for all seven Muppet movies (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted). Little statues of the Muppet characters adorn the place. At the far edge, much like the Great Movie Ride's loading area, is the theatre marquee, promoting THE MOST ACCURATE (not) TOUR OF THE MOVIES EVER!, which the vehicles pass under. The whole feel of the area is very uppity, not giving a single clue as to what's in store.
Our vehicles then pull into the loading area ready for adventure as a cast member helps us get into our seats. Our vehicles will be the same as the Great Movie Ride, but much smaller. They will seat 5 per row with 4 rows. And these will be painted yellow with “Muppet Studios” printed on the back. Kermit is then heard giving us a quick safety spiel: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, before we begin our trip through the movies, just a few simple reminders: there is no flash pictures or smoking allowed during the tour, remain seated at all times, with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the tram, please watch your children and might I say, good luck!” Our trams begin moving forward as we pass underneath the marquee which appears to have teeth as well as eyes. Inside, we pass through a tunnel of flashing yellow and green lights as a grand musical orchestration of the Muppet Show theme plays, a la Muppet*Vision 3D.
Coming out of the flashy tunnel, the lightning crashes as the cheery Muppet Show theme song changes into a dark and sinister violin track. We have entered a dark and dreary castle full of eerie eyes, spider-infested cobwebs, and possesed portraits with moving eyes, a.k.a. a portrait of Pepe the King Prawn in a powdered wig and black robe. Our trams continue on as we enter the filming of our first film, Beakerstein, where we find the first of many gags to come. To our left we see a normal soundstage where Gonzo sits in a director's chair yelling stage directions into a megaphone, Scooter holding a boom mic, Rizzo behind the camera, Animal eating a table full of snacks, and Fozzie holding two cords and looking at them strangely. Across the way we return to the haunted castle where we see Kermit and Ms. Piggy standing in an open doorway with looks of horror, watching the presumably evil Dr. Bunsen Honeydew bring his ten foot tall monster (Beaker with bolts in his neck) to life. Electrodes buzz and test tubes full of multicolored potions bubble as Gonzo yells stage directions.
Gonzo: OK, this is the big dramatic finale, when Honeydew finally brings his creation to life! But Kermit and Piggy are too late, mankind has no hope now that Beakerstein has been brought into exsistence! And action!
Honeydew: Bwa ha ha! There is nothing you can do to stop me now!
Kermit: (Horrible acting) Oh dear, it seems that we are too late!
Piggy: Oh Kermie, whatever shall we do?
Gonzo: And cut! Great job everyone, turn on the electrodes!
Fozzie curiously plugs the two cords he was holding together only for his tie to get caught in between them, surging a powerful electric current through him and Beaker. Fozzie's fur rises into the air, smoke streams out of his ears, and his eyes light up as he yells “Wacka wacka wacka!” Beaker suffers a similar fate, as his scruff of hair rises into the air while his eyes light up. He screams in pain until there is a huge explosion, flashing lights and walls with the word “BOOM” painted all over them. Our trams manage to survive the explosion, but the ride is not over yet. As we exit, we pass by Statler and Waldorf in a golf cart. They give a little bit of their signature heckling (it’ll be different each time you ride) before they go off into the distance.
Our trams enter another soundstage except this time the movie is Peter Frog and we are now in a set made to resemble London. Gonzo again yells directions with his trusty script girl Camilla by his side, while rat technicians work high above us. Peter Pan (Kermit), Wendy (Janice), John (Fozzie), and Michael (Walter (from the 2011 Muppets film)) fly out of an open window, held in the air by gigantic ropes and rings.
Gonzo: And action! (The Muppets fly out)
Janice: Like wow Peter, I have like never been this high, fer sure.
Kermit: Don't worry Wendy, all you need is pixie dust! Ahem, I said all you need is pixie dust!
Piggy (Offstage): Alright hold your horses bub!
Suddenly all the rats scream in pain as Miss Piggy wearing a pair of plastic fairy wings, a tiny green dress, a magic wand at hand, and a blonde wig, breaks through a painted wall screaming as the rats swing her through the air on her rope.
Piggy: Get me down from here! Ahhhhhhhhh! Help, help moi!
Gonzo: Cut, cut!
Our trams pull out of London and passes through a Western town, where the time is high noon and a showdown is a-brewin’. This is The Good, the Bad and the Cowardly. Fozzie stars as the Bear with No Name, facing off against Dragon Eyes, played by Uncle Deadly, with his partner Taco, played by Rizzo, cowering behind him. Their horses, tethered to a nearby pole, converse with each other (in high-class British accents) about what’s going on. Various Muppets peek out of the windows, one of them director Gonzo, who shouts directions from his megaphone down to the actors. The doors to a nearby saloon open, and we head inside.
Those saloon doors actually served as a transition to the next scene, where we through a dark room, eerie Muppet eyes peering from the darkness. We’re in the filming of Men in Plaid. Vaudeville music is heard playing as tomatoes appear flying through the air. Suddenly we enter a damaged street of the city, wrecked by a battle between hundreds of tiny Fozzie bears and the infamous Men in Plaid, Statler and Waldorf, armed with “tomato guns.” All the mini-Fozzies appear to be linked to a giant derby hat spaceship sitting in the heart of the scene. The annoying pests all scream “Wacka wacka wacka” and “Hey folks you have been a great audience” and “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Statler and Waldorf fight with each other as we pass slowly through the scene without stopping.
Statler: Hey Waldorf?
Waldorf: Yeah?
Statler: Doesn't this remind you of that Shakespeare play Hamlet?
Waldorf: Ya you know it does.
Statler: Well you should know, you dated his sister!
Both: Do-ho-ho-ho-ho!
Waldorf: Boy was she ugly.
As we exit the fight scene we enter a Caribbean town, very similar to the one in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but with the Muppet touch. This is the set of Pirates of the Amphibian: Curse of the Black Prawn. A giant pirate ship (aka a replica of the Hispaniola from Muppet Treasure Island) stands near the dock, as a whole slew of pirates from Muppet Treasure Island—Polly Lobster, Clueless Morgan, Sweetums, Mad Monty, Angel Marie, Old Tom, Really Old Tom and Dead Tom—raid the town. Some of them are on the shores, stealing pies from a pie vendor, played by Dr. Honeydew, others dunk the town’s mayor, played by Sam the Eagle, in the well. All of the pirates sing “When You’re a Professional Pirate” from the movie. However, none of them notice Captain Jack Tadpole, aka Kermit, poke his head out of a barrel, watching the fiasco. Rowlf stands behind the camera in a small boat floating in the water, filming the scene as Gonzo continues to yell directions, like “Can I get a little bit more pillaging, please?” and “Okay, Kermit, poke your head up now!” and “Good job, everyone! You’re starting to make me want pie.” Statler and Waldorf’s golf cart appears atop a bridge we pass under, and they heckle again.
We exit under the bridge enter a dark jungle, the sounds of tropical birds and roaring tigers in the distance. The first gag appears to our right, a steamy swamp full of croaking frogs, and Pepe who sunbathes on a lilly pad, a crocodile lurking nearby. To our left we see the filming of Jurassic Pork in progress, our trams stopping for a closer look. Once again, we find Gonzo sitting in the director's chair with his trusty megaphone, Rizzo behind the camera, and Scooter holding the boom mic. Across the way we see several pigs dressed as cannibalistic natives, holding jungle explorers Kermit the Frog and Walter hostage over a boiling stew pot, while Ms. Piggy appears tied to two wooden spears at the very top of a sacrificial altar.
Gonzo: And action!
Piggy: Oh help, help, somebody help!
Pigs: Ani-mal! Ani-mal! Ani-mal! (The pigs continue to chant)
Kermit: Don't worry Piggy we will save you!
Walter: Kermit, did you not realize that we are tied up here?
Kermit: Oh sorry, Walter.
Walter: Sure thing. Say did you catch the Mighty Ducks' game last night?
Piggy: Ahem.
Kermit: No I didn't but I heard it was great!
Piggy: Ahem.
Gonzo: Oh you should have seen it, it was amazing!
Piggy: AHEM!!!!!!!
Kermit: Oh sorry.
Pigs: Animal! Animal! Animal!
The bushes behind Piggy pull apart, revealing a giant Animal panting and breathing heavily. Suddenly his eyes enlarge as he sees Piggy.
Animal: WOMAN! WOMAN! WOMAN!
Animal grabs Piggy, who fights back.
Piggy: Get your hands off me, you filthy swine!
Animal: Woman hurt Animal, Animal go back to cage.
Animal disappears back into the jungle as Gonzo screams.
Gonzo: Cut, cut, cut! What was that? Honestly, Animal you were supposed to take the woman, not leave! Let's do this again.
Rizzo: Take 963!
We leave the scene as the cast gets back in their original positions. The dense jungle quickly turns into the vastness of space. We go up a ramp and aboard the U.S.S. Swinetrek. We are caught in the middle of the epic battle scene from Pigs in Space: The Movie! The Swinetrek crew—Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork and Miss Piggy—attempt to use their ship’s weapons to take down their foe—the dreaded Space Pi-rats (a bunch of rats with laser pistols, bandannas and cutlasses), led by the nefarious Captain Rizzo. The rats swing above our heads on ropes. As we exit the Swinetrek through an escape pod, we see Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again. A laser beam slices the cart in half.
Finally, we enter a room very similar to the final room in The Great Movie Ride, as Kermit tells us, “And now, we’d like to end your ride on The Great Muppet Movie Ride with a little tribute to the greatest movies of all time—our movies.” And with that, clips from the Muppet movies play as “Hey, a Movie!” from The Great Muppet Caper plays. But as the montage ends, all chaos breaks loose. Muppets dance in dressed as famous movie characters, fireworks go off, props fall from the ceiling, and finally the screen falls off the wall and lands with a CRASH! in front of us.
