DHS Makeover - What we know so far.....

Lynn Stephens

Lynn Stephens

Active Member
First time posting, take that as you may...I've read a lot, just like all of you. I am very hopeful, also like all of you. I've read this whole thread and I have a few new thoughts to throw out there...

It would make sense with a limited budget (yes $3.2B has limitations) to utilize as much of the existing infrastructure as possible. That is why I believe that LAM will stay in the projected Pixar Place area. Lightning McQueen already has a presence in the attraction and modding the vehicles to look like the Cars characters is a much simpler fix to adapt the attraction. The show is already spy themed (for better or worse) as was the plot in Cars 2. Expect this to stay.

I'm sure many of you also read the legal documents about Universal's use of Marvel properties. This is something people tend to be confused about. Universal has the rights to "families" of characters relating to the following franchises: Spider-Man, The Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four and the Hulk. It is also important to note that Universal also has the rights to use the name "Marvel" exclusively. Outside of those character families, Disney CAN absolutely build attractions themed to other Marvel characters such as The Guardians of the Galaxy or the Inhumans. I am not saying they will do this, but Disney does have the legal right to build attractions on other non-related Marvel properties at WDW. This might be an opportunity to do so.

Star Wars has been a long time coming and I understand the hesitation to make it right the first time. I hope WDI considers the 38 year history of the franchise and doesn't just theme it all to Episode 7. The fan base was built in the 70's and has grown over generations from the love for the originals.

Those are my thoughts. I hope they are welcomed in this community.

-LS
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
rioriz said:
Normally I would agree but I trust Martin and if he is excited about what we are getting I'll have hope
Click to expand...

I trust Martin too however I've spent much time in corporate america and companies just don't alter their spending priorities like this, They do announce 'Ghost Projects' when they need to send additional funding to current initiatives without indicating they underbudgeted something. The 'new' project generates lots of positive buzz and after the buzz dies down the funding is redirected to the real target usually accompanied by a few executives exercising their 'golden parachutes' to pursue 'other opportunities' and the whole thing is explained away in the earnings call/annual report in a few lines of corporatese usually along the lines of 'realignment of investment priorities' or something along those lines.

If this had been announced after a gradual ramp up of expansion CAPEX I'd probably believe it yet TWDC is on track for the lowest CAPEX spend for P&R domestically in the companies entire HISTORY so a sudden reversal does not pass the plausibility test.
 
Chef Kronk

Chef Kronk

Well-Known Member
I think LMA, VOTLM, and Indiana Jones are attractions that have to go. I'm hesitant on Beauty and the Beast, because I still enjoy it, even though I may be in the minority.

I really don't know what's going on with Disney Junior. It looks like it's going to stay, since more meet n greets are being added. It's fun for little kids, so I guess you can keep it for a little while longer.

And finally, Muppet Vision 3D. IMO, this cannot go away and I would be very upset if it did. I know, the film's starting to get outdated, but I still find it amusing and love the Muppets as a whole. It would be extremely disrespectful to Jim Henson if they gave it the boot.

Everything else that I didn't mention should stay at the park. Construction better get started fast on at least Pixar, since things have been closing left and right and it doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. I'm coming this November. I'm not a huge fan of those 3 attractions I first mentioned and I know they'll be closing sooner or later, but I hope at least 2 can stay open once we arrive so that my family and I can possibly stretch this to a full day park, since we like to see all the shows and meet the characters as well.

Rant over:)
 
Unplugged

Unplugged

Well-Known Member
I agree with you @Chef Kronk. Work was just being done on Junior, so it's not going away. The kids need something in that lousy park. I agree on the Muppets as well. It needs a makeover (movie & 4D elements), but I think it helps keep the brand grounded. They should have done a What-knot-workshop (Build-A-Muppet) and added a couple small kiddie attractions. Would take much space and would help build variety for the kids. (Reference that Busch Gardens has Sesame Street.)

All in all, it appears the sequence of announcements has leaked. Either Toy Story Playland at D23 or nothing (err on the side of nothing), then post Star Wars release, 2016 Q1 we may see more announcements. Looking at the history of Disney over the past 18 months, they now start projects after things are closing and the public discussion & climate begins to heat up a bit. That is, our perceived value drops. Right now, they know people are dissatisfied with DHS, and they could tell us about TSPL and Pixar Place intentions, but not anything related to the upcoming movie. So, it looks like I need to renew my prescription for Chill Pills and try to sit here until January without reading too much into the threads.
 
Horizons '83

Horizons '83

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
ford91exploder said:
I trust Martin too however I've spent much time in corporate america and companies just don't alter their spending priorities like this, They do announce 'Ghost Projects' when they need to send additional funding to current initiatives without indicating they underbudgeted something. The 'new' project generates lots of positive buzz and after the buzz dies down the funding is redirected to the real target usually accompanied by a few executives exercising their 'golden parachutes' to pursue 'other opportunities' and the whole thing is explained away in the earnings call/annual report in a few lines of corporatese usually along the lines of 'realignment of investment priorities' or something along those lines.

