Changes and improvemens to DHS

[flavious27]

Yes, I really like the aesthetics and the lawn features. It has a very 40's/50's art deco vibe or am I reading too much into it? Specifically I am refering to the layout. It really is good if that is the direction you are going. Really good.

A couple concerns though. I would worry about the forced perspective issues by having an actual hotel right next to the ToT. I like the idea of a Studios Hotel, I just worry it would have to be forced perspective also and that would not allow for outside seating or even use of the upper floors for anything other than utilities.

Also, and I am losing sleep over it :dazzle:, you still have not connected World Drive to the new road. :brick::lol:

I am talking about the northwestern most gray line. It connects to the northbound side of WD. Shouldn't there also be a flyover connected to the southbound side? :shrug:

Well of course the hollywood hills hotel would have an art deco look and feel to it. The shape of the hotel, being in a c shape, would mimic hotels in that era along with buildings in new york.

The forced perspective would not be an issue, it would look like an addition to TOT. What kind of outside seating are you talking about, as in the plaza on the first floor? The upper floors would be used fully; utilities can be placed on the roof, hidden from view by brick or stucco walls.

World drive has access to the south entrance drive though existing exits and the flyover u turn. Are you talking about when guests are exiting the park and wanting to travel on sb world drive.

 

[goofy donald]

Well you can think of the Mousehat as like SSE, it greets guests as they enter. It also will be a sign of reference to those guests arriving by boats. I have posted another update that will adds a boat canal to caribbean beach and the pop complex. For those guests, the hat will welcome them. The Chinese theater will serve again as a way to draw people deeper into the park.

DL has the GCH with entrances into DCA, TDS has MiraCosta fully enclosed in the park, WDW has the crescent lake resorts just outside epcot's second gate. Disney has experience with placement of hotels in or near one of their parks.

A better and new permanent theater can still have showings of B&B, it will offer disney flexibility to other shows and extend its operating hours and use. As for F!, wdw's version needs to be updated, it is showing its age and needs to be updated.

I think the hat was simply just a poor idea to keep all around and it should have left with the wand. You cant really put it anywhere and say that it fits besides its current location. If you put it in the place you want it to be right now, personally i believe it would be like trying to shove the proverbial square peg into the circle. It would heavily congest traffic at the parks entrance, ruin the atmosphere of the entrance, and really serve no purpose. I think the only way to correct the hat is to create a new weenie for Hollywood studios that fits better in the space the hat currently takes up. the Chinese theater cant really be used as a weenie A) because its not big enough and B) i read somewhere that they are not allowed to use it as a major focal point for the park.

Personally I'm not to sure with this, I think this is kind of your one idea that missed the mark. It just seems a bit sloppy adding a dedicated park entrance for one hotel and it would mess up the ToT sight lines that I love so much so I just cant agree to this one.

I would really wish if you are going to build the new theater that it isnt entirely closed in, but I can live with it if your going to have a regular show building. I feel that one of the main draws to BatB is that it is semi outside, its a very organic and different experience in my opinion i guess it makes the play feels more genuine just my 2 cents. If it is going to be a fully enclosed structure however, I'm sure you could angle it better so that another attraction can fit along side the theater, theres a fair bit of extra space there.

I also don't really agree with roger rabbit coming to Florida either. We should have some uniqueness in the parks not the same cloned rides everywhere, I'm really tired of that trend through management and I hope it stops. I'm sure there could be a better new ride to put in that location instead.

Finally I would move the boat transportation all the way to just before the fork in the rivers otherwise the boats would interfere with traffic from the new amphitheater you put in. you will also need to find a way to deal with all the light from the parking lot across the water which will be near impossible to fix.

 

[flavious27]

I think the hat was simply just a poor idea to keep all around and it should have left with the wand. You cant really put it anywhere and say that it fits besides its current location. If you put it in the place you want it to be right now, personally i believe it would be like trying to shove the proverbial square peg into the circle. It would heavily congest traffic at the parks entrance, ruin the atmosphere of the entrance, and really serve no purpose. I think the only way to correct the hat is to create a new weenie for Hollywood studios that fits better in the space the hat currently takes up. the Chinese theater cant really be used as a weenie A) because its not big enough and B) i read somewhere that they are not allowed to use it as a major focal point for the park.

Personally I'm not to sure with this, I think this is kind of your one idea that missed the mark. It just seems a bit sloppy adding a dedicated park entrance for one hotel and it would mess up the ToT sight lines that I love so much so I just cant agree to this one.

