DHS - Waste of Time

[wdwfan4ver]

I've never understood the "half-day park" complaints for either DHS or AK. I comfortably fill a day or two at each every trip.

DHS isn't a full day for everyone for a reason. I know people outside of the Internet that can't do 3 of the 5 rides because of medical reasons like past heart issues and Fibromyalgia as examples. Anyone has medical issues they know about would read warnings about attractions if they use common sense. That means they only can do GRM and Toy Story Midway Mania.

The people that I know out the internet that has Medical issues does do stuff outside of rides like One Man's Dream, and Muppet Vision 3-D. Those people do look in shops also. They did LMA, but don't want to do it again.

Asking any to do Toy Story Midway Mania 2 or 3 times in a day is a tall order based on popular the attraction. You also have to look how many attractions you really want to do 2 to 3 times in day that doesn't include TOT and Rock n Roller Coaster.

 

[disney4life2008]

DHS gives me a headache - its too much of nothing going on. I really dislike my time being wasted and I feel like DHS always wastes my time. With that said - I have always been a supporter of Fantasmic! but after visiting DLR and seeing World of Color - I am ruined lol. In present day - I still enjoy Fantasmic!, TSMM, Beauty and the Beast, Muppets, and Mermaid. Much of the same can be said of Epcot - I can get in and out within a few hours.

 

[Monty]

DHS isn't a full day for everyone for a reason. I know people outside of the Internet that can't do 3 of the 5 rides because of medical reasons like past heart issues and Fibromyalgia as examples. Anyone has medical issues they know about would read warnings about attractions if they use common sense. That means they only can do GRM and Toy Story Midway Mania.

The people who know out the internet that has Medical issues does do stuff outside of rides like One Man's Dream, and Muppet Vision 3-D. Those people do look in shops also. They did LMA, but don't want to do it again.

Asking any to do Toy Story Midway Mania 2 or 3 times in a day is a tall order based on popular the attraction. You also have to look how many attraction you really want to do 2 to 3 times in day that doesn't include TOT and Rock n Roller Coaster.

I don't disagree, if an individual has medical issues that preclude some or most of the available activities, they won't get as much out of it, but that argument applies to absolutely everything in life. I'm disabled. There are lots of things I can't do. I'm lucky that there are generally more things I can do. My comment was not intended to address every possible scenario, simply a general statement that I don't get the complaining, because I don't have the problem that is expressed in the OP. The OP has every right to feel the way they do about the parks, if it isn't enough for them, that's fine. I disagree because I enjoy myself immensely in all four parks without exception.

 

[EOD K9]

I don't know how, but TDO can still push the studios angle, similar to how HB is the Hollywood you imagined but never was. They don't need to go with the working studios theme, but a studio none the less. Also, FWIW, I like the park's ambiance at night.

 

[PhilharMagician]

Perhaps you did ??

Its all subjective and a matter of ones own preferences.

I agree 100%. Everybody sees thing differently.

But I must say the DHS is the most disconnected and disorganized of all Disney parks. Once the Backlot Tour was hacked into a fraction of it's original length and the backlot areas became guest accessible was when the train first derailed.

 

[heath.sneyd]

Last time I was there (2003) We were in HS long enough to ride RnRC and TOT, then we had to go back to MK to march (High school marching band trip), so on my upcoming trip, I've got a full day set aside for HS. I've also got 6 days to play and a 5 day park hopper ticket. Don't think for a second that I'd head elsewhere for half a day and come back for the night stuff if I got bored.

I was looking forward to HS on this trip, but so far, the talk is draining that expectation.

I'll report back around March 3rd.

 

[JoyE]

We never spend more than a half day at DHS. I sincerely hope that once the hat comes down that they will begin a nor extensive update.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Saying that the shows are just "been there done that" and that they don't really count as stuff to do is kind of unfair.

While I agree DHS needs serious attention, EPCOT and AK are in the same boat. Iger has failed miserably at expanding WDW and it's really starting to hurt the experience for many people. For me, it's always going to be about Disney, but others are growing tired and I can't blame them.

All that said, Disney is less about "rides" and more about experiences. I do think the shows at DHS are all worth seeing, even multiple times and ToT alone is worth the price of admission.

My biggest complaint is that there is not enough to eat up the growing crowds and they keep closing stuff and not replacing/expanding.

 

[MissingDisney]

This is going to sound crazy but Hollywood Studios actually required the most planning and time of any given day of a vacation, especially when the kids were smaller. When I hear folks talk about it being a half-day Park, just can't get it. Maybe I'm just an over planner. As the shows were only scheduled at certain times, it required a ridiculous amount of arranging to make sure that they got to see everything that they wanted to and ride the rides. BATB, JTA, PD, LMA, IJSS, etc. And God forbid we had some type of dining reservation in there somewhere. A day at HS actually exhausted me more than a dawn till dark day at Magic Kingdom. Now that they're older, some of those things have been bumped off the list, however, still a full day for us. We do take time to look around and enjoy the scenery. We are not the commando style type of visitor; it's about more than the rides and shows to us, I guess. Sometimes it's just about 'being there' after saving all year for the vacation and enjoying the atmosphere.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I wouldn't call DHS a "waste", exactly. There's Fantasmic, The Brown Derby, Tower of Terror, Rockin'RollerCoaster, The Animation Courtyard (still enjoy that little show with Mushu), and the Great Movie Ride (still entertaining, despite needing a major upgrade). But yeah, that park does have huge black holes of nothing, like Streets of America, and things that need to be replaced, like Muppets, and a lack of representation of things from the Disney Vault, like Mary Poppins and Fantasia. Changes ARE coming, I hear, but they'll probably consist mostly of Pixar and Star Wars, unfortunately....

