News Monster Inc Land Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios

[Sectorkeeper71]

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8 Years Later: Streets of America Facade Demolition Continues at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Some eight years after it first began, demolition of the former Streets of America facades now continues at Disney's Hollywood Studios

blogmickey.com

Unrelated to the main topic, but am I the only one that finds it creepy that there were just abandoned formerly on stage facades just living backstage?

It’s so strange how there’s just sections of studios that were part of the park but are now back of house and vice versa. But I digress

 

[EPICOT]

So you would have to walk through Monstropolis to get to Galaxy's Edge? Seems kind of random.

I think the IP lands park format works best when the main entrance to each land is from some sort of neutral central land, essentially like how Epic Universe will be.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

This turned terrible in the course of 24 hours. Keep the Muppets where they are!

 

[Sectorkeeper71]

So you would have to walk through Monstropolis to get to Galaxy's Edge? Seems kind of random.

I think the IP lands park format works best when the main entrance to each land is from some sort of neutral central land, essentially like how Epic Universe will be.

Agreed, problem is studios is a cluster**** of a layout. They’re trying to work with a pretty janky framework to put stuff into.

Though animation courtyard connects right to Hollywood boulevard, so that’s another thing it has going for it

 

[UNCgolf]

Sounds like it has indeed landed on Grand Ave but I don’t think it impacts Star Tours. While MuppetVision has excellent GSATs, the rest of the impacted area is underutilized (shuttered shops, PizzeRizzo, Melrose’s) and already looks like a city. They can easily build the new coaster here and reopen the shops (with monster merch that will sell) and have an on-theme QSR, TSR and M&Gs open.

I also think they may be planning to announce, now that HoP must be updated anyway, that the Muppets will move from DHS to MK to lessen the blow there, but that’s just my personal thoughts on why they haven’t announced MuppetVision’s closure.

This is probably going to make the park experience even worse for the average visitor. That's the opposite of what they should be doing.

 

[Inspired Figment]

Muppets could even be incorporated into the new figment ride…. Hey I would take that.

Now ‘that’ I would absolutely ‘not’ take or be a fan of.. this is what ruined the pavilion to begin with in 99’. The unneccesary IP shoehorning. This would be the same thing as say, Haunted Mansion getting replaced with a High School Musical themed ride, then a couple years later they shoehorn in the ghosts in it to “fix it”, it has clamoring/complaints from guests to restore it back for decades and then Disney instead goes.. ya know what, we should add Winnie the Pooh in there to replace the Honey I Shrunk theming. He’s popular but neglected film IP, the darkride is nearby etc.. yeeeah.. ‘not’ a good idea..
It should be restored back to its original 83-98 incarnation starring Dreamfinder & Figment with tech & spfx enhancements period. There’s absolutely ‘no’ need for any IP crossovers in the actual ride through, as has been proven within that pavilion twice now.

In regards to Muppet•Vision though. I honestly just say keep Waldo. Again, it should be kept the same for the historical value aswell as the memory of Jim Henson and the talent/qualities he & his team represented, but the film should be restored in 4K and maybe the spfx & AAs should be enhanced/upgraded too, but that’s it .

 

[WorldExplorer]

Isn't Gonzo a monster?

Based on their other decisions, that more than qualifies the Muppets for Monstropolis.

Keep it right where it is, build around it, spray paint the outside, and add some line about Kermit visiting Monsters Inc as a tadpole into the preshow. Boom! Genius, modern Imagineering.

 

[rct247]

I still strongly believe it will be Animation Courtyard. Here's my thoughts:

Why It's Not Muppets

• Replacing one 33 year old show that just had its seats refurbished. That building is very large is unaccounted for in concept.
• Would we be losing a quick service and a sit down restaurant to be replaced by just one restaurant?
• Ice Cold Hydraulics just opened.
• This area of the park was rethemed around 2017 to the Grand Ave, PizzeRizzo area, including the restrooms.
• Sci Fi and Baseline are still popular and don't line up with the concept art.
• The Door Coaster footprint would impact the parks service road.
• The facade being removed by the Muppets exit was in terrible condition not for this project.
• Any mention of it impacting Star Tours goes against the concept art people keep pointing to to show it would be the Muppets ctyd.
• The Stage 1 Studio Store may not be open but is used for some merchandise events and has not been gutted.
• Its a Wonderful Shop is technically gone including the name on the doors, but is still used as a place to meet Santa.