Kermit appears in the hole that the screen left behind, and says “Well, everyone, I…I guess that concludes The Great Muppet Movie Ride. Now, we don’t want to hurt yourselves, like some people I know, so when your car comes to a full and complete stop and the doors open, gather up all your belongings and take your little ones by the hand and exit out to your right. Thanks for joining us, everyone, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Disney's Hollywoodland, and uh…I hope I don’t see you in court.” He leaves, and, after a few seconds, that giant Animal from the Jurassic Pork section pokes his head out of the hole and roars before walking away. We pass by Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again, they give us some parting words, and we pull into the unload area and depart our car.
Statler: Well, did you think that was any better than Muppet*Vision 3D?
Waldorf: I think it was worse. At least in Muppet*Vision, you could get out of your seat and LEAVE!
Both: Doh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!
To close out the Muppet Studios, right across the street from the Muppet Theater, guests will find Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Muppet WaterWorks, an outdoor water playground, which strethes through the unused, large outdoor queue of Muppet*Vision 3-D. The area is a great place to relax, while also offering a water feature into the Studios, which is the only park that lacks some sort of water interactivity. This is also a common location for the Muppet Mobile Lab to happen, another interactive experience, where "living character" Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker take members from their audience to help enlist in the creation and performance of their new inventions.
Muppet Studios
1) Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D
2) Muppet Labs
3) The Great Muppet Movie Ride
4) Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Muppet WaterWorks
Shopping
A) Stage One Company Store
B) It Feels Like Christmas
Dining
A) Gonzo's Pizzeria Parlour Pandemonium
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New York Street
One of the wonderful things about the original Disney-MGM Studios was that it was one a working studios. The sets. The soundstages. The offices. The Animation building. It was all a part of an actual working studio at one time. Since the opening of the park, the "studios" remnants had slowly started being stripped away and now, all production for any sort of studios work has been discontinued. The theme of the park had changed from a peek behind the camera to see how productions are made, to an immersive experience, where guests are actually a part of the production. What is fantastic about New York Street is that it is one of the few parts of the park that still holds the remnants of it being a legitimate working studios.
Now, before I get any further, I must answer the question you're probably thinking right now: "Why are you calling this area New York Street"? Well, New York Street is what the Streets of America were originally called. The area got its Streets of America name in 2004, when the San Francisco model came up. And the reason why I'm once again calling it New York Street is because I plan to give the Premiere Theater a new facade, thus showing no need for the San Francisco model.
Anyways, New York Street recreates the picture-esque city-scape of NYC, capturing the guests within the modern day persona of the city. As a part of the original Studios Backlot Tour, the entire section of the park was only accessed via the tram tours and all access to the area on feet was restricted. Times have certainly changed. The tour had been adapted and consequently, was cut back, taking the trams into new directions of the park, but also opening up the Streets of America as a complete new section of the park for guests to explore. Since then, the land had continued to adapt, instilling a beloved Christmas tradition (more on that later), and soon, even more immersive experiences for the guests of Disney's Hollywoodland to explore.
One of the tricks of New York Street is that most of the buildings are actually facades built with framework to simulate a canvas for the directors and set designers to work with. Most of the buildings are facades or flat sets made to "simulate" a city for production purposes, rather than "build" a city. That will change. Largely inspired by the New York section of the American Waterfront at Tokyo DisneySea, the buildings along New York Street will be turned from flat sets to actual buildings. This will help breathe new life into the area of the park, and create a more immersive experience for the guests.
These pictures (both of which are from Tokyo DisneySea's American Waterfront) should help give you an idea of what I'm trying to go for here.
New York Street also serves as the heart of the entire left side of the studios. From here, paths connect to Lucasland, Commissary Lane, Muppet Studios and Pixar Place. At the south end of the street, paths from Lucasland, Muppet Studios and Commissary Lane converge to meet at the southern end of New York Street. Continuing down the ramp leading from Commissary Lane, guests will come across The Writer's Stop, tucked away in the corner of the descending ramp. The Writers' Stop is a wonderful place to get a nice cup of coffee and read a great book. A small seating area is features in the restaurant, amongst the many shelves of books and even an old 50s television, playing classic Disney cartoons.
During the holiday season, all of the building facades come alive during the annual Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.
About halfway down the street, guests will come across an X intersection. Originally, the entire area just remained distinguishably empty, not only appearing completely out of place, but also looking right into the showbuildings and sets for The Great Movie Ride and the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. But now, this area will be made to look more like a small cul-de-sac in the street. On the corner street, leading down towards the Premiere Theater, you'll find Youse Guys Moychindice, which has morphed into a full-fledged indoors shop, selling Disney's Hollywoodland memorabilia.
Nearby is Oliver's Market, an out-door quick service snack location, offering fruits and drinks, amongst other snacks. The location is also a reference to the classic Disney movie Oliver & Company. Directly across from the cul-de-sac, guests will find a street leading up to the Premiere Theater. In the past, the theater was a typical canopied bleacher-style theater (sorta similar to the current set-up of Lights, Motors, Action!) But now, in keeping with the new feel of New York Street, the theater has been given a makeover to look very similar to the Broadway Music Theatre, also at Tokyo DisneySea's American Waterfront.
This show was, in my opinion, truly beautiful. The show, set inside the gypsies' underground Court of Miracles, re-tells the tale of Quasimodo and his yearning to be part of the world outside the bell tower of Notre Dame. The show chronicles his adventures, from his love for Esmeralda, his friendship with Phoebus and the gargoyles, and his struggle with his cruel guardian, Judge Claude Frollo. The show utilizes live actors, puppetry and special effects. The stage even has a runway so the audience can be part of the action!
Plus, "Hellfire" will finally be added into the show, using the same choreography and setting as that used in the Disney Classics show at Disneyland Paris (but in English, of course!) The performance of "Hellfire" in the video starts around the 4:38 mark.
Continuing to wrap around the north section of the Streets of America, guests will then reach a more open area at the north most end of the street. In the center of the area, you'll once again find a replica of the Washington Square Park arch that used to grace the area. Surrounding the arch are small grassy plains, adorned with beautiful trees and plants.
With that, I give you the next starring attraction of the park that is sure to put New York Street back on the map. Located on the most north-eastern side of New York Street, you'll find The Avengers Superhero Showdown! This is a ride that could be considered quite reminiscient of Universal, but I don't think that it is necessarily a bad thing. I think that DHS needs an attraction that feels distinctively like something that would Universal would do. The best way to describe this attraction would be like a mix between The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Dinosaur, more primarily Spider-Man. Disney has yet to utilize a virtual 3-D attraction that utilizes 3-D imagery and live sets. I'm a big fan of these kinds of rides and I think that it would work perfectly for The Avengers and specifically for Disney's Hollywoodland.
I agree that I think the idea is somewhat expected and unoriginal, maybe that is why it IS expected. I feel like The Avengers have great potential to be made into an attraction, something similar to Spider-Man, but obviously with its' own vehicle design and technology, something ground-breaking for the Studios and to really push the renovation of the park, amongst ALL of the other things coming. And much like the park's other major new E-ticket (Star Wars: Live the Force!), this one comes to us from Conceptual Theme Park Planning.
I guess it is now to say that the Backlot Tour is being removed and part of the land from the former attraction will be utilized for this. All of the soundstages for the props and costuming will still operate (albeit possibly re-located due to the park expansion).
The attraction exits out into the STARK Enterprises Inventory, a location in which guests can build and create their own droids and robots, very similar to Iron Man. In addition to building droids and robots, the area also features many different small-scale experiences, like...
- Iron Man Gauntlet Testing: There are several partitioned stations. When you walk to your cubicle you are looking through a piece of Plexiglas into a room. This looks like one of those stations that people in the biohazard lab use to handle objects. You slide your hands into a pair of Iron Man's gauntlets. Though invisible, you are seeing the room through Mylar Foul that allows the Pepper's Ghost effect to create the illusion that it then becomes sort of a magic shooting gallery. Depending on what you hit all sorts of things happen in the room on the other side of the plexiglass.
- The Hulk: Recreates the ability to jump like Hulk.
- Iron Man Boot Experience: A person would lay back and be strapped in. They would place their feet into IronMan boots. They would be shot up the long diagonal tube and then slide back down breaking at the bottom.
- The Marvel Carousel (Multilevel): All of the ride units face the center of the ring. There are two rings. The inner one doesn't simulate as many Gs. The outer one travels fast enough to be a mildly thrilling. Riders can travel up and down the pole as well as tilt side to side, forward and back a bit
New York Street
1) Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure
2) The Avengers Superhero Showdown
3) STARK Enterprises Inventory
Dining
1) The Writer's Stop
2) Oliver's Market
Shopping
1) Youse Guys Moychindice
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Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
With Star Tours would it get more things with Episode VII on the way?
orlando678-
Well-Known Member
I think the Hunchback of Notre Dame is not the best show for this area, maybe something like Golden Mickeys or so.
Also I don't think that the NYC area has a real clear theme right now with Marvel and so popped up in one area. I'm very curious what plans you have for the park because I really like your ideas
Also I don't think that the NYC area has a real clear theme right now with Marvel and so popped up in one area. I'm very curious what plans you have for the park because I really like your ideas
No, I plan to leave Star Tours currently as is.
1. The Golden Mickeys will be used for Sunset Boulevard; 2. The Avengers takes place in Manhattan, so it makes sense that it would be on New York Street.