I would really wish if you are going to build the new theater that it isnt entirely closed in, but I can live with it if your going to have a regular show building. I feel that one of the main draws to BatB is that it is semi outside, its a very organic and different experience in my opinion i guess it makes the play feels more genuine just my 2 cents. If it is going to be a fully enclosed structure however, I'm sure you could angle it better so that another attraction can fit along side the theater, theres a fair bit of extra space there.

I also don't really agree with roger rabbit coming to Florida either. We should have some uniqueness in the parks not the same cloned rides everywhere, I'm really tired of that trend through management and I hope it stops. I'm sure there could be a better new ride to put in that location instead.

Finally I would move the boat transportation all the way to just before the fork in the rivers otherwise the boats would interfere with traffic from the new amphitheater you put in. you will also need to find a way to deal with all the light from the parking lot across the water which will be near impossible to fix.

Replacing the hat with another weenie, will just lead to more discussions 5 years down the line about having it removed. Unless they build something that matched the theme and style of hollywood blvd, the mouse face should be left empty. It is just rumors that the Chinese theater has to be hidden. Really it does not make sense because guests still can take pictures of the theater and disney features a picture of the theater on its site for tgmr.

As for crowding the new entrance, there will be more room than the current entrance, even with the mousehat. I really don't think that having the hat in the opening plaza will destroy an atmosphere that will be newly created with the hat in mind.

I don't know how it is sloppy to add a separate entrance for an onsite hotel, it offers an unique experience for these hotel guests. As I stated earlier, other disney parks have this kind of unique placement of hotels without comments of it being sloppy. Further this addition would not hurt of the sightlines that guests would see on Sunset Blvd, because the hotel would be positioned that it is shielded from view from ToT. Along with that, it would be shorter and modeled in the same look.

Well it matters what kind of attraction you want to have next to the theater and how it would relate to the theater. It would need to fit into the theme and have the room for it. My design does not include any backstage areas that would need to be in place behind the sunset blvd theater.

As for the Roger Rabbit ride, it was just an idea for a franchise that would fit into the theme of sunset blvd. I wasn't thinking of a clone of toon spin, the area designated for the ride would be double the space used by toon spin.

What kind of light interference are you talking about? The south lake does not have the same kind of reflective properties as a mirror, how will parking lot lights effect the lake, with trees already in place that block their range?

At the mouth of the canal to the backstage dock, the lake is 200 feet wide. 200 feet will be wide enough for any stages and show elements to pass by friendship boats on the south lake without any interference.

 

[Orangelake555]

I apologize if you explained this and I missed it but what is up with the the work you have being done at Osceola and victory way? I cant seem to understand the point of it

 

[flavious27]

I apologize if you explained this and I missed it but what is up with the the work you have being done at Osceola and victory way? I cant seem to understand the point of it

It is fine.

The extra ramps and other infrastructure improvements are to make it easier for guests to enter and exit the park.

 

[jt04]

Well of course the hollywood hills hotel would have an art deco look and feel to it. The shape of the hotel, being in a c shape, would mimic hotels in that era along with buildings in new york.

The forced perspective would not be an issue, it would look like an addition to TOT. What kind of outside seating are you talking about, as in the plaza on the first floor? The upper floors would be used fully; utilities can be placed on the roof, hidden from view by brick or stucco walls.

World drive has access to the south entrance drive though existing exits and the flyover u turn. Are you talking about when guests are exiting the park and wanting to travel on sb world drive.

Now that you mention it, yes. I understand better now what you are doing with the new additions. It does make sense after spending more time examining the drawing. Very well done.

I always thought the details along the top of the ToT were forced perspective and and real world details next to it might ruin the effect. Not positive though.

The art deco comment was concerning the layout of the green spaces and the lawns you have included. Reminds me of something I can't be my finger on. I think it would really be perfect without the trees or with very few trees in this area in particular to showcase the grass, architecture and water. Just a personal opinion. I know that is heresy to you. :lol:

Finally, it appears you have removed the backlot tour. If so, there is even more room where the tram maintenance areas are to expand the Pixar areas even further west.

Great work! Love the new expanded waterways especially.

 

[goofy donald]

Replacing the hat with another weenie, will just lead to more discussions 5 years down the line about having it removed. Unless they build something that matched the theme and style of hollywood blvd, the mouse face should be left empty. It is just rumors that the Chinese theater has to be hidden. Really it does not make sense because guests still can take pictures of the theater and disney features a picture of the theater on its site for tgmr.

