News Monster Inc Land Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios

[celluloid]

I felt the post I was responding to wasn't talking about the last 20 years, but the last 5-10. Which has included: Avatar, SGE, TSL, Cosmic Rewind, Ratatouille, Tron, MMRR, and yes, the disappointing EPCOT refresh. A few of those attractions I believe to be on a similar scale as Everest, and I have hard time thinking of any attractions from the 2,000's outside of Everest that are on the same level. But my memory may be failing.

I think many of those more recent high quality attractions and investments that give me optimism about the new projects.

Yes. The last five to ten have been where most of the catch up has happened. That is why the parks are quick to replace so much that they see as stale. They are still playing catch up for the first decade and a half of meh. New Fantasyland kicked off this knee jerk rush replacement mode as the first response to the Wizarding World.

This is why the last five to seven years of the 20 are so heavy and you have a hard tim remembering much after Everest.

 

[celluloid]

On a positive note, humanity is now forever grateful to Disney and Bob Iger for finally ridding the world of Pizza Rizzo.

And they were the ones who created and approved it! Would be more grateful if they asked and expected some quality.

 

[celluloid]

Not officially yet. We know construction begins in 2025, but we don't know for certain that Muppets and RNRC are closing in 2025. If they are delayed to 2026, then 2025 will be the first year in 15 years where HS has 20 attractions

And if the best we can do is say the first time in fifteen years the park has 20 attractions again, maybe that is a sign and evidence of the failure of the last fifteen to twenty years.

 

[monothingie]

And they were the ones who created and approved it! Would be more grateful if they asked and expected some quality.

 

[Casper Gutman]

We spent 20 years begging for this coaster and got buyer’s remorse when it was finally announced? Then we said, “I hope it’s not just a ride replacing a 20-minute show,” and they said, “fine, you can have a new show AND the coaster,” and we said, “no, thanks.”

smh

The door coaster was ALWAYS a weak idea. Fans, especially collectively, are terrible Imagineers (just like they're collectively terrible scientists, terrible doctors, etc. - this isn't an isolated problem). They saw a coaster-like sequence on film and said, "build that!" with little or no further thought. The one interesting element of the idea - going through the doors - is absent from the ride. All of this is especially infuriating because Imagineers created a MUCH better Monsters Inc ride concept for Tokyo.

The fact that Disney is now just plucking out decades old forum ideas to build rides (Muppets in RnRC is another) is a disastrous development indicating severe creative bankruptcy. The era of Populist Disney is upon us, and it's awful.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Alas, poor Miss Piggy. Replaced with...an eyeball
View attachment 827393

yeah I feel like they could probably do something a little better there but whatever. A toppled Waternoose statue or being pulled under by tentacles. The eyeball motif is fine but not really a compelling sculpture.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I think most probably agree with the sentiment that the trend of everything being a unified IP land is tired, but I’m not really bothered by the appearance of this area. It looks like a nicely refreshed version of what is already there, and it blends well with whatever will remain of the original cityscape corridor just outside of it. It obviously begs the question of why it needs to be a Monsters land in the first place, but I don’t think it looks uninteresting. I suppose what you mean is that Monsters is not a fanciful enough IP to warrant converting this entire area when it could’ve just been placed into a more unassuming facade in the area and still worked seamlessly alongside Muppets, but that’s a bit different from the area looking uninteresting; if it is so now, then it always has been.

The area was designed to look broadly normal but be slathered in bright, silly, giddy Muppet nonsense everywhere. Disney removed all of that. Now they're bringing back a much more subdued, less clever version of the sane thing. It's all just a more boring version of the original Muppet area.

 

[Casper Gutman]

And THEN they said “Fine we will give the muppets a new home in another fan favorite idea in RNRC, and also (presumably) work with the Jim Henson Company to preserve the muppetvision show” and people said “nah”.
I get your sadness but it’s kinda frustrating. They are legit giving us EVERYTHING we asked for, even if the circumstances suck.

What I and many others here asked for is to leave classic attractions alone and add new ones.

People put a LOT of faith in vague, brief, offhand copy in a press release Disney is desperately trying to hide.

PS: I want to emphasize that point - everyone understands that they are hiding this announcement, right? So we know they are taking active steps to limit the negative reaction to the announcement. Why the heck wouldn't they they also just lie - or, to put it more kindly, include some "blue sky concepts" - for the same reason?