Pixar Place
In the current Disney's Hollywood Studios, Pixar Place is always bustling with activity ever since Toy Story Midway Mania opened in 2007. The attraction is always a fun ride and always pulls in a great deal of guests. While the attraction is an overwhelming success currently, the success of the attraction is also a bit of a problem. The attraction opened in a park where there was no other sort of attraction to pull capacity from the attraction. Everyone ALWAYS rushes to TSMM to receive multiple FastPasses and get on the ride. Even after the recent renovation of Star Tours, it still proved to be the head honcho of the park, with no other attractions to pull the same sort of excitement. The addition and expansion of Pixar Place will surely see to fix that. In the newly expanded Pixar Place, we will venture into the realms of five Pixar movies--Up, Cars, Monsters, Inc, Ratatouille and Toy Story. With each different film, guests will find themselves immersed in the environments and stories that these films entail.
Continuing on to the newest end of Pixar Place, a complete land dedicated to Pixar, a new entrance sign leads into Pixar Place, very similar to the current entrance on the opposite end of the lane. The signane and depiction of the area is very reminiscient and styled after the actual Pixar Studios, found in Emeryille, California. The new entrance to the land is located right at the end of the Streets of America. The expansion of Pixar Place will take over the locations formerly held by the recently-closed Studio Backlot Tour, the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, Wandering Oaken's Frozen Funland (which, in my plans, has moved to the 5th park concept. But where, exactly? You'll find out...) and even the old, rarely-used Backstage Pass building.
Entering into Pixar Place under a giant replica of the entrance gates, pictured above, you find yourself in an area designed like Pixar's campus. The area is even dubbed Emeryville. To your left as you enter, you'll find a replica of the Steve Jobs Building, which plays host to The Pixar Story, a museum of sorts that features exhibits about Pixar's history, how their films are made, and even an area featuring sneak peeks of their newest films. On the other side, replacing the interior of what was once the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure and half of the Studio Catering Co. is a replica of the Pixar campus' famed Cereal Bar, where you can get a big bowlful of your favorite type of morning-time treats.
In the center of Emeryville, you'll find a replica of another thing from the Pixar campus--the statues of Luxo Jr. and the Pixar ball. Nearby, you'll find that the fountain from Splash has remained in the spot where it currently is. Various Pixar characters host meet & greet apperances nearby the giant lamp.
A path leads to the top of Paradise Falls, where you'll find a replica of Carl Fredericksen's House, spouting hundreds of colorful balloons. Inside, you'll find a meet-n-greet with Carl, Russell and Dug.
Continuing on to the next subland, guests will then find themselves walking along the bustling city streets of Monstropolis. There's only one building in this part of the land--the official headquarters of Monsters, Inc. To the left when you enter the building, guests will find the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club, which has been moved over from Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. The attraction will still remain the same, operating as alive comedy show, where host Mike Wazowski and other Monstropolis monsters use their comedic skills to fill up laugh canisters, using the power of laughter to energize the city. Located right alongside the showbuilding of the attraction, guests will find a Meet & Greet location with Mike and Sully.
To the right, guests will find Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek. The entire attraction is housed within the Monsters Inc. Headquarters found from within the film. The attraction will be mostly similar to the version over at Tokyo Disneyland and will serve as somewhat of a sequel to the original film, as Sulley has brought Boo back to the world of Monstropolis to join in some festivities. In a turn of events, the entire city of Monstropolis loses power and Boo escapes throughout the headquarters and city, becoming the guests tasks to retrieve Boo. The guests use custom-built flash lights built into the ride vehicles to see through the darkness and try to spot Boo, coming face to face with several monsters and unexpected surprises along the way! The attraction exits out into the Laugh Floor Store.
Ah, the city of lights. A welcome departure from the hectic excitement of Cars and Monsters, Inc., the enchanting and delightful world of Ratatouille brings a lovely French courtyard to life. In the center of the plaza is Ratatouille – Remy’s Recipe Hunt, a trackless LPS dark ride adventure through the kitchens of Paris alongside Remy as he hunts for the perfect ingredients… and startles a few patrons along the way. The breathtaking dark ride – based on the attraction at Walt Disney Studios in Paris – is a new classic through-and-through, and a perfect ride for the whole family. Of course, once you’re through cooking with Remy, you might as well share the spoils! You’ll disembark with an exclusive view into the regal Gusteau’s where fine dining awaits. In the courtyard, Remy, Emile, Linguini and Colette meet guests.
This French courtyard sits alongside the edge of a beautiful river, which leads to a lake. Along this lake is our final sub-land: Toy Story. I plan to go the Tokyo Disneyland route with this sub-land, and take guests to Toyville Tidal Park, an enchanting new area themed after the characters from Toy Story modeled after Brooklyn’s Coney Island. Soaring Victorian towers, flashing incandescent lights, and all the romantic setting of a seaside pavilion awaits.
Spreading along the wall where the current Woody & Buzz meet-n-greet and the Hey Howdy Hey Take Away are located is Bullseye’s Carnival Cavalcade, which contains vintage midway games for the whole family, complete with one-of-a-kind plush prizes. But there’s even more fun to be had! Step through the open mouth of Woody (modeled after Luna Park) and pass down an enchanting alley of popcorn-light arches and step right into the fun of Toy Story Midway Mania!, a spinning, smashing, popping, dart-throwing adventure that sends you right inside Andy’s newest board game.
If you’ve been to Disney's Hollywoodland, Toy Story Midway Mania sure does look a whole lot different! In fact, the space formerly held by the Backstage Pass attraction has become a third track for the ride. and, As part of the park’s transformation, the space formerly used for Mickey Avenue is completely closed. Midway Mania is instead accessed through the new Pixar Place. And while the tidal park is gorgeous during the day, it's a whole new world at night, bathed in the turn-of-the-century bulbs reflecting off of the nearby Parisian waters...
Pixar Place
1) The Pixar Story
2) Up Adventure Trail
3) Radiator Springs Racers
4) Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
5) Luigi's Flying Tires
6) Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club
7) Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
8) Ratatouille: Remy's Recipe Hunt
9) Bullseye's Carnival Cavalcade
10) Toy Story Midway Mania!
Dining
1) Cereal Bar
2) Cozy Cone Motel
3) Flo's V8 Cafe
4) Fillmore's Taste-In
5) Gusteau's
6) Pizza Planet
Shopping
1) Ramone's House of Body Art
2) Sarge's Surplus Hut
3) Radiator Springs Curios
4) Laugh Floor Store
5) Slinky's Gift Trolley
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orlando678-
Well-Known Member
I get where you get your plans from and I'm fine with it but 1. I'm not sure if Hunchback is popular enough to come back without any big change in the show 2. if you make a land with Marvel then make it a land with Marvel and not a land with Marvel and the Hunchback or make a land as superhero land where you can combine the real marvel heroes, incredibles for example and big hero 6 or so.
The reason I put Hunchback on New York Street is because the theater it's located in has been made to look like a Broadway theatre, and Hunchback is set to become a Broadway show soon.
Animation Courtyard
Animation Courtyard is a land devoted to the business that has made Disney what it is today - animation. Walt Disney was an innovator, a dreamer, a conceptualist, a designer, but had started his influential career as an animator. Ever since he was a child, he was a drawer and loved the process of putting together images to simulate moving pictures. He had studied all sorts of information regarding this new kind of art. He had created some of the most beloved characters, such as Mickey Mouse, whom he had drawn and provided the voice for in the earliest years of the character.
Animation Courtyard used to serve its' purpose as an actual studios where animated features used to be produced. Beyond the current Magic of Disney Animation building, there is a much larger building, which hosted the Animation production buildings. Ever since 2004, all animation production at the park has been stopped and has been re-routed to the Disney Animation Studios is Burbank, California. With the renovation of Disney's Hollywoodland, this section of the park will see a true re-development of the entire area, something to focus on both the process of animation and Walt Disney's inspiration that had led to a sweeping career. The heart of animation has always been at the heart of The Walt Disney Company, so this area is as important as ever to be represented in the Studios. Animation is a source of inspiration, it creates stories and lovable characters that society finds endearing.
We enter Animation Courtyard from the central hub of Hollywood Boulevard, just off of the Hollywoodland Hills. The archway that used to serve as the entrance into the courtyard has been removed. The aesthetic appearance of this area of the park would now start to draw some inspiration from the Art of Animation Resort. Guests visiting Animation Courtyard will feel as though they're stepping into the middle of the animation process. The building facades are be covered with various concept art, sketches, and drawings representing the movies the attractions are based on. Guests feel as though they are walking right into these movies. It would be a great opportunity to really showcase the tremendous artistry of Disney animation.
The facades themselves are heavily inspired by the Animation Studios out in Burbank, California, even having the Magic of Disney Animation building taking on the form of the current Burbank studios.
Anyways, the theatre will be getting a new look. The lobby and In Character shop will be removed to make way for a bigger theater area. On top of that, the show will receive a brand-new script, fleshing out more of the story and not rushing any dialogue. One thing I admire about having the show be in a full indoor theater is that it will allow for more special effects. The show utilizes puppetry, LED effects, fiber-optics, smoke and a cast of live performers, as the "tale as old as time" is brought to life like never before. The show exits out into the Off the Page store, a re-themed Studio Store, which showcases merchandise from several classic animated Disney films.
Right across the courtyard from the new show, guests will find Disney Junior - Live on Stage!, a live show which utilizes puppetry, sets and live performers to bring life to the Disney Junior television shows. The show showcases several of Disney Junior's shows, including "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", "Sofia the First", "Doc McStuffins' and "Jake and the Neverland Pirates". The show also utilizes plenty if in-theater effects, such as bubbles and heavily utilizes the performance of puppeteering. The show will remain virtually unchanged from what is currently there.
Nearby the building, Jake and Sofia offer meet-n-greets, and Phineas and Ferb offer a "play-n-greet" (which has moved here from New York Street due to the Muppet Studios coming to town), where you can star as extras in their latest summertime project: a movie!
In the center of the courtyard, guests will find The Magic of Disney Animation building, which is heavily modeled after the Animation Studios in Burbank, California, having the exterior of the building be remodeled, featuring a large Sorcerer Mickey hat, thankfully not as big as the other one that used to take place in the park. Something that I love about The Magic of Disney Animation is the history of knowing that animated films used to be produced here, it has a museum-esque quality about the facility that I enjoy.
