HS never to be the same?

[bUU]

Watching videos of a theme park land/attraction is still not the same as experiencing it.

Of course, but there might still be an impact. We would love to travel the world, but we satisfy some portion of our desire by way of reading about places and viewing travel videos about places. It "is still not the same" but one likely reduces our consumption of the other.

I watched multiple videos of Pandora at DAK, but it didn't convey the experience, until I actually visited.

There are some videos that make places look better than they turn out being in real life, as well.

 

[Nick Garrick]

This is a very serious red flag. I mentioned in another forum a few weeks ago that I have practically no interest in following the progression of aerial photos of the construction progress of SWGE in Florida, as compared to how closely I followed the construction of SWGE in California. And I mentioned in another thread here this morning how Disney's intent for FastPass was disrupted by how exploits were promulgated through online communities. So rolling those together with what you've said, I cannot help but wonder to what extent enjoying attractions virtually through POV videos is depressing interest in visiting those attractions in person. I'm sure it'll never be a substantial impact, but even a small but significant impact can have repercussions.

I wonder if this is why Universal prohibits recording video on their attractions. (Of course, there are always enough people so full of themselves that they feel entitled to violate that rule anyway.)

I mean I’ll still go at some point but NOT at the beginning when the crowds will be horrible - unless it’s like DL and things are quiet. Doubt THAT. Lol

 

[bUU]

I think we'll do both. We booked an overnight on property a week after the opening - we'll do what we can do, but we'll keep in mind that "next time" it'll be less crowded.

 

[KCheatle]

It is sort of a catch 22. HS was pretty pathetic for a while there. And, I know I said on more than one occasion that they needed to do something to bring life back to it. In an ideal world, I would have liked that "life" to come via experiences, rides, attractions, etc., that fit the Old Hollywood theme, just like I prefer any additions to AK to fit the animal theme, any additions to Epcot World Showcase to fit the authentic wordly education theme, etc.

I don't think TSL or GE fit "Old Hollywood." I think they could have been more "Old Hollywood" with some tweaking. But, I think WDW decided on the topic they wanted to build with and then just placed it in HS because HS needed something (cough, cough...Frozen). I wish they would have started with the "Old Hollywood" theme, and then designed TSL and GE around that.

Yes, it was nice to walk onto rides like ToT or RnRC in the evening, but by the same token, there is something so disheartening about seeing a park at WDW with no one in it. As with so many things, there are pros and cons.

 

[marni1971]

It was great whilst (and when) it lasted. The millennium wasn’t kind to the park.

But no, it won’t be the same again.

 

[bugsbunny]

I concur. That shipped sailed 20 years ago. It's like MGM was built, opened, did the bare minimum to keep it running, and then decided after about 10 years that it was a lost cause. Even 15 years ago, one could look at the half assed TV Hall of Fame or whatever it was called where busts of once famous but now long since forgotten show business folks were displayed. Even then, they were basically just so out of place I doubt anybody ever even noticed them. Remember how great it was to travel to Hollywood Studios to see that bust head of Mary Tyler Moore? Of course you don't! I bet right now, people reading this have no idea who she is or what I'm talking about. But soon after the park originally opened, it was an integral point to the Hollywood theming. Right up there with putting feet and handprints in the cement in front of the Chinese Theater. That Hollywood personality thing that unfortunately died with the park 15-20 years ago.

At this rate, HS will be just be a hodgepodge of little unrelated mini-sections. I'm liking that Disney thinks you can easily tie in the mid 20th century art deco streets with Star Wars Land to give you a great overall feel of theming for the place

 

[JIMINYCR]

“Old Hollywood” is one of the best themes for a theme park. That romanticed era has a lot going for it and it’s just fun to walk around the old Hollywood areas of DHS and DCA.

If they could have used that as the anchor and built separate studio lands off of that - Animation, ABC, Lucas, Pixar - I think that park would have been a home run. What we are getting is not quite that. Ha.

I also miss the quaint old Hollywood feel that DHS once had. When things started to fall apart and MGM deal ended, I thought why not focus the park on different Disney eras. Would have been ideal to have a site for the past present and future of Disney studios.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I also miss the quaint old Hollywood feel that DHS once had. When things started to fall apart and MGM deal ended, I thought why not focus the park on different Disney eras. Would have been ideal to have a site for the past present and future of Disney studios.

My limited understanding was that Pixar Stidios would begin at the old Pixar sign and eventually expand into the old tram tour area.

Likewise a Star Wars / Lucas Studios would expand out from Star Tours.

This would also line up with the retheme of pizza plannet and “Muppet Studios” appearing on the maps.

I’m only guessing that the Mickey Mouse attraction was designed to be the anchor of Animation Courtyard, and was moved to the Chinese Theatre.