As for crowding the new entrance, there will be more room than the current entrance, even with the mousehat. I really don't think that having the hat in the opening plaza will destroy an atmosphere that will be newly created with the hat in mind.

I don't know how it is sloppy to add a separate entrance for an onsite hotel, it offers an unique experience for these hotel guests. As I stated earlier, other disney parks have this kind of unique placement of hotels without comments of it being sloppy. Further this addition would not hurt of the sightlines that guests would see on Sunset Blvd, because the hotel would be positioned that it is shielded from view from ToT. Along with that, it would be shorter and modeled in the same look.

Well it matters what kind of attraction you want to have next to the theater and how it would relate to the theater. It would need to fit into the theme and have the room for it. My design does not include any backstage areas that would need to be in place behind the sunset blvd theater.

As for the Roger Rabbit ride, it was just an idea for a franchise that would fit into the theme of sunset blvd. I wasn't thinking of a clone of toon spin, the area designated for the ride would be double the space used by toon spin.

What kind of light interference are you talking about? The south lake does not have the same kind of reflective properties as a mirror, how will parking lot lights effect the lake, with trees already in place that block their range?

At the mouth of the canal to the backstage dock, the lake is 200 feet wide. 200 feet will be wide enough for any stages and show elements to pass by friendship boats on the south lake without any interference.

well yes that was what I was directly implying, they need a new weenie themed to Hollywood blvd, especially with the new name change from MGM to HOLLYWOOD studios. Yeah the fact about the theater always seemed off to me as well but regardless its in reality still to small to be the park weenie.

I really dont follow here how adding the giant mose hat to the plaza will create more room as opposed to less :veryconfu and it doesn't really help the fact that it will make more guests stop and mingle at the entrance, exactly what they want to avoid to make the park run smoothly.

I guess because I haven't really seen what your talking about in action (didnt stay onsite at DL and no example like it at WDW) so maybe I'm not the best to comment on it but from my view of the concept it just seems a bit sloppy. I guess its one of those things you gotta see to believe. and whether you like it or not unless you only build a 4 story hotel, in one way or another sight lines are going to be interrupted, its impossible for them not to be.

I completely agree, I'm just saying the main flaw with BatB theater is it takes up a lot of space it doesn't need too I'm sure Disney has a ride or two on the drawing board that could fit into that space and theme. I never talked about backstage areas I referred to leaving it open with natural light coming in as a personal preference lol.

ok thats a little better , I wouldn't mind seeing a new roger rabbit ride on sunset, maybe you could fit him in beside the new theater .

quite simply, there are not enough trees to block out the view of that entire parking lot unless you had a forest of red woods. there are the huge industrial lamp posts that go high above the parking lot and then with all that traffic, especially at night time, theres no way a few trees could block all that light. I doubt sound would be an issue with loud speakers as well but you never know sound does travel faster over a smooth surface. The light interference would be from what would be in the backdrop of the show not reflecting off the surface of the water, especially if you were sitting higher up in grandstand type seating.

Im not talking about that at all. What I am stating is that it kind of ruins the mood when in the backdrop of this amazing show your putting on, a bunch of families on a disney transport boat are driving essentially through the set. so why not move the dock up a little more to avoid the issue.

 

[flavious27]

Now that you mention it, yes. I understand better now what you are doing with the new additions. It does make sense after spending more time examining the drawing. Very well done.

I always thought the details along the top of the ToT were forced perspective and and real world details next to it might ruin the effect. Not positive though.

The art deco comment was concerning the layout of the green spaces and the lawns you have included. Reminds me of something I can't be my finger on. I think it would really be perfect without the trees or with very few trees in this area in particular to showcase the grass, architecture and water. Just a personal opinion. I know that is heresy to you. :lol:

Finally, it appears you have removed the backlot tour. If so, there is even more room where the tram maintenance areas are to expand the Pixar areas even further west.

Great work! Love the new expanded waterways especially.

It is hard to show what I am envisioning with just a map and some words, I don't have any kind of architecture program or the weeks to create a mockup.

There is sure to be a bit of forced perspective, but the ToT is just under 200 feet tall, it is about the right size already. I also helps with how sunset blvd frames the tower. With the addition mimicking the scale of the lower levels of ToT, nothing is destroyed, except the HHA. I know what you mean about the lawns being kind of art deco, with clean and open areas. With the size of the plaza, I was thinking of an indoor pool area that looks out onto the plaza.

Something with these as inspirations.

Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier

Hearst Pool

UK Mansion

Because I don't know how much of that area is used for the tour trams, and how much it is for other trams and machinery in the park, I wanted to leave it as is. The same with the bungalows, don't know what disney is using for them right now.

I wish all of WDW's waterways were connected to each other, but I am sure that the environmental regulations and problems would turn my hair gray. This seems logical and will add to those hotels, along with being better than just a bus ride.

 

[flavious27]

well yes that was what I was directly implying, they need a new weenie themed to Hollywood blvd, especially with the new name change from MGM to HOLLYWOOD studios. Yeah the fact about the theater always seemed off to me as well but regardless its in reality still to small to be the park weenie.

I really dont follow here how adding the giant mose hat to the plaza will create more room as opposed to less :veryconfu and it doesn't really help the fact that it will make more guests stop and mingle at the entrance, exactly what they want to avoid to make the park run smoothly.

I guess because I haven't really seen what your talking about in action (didnt stay onsite at DL and no example like it at WDW) so maybe I'm not the best to comment on it but from my view of the concept it just seems a bit sloppy. I guess its one of those things you gotta see to believe. and whether you like it or not unless you only build a 4 story hotel, in one way or another sight lines are going to be interrupted, its impossible for them not to be.

I completely agree, I'm just saying the main flaw with BatB theater is it takes up a lot of space it doesn't need too I'm sure Disney has a ride or two on the drawing board that could fit into that space and theme. I never talked about backstage areas I referred to leaving it open with natural light coming in as a personal preference lol.

ok thats a little better , I wouldn't mind seeing a new roger rabbit ride on sunset, maybe you could fit him in beside the new theater .

quite simply, there are not enough trees to block out the view of that entire parking lot unless you had a forest of red woods. there are the huge industrial lamp posts that go high above the parking lot and then with all that traffic, especially at night time, theres no way a few trees could block all that light. I doubt sound would be an issue with loud speakers as well but you never know sound does travel faster over a smooth surface. The light interference would be from what would be in the backdrop of the show not reflecting off the surface of the water, especially if you were sitting higher up in grandstand type seating.

Im not talking about that at all. What I am stating is that it kind of ruins the mood when in the backdrop of this amazing show your putting on, a bunch of families on a disney transport boat are driving essentially through the set. so why not move the dock up a little more to avoid the issue.

Well do you know any recognizable landmarks from the 20's or 30's that they could use? This is part of the reason that the Chinese theater was chosen, it is from the era and hollywood blvd.

Guests are already stopping at the crossroads, oscars, guest relations, having photos taken or stopping into the photo/picture shop; disney has entrances just wide enough to have guests pass, while placing enough merch in the way. The mousehat will attract less people either as just an icon or a pin trading location (doubtful tdo would have a pin station so close to the entrance). Guests will bottle neck when they reach hollywood blvd anyway.

It wouldn't be 4 stories tall, the hotel would be around 100' tall, so 9 or 10 stories tall.

This is a blueprint for ToT, Blueprint, the height would be lower than the elevation on the smaller tower second in the design.

Looking at the tower, ToT picture, you might see part of the addition through the trees on the far right.

The land that the theater is on is only 2 acres either way, it may too small for a properly themed attraction beyond a theater. There is an appeal for the open air look of the current Theater of the Stars, but a larger and Sunset Blvd themed theater can offer more opportunities for disney.

Well having the ride in its location on the map will let wdi develop the site with the right theming, they could also get away with two smaller attractions.

Disney can redesign the lights used so that they are directed only where they are needed. They can also use lights with a light temperature that does not reflect as much on the water. Disney can also add more trees to diffuse the lights in the parking lot.

As for the show sets being seen, it matters how they are designed. At the same time, guests see the sets for Illuminations. Really the only sets and show that guests will see will be any shows/concerts during the day at the South Lake Amphitheater. Though that is part of the design and atmosphere I was looking for.

 

[jt04]

It is hard to show what I am envisioning with just a map and some words, I don't have any kind of architecture program or the weeks to create a mockup.

There is sure to be a bit of forced perspective, but the ToT is just under 200 feet tall, it is about the right size already. I also helps with how sunset blvd frames the tower. With the addition mimicking the scale of the lower levels of ToT, nothing is destroyed, except the HHA. I know what you mean about the lawns being kind of art deco, with clean and open areas. With the size of the plaza, I was thinking of an indoor pool area that looks out onto the plaza.

Something with these as inspirations.

Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier

Hearst Pool

UK Mansion

Because I don't know how much of that area is used for the tour trams, and how much it is for other trams and machinery in the park, I wanted to leave it as is. The same with the bungalows, don't know what disney is using for them right now.

I wish all of WDW's waterways were connected to each other, but I am sure that the environmental regulations and problems would turn my hair gray. This seems logical and will add to those hotels, along with being better than just a bus ride.

Yes, that is what I mean about the aesthetics of the area. It does have a European inspired type design to it. Not sure if that is what you intended but it works with the canals, waterways with the European river boat transportation possibilities. Ties in perfectly with your planned hotel.

More please.

 

[goofy donald]

Well do you know any recognizable landmarks from the 20's or 30's that they could use? This is part of the reason that the Chinese theater was chosen, it is from the era and hollywood blvd.

Guests are already stopping at the crossroads, oscars, guest relations, having photos taken or stopping into the photo/picture shop; disney has entrances just wide enough to have guests pass, while placing enough merch in the way. The mousehat will attract less people either as just an icon or a pin trading location (doubtful tdo would have a pin station so close to the entrance). Guests will bottle neck when they reach hollywood blvd anyway.

It wouldn't be 4 stories tall, the hotel would be around 100' tall, so 9 or 10 stories tall.

The land that the theater is on is only 2 acres either way, it may too small for a properly themed attraction beyond a theater. There is an appeal for the open air look of the current Theater of the Stars, but a larger and Sunset Blvd themed theater can offer more opportunities for disney.

Well having the ride in its location on the map will let wdi develop the site with the right theming, they could also get away with two smaller attractions.

Disney can redesign the lights used so that they are directed only where they are needed. They can also use lights with a light temperature that does not reflect as much on the water. Disney can also add more trees to diffuse the lights in the parking lot.

As for the show sets being seen, it matters how they are designed. At the same time, guests see the sets for Illuminations. Really the only sets and show that guests will see will be any shows/concerts during the day at the South Lake Amphitheater. Though that is part of the design and atmosphere I was looking for.

My suggestion would be to remove the hat entirely and move it to the entrance of downtown disney west side. The new weenie would be a similar construction to the expedition everest mountain with no attraction inside and represent the hollywood hills and the hollywood sign. it would be covering the back half of the tsmm and rumored monster inc coaster buildings. from this location it would be angled directly facing hollywood blvd and you could see it from a long ways away. with forced perspective and the correct starting point on top of the pixar buildings it would be an affective weenie and not ruin the pixar place themeing.

personally I think the opposite affect will occur. logic states that the more things you put in front of the entrance / exit, the more congested the area will be. along with this it will cause more people to stop for shopping and photo ops, the closer the bottle neck is to the entrance the longer the lines will be to get in and the harder it will be to get out. At least when the bottleneck is actually on hollywood blvd people can fill into the park and disperse without causing any major issues.

Ok but its still going to affect the sight line of the tower of terror from one direction in one way or another, you cant deny that.

Fair enough I can accept that point, but you dont think that there are any constructions from 20s 30s hollywood that could be added to the current amphitheater? then your idea could be added as part of the new addition to that part of the park showcasing different various shows / films that rotate in and out depending on the times.

I would prefer that I could see a solid, classic, dark ride in this area. 2 of those may possibly fit in the suggested area and it adds a bit of Disney character to the area. Also It would kind of balance out the big attractions throughout the park if there are one or 2 more added in the north.

This idea is still flawed unfortunately. first its impossible to build trees high enough to cover the height of those towers. second regardless of the light temperature it will still be visible across the water, the reflection off of the water has nothing to do with the situation. and they are needed on a general wash to light the entire parking lot not just one general direction.

its not about the sets being seen, its about the fact that you cannot stop boat service because there is a show going on, it would never occur. and you cannot run boats through or behind the show set becasue they will be seen while the show is going on and create a disturbance on the water. therefore your new boat dock must be moved upstream. "those statements were made for if you wanted to do a show on the water at the amphitheater as it seems like you closed fantasmic and this would be its replacement.

 

[jt04]

personally I think the opposite affect will occur. logic states that the more things you put in front of the entrance / exit, the more congested the area will be. along with this it will cause more people to stop for shopping and photo ops, the closer the bottle neck is to the entrance the longer the lines will be to get in and the harder it will be to get out. At least when the bottleneck is actually on hollywood blvd people can fill into the park and disperse without causing any major issues.