The entire attraction will receive an extensive refurbishment. First, guests are led inside of the Animation building, where they witness a fifteen minute film called The Art of Animation, which focuses on the creation of an animated feature from start to finish, from everything including research, design, conceptual planning, characters, paint cells, voice-acting and wrapping production. The film also informs us of the evolution of animation, including archival footage of Walt Disney and other previous and modern day artists talking about the evolution of art. It'll end with this montage of scenes from all 54 of Disney's animated films, which should look similar to this:
From here, guests are led into the many exhibits of the building. First is Animation Academy, a drawing classroom, where guests can be taught by an actual animator on how to draw some of their favorite characters. By the time the class is finished, they have polished work of art that they have hand-drawn themselves. From here, the path leads to Walt's Workshop, a new addition to The Magic of Disney Animation. The workshop is themed to a picture-esque Kansas City, Missouri art studio, where Walt Disney had lived to pursue a career in art. As the story goes, Walt had begun his art career in Kansas City, where he had opened his own studio and hired many animators to become a part of his team. Today, the guests are Walt's new employees. In Walt's Workshop, guests can find out what Disney character they are most like, they can create their own virtual paint portraits and mosaics, they can do a bit of their own voice-acting and recording work, they could piece together their own Silly Symphony short or create an adventurous and romantic plot to their own animated film. Inside the Screening Room in the workshop, you can meet up with the characters from Disney's latest film (so currently, it would be Hiro and Baymax from Big Hero 6).
The room is called the Animation Archives for a reason, as the entire room showcases encased artifacts from their films, almost as though they have been hidden away to be concealed here. The catch is, all of the artifacts come to life! Guests might stumble across the Beasts' enchanted rose, as it loses its' petals, the Evil Queen's Magic Mirror, as the slave from within enchants a wicked curse, Aladdin's lamp, which sputters and emits smoke, artifacts from Ariel's Grotto and.....Sebastian is found within, or Rapunzel's painting of her seeing the lights, as they come alive and start to float off of the painting, amongst many other things left to be discovered.
One pathway in the Archives leads to Disney Through the Decades, an all-new meet-n-greet area. This innovative meet-n-greet features different rooms, each themed to a different decade. As you go through the meet-n-greet, you enter a bunch of different rooms, each one themed to a different movie from that era. There will be five rooms: 20's/30's/40's, 50's/60's, 70's/80's, 90's and 2000's/2010's. Here are the films that will be represented.
20's/30’s/40’s:Steamboat Willie, The Three Little Pigs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo, The Three Caballeros
50’s/60’s:Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book
70’s/80's:The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Rescuers, The Black Cauldron, Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid
90’s:Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan
2000’s/2010’s:The Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Lilo & Stitch, Brother Bear, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6
From here, the building then leads to one last place in the farthest part of The Magic of Disney Animation building, the Animagic attraction! This attraction is a classic dark ride, inspired by the evolution of Disney Animation. In the attraction, guests board paint pots, where they set off on an adventure across a vast canvas of space. The trip takes them through the evolution of hand drawn stick figures to a black and white world of animated wonder in Steamboat Willie, with Captain Pete and Mickey. What seems as a simple ride at the start soon fades into an exquisite adventure. Mickey in the black and white Steamboat Willie segment says that he needs the guests help to inspire a world of color into the future of animation. From here, the guests are on a rollicking adventure. It is somewhat a zany experience, but not more so than Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin. The attraction continues in black and white, proceeding through a Silly Symphonies segment, where Mickey tells the guests to "spin" their pain pots to splash color throughout the scene. As guests do so, the black and white sketches of the characters come alive, as if paint blots are scattering across them, breathing life into something that was once frozen in time. The attraction includes segments through Snow White, a trip through Pleasure Island with Pinocchio, a travel through Cinderella's Room at the scale of a mouse, the 101 Dalmatians, a fantastic "Colors of the Wind" scene from Pocahontas, amongst other films in which guests can paint the scenes to come "alive".
From here, the guests are led to explore The Magic of Disney Animation all over again. Leading back through the Animation Archives, guests will then be able to exit the building through the Animation Gallery store, which showcases fantastic paintings, sculptures, arts and crafts materials and other sorts of animation art collections. Just outside of the building on the left, tucked in-between The Magic of Disney Animation and Disney Junior - Live On Stage, guests will find theAnimator's Palate, the restaurant which has become acclaimed to fame aboard the Disney Cruise Line, which is now finding its' home within the park. The attractions' location is actually going to be taking up the space of a Cast Member break restaurant called Take Five, which will be routed elsewhere along Sunset Boulevard, giving space to the attraction. In this restaurant, guests arrive to a black and white dining room, adorned with paintings of Disney characters, all adorned in black and white, even their wait staff is in black and white attire, but as their dinner continues, color begins to envelop the room, creating a beautifully decadent dining experience.
1) Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage
2) Disney Junior - Live on Stage!
3) The Magic of Disney Animation
- The Art of Animation
- Animation Academy
- Walt's Workshop
- Animation Archives
- Carousel of Color
- Disney Through the Decades
- Animagic!
A) Off the Page
B) Animation Gallery
Dining
A) Animator's Palate
But wait, I forgot something: in between Off the Page and The Magic of Disney Animation is the entrance into a new land. What land? I'll tell you about that in the next post. See ya then!
orlando678-
Well-Known Member
Great ideas oh and please do know that all the comments I make might be annoying, but they are in no way meant to offend you.
Don't worry, friend. They aren't offending me at all.
Now for this post, we're once again going to be looking at two lands.Timeless River
Two entrances--one in-between the Off the Page shop and The Magic of Disney Animation at Animation Courtyard, and the other in-between the Ratatouille and Monsters Inc. areas at Pixar Place serve as the passport into a most unusual new land. Welcome to Timeless River, based entirely on the early cartoon shorts of Walt Disney. This brand new land brings to life the forgotten characters of the past in stunning detail! And if you’re feeling like something is amiss but can’t put your finger on what, we’ll help: Timeless River is completely in black and white.
Contained entirely within the sloped hills of a grassy valley caldera, Timeless River is completely cut off from the outside world, with the only thing from the outside world visitors to Timeless River will see is the top of the Earful Tower, the icon of Disney's Hollywoodland. It's basically a giant water tower topped with the iconic mouse ears.
1) Silly Symphony Swings
2) Classic Carousel
3) Steamboat Springs
4) Frolicking Fish
5) Timeless Cinema
6) Mickey & Oswald's Grand Adventure
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard takes guests back to a different side of Hollywood, as well as the different sides of the entertainment industry. Just off of Hollywood and Vine, guests will find the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, a reminiscent take on a classic 1940s Hollywood street. The street is very similar to Hollywood Boulevard, as it is filled with shops and eateries, stretching into the eastern most part of the park. Sunset Boulevard is definitely a place filled with excitement, charm, thrills, all while keeping the classic Golden Age of Hollywood intact.
The buildings that form the exteriors of Sunset Boulevard are meant to portray a theater district in California, for both cinemas and live theater performances. The exteriors feature grand ornamentations and heavy detail work to provide heavy detail throughout the area. Some of the buildings are topped with billboards, showcasing the innovations and entertainment that were all the rage over seven decades ago. The area features more stylistic designs to the architecture, as opposed to Hollywood Boulevard. Sunset Boulevard is inspired by the reviving architecture that was starting to be re-used in California during the decade, showcasing the many different ornate and intricate building designs. The boulevard curves slightly, as lined palm trees align the way to the back of the boulevard, where the tall, inactive Hollywood Tower Hotel rests.
On the left side of the street, guests will find the Starring Rolls Cafe, adjacent to the Hollywood Brown Derby on Hollywood Boulevard. The quick-service location only operates in the morning and in the early afternoon. Starring Rolls offers an excellent array of bagels, crescents, muffins and other breakfast pastries, as well as sandwiches and a selection of desserts. The location makes for one of the best places to grab a light breakfast. Just beyond the cafe, guests will find Sweet Spells, a sweet confectionary. including elements of the Disney Villains, as portraits of Disney Villains hang from the walls of the sweet candy store. In the windows of the store, guests will find figures of the Old Witch from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and Maleficent from "Sleeping Beauty".
Connected to Sweet Spells is Villains in Vogue, a complete Disney Villains merchandise store, offering a wide selection of Disney Villain merchandise, mainly focused on Fantasmic! merchandise. Connected to the right of the store, making these three stores into one big building, the store then transitions into the Scary Apothecary, a merchandise location that mainly features "The Nightmare Before Christmas" merchandise.
Just across the street, guests will find Legends of Hollywood, found inside of the exterior of the Academy Theater. The location features generic Disney's Hollywoodland merchandise, as well as a selection of Disney jewelry and watches, including limited edition pieces. Continuing down the right side of the street, replacing the Sunset Club Couture, Mouse About Town and Once Upon a Time shops, guests will then find the iconic white tower of the Carthay Circle Theatre.
Inside the theater, we find ourselves inside the film's iconic forest, bloomed in imaginative three dimensions. The atmosphere seemd only peaceful, harmonious, enchanting and inviting – promising a grand fairytale adventure with elegance. On the right hand side of this peaceful fairytale forest atmosphere, an ingeniously realized waterfall splashes happily with shiny vibrating strings portraying the water. Next to the waterfall is the Seven Dwarfs' Diamond Mine "entrance" – although it was the actual exit of the ride vehicles. In the middle of the forest is a three-dimensional miniature of the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage.
