LucasLand Blue Sky Rumor @ DHS

[flavious27]

That's exactly what I've always imagined they'll eventually do (however the creek will probably fall on the outside of the entrance). That's a perfect scenario for expansion.

Anyone know why they built the park so close to the main roadways? DHS has an infinite amount of design mistakes, but landlocking the park with the roadways has to be the biggest. The park could've easily been built with future expansion in mind, but instead it was designed with barriers on 3 of the 4 sides. Brilliant! :brick:

It is the most logical way to approach it, though I think the toll booth maybe further back.

Well with the studio theme and setup, the attractions take up less room. We are taking about what we can do with 30 acres and with that land so much can be done that fits in with DHS.

Larger attractions can be added to the DHS and there is ways to expand the park in creative ways. This is one idea to redevelop the northwest section of the park:

The B&B Theater will be rebuilt into a permanent theater, that could be used for other uses like dinner shows. The hollywood hills amphitheater will be rebuilt into a multi level plaza that faces the south lake, for different shows and an original nighttime show. Finally, there will be land freed up for an e or d ticket attraction.

 

[Silver Figment]

I'd love to see some more Lucas representation, more Star Wars and a little more Jones.

 

[DisneyWales]

While I agree, and would love to see a much bigger representation of Star Wars at the parks, I think the biggest factor is royalties.

If you had to choose your own franchise where you get a larger cut of profit, over someone else's where you have to pay them for using the characters and brand, i think you would always choose to use your own.

Its not like Disney are short of their own characters who could benefit from an expanded presence in the parks.

Theres a whole world of Marvel they now have access to. (Universal licence agreement aside)

 

[JCorduroy]

With a giant wand over it...

At least say in theme - a lightsaber, of course.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Anyone know why they built the park so close to the main roadways? DHS has an infinite amount of design mistakes, but landlocking the park with the roadways has to be the biggest. The park could've easily been built with future expansion in mind, but instead it was designed with barriers on 3 of the 4 sides. Brilliant! :brick:

Ummm, I think the name Michael Eisner played a big part in the design and placement for this park. Not that there weren't some good ideas, but there were also several bad ones that seemed to make it into the finished product, much like DCA.

 

[DocMcHulk]

Ummm, I think the name Michael Eisner played a big part in the design and placement for this park. Not that there weren't some good ideas, but there were also several bad ones that seemed to make it into the finished product, much like DCA.

Wasnt MGM a "rushed" concept to counter Universal?

 

[maxairmike]

I've said it here, and in another thread, but I think the best way to redo the entry road is to have it in an entirely new location, which I've attempted to illustrate in the graphic here. You could use a new ramp to avoid a stoplight issue (as shown), or you could just use the POP stoplight and shape the road accordingly.

 

[disneyeater]

Back in 1985 it was designed as a studio facility, with an option for guests to tour the facility with a few attractions bolted on for good measure. By the time the theme park evolved it was too late.

Back in 1985, they thought by 2015 we would have flying cars so we wouldn't need those roads.

They also thought we would wear two ties, steal a sports almanac to take back to 1955, and be able to create 1.21 gigawatts of electricity using garbage, but that is not relevant to this discussion.

 

[DVCJohn]

I think the addition of "Lucasland" while not likely would finally make DHS a full day park. I was looking at a map of DHS and I got to thinking about the possible restaurant choices in that area. Just outside of the area of Star Tours is where Commissary Lane and Streets of America come together. Right at that intersection is Sci-fi Dine-in Theater Restaurant. I would suggest changing it to Mel's Drive-in from one of George Lucas's early films, American Graffiti. It would be an easy tie in to "Lucasland" and would not require much of a change to the current operation. I would add figures of some of the cast from the movie and hang a '56 T-Bird from the ceiling with a Suzanne Somers figure inside. This would IMO be a fitting addition and tribute to the work of a true film genius George Lucas.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Back in 1985, they thought by 2015 we would have flying cars so we wouldn't need those roads.

They also thought we would wear two ties, steal a sports almanac to take back to 1955, and be able to create 1.21 gigawatts of electricity using garbage, but that is not relevant to this discussion.

