"Black box" interchangeable dark ride coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios?

[Dunston]

The site that this forum's moderation isn't very fond of has reported this afternoon that a "black box" attraction is rumored to come to Disney's Hollywood Studios. This would be a trackless dark ride inside a showbuilding that is all projections/screenz, and has no physical props. The name "black box" refers to the empty, blank slate the ride building becomes when not in operation. Apparently this kind of ride system could be redesigned and reprogrammed to become something new in a matter of weeks.

Given the source, and all the rumors surrounding the Studios, I'm taking this with a grain of salt. I haven't read anything on here about a new ride of this kind.

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

The only "black-box" rumor I am aware of is Epcot's Play Pavilion, though that's more or less been confirmed. I haven't heard anything about this rumor for DHS, and wouldn't give it any thought, unless insiders here argued differently.

 

[wdwmagic]

This would be a trackless dark ride inside a showbuilding that is all projections/screenz

So Ratatouille again?

 

[MickeyMouse10]

I hope they aren't going the Universal route with screens. I still want to be able to see real objects like animatronics and props while on a ride.

I realize it is probably a lot cheaper to do, but I don't find it as memorable an experience. And the amount of projection rides and shows at Disney would officially be getting out of hand.

 

[kap91]

I've always thought such an idea would be really cool! Just as a thing for traveling ride and show concepts. Not as a thing within a theme park.

 

[rsm]

I sort of like the idea of there being something like this somewhere on property that can act as the "knee-jerk-reaction bucket" for when some movie does super awesome all the sudden, they want a theme park presence ASAP, and then once the hype fades off they can pop in the new DVD and we're not stuck with a cheaply made rushed "real" ride for an IP that no one remembers 5 years later.

 

[ToTBellHop]

This seems impractical for Disney. Even screen based rides still get decorated to the nines on the exterior. Ratatouille and Star Tours would actually require a lot of work to shift.

 

[Kram Sacul]

Mickey's Runaway Railway? Basically blank rooms with projections that can easily be swapped out for the next cash grab.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Mickey's Runaway Railway? Basically blank rooms with projections that can easily be swapped out for the next cash grab.

How is MMRR a cash grab? It’s a brand new E ticket for us. Was ToT a cash grab? Splash Mountain? I remember reading vloggers in 1959 complaining on Facebook that the pack mules were a cash grab. Greedy Walt. Don’t get me started on Midget Autopia.

 

[Kram Sacul]

How is MMRR a cash grab? It’s a brand new E ticket for us. Was ToT a cash grab? Splash Mountain? I remember reading vloggers in 1959 complaining on Facebook that the pack mules were a cash grab. Greedy Walt.

You okay? Try decaf and/or meds.

 

[lazyboy97o]

How often has Disney updated or dropped in new games for Toy Story Midway Mania?, which is as close to this concept as already exists?

The layout of an attraction should be part of its story. Reusing the same layout means constantly forcing different stories into the same box. Even with trackless vehicles and projects, a projection surface is required and changing the location of that surface means moving walls.

 

[Timothy_Q]

Disney can also update 3D shows and switch out for new films overnight.

And we know how often they do that

 

[RSoxNo1]

I've long thought that an interchangeable theater at DHS made a ton of sense. Something where a stage show of whatever that year's animated release could be put out there for a limited run. In theory you could make two identical theaters and give these shows a two year run, pair them with a meet and greet and you're constantly staying fresh.

 

[Timothy_Q]

I've long thought that an interchangeable theater at DHS made a ton of sense. Something where a stage show of whatever that year's animated release could be put out there for a limited run. In theory you could make two identical theaters and give these shows a two year run, pair them with a meet and greet and you're constantly staying fresh.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I sort of like the idea of there being something like this somewhere on property that can act as the "knee-jerk-reaction bucket" for when some movie does super awesome all the sudden, they want a theme park presence ASAP, and then once the hype fades off they can pop in the new DVD and we're not stuck with a cheaply made rushed "real" ride for an IP that no one remembers 5 years later.

Anyone here from the east coast remember when King's Dominion tried to be Paramount's movie-based park in the 1990s? They built or re-themed attractions based on such lasting cultural classics as Days of Thunder and an entire area based on Wayne's World. The execution was shoddy and the attractions were almost obsolete by the time they opened.

So if there's an irresistible temporary urge to cash-in on a flash-in-the-pan IP, I'd rather they go the temporary, interchangeable route. Looking at you, Frozen Ever After!

 

[RSoxNo1]

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I'd like a theater that's even more substantial to be honest (like Hyperion at DCA). Having said that, Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast should definitely be replaced. The Beauty and the Beast theater could certainly work for limited run stage shows.

 

[RSoxNo1]

So if there's an irresistible temporary urge to cash-in on a flash-in-the-pan IP, I'd rather they go the temporary, interchangeable route. Looking at you, Frozen Ever After!

The thing with FEA, there are parts of that attraction that aren't cheap. Yes, there's no depth to it, but the biggest issue is that they were constrained by Maelstrom's track layout. The fact that they're building a similar ride overseas is laughable.

 

[Timothy_Q]

I'd like a theater that's even more substantial to be honest (like Hyperion at DCA). Having said that, Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast should definitely be replaced. The Beauty and the Beast theater could certainly work for limited run stage shows.

The point is, DHS already has enough generic boxes that are "easy to update" but never are.

It doesn't need any more.

What it needs is more well-crafted immersiveness, like Sunset, Hollywood Blvd, ToT and SWGE

 

[WDWFANSINCE81]

Not that Disney would ever do this...but it would be cool to use this concept for movie previews...imagine a 2 minute ride through of scenes from the upcoming Lion King movie...then switch it out to Frozen 2 or Rise of Skywalker. Yeah...yeah...I know Disney is too cheap to consistently churn out updates (even if the studio marketing dept would pick up the cost). But man what a way to promote their upcoming films. And fit with the theme of the studios.

 

[smile]

can't all rides just be like this?


so, easy to like for the wrong reasons -
enormous potential conceptually, so

...maybe they all will be