DHS Update 4.15.2015

[djkidkaz]

pretty much nothing going on at DHS.

Looks like work is going to be starting on repaving to parking lot:

Re painting the GMR. You can see their painting the patina on:

This is probably super old but I noticed the Toy Story fast pass kiosks were all removed and the area turned into stroller parking:

Toy Story signs now up on the walls of its expansion:

No visible progress on its exterior:

Brawny still on the sign outside LMA:

And lastly you can see on the right of this photo that they are painting the AFI building getting it ready for Star Wars and if you look straight ahead you can see the Backlot Tour props are still sitting out. I noticed the Flight of the Navigator ship:

That's all. I'm going to try and get to Animal Kingdom soon to see what's going on there.

 

[LieutLaww]

Wonder if anything will get announced this week or will we have to wait till August or even after Ep VII comes out !

 

[danlb_2000]

Wonder if anything will get announced this week or will we have to wait till August or even after Ep VII comes out !

I think a parks related announcement is more likely to happen at D23 then Celebration.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Glad to see they're repainting the Chinese Theatre.

Now where are those spires?

 

[LieutLaww]

D23 is in August isn't it ?

 

[fngoofy]

Nice, thanks.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I have come around to be rather cynical about the announcement of these projects that are "rumored"....

At this point? I'm expecting groundhogs day. The exact same thing every single day. Over and over, Disney repeating and dragging their feet.

That being said.... Still won't be open before 2020.

 

[Captain Neo]

Nothing is getting announced until D23 in August

 

[jt04]

Nothing is getting announced until D23 in August

Makes sense as they usually save the big announcements for that event,

 

[Kman101]

If we're lucky to get an announcement. TDO must love how they can close down attractions and nothing changes. That's what worries me about any future announcements. Although I'd assume the suits in California are the ones pushing this on them? I'd imagine TDO is fretting about any expansions. Sigh. I wish it weren't like that. DCA gets a re-do of Condor Flats and we get closed buildings and ride expansions. At least Animal Kingdom seems to be doing it right.

 

[PhotoDave219]

If we're lucky to get an announcement. TDO must love how they can close down attractions and nothing changes. That's what worries me about any future announcements. Although I'd assume the suits in California are the ones pushing this on them? I'd imagine TDO is fretting about any expansions. Sigh. I wish it weren't like that. DCA gets a re-do of Condor Flats and we get closed buildings and ride expansions. At least Animal Kingdom seems to be doing it right.

We got a view of the Chinese theatre back! I'll take what I can get.

 

[Kman101]

We got a view of the Chinese theatre back! I'll take what I can get.

And it is a beautiful sight to see again. I won't lie, I was totally grinning like a fool seeing that awful monstrosity gone and the theater in view again.

I agree that I'll take what I can get too. I appreciated that small favor (and I think that, plus the backlot tour closing was the signal we all needed to know they were finally going ahead with a park makeover) but I'm still uneasy and not very trusting of those running the Florida parks. It's just hilarious [in a sad way] that the backlot has been down since September and nada ... and we hear nothing except "well ... things have changed ... 2020 (which I always assumed to be honest) ..." it's just a shame they aren't in a hurry but if you look at it from their perspective, why should they rush?

I mean, we don't even have any truly leaked plans. A "maybe Star Wars ... probably ... Toy Story Land ... probably, maybe" .... sigh.

 

[PhotoDave219]

And it is a beautiful sight to see again. I won't lie, I was totally grinning like a fool seeing that awful monstrosity gone and the theater in view again.

I agree that I'll take what I can get too. I appreciated that small favor (and I think that, plus the backlot tour closing was the signal we all needed to know they were finally going ahead with a park makeover) but I'm still uneasy and not very trusting of those running the Florida parks. It's just hilarious [in a sad way] that the backlot has been down since September and nada ... and we hear nothing except "well ... things have changed ... 2020 (which I always assumed to be honest) ..." it's just a shame they aren't in a hurry but if you look at it from their perspective, why should they rush?

I mean, we don't even have any truly leaked plans. A "maybe Star Wars ... probably ... Toy Story Land ... probably, maybe" .... sigh.

I'm assuming 2020 based on a conversation I had 9 months ago at this point....

What galls me is that everyone wants the ROI but doesnt want to make the CAPEX.

 

[gmajew]

I have come around to be rather cynical about the announcement of these projects that are "rumored"....

At this point? I'm expecting groundhogs day. The exact same thing every single day. Over and over, Disney repeating and dragging their feet.

That being said.... Still won't be open before 2020.

I don't believe a project is starting until I see dirt move...

 

[dgp602]

If we're lucky to get an announcement. TDO must love how they can close down attractions and nothing changes. That's what worries me about any future announcements. Although I'd assume the suits in California are the ones pushing this on them? I'd imagine TDO is fretting about any expansions. Sigh. I wish it weren't like that. DCA gets a re-do of Condor Flats and we get closed buildings and ride expansions. At least Animal Kingdom seems to be doing it right.

Can someone give me/us a rational explanation as to why they would close an attraction so far ahead of any demo or refurbishment? The Backlot Tour, for example. Why the rush to close it if you have no immediate plans to demo it or refurb it?

 

[Kman101]

I'm assuming 2020 based on a conversation I had 9 months ago at this point....

What galls me is that everyone wants the ROI but doesnt want to make the CAPEX.

And that about says it all, doesn't it.

I assumed 2020 simply because of Disney's overall track record of 5-7 year "plans". If something was greenlit in 2013 (like I think the makeover was about to be from what was being posted here), I'd have imagined it would have been complete by 2018. Now it's 2015 and things started closing in 2014, so I'd have to imagine SOMETHING was greenlit, hence 2020. I've never expected anything sooner and am trying to be patient here but at this point it's becoming a really really bad joke. LOL

 

[Kman101]

Can someone give me/us a rational explanation as to why they would close an attraction so far ahead of any demo or refurbishment? The Backlot Tour, for example. Why the rush to close it if you have no immediate plans to demo it or refurb it?

To save $$? That's the ONLY guess that makes sense. I'm sure they have phases/parts but come on ... it HAS to be to save on operating it. And they've saved for 7 months now. While people keep packing the parks and paying outrageous prices. We really can't have nice things, can we?

 

[PhotoDave219]

I don't believe a project is starting until I see dirt move...

Agreed.... And even then....

 

[danlb_2000]

To save $$? That's the ONLY guess that makes sense. I'm sure they have phases/parts but come on ... it HAS to be to save on operating it. And they've saved for 7 months now. While people keep packing the parks and paying outrageous prices. We really can't have nice things, can we?

The other possibility, which would be related to this, is that there was some sort of safety related repair or change that was needed and it made more sense to just close the attraction now instead of fixing it.

 

[Dice50]

If only people would stop going so they would be forced to do something sooner.

Here's my hope for what happens:
StarWars Land - 1 or 2 E-ticket rides, 1 smaller ride, awesome theming and things to walk around and see on top of attractions
Pixar Land - expanded Toy Story (happening), Monsters Inc. dark ride or coaster, 3rd attraction
Indiana Jones - replace show with an updated, new version of the ride in Disneyland (even though this would be great in Adventure Land in the MK which needs another ride there)

I know that won't all happen but I feel like a complete re-do of the park is warranted and those upgrades would satisfy most of us.