 

[Jobacca]

I was a weird kid...I grew up spending most of my time with my grandparents and mom watching old movies...I was the nerd in middle school who wore a fedora and bored the other kids by talking about Bogart movies. When MGM Studios opened I was all of 13 and it felt like a park built just for me. I do remember STAR TOURS hadnt even opened yet,but they had a massive wall showing the At-At and the Ewok Village that said COMING SOON...I was transfixed. The idea of a Star Wars theme park blew my mind. I got to go to Star Wars weekend one time after I graduated High School and it was maybe the best day of my life. I never could have imagined ANYTHING like Galaxys Edge.

That being said,as much as I love Star Wars,I do kinda miss the old Hollywood/Turner Classic Movies feel of the original park...losing TGM was a blow,but as others have posted Disney has no interest in building a park that caters to the over-55 crowd...kids today have NO idea who or what or when the classic era of Hollywood was about,so it makes no sense to keep the park frozen in time. I'm glad I got to go to it so many times over the years...it was always(oddly)my favorite park.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Disney has no interest in building a park that caters to the over-55 crowd

Which is odd, that age enjoys travel and has a large disposable income. The original WDW resort catered to them quite well.

As a 10 year old kid, one of my favorite attractions in all of wdw was catastrophe canyon. Don’t know why, it just was.

High school me loved the citizens of Hollywood with a passion. Adult me does as well..... what’s left of them.

In high school I would go to studios every afternoon of our vacations and watch the citizens and the public works shows back to back. Was honestly one of the reasons I wanted to continue going to Disney at that age... I had never seen live character bases improv comedy like that. Not sure where else it actually lives to be honest.

 

[Captain Neo]

MGM/H Studios was always lame to me even as a kid. It was like a wannabe Universal Studios with an anemic assortment of attractions. I'm thrilled with most of the changes (except for toy story land) and hope they further overhaul and change things.

 

[bUU]

It is sort of a catch 22. HS was pretty pathetic for a while there. And, I know I said on more than one occasion that they needed to do something to bring life back to it.

Excellent point. It is a shame that there isn't a way that we can see precisely how much money each person complaining about the changes spent at the park before the changes. That would really help put their comments in proper context.

It's a bit like the Carousel of Progress conundrum: Most passionate Disney fans would be horrified at the prospect of this attraction that Walt himself had so much to do with being once-and-for-all eliminated from the parks, but do they do the work expected of a patron in terms of attendance, over and over spending valuable park time visiting the attraction, purchasing attraction-specific merch, etc.? As things are now, we can consider Carousel of Progress to be a gift that we guests have no rights to expect to receive.

The "Old Hollywood" theme you referred to never garnered that kind of patronage either. Why should anyone think that it is a good idea to doubling-down on something people have already made clear doesn't drive their patronage? Credit to Disney for leaving that theme in place on Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard, and leaving in place the Streetmosphere players - at least for now.

 

[juniorthomas]

Yup, I couldn't agree more. I never understood the reasoning that the studio theme had to go away because it's no longer a working studio.

I'm willing to bet that most in Burbank were uncomfortable with an entire park highlighting studio production on the same grounds as their own, not particularly successful studio. Execs don't want an albatross like that - or even 1% of anything potentially negative - slowing their career advancement.

 

[Fox&Hound]

I understand where the OP is coming from, but DHS was such a sad state of affairs for so long that I am excited to see it get some love. I love the Hollywood vibe and I think it boasts some great rides (ToT, RnRC, Midway). I can't wait to see Mickey and the Star Wars rides come on board. I think it will be a nightmare from an overcrowding perspective for a while. But I am hopeful that WDW execs will realize this and keep adding. Connect Toy Story Land to RnRC via a loop path to help with guest flow. Update Mermaid, B&tB, and Indy since those shows are long past their expiration date. Shoot, even Frozen will be outdated in a year once the sequel comes out. Continue to add better food options to this park. Get rid of Launch Bay and the Animation courtyard and add an E ticket over there and some smaller B/C-tickets. Open up the path from Fantasmic to the front of the park on a daily basis so guest traffic flow can be improved. Add unique merchandise to the shops. Build on expansion plots.

I think DHS will go from being a bottom 3 or 4 place park for many guests to an exciting #2, or maybe even #1 (for those crazy enough to not have MK as their perpetual #1)

 

[Phonedave]

That being said,as much as I love Star Wars,I do kinda miss the old Hollywood/Turner Classic Movies feel of the original park...losing TGM was a blow,but as others have posted Disney has no interest in building a park that caters to the over-55 crowd...kids today have NO idea who or what or when the classic era of Hollywood was about,so it makes no sense to keep the park frozen in time. I'm glad I got to go to it so many times over the years...it was always(oddly)my favorite park.

