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

[danlb_2000]

Do you mean that as a insult? I'm just confused what's going on with indy...screams cape I contacted and they replied saying that Indiana Jones show isn't going anywhere due to its high attendance numbers..Lance Hart the leader of that website said it could stay forever. Now others say it will eventually close for star wars expansion not sure what the truth is. That's what's frustrating me. 3rd thing is an indy ride could come which I'm sure to guys that's like a 20% chance of happening. Their is no time line for the fate of this attraction

I don't put much weight in what Lance says. I don't see Indy being around long term since it doesn't fit with the new direction of the park. It will be the only remaining element of the "how movies are made" theme. If the Indy franchise takes off again there are plenty of creative possibilities that could be done with it.

 

[hopemax]

I did. And right now it's looking like the Muppets at DHS are increasing in presence.

Between this, and that little "what if there was more Indy later to replace the Stunt Show" tidbit are causing my heart to skip a beat. Now, I have to prepare myself for the crushing blow that comes later when someone says, "not so fast..."

 

[Magenta Panther]

I did. And right now it's looking like the Muppets at DHS are increasing in presence.

That's interesting. Their presence is expanding, even after the new show generated so much condemnation and alienation from critics and viewers alike? Even after the huge ratings drop? Even BEFORE the so-called reboot - Disney is willing to spend even more real estate on that franchise? Not that I'm questioning your word - your accuracy is impeccable around here. But it's still odd if it happens. Maybe Disney is looking at the nostalgia-driven interest the show originally generated and is hoping there's still something there. I doubt it, but we'll see.

Anyway, as I've said before, even if the Muppet location was shut down, Iger would probably just put another non-Disney purchase in its place. So, whatever.

 

[Matt_Black]

- Frozen Ever After - how on earth does it take 2 years to retheme a ride?

It's not a simple retheme. They've gutted everything except the track. The way some people talk, you'd think it was just going to be Elsa masks over the existing animatronics.

What's so bizarre is it only took 12 months to build the whole of Disneyland in the first place!

Little different building a theme park from scratch than building within a theme park, especially when the latter scenario involves one of the most heavily visited tourist destinations in the world.

 

[danlb_2000]

Is everyone sure on the time line for these new attractions or are all just guesses?

- Avatar was announced in 2011 that they were going to build something at Animal Kingdom. It's now not scheduled to open till 2017, if even that. We're essentially saying it took 6 years from announcement to finish Avatar.

- Frozen Ever After - how on earth does it take 2 years to retheme a ride? They are using the same track system too. Basically Universal in Orlando took 8 months to do Transformers, complete with a new ride track. How does that work? They are also matching the time scale for the new Kong attraction with Frozen - and that requires a brand new build of the exterior and a new track syste too. Who are Universal hiring to do their construction, and why can't Disney do things at the same pace?

- Fantasy Land expansion took 4 years. And really apart from some nice theming, and a very short coaster you can't possibly say that was 4 years worth of work.

So now we are hoping things are different, and that somehow Star Wars Land will be built by 2019, and that Toy Story will be built by next year? Classic case of denial.

What's so bizarre is it only took 12 months to build the whole of Disneyland in the first place!

Avatar was announced much earlier in the process then most expansions. I think you will find most take 5 to 6 years from concept to opening.

Transformers took closer to 12 months, but I agree that Frozen is taking longer then it should.

Yes, Fantasyland took a little over 4 years, but that got stretched out because of the switch from the M&G's to the Mine Ride late in the process. I personally believe if the mine ride had been in the original plan the whole thing would have been done just under 3 years. Based on Disney past performance I think it is reasonable to believe the TSL could be finished by the end of 2017 and Star Wars by 2019. The question is, does Disney want to get them done in that time frame.

 

[Mike S]

Avatar was announced much earlier in the process then most expansions. I think you will find most take 5 to 6 years from concept to opening.

Transformers took closer to 12 months, but I agree that Frozen is taking longer then it should.

Yes, Fantasyland took a little over 4 years, but that got stretched out because of the switch from the M&G's to the Mine Ride late in the process. I personally believe if the mine ride had been in the original plan the whole thing would have been done just under 3 years. Based on Disney past performance I think it is reasonable to believe the TSL could be finished by the end of 2017 and Star Wars by 2019. The question is, does Disney want to get them done in that time frame.

I thought it was 9?

 

[elchippo]

I actually like this better than what is coming! It also made me think what a shame it actually is that Toy Story Mania went in where it did and Pixar Place hijacked half of Mickey Avenue while the other half just became a hodge-podge....because the original Mickey avenue, with its signposts, look and feel of the Disney Burbank studios, would have made an awesome and easily converted immersive experience for "old Disney" attractions like an Oswald meet and greet and elements of this "Timeless River" concept. You're strolling through the Disney Studios when Walt was around, toons are walking around (meet and greets) just like actors on a backlot, and the area would have had the look and feel of the "Maroon Studios" in the opening of Roger Rabbit. Ah well, Armchair Imagineering is pointless mostly, so I'll stop dreaming now

Well, this idealized version of a DHS expansion (http://www.themeparktourist.com/features/20140703/19010/ideal-build-out-disney-hollywoodland-park) contained something called Timeless River, a land based upon the original black-and-white shorts Disney did. However, since the drawing places the land where a good chunk of Toy Story Land will be, I don't think it would be feasible.