 

[Tom Morrow]

Saying that the shows are just "been there done that" and that they don't really count as stuff to do is kind of unfair.

I don't think its that unfair, unless we're talking about Fantasmic which is obviously something that should be seen during any WDW vacation. For most people, shows don't hold nearly as much repeat value as rides, and DHS's shows are stale and aging. Beauty and the Beast, Mermaid, Indiana Jones, all over 20 years old, and LMA is a kind of long ordeal to devote time to for a show that isn't all that exciting.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I don't think its that unfair, unless we're talking about Fantasmic which is obviously something that should be seen during any WDW vacation. For most people, shows don't hold nearly as much repeat value as rides, and DHS's shows are stale and aging. Beauty and the Beast, Mermaid, Indiana Jones, all over 20 years old, and LMA is a kind of long ordeal to devote time to for a show that isn't all that exciting.

Agree on LMA, but I think Indiana, Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast are easily repeatable. I do think Indy needs an updated show...they've been doing the same show for 20 years.

Trust me, I'm with you on expansion and keeping things fresh. There are people who have said Iger has done a fine job with WDW. It's been deplorable and only is passable now because of the genius stuff that still remains has actually held up over time pretty well.

 

[Matt_Black]

Changes ARE coming, I hear, but they'll probably consist mostly of Pixar and Star Wars, unfortunately....

Heaven forbid they put in stuff that's popular....

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I don't know how, but TDO can still push the studios angle, similar to how HB is the Hollywood you imagined but never was. They don't need to go with the working studios theme, but a studio none the less. Also, FWIW, I like the park's ambiance at night.

My thoughts too! Disney is a theme park, it doesn't need an actual working studio anymore than that it needs actual submarines, safaris and spaceships. You can Disneyfy a studio. Make pretend. Build a hyperreal Disney version of it. I would like that theme much better than going the USF route of a random collection of movie IP properties.

 

[Matt_Black]

I like it. First, the rides there are awesome. Second, I will never, EVER get tired of the Indiana Jones show. The other shows are fun too. Third, there are so many little details that I keep discovering. Fourth, the Characterpalooza is a lot of fun and a refreshing change from the other character meets.

 

[WondersOfLife]

All of this is some pretty old news.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I've never understood the "half-day park" complaints for either DHS or AK. I comfortably fill a day or two at each every trip.

Me, DAK not so much. But DHS is a great park - although the loss of the Backlot Tour is a massive blow.


DHS may have only five rides, but they are all terrific. Which puts it, ridewise, neatly on par with DAK and EPCOT. How many good rides are there left at EPCOT? Of the kind you'd want to do every time you visit, or more than once per vacation?
Then there are a great number of shows, and some truly fantastic themeing and atmosphere. DHS is nowhere near dead. A little bit of clever rethinking of the theme, and some investment, and it is an amazing theme park.

 

[marni1971]

I don't think its that unfair, unless we're talking about Fantasmic which is obviously something that should be seen during any WDW vacation. For most people, shows don't hold nearly as much repeat value as rides, and DHS's shows are stale and aging. Beauty and the Beast, Mermaid, Indiana Jones, all over 20 years old, and LMA is a kind of long ordeal to devote time to for a show that isn't all that exciting.

That's really an opinion.

For various reasons I had to see BatB and Indy a few times over the last two years. Virtually standing room only each time I saw them.

 

[Chef Mickey]

That's really an opinion.

For various reasons I had to see BatB and Indy a few times over the last two years. Virtually standing room only each time I saw them.

That's another great point...Shows will not and should not just go away if they are still drawing very well. Disney has to make sure they don't change stuff simply because it's old. I think classics that still draw well should keep their place with perhaps minor changes. Indy could have a couple new scenes or some new effects, but I'm largely fine with it remaining.

Where I have an issue is that DHS is virtually a smaller park than it was 10 years ago with all the closures and wasted space. I'm a big proponent of adding new things while keeping the things that are working in place.

It would be a great mix of nostalgia and fresh ideas if they would constantly add new experiences in addition to keeping the existing attractions. Then your park grows with your attendance and their experience can remain intact. Now, everyone is crowding what little is there, destracting from the overall experience.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I've been to MGM and later Hollywood Studios since the beginning. The early years were not bad. The park had promise and new things came along. Then BAM. Everything pretty much stopped. Including me going there. Unless that park receives some MAJOR love, and soon - I shant return. The exception might be when it's slow - I'll take my Park Hopper and head over to ride ToT or RRC and then high-tail it back out.

It's a food court/strip mall with rides.