Hakunamatata
Le Meh
I don't think so. It was themed after areas of Cali.
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Is Disney's Hollywood Studios' theme a bit loose?
- Thread starter mharrington
- Start date
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Jim Chandler
Well-Known Member
Actually started out as WesCot a west coast Epcot became too expensive then became a Calif. theme park.
So based upon loose and tight DCA is a very loosely themed park in all areas. However they did change it in the early 2000 so more themes could be included.
Jim Chandler
Well-Known Member
Better read the history of DC you are wrong to say no
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I've been visiting and reading up on DCA since its opening in 2001. Been there since the beginning. To say DCA is loose like DHS is absurd.
Jim Chandler
Well-Known Member
DCA has evolved from a CA themed park which had non CA stuff to a more themed park (as I said) in the early 2000's. so I said it was loose but became tighter. Just clearing up what I said since you did not seem to understand. IMHO DHS is loose but it works
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
No... No, no, no. Just... NO.
Jim Chandler
Well-Known Member
Early changes and expansions
Disney spent the park's first several years of operation bringing several rides, shows, and attractions from other Disney theme parks to California Adventure with the goal of boosting its low attendance. Within the first year of operation, Disney's Electrical Parade and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! were brought to the park, and several of its original rides and attractions were closed, including Superstar Limo and Disney's Steps in Time. Over the next several years, other rides and attractions were added, including A Bug's Land in October 2002, which added rides geared towards children, as well as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in May 2004. Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! opened in the former Superstar Limo building in January 2006.
[edit]2007–2012 redesign and expansion
On October 17, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion redesign and expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park (against its initial $600 million price to build).[6][7] Each district was reimagined to transform the park from a veritable spoof of modern California culture to a romanticized, idealized version of the state, exploring specific time periods and historic settings. The project began in December 2007 and was completed in stages. Toy Story Midway Mania! opened on Paradise Pier in June 2008, in space formerly occupied by a store and restaurants. World of Color, a nighttime water and lights show on Paradise Bay, opened in June 2010. The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure opened on the site formerly occupied by the Golden Dreams theater in June 2011.
The most drastic changes to the park included a complete overhaul of the main entrance, Sunshine Plaza, and Paradise Pier, as well as an expansion into the last of the parking area originally designated as future growth space for the park. The main entrance and Sunshine Plaza were turned from a "giant postcard" spoof of California into Buena Vista Street, a representation of Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney moved there in the 1920s. Paradise Pier was turned from a comical representation of California boardwalks into a representation of Victorian seaside amusement parks of the 1920s, and some of the area's off-the-shelf rides were either removed outright (Maliboomer) or re-themed to have more of a focus on Disney characters (Mickey's Fun Wheel, Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings). Cars Land, an area that simulates Radiator Springs from the Cars film franchise, was added to the southeast portion of the park, and includes three new rides including the E ticket Radiator Springs Racers. Construction was completed in 2012 and the park was "re-dedicated" on June 14, 2012.[8] The park received a modified name, Disney California Adventure, and a new logo, first put into use on June 11, 2010 and promoted in a commercial promoting World of Color a few days prior.[9]
Raven you maybe a long time visitor but the history and what has happened from what it was supposed to be to what it became you are incorrect
Disney spent the park's first several years of operation bringing several rides, shows, and attractions from other Disney theme parks to California Adventure with the goal of boosting its low attendance. Within the first year of operation, Disney's Electrical Parade and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! were brought to the park, and several of its original rides and attractions were closed, including Superstar Limo and Disney's Steps in Time. Over the next several years, other rides and attractions were added, including A Bug's Land in October 2002, which added rides geared towards children, as well as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in May 2004. Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! opened in the former Superstar Limo building in January 2006.
[edit]2007–2012 redesign and expansion
On October 17, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion redesign and expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park (against its initial $600 million price to build).[6][7] Each district was reimagined to transform the park from a veritable spoof of modern California culture to a romanticized, idealized version of the state, exploring specific time periods and historic settings. The project began in December 2007 and was completed in stages. Toy Story Midway Mania! opened on Paradise Pier in June 2008, in space formerly occupied by a store and restaurants. World of Color, a nighttime water and lights show on Paradise Bay, opened in June 2010. The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure opened on the site formerly occupied by the Golden Dreams theater in June 2011.
The most drastic changes to the park included a complete overhaul of the main entrance, Sunshine Plaza, and Paradise Pier, as well as an expansion into the last of the parking area originally designated as future growth space for the park. The main entrance and Sunshine Plaza were turned from a "giant postcard" spoof of California into Buena Vista Street, a representation of Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney moved there in the 1920s. Paradise Pier was turned from a comical representation of California boardwalks into a representation of Victorian seaside amusement parks of the 1920s, and some of the area's off-the-shelf rides were either removed outright (Maliboomer) or re-themed to have more of a focus on Disney characters (Mickey's Fun Wheel, Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings). Cars Land, an area that simulates Radiator Springs from the Cars film franchise, was added to the southeast portion of the park, and includes three new rides including the E ticket Radiator Springs Racers. Construction was completed in 2012 and the park was "re-dedicated" on June 14, 2012.[8] The park received a modified name, Disney California Adventure, and a new logo, first put into use on June 11, 2010 and promoted in a commercial promoting World of Color a few days prior.[9]
Raven you maybe a long time visitor but the history and what has happened from what it was supposed to be to what it became you are incorrect
Hakunamatata
Le Meh
When quoting from another source not your own, it's proper to credit or link to said source....