 

[Coaster Lover]

I thought it was 9?

For Transformers at USO, demolition began June 2012, construction started in July 2012, and the ride officially opened on June 20th, 2013 (though the ride was in soft opening three weeks prior).

 

[Ripken10]

Just like others said, the success of the show doesn't mean anything for its presence in the park. And not sure what MP is saying, cause when I am around people for the Muppets their seems to be a lot of positive talk about it. My niece didn't grow up on the show but enjoyed it. People do like the Muppets, or there wouldn't be so much discussion even here (where people are typically more critical than the majority of the population).

 

[danlb_2000]

I thought it was 9?

I included demolition of the previous structure since it's hard to draw a line between when demo ends and construction begins.

 

[Incomudro]

Beyond me how anyone can defend a 2 year construction for Frozen, which uses the same track as it's previous ride !

I've got virtually no interest in this ride, but...
Do we know what's going into it?
Animatronics perhaps? Maybe some newer tricks?
Maelstrom was pretty simple when it came to its components, though it was cool at its time.
There may be some things going into Frozen that take more design and construction time than we would imagine.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Just like others said, the success of the show doesn't mean anything for its presence in the park. And not sure what MP is saying, cause when I am around people for the Muppets their seems to be a lot of positive talk about it. My niece didn't grow up on the show but enjoyed it. People do like the Muppets, or there wouldn't be so much discussion even here (where people are typically more critical than the majority of the population).

Exactly. And even if kids don't know the Muppet Show in particular, they sure as heck know Kermit and others from Sesame Street.

 

[Pam Hates Penguins]

I still don't see how Muppets can stick around...

 

[Chris82]

Disney's choice of whether to promote Muppets in the parks doesn't necessarily have to be tied to the television series metrics. Even if the metrics are bad (and I have no idea whether they are), they might feel that the brand still has some legacy power and needs to be rehabilitated in some form, maybe as a justification for acquiring the franchise in the first place? Granted, we're not used to seeing Disney behave in a proactive rather than a reactive manner lately, but it's not impossible. And adding Swedish Chef to Pizza Planet (or something similar) seems like a pretty low-key, conservative thing to do anyway...

If they were going to build a Muppet-themed coaster called "The Rainbow Connection" I might be more surprised

 

[Pam Hates Penguins]

I can see a Monsters Inc. themed diner being put in a two story restaurant. What's on the menu? Spaghetti with eye meat balls?

 

[FigmentJedi]

Exactly. And even if kids don't know the Muppet Show in particular, they sure as heck know Kermit and others from Sesame Street.

Kermit hasn't been a part of Sesame Street for years though and as you know, Disney doesn't have anything to do with that IP.

I still think with how much trouble the Henson Company's had with getting anything that's not a "Digital Puppeteered children's show" successfully off the ground, that they should at least consider a distribution deal with Disney. There's been on-and-off again talk about Dark Crystal 2 and a Fraggle Rock movie for years with no real visible progress (though Joseph Gorden Levitt's apparently attached to produce and star in the Fraggle film), but Disney backing them could actually produce results. And if we were really really lucky, Henson could become the Fantasy counterpart to Lucasfilm/Marvel's role as "Acquired Science Fiction Film farms". I would much rather have a cinematic universe based around Froud-designed creatures or the Storyteller then the garbage that is "Let's remake everything in the animated catalog with a disgusting amount of CGI"

 

[CentralFloridaRocks831]

Maybe phase 4 van focus on the muppets and Indiana jones.

 

[Brer Panther]

View attachment 127291 I can see a Monsters Inc. themed diner being put in a two story restaurant. What's on the menu? Spaghetti with eye meat balls?

How about a real life version of Harryhausen's?

 

[Brian Swan]

However, Alladin is a GREAT show that I would wager a very small percentage of WDW travelers have seen. It would certainly be fresh to the majority of guests. I would be very excited if they brought it to WDW even as a temporary move.

I agree entirely. It may be 12 years old, but it would be "new to WDW" and is FAR better than the anemic shows in DHS. BUT... until they upgrade the theater with minor things like walls and a solid roof, advanced lighting and sound systems, and a robust fly system, we'll be stuck with community theater quality productions like BatB.

 

[Brian Swan]

It would be nice if they weren't carbon copies. Maybe a forest setting in FL and a desert setting in CA.

The lands probably won't be exact clones, but I expect that they will look very "similar", and that the rides WILL be more or less clones; design/develop once, build twice - saves a bunch of money.

Speaking of never-built-ideas, do you think that the Roger Rabbit-inspired Toontown could be feasible?

ToonTown in DL is probably one of the most perfectly themed "immersive" lands that Disney has built (Carsland being the other). I love the land, and am VERY glad that it was spared the wrecking ball to build SWL in DL. Although the pseudo-noir nostalgic theme may have fit in with the "original" theme/concept of the studios, I don't think a "mini-land" built on an almost 30 year old single film IP that Disney has done virtually nothing with since (other than rereleasing the DVD/Blu-ray) is a very viable concept for DHS. MK's rather anemic ToonTown Fair wasn't even kept...(ironic that it fell to two "classic" IPs that are over 75 years old).