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

[doctornick]

I'm not liking all of these new land ideas. I think the lands should have more of a generic genre to them to be able to include more IP's and attractions. Like Westerns, Sci-Fi, Animation or go with the Studios themselves, Lucas, Disney, Pixar, ABC. By creating these great big immersive lands based on a single movie or series of movies don't you kind of lock the park to these themes and make it hard to expand when a new movie comes out. They won't be able to squeeze a new attraction in here or there, instead they'll have to build another whole new land somewhere behind another land or demolish an existing land. The park will just become irrelevant again in another 20 years

I tend to agree with you and I think that DHS would benefit from a new addition of a land that is more "generic" -- even something like a Pixar Studios land -- because it can be more flexible with offerings. That said, if you are going to do dedicated lands, then using time tested IPs with staying power is the way to go and both Toy Story and Star Wars certainly fit that bill. The question is whether the rest of whatever they add would be better off doing other themed lands like a Cars/Radiator Springs one or Monstropolis. It's tough to say.

In the vein of what you've said, I like the idea of an "Action" land where they could use Indiana Jones, GotG, Big Hero 6, even Wreck It Ralph and have some more flexibility for future additions. They could even put a stunt show in that kind of setting.

 

[AEfx]

I'd say it is significant. WDW isn't just a theme park or theme parks, it's supposed to be a 'vacation kingdom' and an all-encompassing resort. Not sure why everyone hates on DD/DS so much. I'm looking forward to the completed project, lots of cool restaurants and bars going in there, in addition to the 'boutique chains and junk', as you say. Please stay away to help reduce the crowds...lol

We will, trust me - if I wanted to go to those Sephora type overpriced garbage stores, I'd go to one locally and not spend my time at the "vacation kingdom" doing something I could do in any tourist town throughout the country.

 

[cheezbat]

I swear that if the Indy Stunt Show goes and we don't get an Indy ride at DHS, they had better build one in MK or I may just lose it on WDW.

The park redo could(and should) be great, but there are some things I feel that should always be represented in the parks. Indiana Jones is one of them.

 

[Sped2424]

I'm not liking all of these new land ideas. I think the lands should have more of a generic genre to them to be able to include more IP's and attractions. Like Westerns, Sci-Fi, Animation or go with the Studios themselves, Lucas, Disney, Pixar, ABC. By creating these great big immersive lands based on a single movie or series of movies don't you kind of lock the park to these themes and make it hard to expand when a new movie comes out. They won't be able to squeeze a new attraction in here or there, instead they'll have to build another whole new land somewhere behind another land or demolish an existing land. The park will just become irrelevant again in another 20 years

Splash has been around and relevant for how many years now? And it's in a land of it's own over at Disneyland known as critter country. Point is if the land is good and full of substance IP doesn't matter.

 

[G00fyDad]

Man can you just relax for a few months... Project was announced last weekend... We all know you think nothing will be done and that they will lie like they do about every other project but enough already!

We all see the downturn is coming in the economy but this was way to big of a PR blitz to not move forward with today... So if you are right and nothing gets built and they don't start doing anything you can be the king of the boards! We will all praise you as the all knowing!

I get your style is to be way to the extreme to make sure your point hits home but now it has just gotten annoying as it is every post....

If non of this excites you not even a little then stop posting on the boards as this is some of the best news we have had in a long long long time enjoy it for a change...

Just put them on ignore like many already have.

 

[Steel City Magic]

I tend to agree with you and I think that DHS would benefit from a new addition of a land that is more "generic" -- even something like a Pixar Studios land -- because it can be more flexible with offerings. That said, if you are going to do dedicated lands, then using time tested IPs with staying power is the way to go and both Toy Story and Star Wars certainly fit that bill. The question is whether the rest of whatever they add would be better off doing other themed lands like a Cars/Radiator Springs one or Monstropolis. It's tough to say.

In the vein of what you've said, I like the idea of an "Action" land where they could use Indiana Jones, GotG, Big Hero 6, even Wreck It Ralph and have some more flexibility for future additions. They could even put a stunt show in that kind of setting.

Imho, it's a shame that they didn't go with a Lucas land Muppets land and Pixar place instead of Toy Story land and Star Wars land. They would be more generalized lands where they could add more IPs, and would be more of an overall cohesive park as far as the hollywood feel. Lol by this standard you could also call it Disney's Acquired IP Park. Perfect huh?
I am excited for what's to come though! Curious what's in store for that potential third unannouced area (even if they mismanage the space, there's still ALOT of empty space from what ive seen in some mock ups on here) in dhs and can't wait till some dirt moves!

