I will buy into the DHS getting the DCA treatment rumor. I just don't think it will be as big. I think giving DHS half of DCA's budget would even be grateful. I agree with what others have stated that TDO knows that DHS is struggling. Whoever made the comment about TDO trimming the fat until they have to start trimming the muscle, well, they have. Look at DHS over the past decade and then especially in the past few years. It is pretty evident with no more Soap Opera and ESPN Weekends. They failed when they tried to bring Grad Night & Night of Joy over to the studios. Block Party Bash was cut in favor of a less expensive parade. Fantasmic was cut to perform just a few nights a week to also cut down on operating hours. The Studio Backlot Tour is a shadow of its former self. Acts like Four For a Dollar and Luxo Jr. were cut. Even the Citizens of Hollywood saw reduced hours and rope drop ceremony was removed. Magic of Animation is a shadow of itself. Sounds Dangerous.and Prince Caspian were finally removed. American Idol has seen less showtimes. LMA at once time showed 3 shows a day and now only had 2.They've finally realized that they have started cutting into the muscle.
Just now are they trying to regain some strength back. Fantasmic is back to nightly performances at least. Muppet Vision was digitized and Star Tours got it's upgrade. I think those steps are part of the proof that Studios is changing or will change. Other changes like the name change to Disney's Hollywood Studios and the recent removal of the security booths to the "backlot" (near Star Tours and ABC Commissary) are also proof that the old theme no longer applies. The transition will just be slower than what most would like.
The success of DCA in terms of rebranding a park, specialized merchandise, emersive environments, new food options, and new attactions has not gone unnoticed. TDO already wants it's hands on Glow with the Show technology. TDO has noticed how both Potter merchandise and even Carland merchandise is selling very well. TDO is still just afraid to spend the money just in case it doesn't work as well as they had hoped.
DHS would benefit greatly from a DCA treatment especially when their competing studios park down the highway is blowing them out of the water with new entertainment, new attractions, record merchandise profit, and record attendance jumps. As many have also stated, there are some things that wouldn't take much thought to improve the park. The Star Tour revamp was one of them. A revamp to Fantasmic and The Great Movie Ride should also be looked at. Many of the buildings from Animation Courtyard through Pixar Place should be removed to allow those areas of the park to expand and breathe, but if that seems like a giant task, simple re-purposing would suffice. Voyage of the Little Mermaid could benefit from a new show featuring The Princess and the Frog and the wonderful music and characters it had. Pixar Place has gotten a great start with Toy Story Midway Mania, why stop there. People love Pixar, expand that section. What do you really have to lose? You also have Marvel now, so without using some of the forbidden characters, why not let some others appear on Streets of America? It would bring that part of the park back to life. It doesn't see much in terms of crowds unless LMA is dumping out or the Osborne Lights are up. Beauty and the Beast can get a new show once the FLE opens. Redo the Backlot Express Restaurant and Sounds Dangerous into a more cohesive Star Wars mini-land. The restaurant can easily become the cantina and the Jedi Training Academy can move to an indoor theater with perhaps some upgraded interaction so the kids could also talk to Yoda (similar to Crush and Monsters Inc). Finally, give us better parade, or least bring back Block Party Bash. Many of those ideas just require re-purposing space. Ideally, the park should be expanded the park with the layout redone, but that's wishful thinking.
I don't think we will see it branded as DHS being redone like DCA has been, but I do think over the next decade we will start to see some improvements, let's just hope its on the scale we all know the DHS deserves.