If this had been announced after a gradual ramp up of expansion CAPEX I'd probably believe it yet TWDC is on track for the lowest CAPEX spend for P&R domestically in the companies entire HISTORY so a sudden reversal does not pass the plausibility test.
Click to expand...
haha, working in FP&A and knowing things, you are spot on
 
alissafalco

alissafalco

Well-Known Member
flyerjab said:
I can't wait to hear more about what is coming because as it stands now, this park is ridiculous. We went last night with no fastpasses scheduled (we have annual passes). There were really only five attractions that warranted riding and the shortest was Star Tours at 40 minutes standby! ToT was 2 hours, and I don't need to tell you how long RnR and TSMM wait times were. It was sad really. There were droves of people wandering around looking for stuff to do. And to make matters worse, the SoA was closed for a private event.

It really is embarrassing how this has been handled. They should be taking the guest experience more into account and unless you are a fan of Frozen, the options are scant. They did have DJ Chill playing dance music prior to the fireworks (which we didn't even justify staying for), but that was pathetic also. Nobody was dancing, just a lot of people milling around waiting for the Frozen fireworks to start. I just hope that they spend this 3 billion well. I like NFL as I think it is targeted more for kids, but this can't be like that. This has to be highly ambitious in scope and a park that people are climbing over themselves to get to.
Click to expand...
Wow, it really sounds terrible!!

glad to see you back :)
 
Bparso87

Bparso87

Well-Known Member
Lynn Stephens said:
First time posting, take that as you may...I've read a lot, just like all of you. I am very hopeful, also like all of you. I've read this whole thread and I have a few new thoughts to throw out there...

It would make sense with a limited budget (yes $3.2B has limitations) to utilize as much of the existing infrastructure as possible. That is why I believe that LAM will stay in the projected Pixar Place area. Lightning McQueen already has a presence in the attraction and modding the vehicles to look like the Cars characters is a much simpler fix to adapt the attraction. The show is already spy themed (for better or worse) as was the plot in Cars 2. Expect this to stay.

I'm sure many of you also read the legal documents about Universal's use of Marvel properties. This is something people tend to be confused about. Universal has the rights to "families" of characters relating to the following franchises: Spider-Man, The Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four and the Hulk. It is also important to note that Universal also has the rights to use the name "Marvel" exclusively. Outside of those character families, Disney CAN absolutely build attractions themed to other Marvel characters such as The Guardians of the Galaxy or the Inhumans. I am not saying they will do this, but Disney does have the legal right to build attractions on other non-related Marvel properties at WDW. This might be an opportunity to do so.

Star Wars has been a long time coming and I understand the hesitation to make it right the first time. I hope WDI considers the 38 year history of the franchise and doesn't just theme it all to Episode 7. The fan base was built in the 70's and has grown over generations from the love for the originals.

Those are my thoughts. I hope they are welcomed in this community.

-LS
Click to expand...
Guardians have been avengers before not often but I am sure universal will use that to there advantage and inhumans have connections to xmen. It would all be up to uni to see if they would want to have it go to court.
 
RobbinsDad

RobbinsDad

Well-Known Member
As someone who has been to HS in the last decade with preschoolers can attest - Disney Junior is a must-see attraction for the 2-5 year old set, as well as the parents who desire to see their children's faces when they see Mickey Mouse or Sofia up close and personal for the first time. Considering how popular the channel and its characters are with preschoolers, and considering that this attraction is the only major footprint for the channel at WDW, I would be shocked to see it go.
 
WondersOfLife

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
To say there's nothing to do in HS currently is a lie! Shows take up a good portion of the day, so unless you just really hate shows, there's still plenty to do.

Beauty and the Beast - 20 minutes
Great Movie Ride - 22 minutes
Indiana Jones - 30 minutes
LMA Extreme Stunt Show - 30 minutes
Muppet Vision 3D - 17 minutes
Voyage of the Little Mermaid - 17 minutes

That's almost two and a half hours of stuff to do.

Again, unless you've been a gazillion times or you just don't like to watch shows, there's honestly just enough to do to make it a half-day park. Going to Hollywood Studios just by looking at the map, one should easily be able to see that the park mainly consists of shows, not rides. High capacity theaters that can take up time, not to mention the few attractions on top of that.

Going to Hollywood Studios and not wanting to see the shows is like going to Epcot and not wanting to see the countries.
 
Chef Kronk

Chef Kronk

Well-Known Member
WondersOfLife said:
To say there's nothing to do in HS currently is a lie! Shows take up a good portion of the day, so unless you just really hate shows, there's still plenty to do.

Beauty and the Beast - 20 minutes
Great Movie Ride - 22 minutes
Indiana Jones - 30 minutes
LMA Extreme Stunt Show - 30 minutes
Muppet Vision 3D - 17 minutes
Voyage of the Little Mermaid - 17 minutes

That's almost two and a half hours of stuff to do.

Again, unless you've been a gazillion times or you just don't like to watch shows, there's honestly just enough to do to make it a half-day park. Going to Hollywood Studios just by looking at the map, one should easily be able to see that the park mainly consists of shows, not rides. High capacity theaters that can take up time, not to mention the few attractions on top of that.

Going to Hollywood Studios and not wanting to see the shows is like going to Epcot and not wanting to see the countries.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, but you have to remember that at least half, possibly 5 out of those 6 shows, could be on the chopping block very soon. Then, well, we're stuck with 6-7 attractions at DHS until Pixar stuff starts opening in about 2-3 years if we're lucky.
 

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