Actually they were more bothered about the Red Menace, pastel clothing and shoulder pads. And given the missile command control system in the Yellow Brick Road area of the park its entirely relevant.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I've said it here, and in another thread, but I think the best way to redo the entry road is to have it in an entirely new location, which I've attempted to illustrate in the graphic here. You could use a new ramp to avoid a stoplight issue (as shown), or you could just use the POP stoplight and shape the road accordingly.

This seems like a solid approach - I've only found my way to the actual entrance plaza once, it's always a mystery to us how to get there.

 

[maxairmike]

You can only enter through the large toll plaza if you're headed north on World Drive before Osceola Parkway crosses over (you would have had to exited onto World Dr. from its farthest point at I-4 or 192). Though it may have made a little more sense in 1989 when Osceola Parkway hadn't even been thought of, I really don't understand why they made the "main entrance" so inaccessible, and then kept it that way as the property around it changed.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Wouldnt it be smarter if Lucas just opened up his own park? :lookaroun

If Star Wars were really all that popular, you'd think he could. I wish he would.

To be clear, I like the first two Star Wars films (A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back). I don't have much use for the rest of them. Just sayin'.

 

[Magenta Panther]

:sohappy:

:sohappy::sohappy:

 

[flavious27]

I think the addition of "Lucasland" while not likely would finally make DHS a full day park. I was looking at a map of DHS and I got to thinking about the possible restaurant choices in that area. Just outside of the area of Star Tours is where Commissary Lane and Streets of America come together. Right at that intersection is Sci-fi Dine-in Theater Restaurant. I would suggest changing it to Mel's Drive-in from one of George Lucas's early films, American Graffiti. It would be an easy tie in to "Lucasland" and would not require much of a change to the current operation. I would add figures of some of the cast from the movie and hang a '56 T-Bird from the ceiling with a Suzanne Somers figure inside. This would IMO be a fitting addition and tribute to the work of a true film genius George Lucas.

There is a Mel's at universal, they will fight to keep it there.

 

[MansionGoer13z]

If Star Wars were really all that popular, you'd think he could. I wish he would.

To be clear, I like the first two Star Wars films (A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back). I don't have much use for the rest of them. Just sayin'.

The real George Lucas has been dead for years and was relaced by a George Lucas that isn't very creative, imaginative and produced 3 ho-hum Star Wars movies not to mention a bizzarre Indy film. George Lucas is now only getting rich off his own name.

 

[George]

I think taking the time to make a witty post like this is means that another quote and re-posting is worthwhile.

 

[George]

If someone ever does build the Death Star I hope it's this version -

with the trash compactor full of foam blocks and everything. Of course when the planet destroying gun pops out of it's holder signifying the destruction of the Death Star it may bonk an un-suspecting tourist on the head. I really shouldn't have given my Star Wars toys to my cousins. They weren't worth anything, having long been removed from their packaging and played with for hours, but they do bring back memories.

 

[flavious27]

This seems like a solid approach - I've only found my way to the actual entrance plaza once, it's always a mystery to us how to get there.

I wonder if victory way would need to be upgraded to handle the extra traffic. The mockup I made could have the south entrance drive extended to the top of the parking lot. Also, I wonder if disney could add a boating canal to Caribbean and possibly the pop century complex.

 

[maxairmike]

I used Victory Way simply because, even at park closing times, I have never seen traffic, so it would likely need minimal enhancements to handle the increase in traffic. The biggest issue with my mockup would be the "off-ramp" for the Studios entrance on the north-bound side, which would be a two-lane ramp. I do not know if there is truly enough room to do that, but that would certainly be a better traffic solution than a backed up stoplight. I don't think AoA will cause too much of a traffic increase on Victory Way, plus there is plenty of room to expand the road through there for an extra lane on each side if it would be needed to handle the traffic. Extending the current south entrance to the top of the lot is certainly a possibility, but it would still be a useless entrance unless you find a way to have traffic from south-bound World Drive and both sides of Osceola Parkway access it as well. Clearly the north "side entrance" just cannot handle the amount of traffic it gets, but it gets that much because it is the only convenient access unless you happen to be coming from 192 or I-4 north-bound, off property from an area where honestly, very little traffic comes from (in my experience).

The only existing issue would be figuring out how to re-route traffic on New Years Eve, as that is currently the outlet for EPCOT cast, and any guests coming from the east end of property and Buena Vista Drive.