This idea is still flawed unfortunately. first its impossible to build trees high enough to cover the height of those towers. second regardless of the light temperature it will still be visible across the water, the reflection off of the water has nothing to do with the situation. and they are needed on a general wash to light the entire parking lot not just one general direction.

its not about the sets being seen, its about the fact that you cannot stop boat service because there is a show going on, it would never occur. and you cannot run boats through or behind the show set becasue they will be seen while the show is going on and create a disturbance on the water. therefore your new boat dock must be moved upstream. "those statements were made for if you wanted to do a show on the water at the amphitheater as it seems like you closed fantasmic and this would be its replacement.

I somewhat agree the hat may be too much. However the concept of an open theater and plaza setting works in this case. I think there are instances where going against the expected works and having the boats be visible would be a plus in this case. Especially if it was used to stage a WoC or American Idol type show.

 

[flavious27]

My suggestion would be to remove the hat entirely and move it to the entrance of downtown disney west side. The new weenie would be a similar construction to the expedition everest mountain with no attraction inside and represent the hollywood hills and the hollywood sign. it would be covering the back half of the tsmm and rumored monster inc coaster buildings. from this location it would be angled directly facing hollywood blvd and you could see it from a long ways away. with forced perspective and the correct starting point on top of the pixar buildings it would be an affective weenie and not ruin the pixar place themeing.

personally I think the opposite affect will occur. logic states that the more things you put in front of the entrance / exit, the more congested the area will be. along with this it will cause more people to stop for shopping and photo ops, the closer the bottle neck is to the entrance the longer the lines will be to get in and the harder it will be to get out. At least when the bottleneck is actually on hollywood blvd people can fill into the park and disperse without causing any major issues.

Ok but its still going to affect the sight line of the tower of terror from one direction in one way or another, you cant deny that.

Fair enough I can accept that point, but you dont think that there are any constructions from 20s 30s hollywood that could be added to the current amphitheater? then your idea could be added as part of the new addition to that part of the park showcasing different various shows / films that rotate in and out depending on the times.

I would prefer that I could see a solid, classic, dark ride in this area. 2 of those may possibly fit in the suggested area and it adds a bit of Disney character to the area. Also It would kind of balance out the big attractions throughout the park if there are one or 2 more added in the north.

This idea is still flawed unfortunately. first its impossible to build trees high enough to cover the height of those towers. second regardless of the light temperature it will still be visible across the water, the reflection off of the water has nothing to do with the situation. and they are needed on a general wash to light the entire parking lot not just one general direction.

its not about the sets being seen, its about the fact that you cannot stop boat service because there is a show going on, it would never occur. and you cannot run boats through or behind the show set becasue they will be seen while the show is going on and create a disturbance on the water. therefore your new boat dock must be moved upstream. "those statements were made for if you wanted to do a show on the water at the amphitheater as it seems like you closed fantasmic and this would be its replacement.

The look of the hat next to the globe will look kind of odd, along with the majority of the offerings in the west end being non disney. DTD management has been moving towards more 3rd party vendors, putting a 100 foot tall mouse hat would give mixed signals.

Putting a hollywood hills behind tsm would require a large portion of the space between the tower, lma, world drive and tsm. Along with that, it would cost a large amount to build a mountain larger than really anything wdi has built before.

The entrance will be less congested because the shops will start farther back from the new entrance then the current entrance. Between the hat's new location and the start of hollywood blvd, there is atleast 200 feet.

The sightline would be effected mostly to those outside of the park, but the style of the addition would be the same as ToT. This addition would be similar to historic buildings like Macy's Herald Square, where additions were made to blend in to the original building. Disney has already added onto different buildings in the past without it looking jarring or awkward.

There are various theaters from the 20's and 30's that could be used, though disney would need to pay for the right to use those building or elements of those buildings. I also think that wdi will end up with a result that is similar to what the art department for Studio 60 came up with. As for retrofitting the current Theater of the stars, it would cost more to do so.

Any light from the parking lots is going to be hidden by the sets and stages. Trees can be over 400 feet tall, with palm trees getting to almost 100 feet. As for glare and light pollution, Walmart is starting a nationwide campaign to switch to directional led lighting that reduce glare and light waste. Disney can use this technology to reduce any reflections on south lake.

I don't see a problem with water taxis running during the day when shows are being conducted. EPCOT has boats running while there is live entertainment with World Showcase Lagoon as a backdrop. As for stopping the boats while a night time show is being run, other parks stop the boats for nighttime entertainment. If guests want to either enter or leave the park, the buses are still going to be run.