 

[CrescentLake]

Imho, it's a shame that they didn't go with a Lucas land Muppets land and Pixar place instead of Toy Story land and Star Wars land. They would be more generalized lands where they could add more IPs, and would be more of an overall cohesive park as far as the hollywood feel. Lol by this standard you could also call it Disney's Acquired IP Park. Perfect huh?
I am excited for what's to come though! Curious what's in store for that potential third unannouced area (even if they mismanage the space, there's still ALOT of empty space from what ive seen in some mock ups on here) in dhs and can't wait till some dirt moves!

I don't disagree with Pixar but I am so sick and tired of Lucas Land being a thing people think would be a good idea. Lucas is NOT a theme. Throwing Indy and Star Wars and everything else he's done together in one land would diminish all properties involved. The level of immersion would be zero if you could see an ancient Indian temple (Indy) from the Death Star.

 

[MKeeler]

I don't disagree with Pixar but I am so sick and tired of Lucas Land being a thing people think would be a good idea. Lucas is NOT a theme. Throwing Indy and Star Wars and everything else he's done together in one land would diminish all properties involved. The level of immersion would be zero if you could see an ancient Indian temple (Indy) from the Death Star.

To a point, I understand this argument, but it all depends on what the general theme of the park is that you are trying to convey. If you are talking about a castle- style park where the goal is to transport you to another world and to immerse you in that world, then absolutely you cannot do Lucasfilm Studios. If you are taking people to various studios and showing them how movie magic is made and trying to capture the wonder of Hollywood in all its forms, you can absolutely have the type of setup you describe above. Because that is the magic of the studio lot, to be able to turn a corner and realize that the backs of he 1920s New York section are the Old West streets.
Tony Baxter explains this greatly on the Season Pass podcast by summing up the theme of the theme parks generally in just a few words. The Magic Kingdom is "Magic made real" so all the lands and attractions should transport you to that magical place. EPCOT is "Real is magic" so everything should show you the wonder of the world around us in science and other countries.
DHS used to be "how the magic is made". So the lands and attractions should make you a part of the team creating movie magic and show you a bit behind the curtain, so to speak. Baxter's main example was Indiana Jones. In the Magic Kingdom, the ride should be like Disneyland's including you on his adventure. In EPCOT, any Indiana Jones attraction should likely be like an artifacts exhibit mixing real historical finds and movie props passed off as discoveries. In DHS, the stunt show is the perfect example of how to appropriately bring movie magic to life.
There is a great theme park design somewhere out there that could build out the park using the studio concept. To have Lucasfilm, Muppet Studios and Pixar Studios as the anchors to show movie magic and all its spectacle. And there are various approaches you can take to each land. Like the Muppets running their own studio (which has always been in their makeup). Or to have Pixar say that all the characters are real and we are filming them like live actors in their particular "real" locations. In that setup Lucasfilm can work.
That's just not the direction that Disney is going. DHS will become more like a castle style park in transporting you to various locales. We'll see how well it works.

 

[Steel City Magic]

@MKeeler Couldn't have said it better. I was never trying to armchair engineer either just trying to convey my annoyance and how I had hoped dhs redo would have went/ made the most sense logistally to me. It would open up for a broader amount of IPs (indy, labyrinth, mirrormask, fraggle rock, dark crystal, willow, monsters inc, up etc) and yet still be able to keep the overall theme without feeling like a mismash. Unfortunately the asthetic of "walking onto film sets on the studio lot" my favorite part of that park, I feel is the aspect that we are going to lose in dhs.

 

[ULPO46]

@MKeeler Couldn't have said it better. I was never trying to armchair engineer either just trying to convey my annoyance and how I had hoped dhs redo would have went/ made the most sense logistally to me. It would open up for a broader amount of IPs (indy, labyrinth, mirrormask, fraggle rock, dark crystal, willow, monsters inc, up etc) and yet still be able to keep the overall theme without feeling like a mismash. Unfortunately the asthetic of "walking onto film sets on the studio lot" my favorite part of that park, I feel is the aspect that we are going to lose in dhs.

You are so true. Its hard to work with the oard now a days and its true I ve had a lot of friends quit and go to Uni or Ceder Fairs to design what ever they want with a great deal lf imagination. Sometimes the onlything keeping me from leaving is my family name and my love for this company. But my god i hate hearing how people feel they are being frauded by cheap repairs and rides. Its hard to be creative and be turned down because it cost too much or the tech isnt there and we fired those guys. I want this parks projects to be the new class of imagineering to be our legacy. Not be the horrible thing that we dare not read the boards. Sometimes we like to test ideas onhere and well thats what makes my job so great.