At the left hand side, near the loading area is the Evil Queen's Castle, emerging from murals into impressive three dimensions as the Castle Courtyard. Winding through the queue, we eventually reach the stretch of land located in front of the cottage, finding a parade of mine cars pulling in and out, loading and unloading happy (or not-so-happy passengers). Each mine car sits a maximum of six people and bares the name of one of the dwarfs. Boarding a mine car ourselves we are given a quick safety spiel by an unseen hag. "For a scary adventure, please remain seated, keeping your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the mine car, and please do watch your children. And remember, smoking and flash photography are never permitted in this enchanted world, hee hee hee! Farewell!" With her cackles behind us, our car pulls forward into the forest, the three-dimensional trees seamlessly emerging from the beautifully-painted wall mural behind it.
Heading towards the Evil Queen's Castle, we make a loop around the Wishing Well. As we pass by, we hear Snow White sing "I'm Wishing", dreaming about "the one I love". The same song was heard at this Castle Courtyard area, echoing even to the queue area. Much like before, the version you hear is the same version heard in The Mickey Mouse Revue.
from 0:41 to 1:24
After the vehicle circles the Wishing Well, it drives towards the miniature of the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage, makes a u-turn and approaches the Castle Courtyard itself. Under the golden sun, Snow White sits on the stairs in her scullery maid garment and holding a white dove. The singing of "I'm Wishing" is a bit more louder, to feel as if she's singing it. Behind wonderfully stylized flower bushes, the Prince, sitting atop his white horse, watches her. Behind Snow White and the Prince, the remaining courtyard is lit with dramatic blue, as the Evil Queen stands behind a window and spies upon the Princess. From there, we make a sharp left and enter the Castle itself. Inside, we came face to face with the Slave in the Magic Mirror through a simple but impressive projection effect. The exquisitely painted set featured the Magic Mirror in its 1937 movie appearance, with the ornamental stone frame with signs of the zodiac around the mirror. Inside, the Mirror's Slave revealed: "Alas, Snow White is the Fairest One of All".
"Never!" yells a voice behind the vehicle. It's the voice of the Queen! Suspenseful music (taken directly from the film) and the distant sound of howling wind and howling wolves welcome us to the narrow corridors of her Gloomy Dungeon, ghostly voices telling us to turn back. Countless skeletons pop up in the dungeons, some hanging from chains on the walls, others simply fallen to the floor. Perhaps the most iconic of these skeletons (from a memorable moment in the film) is a skeleton trapped beneath iron bars, reaching for a nearby pail of water, having died doing so. We turn towards a archway leading to the relative safety of the outside world set in a blue night sky with glistening stars. Our escape is foiled - the Hag has summoned a large portcullis to come crashing down, blocking our path. Suddenly, on the door, we see the silhouette of the Queen drink from a goblet, and we see her figure slowly morph into an Old Hag. We turn right into the Queen's laboratory. Whirring gizmos and bubbling potions on either side of the track illuminate the Hag dipping a skull-faced apple into a green-glowing cauldron, taunting us..."Apple deary?" Her cackle follows us as barely avoid being by falling equipment shelves and turn a sharp left outside of the Castle and into the Frightening Forest.
No music is played here, just an eerie howling wind and the Hag's constant cackling. From out of nowhere the old Hag drifts out from underneath her Castle on a boat, the apple in one hand, a makeshift oar in the other. "Fresh apple...tasty apple!" The trees suddenly take on the appearances of monsters as their gnarling teeth, red eyes, and gnarled branches reach for us, intimidating eyes staring down at us from the treetops, alligator-resembling logs snapping at us, bats flying through the darkness. Now there is music, adding on to the suspenseful theme. The Huntsman stands before a tree up ahead, speaking to a screaming Snow White a few feet away. "Quick! Run away! And never come back!" Snow White screams as we cross through some more trees and into a miniature briar patch, where logs that look like alligators come towards us. In the darkness, ominous eyes glow, but as we turn away, we find out that the eyes are those of the kind-hearted woodland creatures, who point the way to the Seven Dwarfs' Mine.
Inside we are immediately immersed into a glistening grotto filled with dazzling jewels and diamonds embedded into the walls, stacked into piles, and stocking lonesome mine cars. The dwarfs appear hard at work, singing "Dig-a-Dig-Dig" diligently. Grumpy and Bashful have their backs turned, picking away into the cavern walls, Sleepy asleep in a deer-pulled mine car, the deer very angry at his lazy rider. Making a left we pass by a small shaft opening in which Happy and Sneezy emerge on a handcar very slowly. Sneezy suddenly gathers up a sneeze and creates a rather powerful sneeze, sending the handcar flying forward. Doc and Dopey appear surveying diamonds to our right. Although Doc takes his work seriously, Dopey sees it as a game, holding the diamonds up to his eyes and instantly causing thousands of his eyes to be projected throughout the mine in a stunning effect, taking them down and removing the projections, putting them again and restoring the projections. Another mine shaft door moves aside for us, allowing us access into the forest at sunset. We find ourselves about to go under a log spanning a canyon, a miniature waterfall near our path. As we pass under, we see the Seven Dwarfs actually march atop the log, singing "Heigh-Ho". We pass under the log and make a right turn. True enchantment may have fill the hearts of some travelers, as the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage emerges from the serene forest ambience. Inside the cottage, the Seven Dwarfs made merry music and singing a "Silly Song". Immediately inside the dwarfs can be seen dancing about, singing, playing miniature instruments, and having an all-together good time with Snow White who waltzes about the room gleefully with Dopey standing on Sneezy's shoulders wearing an over-sized jacket. The woodland creatures have also gotten in on the fun, watching from the windows. The fun is cut short however when we exit the cottage (through the ride's many "crash doors")...
The near second we exit the Cottage we are immediately greeted by the Hag who lurks outside a window, clutching the apple, her raven perched on her free hand. "Go on deary...take a bite!" She cackles once more, our car making a sharp right back into the woods, passing by the Prince. "Snow White! Where are you?" The searching Prince is quickly left behind as we head back towards the Cottage, the dwarfs lining both sides of the track, each one warning us not to proceed, others shouting for Snow White to run. Making a left turn explains the shouting: Snow White appears inside the Cottage, popping out of the front half of an opened door, ready to bite into the apple. The Hag stands close by with a big ole' grin, "That's right deary! Take a bite!" Thunder and lightning crash, sending us straight back into the Mysterious Woods. As we enter the Hag can be heard shouting “Now I'm the fairest in the land!” Two mean-eyed vultures watch us pass, their heads moving in perfect unison as they follow our every move.
Thunder rumbles above the hills as we hear the Dwarfs' commotion with Doc's flustered voice: “It's the Quicked Ween—the Wicked Queen! Come on men!” We pass through some trees to find ourselves at the Stormy Mountain, where the Dwarfs are seen on a nearby cliff, scared. Why are they scared? I don’t know, maybe because…the Witch is about to crush them (and us) with a boulder! Rain falls heavily (and even seems to run down the side of the cliff). The Witch is seen, ready to dislodge the boulder. “Fools! I’ll crush your bones!” she yells. She laughs wildly, only to lose her footing and fall backwards, screaming in horror (her scream taken directly from the film), a burst of fog and light occurring (this hides the figure which falls backwards into a hole, raising back up for the next vehicle seconds later).
We pass under the mountain and find ourselves back in the forest. A moving choral rendition of “Someday My Prince Will Come” fills our ears, cuing the ride's Finale. Directly before us lies Snow White in her opened glass coffin, the Prince leaning down to kiss her, the now peaceful forest surrounding us via colorful murals, a beautiful sunset at hand.
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Turning right we see six of the dwarfs waving towards Snow White and her Prince who ride away towards the Castle in the Clouds (the couple, horse and Dwarfs are figures, the castle is part of a mural.) Dopey on the other hand waves in the opposite direction - classic Dopey - waving down to us and wiggling his ears from a top an overhead bridge. A set of painted doors showcasing a beautiful sunset on the horizon with a banner reading "And they all lived happily ever after..." painted across it. The doors move apart and we wheel back into the loading area, exiting our mine car.Right across from the model of the Carthay Circle Theater model, guests will find Sunset Ranch Market, which operates as both a merchandise location and a quick-service eatery. The quick-service eatery offers chicken, salads and burgers and other types of quintessential quick-service foods. There is a large outdoor seating area located throughout Sunset Ranch Market.
Right beyond the corner of the Carthay Circle Theater, guests will find the Theater of the Stars on the right. The theater itself has received a significant refurbishment, completely enclosing the theater, improving technical, theatrical and performance aspects of the show. With an enclosed theater, the lighting is better and crisper, weather is no longer a factor, an enclosed theater just creates a better production. The exterior façade of the theater would have the appearance of the grand movie palaces prevalent during the Golden Age of Hollywood. With the refurbishment of the entire theater, a new show is being placed into the theater. Now, one day I was thinking, "Hey, the park wouldn't be a tribute to Hollywood without having a big awards ceremony." Well, we've got just that, in the form of The Golden Mickeys!
The premise of this show is that guests are attending an awards show highlighting achievements by various Disney animated films in several different categories, such as romance, villains, heroes, comedy, etc. The show does not highlight one movie, but many. In fact, here is a list of movies and songs that will be represented, and what category they will be part of.
Opening: "Golden Mickeys" Opening Song
Classic
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- "Someday My Prince Will Come"
- "Whistle While You Work"
- "Heigh-Ho"
- "Son of Man" (Tarzan)
- "I'll Make a Man Out of You" (Mulan)
- Disney Trio: "Just Around the Riverbend/Go the Distance/Out There" (Pocahontas, Hercules and The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Symphony
- "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" (Lilo & Stitch)
- "Under the Sea" (The Little Mermaid)
- "Let it Go" (Frozen)
- "Cruella de Vil" (101 Dalmatians)
- "You've Got a Friend in Me" (Toy Story)
- "Bella Notte" (Lady and the Tramp)
- "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (The Lion King)
- "I See the Light" (Tangled)
- "So This is Love" (Cinderella) (The staging for "So This is Love" will be the same as what you'll see in the video below)
Finale: "When You Wish Upon a Star" (Pinocchio) and "Golden Mickeys" Song Reprise
The beauty of this show is that the musical sequences can be switched out over time to keep the show fresh and up to date; already the Disney Cruise Line has added in a new musical sequence from Tangled.