I'm not in that over 55 crowd, but I can see them on the horizon

DHS suffers from almost the same problem as Innoventions does but in a different way - things change pretty quickly, whether it is cutting edge developments or what is currently the hot nostalgia

At one time the "Golden Days of Hollywood" were not that far removed. people could look back and say "I remember when it used to be this way. When I was a kid this is how it was". Those people are now in the wrong demographic. What's big right now - the 80's. Acid Washed Jeans, chunky sweaters, and leg warmers (oh god the leg warmers) and the music of the 80's - Things such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Stranger Things also support items from the 80's. However, 10-15 years from now, 80's nostalgia will be dead and we will be on to the next thing.

 

[DC0703]

There was a lot of that when the park originally opened in 1989. Other than the Great Movie Ride, which was a typical, if longer and more elaborate dark ride, all the other attractions had some kind of tie-in about showing you how movies and TV were produced. I don't know when this emphasis shifted, but by my next trip in 1996, the park's focus had begun to change from informative to purely entertainment. By that point in time, I think they had given up trying to make the park a viable studio. The back-lot tour was significantly shorter, the sound stages were gone (or at least, not part of the tour anymore) and with the Tower of Terror, the park now boasted a thrill ride that had no pretensions about providing any kind of behind-the-scenes education.

I think the problem with the park was two-fold. First, the studio, which was meant to be the heart of the park, never really took off. They had some odd productions here and there, but it never became a major production center. Second, timing was bad in that the park opened just as movie-making entered the digital age. The shift from practical effects to computers quickly made all of the educational attractions feel dated. Not to mention the rise of "making of" featurettes on DVDs and the internet, which proved to a better medium for showing the computer wizardry needed to make modern movies than a theme park soundstage. Clearly both Disney and Universal realized that a new focus was necessary to stay relevant, hence the shift toward entertainment and themed lands.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Honestly, I think SWGE will "save the park" along with TSL. It's been languishing for far, far too long. I'm not even sure offhand, the last time I was there. I think it was 2012 or 2013 (and we mainly went for the 50s PTC). Once TGMR closed down, what was left? HTT and RRC? Not into the other stuff, honestly. I believe I called it a "food court with a couple of attractions" last time we were there. A little unfair, perhaps. But how many times are you going to watching Indy? RSA closed a long time ago now.

 

[larryz]

Ok this is just me pondering last night after a glass of wine. Although it’s exciting that GE is opening (I guess?) but I started to realize that HS will most likely never be the same. I always enjoyed the “quaintness” of the boulevards, the old Hollywood feel & music, and the fact that sometimes it wasn’t always an overly crowded park & you could get a FP for RnR coaster, TofT & Star Tours all in the same day. I just think it’s kind of sad it’ll never be the same park that it was before GE. I liked the small influence of Star Wars before (the parade of troopers, the launch bay) but I wonder if it’s just eventually going to become Disney’s Star Wars Land? Lol
I hope not & it still keeps its character, and I know things must change to advance into the future, but still..
Just my ponderings from a Saturday night....

You can never stand in the same river twice.

 

[larryz]

I concur. That shipped sailed 20 years ago. It's like MGM was built, opened, did the bare minimum to keep it running, and then decided after about 10 years that it was a lost cause. Even 15 years ago, one could look at the half assed TV Hall of Fame or whatever it was called where busts of once famous but now long since forgotten show business folks were displayed. Even then, they were basically just so out of place I doubt anybody ever even noticed them. Remember how great it was to travel to Hollywood Studios to see that bust head of Mary Tyler Moore? Of course you don't! I bet right now, people reading this have no idea who she is or what I'm talking about. But soon after the park originally opened, it was an integral point to the Hollywood theming. Right up there with putting feet and handprints in the cement in front of the Chinese Theater. That Hollywood personality thing that unfortunately died with the park 15-20 years ago.

At this rate, HS will be just be a hodgepodge of little unrelated mini-sections. I'm liking that Disney thinks you can easily tie in the mid 20th century art deco streets with Star Wars Land to give you a great overall feel of theming for the place

Universal: "Nobody can show the public how movies are made like we can."
Eisner: "Hold my beer..."
Iger: "How much did that beer cost? Mind if I drink it? Chapek, get me another beer."

 

[erasure fan1]

Remember how great it was to travel to Hollywood Studios to see that bust head of Mary Tyler Moore? Of course you don't!

I do remember the Jim Henson bust. And I can say I was actually pretty upset when they removed it. Of course he is one of my creative heros. At one time the studios was my graceland with star tours and muppet vision.