 

[SYRIK2000]

Could the stock market correction have any affect on this project?

 

[stretchsje]

Could the stock market correction have any affect on this project?

I think this could/should be a new thread.

Insiders say no, the money has already been committed. History, I think, says yes (over and over).

I'll say this. The stock buyback program was looking like less of a value at $115/share. I figured that was one of the reasons for the heavy park investments- the discontinuation of stock buybacks. But if the stock continues to fall, who knows.

 

[SYRIK2000]

I think this could/should be a new thread.

Insiders say no, the money has already been committed. History, I think, says yes (over and over).

I'll say this. The stock buyback program was looking like less of a value at $115/share. I figured that was one of the reasons for the heavy park investments- the discontinuation of stock buybacks. But if the stock continues to fall, who knows.

Hopefully it won't DHS needs this.

 

[CinematicFusion]

Could the stock market correction have any affect on this project?

Depends on how long the correction is. How severe it is.
If the market hits a bottom today and it's a short correction then no worries and build out continues.
Longer correction over a two year period would delay everything.

 

[Horizons '83]

This shouldn't affect anything unless the trend continue's. Every year the market has some natural adjusting (while this one was quite an "adjusting") The market needed this, as hard as it is to say that.

To get back on topic, has there been definitive timelines or rumblings of closures (Lights, Indy, etc)?

 

[SYRIK2000]

This shouldn't affect anything unless the trend continue's. Every year the market has some natural adjusting (while this one was quite an "adjusting") The market needed this, as hard as it is to say that.

To get back on topic, has there been definitive timelines or rumblings of closures (Lights, Indy, etc)?

Looks like Animation Merchandise just moved, so some action happening.

 

[truecoat]

To a point, I understand this argument, but it all depends on what the general theme of the park is that you are trying to convey. If you are talking about a castle- style park where the goal is to transport you to another world and to immerse you in that world, then absolutely you cannot do Lucasfilm Studios. If you are taking people to various studios and showing them how movie magic is made and trying to capture the wonder of Hollywood in all its forms, you can absolutely have the type of setup you describe above. Because that is the magic of the studio lot, to be able to turn a corner and realize that the backs of he 1920s New York section are the Old West streets.
Tony Baxter explains this greatly on the Season Pass podcast by summing up the theme of the theme parks generally in just a few words. The Magic Kingdom is "Magic made real" so all the lands and attractions should transport you to that magical place. EPCOT is "Real is magic" so everything should show you the wonder of the world around us in science and other countries.
DHS used to be "how the magic is made". So the lands and attractions should make you a part of the team creating movie magic and show you a bit behind the curtain, so to speak. Baxter's main example was Indiana Jones. In the Magic Kingdom, the ride should be like Disneyland's including you on his adventure. In EPCOT, any Indiana Jones attraction should likely be like an artifacts exhibit mixing real historical finds and movie props passed off as discoveries. In DHS, the stunt show is the perfect example of how to appropriately bring movie magic to life.
There is a great theme park design somewhere out there that could build out the park using the studio concept. To have Lucasfilm, Muppet Studios and Pixar Studios as the anchors to show movie magic and all its spectacle. And there are various approaches you can take to each land. Like the Muppets running their own studio (which has always been in their makeup). Or to have Pixar say that all the characters are real and we are filming them like live actors in their particular "real" locations. In that setup Lucasfilm can work.
That's just not the direction that Disney is going. DHS will become more like a castle style park in transporting you to various locales. We'll see how well it works.

For me, the studio concept doesn't work anymore. In the past it was interesting to see behind the curtain but then I got a dvd player. Loaded with film commentary, documentaries and other extras, seeing how films are made is no longer that interesting. Youtube expanded on that a hundred fold. Uni has taken the same approach with their current attractions as well.

 

[danlb_2000]

This shouldn't affect anything unless the trend continue's. Every year the market has some natural adjusting (while this one was quite an "adjusting") The market needed this, as hard as it is to say that.

To get back on topic, has there been definitive timelines or rumblings of closures (Lights, Indy, etc)?

Dow down 1000 already this morning.

 

[CinematicFusion]

Dow down 1000 already this morning.

That might have been the capitulation of the market. It's spiked up after that. We will have to see. I wanted to buy FB at 70, before I got to the office it spiked to over 80.
I have no idea what to do now....market has to show it's direction.
Again...short term correction and Disney will build.
Long term and there will be delays. That will mean it's a global thing.

 

[ULPO46]

Could the stock market correction have any affect on this project?

Its too early to say. If this red last more than a week, Disney will pull the plug for now. It happened last time the market dropped this bad.