Continuing to the back end of Sunset Boulevard, to the left, guests will find a courtyard leading to the Mercury Radio Studio, circa 1938. This is the home of War of the Worlds. Like I said before, this ride will take you back in time to 1938, to that fateful day when Orson Welles read that infamous news bulletin being beamed to American households everywhere about an alien invasion currently underway. Is it real? Could there truly be lights in the sky over Los Angeles?
At the eastern most part of the park, guests will find the Hollywood Tower Hotel, casting a foreboding shadow against the Hollywood streets. Looking at it from the side, something bad has happened. A giant, cracked hole in the middle of the tower appears, as a complete part of the building has seemingly been ripped from the hotel. Upon entering into the lobby of the former hotel, guests will arrive upon a deserted hotel, everything in order as it was nearly one hundred years ago, left in untouched condition. Legend has it that the hotel was once the pinnacle of the hotels in Hollywood, until lightning struck on Halloween of 1939, sending an elevator and five people into parts unknown. But now, the hotel doors have mysteriously opened up, allowing guests to take an unusual journey aboard that haunted elevator as they plummet, rise and fall through the elevator shafts of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, or as it's more commonly referred to today...The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Sunset Boulevard
1) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2) The Golden Mickeys
3) War of the Worlds
4) The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Shopping
A) Sweet Spells
B) Villains in Vogue
C) Scary Apothecary
D) Legends of Hollywood
E) Sunset Ranch Market
I) Tower Gifts
Dining
A) Starring Rolls Cafe
B) Sunset Ranch
C) The Tip Top Club
And of course, in the next post, I'll tell you about the daily entertainment here at the park. See ya then!
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TheKarnivalKid
Well-Known Member
I remember seeing the Timeless River idea a while ago on IdealBuildout. I also thought it was great and fit really well in DHS! I'm looking forward to your future posts!
Thank you, TheKarnivalKid! I loved the idea of Timeless River so much, I decided to put into my ideas.
Now then, let's discuss the entertainment you'll be able to find at Disney's Hollywoodland every day.
Entertainment
First of all, I would put in a new outdoor stage production in front of the Chinese Theatre: Hooray for Hollywood! Taking place on a circular stage that stands where the Sorcerer's Hat is (or should I say, was), this show/parade celebrates the glitz and glamour of a big Hollywood premiere. The stage itself features small light towers that rise out of planters on the edges and a small lift in the center of the stage. On the Chinese Theater, there are some pyro effects as well as large banners that unroll during the show advertising the fictional movie, and then roll back up between shows. There are also permanent Hollywood search lights out in the courtyard that wave during the show and then again after nightfall.The show itself would be hosted by two reporters, reporting live from the red carpet for the premier of the newest blockbuster. The show is set in the period of Hollywood Boulevard instead of modern like many of the events usually on the stage currently. A big opening number introduces our hosts and the celebrities involved in the movie, who are mostly the Citizens of Hollywood. Many of these characters arrive in period cars that drive up Hollywood Boulevard to the red carpet of the stage.
They do some musical and comedy acts on the stage before building up to the big finale. The hosts announce that they have just heard that some of Hollywood's biggest stars are about to arrive, and then the Fab 5 appear from the Chinese Theater. The finale number features all the characters and dancers, ending with some day low level fireworks. The point is to show the glitz and glamour of golden age Hollywood. I think I'd have the show's finale look a little something like this (although not on as large a scale):
After the show officially ends, the singers and dancers lead the characters in their period cars down Hollywood Boulevard.
Now that we have our big daytime show, we need to have a big nighttime show. And we've had that for quite some time...it's the beloved classic Fantasmic!
This is it--the granddaddy of all Disney nighttime spectaculars. The show takes guests through a magical, wonderful journey through the imagination of Mickey Mouse, through the fantasy and adventure that is sure to follow. However, the Disney Villains are out to take over Mickey's imagination and use their powers to conquer all.
The show is going to go through an extensive refurbishment, improving both technical and show segments to the nighttime production. All around, lighting, fountains and pyrotechnic features are going to be updated and improved. The projection system utilized for these huge water screens, in which images are projected, is going to be updated to HD projectors, to deliver a crystal clear projection performance. Also, the sound quality of the attraction is going to be touched upon, just touching up on all of the technical qualities of the show.
In addition to the technical qualities of the show, the show will receive some all-new scenes. What follows is a description of the new version of Fantasmic!, with the new scenes being bolded.
The stage is set around a gigantic, twisting mountain. The spotlights on the gate in front of the stage have been removed and moved to the back of the theater, out of the way of guests' vision. Two different cave entrances flank the mountain on both sides. Trees surround the area from all over. A sprawling island plateau rests at the base of the mountain.
"Welcome to Fantasmic! Tonight, our friend and host Mickey Mouse uses his vivid imagination to create magical imagery for all to enjoy. Nothing is more wonderful than the imagination. For, in a moment, you can experience a beautiful fantasy. Or, an exciting adventure! But beware -- nothing is more powerful than the imagination. For it can also expand your greatest fears into an overwhelming nightmare. Are the powers of Mickey's incredible imagination strong enough, and bright enough, to withstand the evil forces that invade Mickey's dreams? You are about to find out. For we now invite you to join Mickey, and experience Fantasmic -- a journey beyond your wildest imagination..."
A very faint musical note is heard, swelling into a chord as the chorus sings in darkness. Once the chord strikes, two tall columns rise on stage left and right, with spotlights, until Mickey appears in formal attire. He dances and conducts various water fountain effects as "Conductor Mickey" to the show's theme, until bringing up the giant water-mist screens, which, in conjunction with a few flares, fade into the famous Sorcerer's Apprentice scene from Fantasia.
From there, the falling stars of the Sorcerer's Apprentice scene morph into flowers, and a female voice sings the imagination theme. A giant, white flower appears on stage as animated blooming flowers appear on the projection screens.
The water screens disappear into the air and a variety of trees rise from the trapdoors on the plateau. Vines hang from the light towers, as Tarzan and Jane swing from tower to tower. Several animal puppeteers move about onstage. Two puppeteers operate a Tantor elephant on stage. An instrumental version of "Two Worlds" plays.
This fades into a segment themed around The Lion King. An instrumental rendition of "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" starts up as the animals continue to roam the jungle. Floating in the water are giant water barges decorated with vines and flowers, containing Rafiki, Timon, King Louie, Baloo, Mowgli and other black-light monkeys. They dance past as the music plays.
Simba and Nala from The Lion King run through the jungle in a short projection which transitions into an electric guitar rendition of "Pink Elephants on Parade" from Dumbo, as animated pink elephants appear onscreen and in the form of performers on the island. The elephants then seem to be puppets dancing, which transitions into an onstage sequence based on the "Woody's Roundup" sequence from Toy Story 2. Four large puppets (Woody, Bullseye, Jessie and Stinky Pete) are manipulated with fiber-optic "strings" stretching above the puppets. Afterwards, onscreen animation shows the fish from "The Nutcracker Suite" segment in Fantasia dances to "When You Wish Upon a Star". Jiminy Cricket appears in a bubble and pops it with his umbrella to get to his hat. An animated Monstro next appears onscreen, accompanied by a heavy musical score as he crashes through water. The sea morphs into the flood scene from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". As Mickey looks around in the dark, a ship caught in a storm appears. The screens disappear, and the lights darken.
A cannon blasts and this segues into a new sequence based on Pirates of the Caribbean. The island and mountain transform into Isla De Meurta, and in a style similar to the Peter Pan sequence at Disneyland's Fantasmic, the Black Pearl and Flying Dutchman battle it out, a la Dead Man's Chest. Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann and Davy Jones all participate in this epic stunt sequence. I dare say this could rival the aforementioned Peter Pan sequence.
At the end of the sequence, the water screens show the Black Pearl sailing away as the "camera" zooms up into the clouds, where we see classic dancing scenes with Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip, Cinderella and Prince Charming, and Princess Jasmine and Aladdin on the water screens to a reprise of the theme.
Three small floats now arrive, with Belle and the Beast, Ariel and Prince Eric, and Snow White and her Prince each contained in their own float. As each float reaches the centre, the spotlight shines on it, with the accompanying signature melody from each movie — "Beauty and the Beast," "Part of Your World," and "Some Day My Prince Will Come", respectively floating stage takes the foreground on the water. While in the foreground, LED lights on each floating stage turn from white to multicolored.
The music takes on an ominous tone as Mickey's dream takes a turn for the worse. The Wicked Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on stage, calling for her magic mirror — which appears onscreen in animated form. The mirror informs the Queen that the three princesses are fairer than she, and that "in Mickey's imagination, beauty and love will always survive." Angered by this, she runs to a cauldron, concocts a spell amidst pyrotechnics and other special effects, and turns herself into the hag to turn Mickey's dream into a "Nightmare Fantasmic". Upon being told by the Magic Mirror that she now has the power to control Mickey's mind, she invokes an excited Ursula, from The Little Mermaid, who ecstatically joins the plot against Mickey and sings a reprise of "Poor Unfortunate Souls, as Flotsam and Jetsam glide across the river.