Why It Is Animation Courtyard

• Star Wars Launch Bay was designed to be drum up excitement leading to Galaxys Edge. It opened in 2015 and has had multiple exhibits removed and never replaced. The Launch Bay Theater still remains closed. It also has a huge untapped queue space. The operating hours have gotten reduced since it reopened after Covid.
• Disney Jr is still operating with its covid show that only lasts 10mins long. The Dance Party show never returned. The characters typically have a short time span on Disney Jr. The character meet and greets are not very busy. The building also used to be a restaurant and still backs up to the Brown Derby kitchen. Disney Jr could be relocated or represented elsewhere. It did get a refurbishment in 2019, but it's just a shell of itself with low attendance and limited show hours.
• The Cast cafeteria and the parking garage would still be able to exist and operate with this plan.
• The restrooms at Launch Bay have not received a refurbishment in over 15 years.
• The Studios Store and In Character stores have never reopened. The Studios store was stripped out to be used as a photo op location for Jollywood Nights.
• Walt Disney Presents did get new seats, it still could coexist and even serve as a preview space.
• Mermaid however never reopened. A show was announced to open this Fall but that date is no longer the case and was pushed back. The interior was gutted due to mold concerns following covid. Could this portion of the building be removed like Jack Sparrow was on the other side of WDP? We haven't even seen any progress to the exterior door this show yet.
• The space behind Launch Bay can accommodate a show building with some of Feature Animation possibly still existing, but otherwise could the building structure be utilized as a show building. The structure is usually hidden behind Mermaid, Launch Bay and some trees but could serve as a facade for the greater monstropolis skyline.
• The sight lines coming from Toy Story Land into Animation Courtyard have Tower of Terror rising above Disney Junior, but the spiked top lends itself to monstropolis architecture as well.
• Hollywood Brown Derby could also become a tragedy of this potentially becoming the sit down Harryhausens as a signature restaurant. Brown Derby was an opening day restaurant but is tired and no longer fits with the parks new identity. It also has not really been refurbished for some time.
• Animation Courtyard is a ghost town from park open to 10am and from 5pm to park close. There isn't even BGM in this section anymore.
• The facade for Monsters Inc matches the current facade of Launch Bay.
• The studio Soundstage look is old DHS that needs to go. Adding city facades to them will fix it.
• Monsters fits better with near by Toy Story Land and Pixar Plaza.

My questions are more with will the planned new Mermaid show, WDP, DJ, or Brown Derby become casualties?

 

[lazyboy97o]

I still strongly believe it will be Animation Courtyard. Here's my thoughts:

Why It's Not Muppets

• Replacing one 33 year old show that just had its seats refurbished. That building is very large is unaccounted for in concept.
• Would we be losing a quick service and a sit down restaurant to be replaced by just one restaurant?
• Ice Cold Hydraulics just opened.
• This area of the park was rethemed around 2017 to the Grand Ave, PizzeRizzo area, including the restrooms.
• Sci Fi and Baseline are still popular and don't line up with the concept art.
• The Door Coaster footprint would impact the parks service road.
• The facade being removed by the Muppets exit was in terrible condition not for this project.
• Any mention of it impacting Star Tours goes against the concept art people keep pointing to to show it would be the Muppets ctyd.
• The Stage 1 Studio Store may not be open but is used for some merchandise events and has not been gutted.
• Its a Wonderful Shop is technically gone including the name on the doors, but is still used as a place to meet Santa.

Why It Is Animation Courtyard

• Star Wars Launch Bay was designed to be drum up excitement leading to Galaxys Edge. It opened in 2015 and has had multiple exhibits removed and never replaced. The Launch Bay Theater still remains closed. It also has a huge untapped queue space. The operating hours have gotten reduced since it reopened after Covid.
• Disney Jr is still operating with its covid show that only lasts 10mins long. The Dance Party show never returned. The characters typically have a short time span on Disney Jr. The character meet and greets are not very busy. The building also used to be a restaurant and still backs up to the Brown Derby kitchen. Disney Jr could be relocated or represented elsewhere. It did get a refurbishment in 2019, but it's just a shell of itself with low attendance and limited show hours.
• The Cast cafeteria and the parking garage would still be able to exist and operate with this plan.
• The restrooms at Launch Bay have not received a refurbishment in over 15 years.
• The Studios Store and In Character stores have never reopened. The Studios store was stripped out to be used as a photo op location for Jollywood Nights.
• Walt Disney Presents did get new seats, it still could coexist and even serve as a preview space.
• Mermaid however never reopened. A show was announced to open this Fall but that date is no longer the case and was pushed back. The interior was gutted due to mold concerns following covid. Could this portion of the building be removed like Jack Sparrow was on the other side of WDP? We haven't even seen any progress to the exterior door this show yet.
• The space behind Launch Bay can accommodate a show building with some of Feature Animation possibly still existing, but otherwise could the building structure be utilized as a show building. The structure is usually hidden behind Mermaid, Launch Bay and some trees but could serve as a facade for the greater monstropolis skyline.
• The sight lines coming from Toy Story Land into Animation Courtyard have Tower of Terror rising above Disney Junior, but the spiked top lends itself to monstropolis architecture as well.
• Hollywood Brown Derby could also become a tragedy of this potentially becoming the sit down Harryhausens as a signature restaurant. Brown Derby was an opening day restaurant but is tired and no longer fits with the parks new identity. It also has not really been refurbished for some time.
• Animation Courtyard is a ghost town from park open to 10am and from 5pm to park close. There isn't even BGM in this section anymore.
• The facade for Monsters Inc matches the current facade of Launch Bay.
• The studio Soundstage look is old DHS that needs to go. Adding city facades to them will fix it.
• Monsters fits better with near by Toy Story Land and Pixar Plaza.