Earlier in the wiki article you quoted, it does mention that Westcot was completely cancelled and DCA imagineered in its place.
PurpleDragon
Well-Known Member
Sarcasm is so hard to convey thru text. Sorry to those of you who thought I was serious.
I think the themeing of DHS is absolutely fine. Every attraction in the park has something to do with movies or television. Yes, if you start breaking it down to the smallest detail then yes the themeing isn't consistent. But as a whole each attraction fits the concept of being based around TV and movies. Universal is in the same boat with this generalized themeing. If you spend too much time and money trying to make the theme consistent across all attractions and venues, you will have dumped millions of dollars into something that would more than likely be overlooked by your average guest.
I think the themeing of DHS is absolutely fine. Every attraction in the park has something to do with movies or television. Yes, if you start breaking it down to the smallest detail then yes the themeing isn't consistent. But as a whole each attraction fits the concept of being based around TV and movies. Universal is in the same boat with this generalized themeing. If you spend too much time and money trying to make the theme consistent across all attractions and venues, you will have dumped millions of dollars into something that would more than likely be overlooked by your average guest.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Imagine if a TRON coaster was being built instead of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. In Fantasyland it would be out of theme. In a studio park it can e excused because "they're all movies."
As to Disney's California Adventure, I don't see your point.
That was once a point of pride for Disney.
Hakunamatata
Le Meh
i totally agree. But I also think that Walt was such a visionary that he would have recognized that as society modernized the need for intricate flow of theming would not be as important. I am of a generation that really enjoys the total immersion in the theme. My kids on the other hand, really don't sem to get that same rush from seeing a highly themed trash can or light pole.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Your kids, like many others are not able to identify what they get the rush from specifically, but they get the rush. Later when they have time to contemplate will realize that the rush came from the entire package.
That said, I don't for a minute, believe that it has to be a situation for an entire park. Walk in WWoHP and you are immersed, but you sure weren't immersed before you got there. You went through other areas that were themed tightly to their own story, but not the park as a whole. Just the section or in this case the attraction that you are currently in. If you make an attempt to theme everything exact to the alleged theme of the park, you automatically limit your scope of possibilities. Everything would get old really fast.
Disney, in the last few years, has made an effort, but not enough, to theme an area. I stated in a long ago previous post that WWoHP even went so far as to theme the cigarette receptacles in the smoking areas to the exact theme of the land. That is where Disney has let down, IMHO.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Having separate lands is part of Islands of Adventure. The Islands or Lands of the Disneylands are what is missing in a studio park. A one off attraction wouldn't make sense in these parks but a it could in a studio park if tied to the right intellectual property.
Dragonrider1227
Well-Known Member
It is pretty loose and anything goes but honestly, that's what I like about it. You're hanging with The Muppets one moment, and the next, flying in the world of Star Wars. If that's not cool I don't know what is.
Although I have thought it would be cool if Disney re-themed the park to be "Where the characters work." I mean, they should establish that this is where Mickey and his friends film their cartoons
Although I have thought it would be cool if Disney re-themed the park to be "Where the characters work." I mean, they should establish that this is where Mickey and his friends film their cartoons
PurpleDragon
Well-Known Member
This is basically my thoughts on this. Expecting Disney to theme every ride in the park to match an overall park theme would make things seem boring and repetitive and would not allow them to theme each ride area to the ride itself (i.e Star Wars queue). Find one park in America that currently has a consistent themeing across all attractions and is doing as well as Disney is.
I mean I'm a huge fan of themeing an area around an attraction and having total immersion into the story. But to expect the same attention to detail to apply to an entire park theme is a bit nitpicky in my mind and takes away from the individuality of each attraction within the park. If they kept the requirement of attractions having to meet the overall park theme of "The Hollywood that never was..." then we would still have a park with only 2-3 attractions like DHS did when it first opened.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Disney's Animal Kingdom. Islands of Adventure.
PurpleDragon
Well-Known Member
Yes because having a random parking lot in the middle of the park with cheesy fair rides and games keeps with the whole theme of the park.
Islands of adventure just took the concept of individually themed attraction areas (just like Disney), and broke them up into "islands". There is no central park theme, only individual attractions with their own themes with the word "island" tacked onto the end.
PolynesianPrincess
Well-Known Member
I enjoy the theme of Hollywood Studios. Sunset and Hollywood Blvds are (other than Main St) two of my favorite themed areas in WDW. I think a lot of the attractions and shows fit the theme there. They all have to do with Hollywood in some way or another. Now if they were to add DinoLand USA to the park, that really would stick out like a sore thumb there. At least everything there now ties into television or music or movies 
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
To be honest, I think that an argument can be made that DHS stays in the theme more then any other park in the place. Which is probably why they have the fewest things to do (not counting DAK or course). Epcot sure as the hell isn't EPCOT anymore and MK has become a hodgepodge of things that only fit because they have lands, but even those become suspect on occasion.