Afterwards, Ursula calls on Jafar, from Aladdin, who uses his magic to send Mickey (in his classic attire) to the Cave of Wonders. After escaping a wave of lava, Mickey encounters Jafar, who transforms into a giant black cobra appearing on both the stage and the mist screens. Seeing a magic lamp, Mickey rubs it, assuming it will help him, hoping that the nightmare would end. But unfortunately, it only makes matters worse, as Scar from The Lion King appears. A gigantic puppet of Scar appears and menaces Mickey and the audience as he sings "Be Prepared" and the shadows of hyenas-turned-Nazis march along the mountain. Scar then calls upon Chernabog from Fantasia, as the infamous devil appears as a giant, hulking animatronic resting high atop the mountain. He summons the spirits of demons as the iconic "Night on Bald Mountain" score plays.
He summons a blast of fire which appears on stage as Maleficent's classic entrance-by-fire. She prepares Mickey, now in his Brave Little Tailor outfit, to deal with the powers of HER imagination. She rises into the air and the water screens show her transforming into a dragon as the villains laugh maniacally at imagination. On stage, the 45-foot dragon sets the waters ablaze breathing fire onto the river. Natural-gas piping allows the flames to burn on top of the water as they spread to take over the stage. Sometimes when the dragon is not present, Maleficent stays as herself, still with the evil powers and ignites fire on the moat not by her mouth, but by her glowing stick. She still gets destroyed the same way. Mickey, faces the dragon, claiming "You may thing you're so powerful... well, uh... This is my dream!" He uses the powers of his imagination to conduct the water as he did at the beginning of the show and create a wall of water around the island, smothering the flames. He pulls the sword from the stone which shoots sparks through the wall of water, defeating it, As the dragon screams, and as the water screens show the demise of the Queen/Hag, Ursula, Jafar, Scar and Chernabog, Maleficent also dies as the water splashes with a large firework bang.
Everything is silent, until Tinker Bell appears. Magical stars sparkle on the mountain as a brand-new, large version of the iconic Steamboat Willie (the old one looks kinda cheap anyways) glides past as pyrotechnics rain down the side of it. Then, with a sudden crescendo in the music and a blast of light, Mickey Mouse appears as his "Steamboat Willie" self, steering the riverboat past fountains and fireworks. On the riverboat, classic Disney characters wave ribbons in jubilation. There are three levels of the riverboat, and here are the characters that will be on each level:
Bottom Level: Belle, Beast, Ariel, Eric, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Max, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Pinocchio, Gepetto, Jiminy Cricket, Rafiki, Timon, Baloo, Mowgli, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear
Middle Level: Lilo, Stitch, Snow White, The Prince, Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Captain Jack Sparrow, Peter Pan, Wendy, Aurora, Phillip
Top Level: Mary Poppins, Bert, Mr. Penguin, Pocahontas, John Smith, Meeko, Hercules, Meg, Woody, Jessie, Buzz, Green Army Men, Chimney Sweeps
The sequence is accompanied by searchlights, fountains, fire, and pyrotechnic effects. With another flash of pyrotechnics, Mickey appears atop the highest point of the mountain as the Sorcerer's Apprentice as fireworks, fire, lasers, and water light up the stage. As the finale concludes, Mickey disappears from the top of the mountain with another spark of pyrotechnics, there is a small explosion in the main center stage and Mickey simultaneously reappears in his formal attire from the beginning of the show. Mickey says, "Some imagination, huh? Ha ha!" Pyrotechnics shoot out of the main stage and barges on the moat, as he vanishes one last time to the final notes of the music while a cone of lights and searchlights bright up the stage for a few seconds. On the last note of the musical score, bright low-level mines go off. The show is concluded.
Here is a list of showscenes for the new show.
-Introduction
-Mickey's Imagination
-The Sorcerer's Apprentice
-"Flowers" Segment
-"Jungle" Segment (feat. elements of "Tarzan", "The Lion King" and "The Jungle Book")
-"Pink Elephants on Parade" Segment
-"Woody's Roundup" Segment
-"Angelfish" Segment
-"Monstro" Segment
-"Pirates of the Caribbean" Segment
-Princess Segment (feat. elements of "Sleeping Beauty", "Cinderella", "Aladdin", "Beauty and the Beast", "The Little Mermaid" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs")
-The Evil Queen Summons the Magic Mirror
-The Queen's Transformation
-Ursula's Wrath
-Mickey in the Cave of Wonders/Jafar
-Scar's Attack/"Be Prepared"
-Chernabog/"Night On Bald Mountain"
-Maleficent's Transformation
-Mickey Battle the Dragon
-Good Conquers Evil
-Sorcerer Mickey's Magic
Well, there we have it!
1) Red Car Trolleys
2) The Great Movie Ride
3) CineMagic
4) American Institute Film Showcase
5) Eastern Gardens
6) Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Shopping
A) Crossroads of the World
B) Movieland Memorabilia
C) Sid Cahuenga's One-of-a-Kind Shop
D) Oscar's Classic Cars Souvenirs
E) The Dark Room
F) L.A. Cinema Storage
G) Mickey's of Hollywood
H) Keystone Clothiers
I) Cover Story
Dining
A) Hollywood Brown Derby
B) Hollywood & Vine
C) 50's Prime Time Cafe
D) Tune-In Lounge
Lucasland
--Indiana Jones--
7) Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye FP
8) Temple of Doom
9) Dr. Jones' Warehouse
--Star Wars--
10) Star Tours: The Adventures Continue FP
11) Jedi Training Academy
12) Yoda Experience
13) Star Wars: Live the Force! FP
Dining
1) Mos Eisley Cantina
Shopping
1) Indiana Jones Truck
2) Tatooine Traders
Commissary Lane
Dining
1) ABC Commissary
2) Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
Muppet Studios
14) Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3-D
15) Muppet Labs
16) The Great Muppet Movie Ride
17) Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Muppet WaterWorks
Shopping
A) Stage One Company Store
B) It Feels Like Christmas
Dining
A) Gonzo's Pizzeria Parlour Pandemonium
New York Street
18) Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure
19) The Avengers Superhero Showdown FP
20) STARK Enterprises Inventory
Dining
1) The Writer's Stop
2) Oliver's Market
Shopping
1) Youse Guys Moychindice
2) McDuck's Department Store
Pixar Place
21) The Pixar Story
22) Up Adventure Trail
23) Radiator Springs Racers FP
24) Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
25) Luigi's Flying Tires
26) Ratatouille: Remy's Recipe Hunt FP
27) Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club
28) Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
29) Bullseye's Carnival Cavalcade
30) Toy Story Midway Mania! FP
Dining
1) Cereal Bar
2) Cozy Cone Motel
3) Flo's V8 Cafe
4) Fillmore's Taste-In
5) Gusteau's
6) Pizza Planet
Shopping
1) Ramone's House of Body Art
2) Sarge's Surplus Hut
3) Radiator Springs Curios
4) Metroville Gifts
5) Laugh Floor Store
6) Slinky's Gift Trolley
Animation Courtyard
31) Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage
32) Disney Junior - Live on Stage!
33) The Magic of Disney Animation
- The Art of Animation
- Animation Academy
- Walt's Workshop
- Animation Archives
- Carousel of Color
- Disney Through the Decades
- Animagic! FP
A) Off the Page
B) Animation Gallery
Dining
A) Animator's Palate
Timeless River
34) Silly Symphony Swings
35) Classic Carousel
36) Steamboat Springs
37) Frolicking Fish
38) Timeless Cinema
39) Mickey & Oswald's Grand Adventure FP
Sunset Boulevard
40) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
41) The Golden Mickeys
42) War of the Worlds FP
43) The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror FP
Shopping
A) Sweet Spells
B) Villains in Vogue
C) Scary Apothecary
D) Legends of Hollywood
E) Sunset Ranch Market
F) Tower Gifts
Dining
A) Starring Rolls Cafe
B) Sunset Ranch Market
C) The Tip Top Club
Entertainment
- Hooray for Hollywood!
- Citizens of Hollywood
- Mulch, Sweat & Shears
- The All-Doll Revue
- Fantasmic! FP (much like how World of Color at DCA has FP)
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orlando678-
Well-Known Member
Bravo! can't wait to see AK
Wait no longer, my friend!
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom, which opened on Earth Day 1998, is dedicated to all of the animals of the world, real, extinct and imaginary. This park is a real-world experience, taking guests into a world of wonder and knowledge, observing and learning about the lives of the animal species that call Disney's Animal Kingdom their home. From the rolling plains of an African savannah, to the Himalayan mountains of Asia, to being transported to the dawn of the Jurassic era, Disney's Animal Kingdom is filled with adventure just waiting to be discovered.
The Walt Disney Company has always had a committing association to wildlife, as Walt Disney himself pursued his interest in animals during the creation of his True-Life Adventures series, a nature documentation film, edited together to feature hours of nature's landscapes and wildlife. Disney's sentiment decades ago was driven in the creation of Disney's Animal Kingdom, offering guests to see the wildlife and beautiful scenery of the world up close. Disney's Animal Kingdom has been described as "A New Species of Theme Park" and it definitely is. It might be the most distinct theme park, having its' theme solely revolve around nature and wildlife.
Disney's Animal Kingdom, while much more than just a glorified zoo, actually brings these animals to life, telling the stories of these animals and the way that humans interact with them. With this sentiment, guests can actually walk away from the park at the end of the day, learning a valuable lesson about nature, a lesson that might not have been received by just any typical zoo. Each area of the park is an adventure in itself, drawing guests further away from the real world, bringing them into this kingdom of fantasy, nature and adventure.
The Oasis
The Oasis offers an escape from reality, operating as the entrance to Disney's Animal Kingdom. From first stepping into the entrance of the park, guests immediately find themselves taken away from the everyday world and transported into a beautiful oasis of palm trees and heavy jungles of trees on both sides of the entrance. The Oasis puts the guests in touch with nature and immediately sets the tone for the adventures to come. The Oasis is bountiful with unspoiled nature - to a time when some of the other complex natures found in the rest of the park did not yet exist at the time.