My questions are more with will the planned new Mermaid show, WDP, DJ, or Brown Derby become casualties?

Parts of Disney’s California Adventure’s entrance were refurbished after Buena Vista Street was announced. You can’t necessarily look to recent projects as evidence of something not happening because these decisions aren’t going through the same people and processes.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Parts of Disney’s California Adventure’s entrance were refurbished after Buena Vista Street was announced. You can’t necessarily look to recent projects as evidence of something not happening because these decisions aren’t going through the same people and processes.

I seem to recall hearing that carpet was replaced at Universe of Energy the week it closed.

 

[SpectroBro]

Interesting that they went out of the way to put a family-friendly attraction in the Cars area, but aren’t doing the same (as far as we know) for the Monsters area. God knows Studios needs more flat attractions.

 

[fatzingers27]

I think the choices of concept art they released pretty much point to it being Animation Courtyard. The birds eye view photo, that is meant to show the rough layout of the land, is clearly the AC proposal. The other photo is definitely from a Grand Ave proposal, but I think it was chosen solely to show the vibes of what things will be in the land. I might be reading too much into it, but I don’t see why’d you release a birds eye view of a land if that’s not at least close to what the finalized layout would look like.

 

[Scott the Lawyer]

I lurk much more than I post but I have enjoyed each of your thoughtful debate about the future MI location. If WDI had each of you in their planning meetings the future would be in good hands! And I mean that non-ironically.

Anecdotally I do think that MV may not be as popular among certain demos as imagined. Muppets are popular among GenXers and older millennials. My 12 and 8 year old have zero interest in MV. They think it’s outdated. They don’t find the Muppets as funny as I do. That 3d thing that flies around they (and according to them, their friends) can’t stand in particular. I’m in agreement with y'all that it would be a tragedy to lose for lots and lots of reasons (perhaps foremost, capacity); but surely they can’t be the only ones to think that, and surely that has to show up in WDW research. The kids are very excited, however, about Monsters Inc.

 

[CosmicDuck]

I lurk much more than I post but I have enjoyed each of your thoughtful debate about the future MI location. If WDI had each of you in their planning meetings the future would be in good hands! And I mean that non-ironically.

Anecdotally I do think that MV may not be as popular among certain demos as imagined. Muppets are popular among GenXers and older millennials. My 12 and 8 year old have zero interest in MV. They think it’s outdated. They don’t find the Muppets as funny as I do. That 3d thing that flies around they (and according to them, their friends) can’t stand in particular. I’m in agreement with y'all that it would be a tragedy to lose for lots and lots of reasons (perhaps foremost, capacity); but surely they can’t be the only ones to think that, and surely that has to show up in WDW research. The kids are very excited, however, about Monsters Inc.

If it was just about popularity they would have torn it out a decade ago when they did it in DCA. Or they would have at least bulldozed it when they were building galaxy's edge.

It is of incredible historical significance not only to the park but to the company. They understand just how much it means to people, there's only one place in the world to see Jim Henson's last project. The fact that it has survived THIS long is a sheer testament to how important it is, because it hasn't been important or "relevant" to any demographic for decades.

That's part of the alchemy of what has made Disney Parks special, it's that blend of nostalgia and old meets new. Quaint and modern. And that will always be our push and pull. If it was simply about what is the most cutting edge and popular, there's a place right down the road that specializes in just that.

Everyone understands on some level that at some point MV3D will absolutely go away. But it's always just about fighting to keep it just a bit longer, because if even one more person gets to experience it for the first time it will have been worth it.

 

[CosmicDuck]

Also - I know we can't link to his stuff but "he who must not be named" has said on their show tonight that they have heard from multiple sources that MuppetVision is completely safe and that this is going in animation courtyard. It's at least the most confident I've heard an insider so far, he said it in no uncertain terms.

Take that for what you will!

 

[BrianLo]

What are the odds that the theatre is reused for an entirely new Monsters show?

That would at least be a bit more lateral if they truly have settled on Muppets Courtyard

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

If it was just about popularity they would have torn it out a decade ago when they did it in DCA.

Depends on how you define “popularity”

California guests don’t flock to 3d films like they do in Florida - they literally beg guests to come to philharmagic at DCA but it still packs them in at MK.

 

[STITCHGEFAN]

During my last trip to HS, Animation Courtyard was empty. Surely, even if MI was being lined up for Grand Avenue, they'd prioritise plans for an underutilised part of the park first? Seems illogical for MI to be anywhere else based on that alone.

 

[Streetway]

What happens if it turns out to be animation courtyard? Will some of you have to cut sources?

 

[LSLS]

So it's kind of become obvious that management believes the only way to get people to pay the price of admission is having new things. The fact they think nostalgia play no part in people going is an interesting play (or maybe worse, they want their hand in everything in the parks so they will change anything older than their leadership just to change). It might be good for single visits, but will relying solely on new rides really keep repeat customers when there is nothing new? And if not, can you survive on new people only (and shrink that pool a lot further with the prices)?