Disney's Hollywood Studios: What's Next

mickey2008.1

Well-Known Member
I get the hat as a symbol. It has become an icon. Maybe in the wrong place, but still an icon. The problem is that it is just a hat, not an attraction, like at the other parks. Put it somewhere else, but keep it. DHS needs to find an attraction icon.

As for carsland and RSR, we have TT, give DHS a totally different land. Let it be the first of its kind. No more copies.
 

LudwigVonDrake

Well-Known Member
I get the hat as a symbol. It has become an icon. Maybe in the wrong place, but still an icon. The problem is that it is just a hat, not an attraction, like at the other parks.

Just to play devil's advocate because I honestly don't care if the hat stays or goes, Cinderella Castle is not an attraction. It is an icon.
 

Beholder

Well-Known Member
Just to play devil's advocate because I honestly don't care if the hat stays or goes, Cinderella Castle is not an attraction. It is an icon.

I think the difference is that the other park icons were DESIGNED as part of the parks that they reside in. They are part of the overall theme, the one thing that ties it together. They give the rest of the park it's "direction", if you will. The hat was intended as a temporary monument. It looks like a pathetic attempt to create an icon that's more marketable than the Earful Tower, which worked just fine.
 

Jedeye80

Active Member
Move the hat somewhere else, I like it but the idea of a refurb for The great movie ride with new scenes added and all the old ones spruced up would make it ideal to relaunch the attraction with the Chinese theatre as the park icon.
 

Stupido

Well-Known Member
I'm so torn with the whole hat vs theater debate.

Yes, the hat is borderline offensive. It's tacky and overstated. And it serves no purpose to the park, other than an eye catcher.

But the theater isn't Disney. It's a replica of Grauman's Theater in L.A. When I see the theater, I think of L.A. not of Hollywood Studios. I understand it's trying to tie to a pre existing trademark of Hollywood, but I think that the center of a Disney Park should be something unique. Something that only exists in the park. Something new and exciting. At least the hat has that going for it.

I vote for a new centerpiece, something taking the best of both ideas and combining them. That's what I would like to see.
 

El Grupo

Well-Known Member
You assume they are capable of building multiple rides in an immersive land for that investment. I have doubts, major doubts.

With the present management and overall development strategy in place, I share your doubts. However, if the rumored costs for the WWoHP are true, then Universal has shown how it can be done. Disney may just have to change their strategy when it comes to producing new attractions.
 

cheezbat

Well-Known Member
When I think of Hollywood, the stars walk of fame and the Chinese theater are the first things that come to mind. I loved how Disney once used the theater as a centerpiece to the park...regardless of it being based off of a real theater, it automatically reminds me of Hollywood and the movies.

The hat is just a giant waste of space.

The Earful tower isn't much better. Seriously...a water tower with Mickey ears as your park weenie? No thanks. I'd rather see ToT made the icon over them using the Earful tower. That thing has nothing on the Tree of Life or Cinderella Castle or Spaceship Earth. It's just a stinking water tower!
 

Beholder

Well-Known Member
When I think of Hollywood, the stars walk of fame and the Chinese theater are the first things that come to mind. I loved how Disney once used the theater as a centerpiece to the park...regardless of it being based off of a real theater, it automatically reminds me of
Hollywood and the movies.

The hat is just a giant waste of space.


The Earful tower isn't much better. Seriously...a water tower with Mickey ears as your park
weenie? No thanks. I'd rather see ToT made the
icon over them using the Earful tower. That
thing has nothing on the Tree of Life or
Cinderella Castle or Spaceship Earth. It's just a
stinking water tower!

I think the Earful tower was probably a result of the overall rush to get the park completed. I don't know this, just speculation, but it seems a likely reason. Budget and time may have prevented them from creating an attraction based icon. I like the Earful tower, but I understand what you're saying. Maybe someone else around here knows more about why this is?
 

c-one

Well-Known Member
When I think of Hollywood, the stars walk of fame and the Chinese theater are the first things that come to mind. I loved how Disney once used the theater as a centerpiece to the park...regardless of it being based off of a real theater, it automatically reminds me of Hollywood and the movies.

The hat is just a giant waste of space.

The Earful tower isn't much better. Seriously...a water tower with Mickey ears as your park weenie? No thanks. I'd rather see ToT made the icon over them using the Earful tower. That thing has nothing on the Tree of Life or Cinderella Castle or Spaceship Earth. It's just a stinking water tower!
I feel like they briefly tried making ToT the icon in the 90s, before the hat. Maybe I'm mistaken. At any rate, ToT seems a.) not fully representative of the park, and b.) a little too rundown and destroyed looking to be a gleaming park icon.

Water towers are a sort of studio icon. Studios are, as a rule, nondescript places. One of the few identifible things on a big studio backlot is its water tower.

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BryceM

Well-Known Member
Off topic, but what is DCA's icon? Mickey's Fun Wheel? Grizzly River Run's peak?

Aside from that, I don't mind ToT as the park icon. Though, since there is 3 other Towers, it wouldn't be unique.

I don't see the hat leaving anytime soon due to that reason... There is no other "icon".
 
I'm so torn with the whole hat vs theater debate.

Yes, the hat is borderline offensive. It's tacky and overstated. And it serves no purpose to the park, other than an eye catcher.

But the theater isn't Disney. It's a replica of Grauman's Theater in L.A. When I see the theater, I think of L.A. not of Hollywood Studios. I understand it's trying to tie to a pre existing trademark of Hollywood, but I think that the center of a Disney Park should be something unique. Something that only exists in the park. Something new and exciting. At least the hat has that going for it.

I vote for a new centerpiece, something taking the best of both ideas and combining them. That's what I would like to see.

I have to say that the most original idea would be to place the hat on the theatre, but I think that would be much more tacky! :p lol....

But I do agree with the last sentence completely. Disney's Hollywood Studios needs a new icon. I don't have any idea what could serve as this, but they can come up with something. Afterall, WDI created a 'tree of life' that is absolutely amazing and probably was very ambitious and stupid when they came up with the idea. Now we see how amazing it is.....
 

sponono88

Well-Known Member
Off topic, but what is DCA's icon? Mickey's Fun Wheel? Grizzly River Run's peak?

The original park icon was Grizzly Peak, although the Sun hubcap also held that title to some degree..

With the park expansion completed the Carthay is now recognized as the official park icon.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
I think the Earful tower was probably a result of the overall rush to get the park completed. I don't know this, just speculation, but it seems a likely reason. Budget and time may have prevented them from creating an attraction based icon. I like the Earful tower, but I understand what you're saying. Maybe someone else around here knows more about why this is?
The tower (non functional) was the icon since every studios had a water tower in the 30s for fire fighting. They all had their logo on the side, and thus the public knew which complex was which by the tower. It became the most recognisable part of a Hollywood studio.
 

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
I rember that the Earful Tower was there long before the park had opened. You could see it while driving up into WDW. It made us very excited about the new park they were gonna build!

That's a hidden advantage of the Earful Tower: it is visible from World Drive, it welcomes visitors into WDW, on their way to the MK and EPCOT. Functioning like a sculpted 3D version of the famous 'it all started with a mouse'. To drive to the MK, you pass by Walt's studio, where a dream factory is build on producing mouse cartoons.
Fantastic, an icon for a park, that serves a double function as a beacon for the entire World.

'Hidden' advantage, because the view from World Drive is mostly blocked by trees. Nothing that three Canucks in an afternoon can't fix!
 

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