While passing through the beautiful Oasis, to the left guests will find a path leading to a Rainforest Cafe, one of the two chain restaurants found on Walt Disney World property, where guests dine in a heavily-immersive rainforest environment, complete with raging apes and elephants, beautiful aquariums, rain falls and sudden thunderstorms. Guests proceed to the gated entrance of the park, showcasing the signage for Disney's Animal Kingdom. On both sides of the entrance, new waterfall features have been implemented into the entrance, to make the area look more lush and beautiful. The entrance of the park is also heavily influences by the Arts & Crafts movement, having nature itself being a heavy influence in the Oasis.
Embedded in the courtyard of The Oasis is a matted graphic representation of the Tree of Life, something that might go unnoticed if you're not looking for it. After passing through the main gate, guests are then distributed into a promenade filled with lush jungles trees and vines. The sound of a cascading waterfall could be heard just in the distance. Throughout the day, various Disney characters can be found, ready to welcome you to a day of adventure. To the left, guests will find Guest Relations and the right features the Stroller and Wheelchair Rental and Garden Gate Gifts, a merchandise location that offers disposable camera and video belongings, as well as Disney's Animal Kingdom merchandise. There is a path that leads to both the left and right, re-connecting further into the Oasis.
On both the left and right paths, guests will find the Animal Oasis Exhibits. The winding pathways lead through dense vegetation and jungle alcoves. Canopies of tree branches and leaves blot out the sunlight from above. The pathways are filled with serene, peaceful settings and fascinating animals in very close proximity to the guests. The exhibits feature the outdoor animal living inhabitant areas for anteaters, sable antelopes, ducks, parrots, and other sorts of birds, iguanas, gazelle and other types of animals. The exhibits offer just a peek into the many wonderful encounters just waiting to be held further on in the park. Each animal is carefully sheltered into an environment that is reminiscent of their actual living environment. Being able to replicate a living space for a wildlife animal in a theme park can be somewhat of a daunting task, yet Disney's Animal Kingdom puts in the effort, flawlessly.
The rest of the animal exhibits are located in-between flowing rivers, serene pathways overlooking lagoons, covered jungle alcoves and rock formations, spouting cascading waterfalls. The entire area is reminiscent of a serene maze through a mystical jungle. There is even a rock cavern that guests can explore, with flowing waterfalls, leading to a rocky wooden bridge. When emerging from the rocky cavern, all of the separate pathways throughout the Oasis converge into one, leading across a wooden bridge, deeper into Disney's Animal Kingdom. Guests are led to...
Discovery Island
Discovery Island is the central hub of the park, consisting of the island in the center of a vast flowing river, which seems to flow its' way throughout the entire park. Bridges connected from several section of Discovery Island connect to the other lands of the park. Discovery Island is filled with vast jungles, flowing rivers, cascading waterfalls, encounters with real-animals and plenty of secrets left to be seen.
Discovery Island is a place of excitement and adventure. The island honors the greatness of animals and nature, apparent in the buildings and overall thematic influences seen throughout Discovery Island. While Discovery Island is not meant to depict any sort of actual "place", its' architectural influences come from the equatorial islands from around the world, places like Bali, the Caribbean, the South Seas, Barbados and Jamaica. The first notable change coming to Discovery Island is the buildings, itself. While I actually like the exteriors of the buildings, the building exteriors are going to be toned down somewhat, so that while they many not be as "colorful", they will still be influenced from the architectures of Polynesia and tropical islands. This isn't a complete overhaul of the buildings, but rather, just a more fluid transition through the park, with the darker, more tropical and serene architecture to the buildings. Sometimes, walking in from Asia or Africa and thrust right into this environment, it can make for a pretty rough transition. This is to create a more balanced theme throughout the entire center of the park, something that could tie in a fluid transition throughout the entire park. Artwork will still be integrated through all of the buildings, featuring ornate animals carvings and sculptures.
Continuing on from the entrance from The Oasis, guests walk along an ornate wooden bridge, crossing over the Discovery River. Here guests are then emptied into the main plaza entryway of Discovery Island. Vast jungles, trees, beautiful flowers and ruins of what may have been a once very active building are scattered throughout the perimeter of the area. Trees and plants are even planted backstage, to make the area of Discovery Island seem more expansive, more immersive, as if a whole world could possibly be explored in this jungle.
Just ahead, planted in the center of the island is the Tree of Life, the icon of Disney's Animal Kingdom. This centerpiece is one of the most exquisite and elaborate pieces of art that Disney has ever created. It is a piece of art that both captures the beautiful simplicity of nature and the kingdom of wildlife. The Tree of Life itself depicts the Animal Kingdom as it is, it is a metaphor of the park. The tree quite literally features an animal kingdom, featuring 325 animals carved into the wooden tree trunk, even carved into the roots and branched which extend from the tree. It could and will take hours to spot ever detail of the tree, the more the one looks, the more it seems as though the tree is continuing to grow and branch off with new details.
To the left of the plaza, guests will find the Island Mercantile store, a shop themed to a shipping company, celebrating working animals, such as camels and elephants. This store features Disney character merchandise, Disney's Animal Kingdom merchandise, clothing and other sorts of paraphernalia. It is one of the main shops of Disney's Animal Kingdom, offering a wide selection of merchandise to choose from. Just across from the store, on the opposite side of the entrance plaza, guests will find Adventurer's Outpost, a meet & greet location for Mickey, Minnie, Lilo, Stitch and a few characters from "Up", such as Carl and Russel.
Continuing onto the right of Discovery Island, walking parallel to the meet & greet building, guests will soon come across the entrance of a brand-new 3D attraction: Earth. The queue for the 3D attraction leads to the center of Discovery Island, narrowly proceeding through tunnel passageways aligned with roots dangling from the Tree of Life. The queue leads guests through dense, lush forests, proceeding to the heart of the Tree of Life, the very base of the tree. The show takes place in the very trunk of the Tree of Life. The show takes guests through various animal habitats, from the North Pole to the deep sea to the forests and savannahs, revealing how plants and animals respond to the power of the sun and the changing seasons. The show is, of course, largely inspired by the Disneynature film of the same name.
The exit of the attraction exposes guest to another main plaza, leading into both Asia and Dinoland. We will hold off on these other areas for now. On the right hand side of the plaza, in the direction heading towards The Dino Institute, the Disney Outfitters store is located, offering nature-themed gifts and an abundance of clothing. The store also features ornately designed totem poles of animals. Just beyond the store, a small rampway leading down to a dock along the Discovery Lake, guests will find a meet & greet location with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. Just across, guests will find the Flame Tree Barbecue, which serves up a selection of barbecued entrees, all wood-roasted to perfection. The seating location is also located right along the Discovery Lake, looking upon Expedition Everest. The seating area is a beautiful Balinese water garden and offers one of the most tranquil spots to enjoy a meal in the park. Guests can dine under ornately carved gazebos, overlooking the river.
The first trail disposes guests into the far-end of Discovery Island, just off of the entrance to Africa. We still have to head back down, to explore the left half of Discovery Island, but before doing so, there is still more to be discovered about this island. There is actually a second path in the Discovery Island Trails, just before the entrance to Africa. I had no idea that it even existed and I had been coming to this park for years, I guess it's all apart of the imagineers idea for the guests to actually "explore" the park. The trail leads way through some pelican and flamingo environments, a cluster of parrots, some porcupine, a tortoise and other animals. The path brings guests right down towards Discovery Lake, leading right to the exit of Earth, at the very base of the Tree of Life, offering more breath-taking vistas of the scenery. It is a beautiful sight to behold. Although hidden, they are sure to not be missed as they do offer very intimate, seclusive off-the-beaten-paths that are lush with beauty, while also offering close interactions with some of the animal life. It makes me wonder if there are any more of these hidden throughout the park.
The work into making sure that these "animal habitats" are as natural and comfortable for the animals is a testament to the Imagineers hard work. They wanted these animals environments to be as natural as possible and very similar to the animals' actual living environments, the terrain, the plants, the amount of light, the ability for physical movement and activity, everything. It is all apart of their way to tell the story of Disney's Animal Kingdom, by being able to re-create these environments in a way where guests can be provided with very personal experiences with these animals, but in a way that the animal is in a comfortable setting, similar to one that they would inhabit in an actual wildlife environment.
Back at the exit of the Discovery Island Trails, directly ahead, right before the entrance to Africa, guests will come across Creature Comforts, a merchandise location featuring toys, plushes and other sorts of merchandise based off of both Disney's Animal Kingdom and The Lion King. Heading back down towards the entrance of Discovery Island, on the right-hand side of the path, guests will find Pizzafari, a quick-service restaurant specializing in Italian foods and salads. Colorful animal murals decorate the restaurant. The restaurant also includes a small, closed off gazebo area at the back of the restaurant, also open to dine in, which almost appears to be sheltered completely in lush foliage, making it a quiet, relaxing place to take a break in.
Just outside of the restaurant, to the right, guests will find the entrance to one of the park's newest lands, Pandora. Continuing on from here to the left, guests will then connect back to the central hub of Discovery Island, leading back the entrance bridge from The Oasis, located right by the Tree of Life Garden.
The Oasis
1) Animal Oasis Exhibits
Shopping
A) Stroller and Wheelchair Rental
B) Garden Gate Gifts
Dining
A) Rainforest Cafe
Discovery Island
1) The Tree of Life
2) The Tree of Life Garden
3) Discovery Island Trails
4) Earth
Shopping
A) Island Mercantile
B) Disney Outfitters
C) Creature Comforts
Dining
A) Flame Tree Barbecue
B) Pizzafari
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orlando678-
Well-Known Member
I really like the Earth movie idea
DinoInstitute
Well-Known Member
Same here, its a nice concept and fits well as the thesis attraction unlike ITTBAB. However, with that said, I would probably miss ITTBAB and it is a nice attraction for kids, which there isn't too much of. However, I don't know what else you are planning so I'll just wait and find out!