 

[Casper Gutman]

The key there is the 20 years.
20 years ago, the company was very different and beginning two decades of neglect that has lead up to the catch up and lackluster product we so often get now. 2004 Disney theme parks compared to now is very different.

In 2024 they hadn't just saturated the resort with coasters-in-a-box (and rides with height restrictions more generally).

 

[celluloid]

It is wild how many promises there are and the billions are going to all of the wrong places in the long run.

Muppets has more of a place in DHS line-up than Star Tours does as it i redundant and does not know who it i pleasing anymore as well as a height requirement. Muppets with upkeep is objectively superior attraction. With minor upgrades the distance between the two would be even further.

A family coaster is not something that the park that already has somewhat low(48 inch) and very low(38 inch) height requirement coasters.

Indoor sit down show that continuously runs and mixes all media formats it could is.
Even if you truly believe there is a 1 to 1 chance of a new show of that caliber to happen with Monsters(why would it?) the park can't afford the downtime of such attraction in its line up of limited offering diversity.

 

[monothingie]

The era of Populist Disney is upon us, and it's awful.

Populist Disney assumes that it is accessible and has mass appeal. Nothing in their recent history suggests that this is what Disney is looking to do. The record low brand perception and lower/flat attendance lean into opposite of this.

If anything a lot of what they've been doing (and failing at) shows how out of touch they are.

 

[celluloid]

In 2024 they hadn't just saturated the resort with coasters-in-a-box (and rides with height restrictions more generally).

2004* But yes. Exactly. And all based on properties of the last eight years. They were not afraid to have in-house IP with major attractions and reach deeper in the well when something good translated itself.

 

[celluloid]

Populist Disney assumes that it is accessible and has mass appeal. Nothing in their recent history suggests this. The record low brand perception and lower/flat attendance lean into opposite of this.

If anything a lot of what they've been doing (and failing at) shows how out of touch they are.

Hubris era is what it has been. Desperation and hubris due to neglect trying to insert whatever sticks.

 

[Gusey]

And if the best we can do is say the first time in fifteen years the park has 20 attractions again, maybe that is a sign and evidence of the failure of the last fifteen to twenty years.

Very true, especially when the attractions are mostly thrill rides with height requirements or stage shows. There isn't a lot of variety at HS.

For context:

• MK's most attractions was 40 between 2005 and 2008 (only difference was Timekeeper replaced by Monsters Laugh Floor) and they're currently at 36, soon to be 34 without Tom Sawyer and Liberty Belle.
• Epcot currently has 32 attractions, the most its ever have. It did have 30 between 2003 and 2007 before it went on a decline, so Epcot overhaul did end up adding more attractions to the park.
• Animal Kingdom's best year was 2019 at 25 attractions. It's currently at 23 but next year it will be down to 19 before Tropical Americas opens it will be back up to 22/23 if the playground gets built because the Fossil Fun Games are listed as an attraction and won't get a 1:1 replacement

 

[Centauri Space Station]

But there lies the problem. I haven't gone back to find it, but I believe DHS has LESS attractions than it had like 25-30 years ago (or at least the same amount maybe?). The problem is the development period you are talking about was a net negative from an attractions perspective. And that's what gets people mad. I love MV3D. Had they built stuff out, and just decided due to age, it was time, I'd be sad. I'd be upset. But I'd get it. I can argue all day at the quality of the transformation, but the bottom line is that the transformation is not adding capacity to improve guest experience. I'm glad this is at least adding something with this, but they need a lot more stuff.

I highly doubt this. 25 years ago they only had 5 rides and a few more shows.

 

[ChewbaccaYourMum]

We all might be taking the wording of "a whole new theater show" too seriously for what is to go into the current Muppet*Vision theater. Maybe it's not an actual show with people or puppets at all? I saw one person mention that Muppet*Vision is called a "stage/theater show" by Disney in it's description also.

Maybe this will be another 3D or non 3D movie/show like Muppet*Vision is, with some animatronics on the balconies or whatever. Roz and her voice are very popular and synonymous with the Monsters Inc. franchise and I could see them taking advantage of that with maybe an AA of her on the balcony the two Muppets are on now, criticizing the on-screen happenings.

Also my last thought is whatever this show will be will most likely have Pete Doctor heavily involved in the creative process, since this movie is one of his babies and he heads Pixar now. He is amazing and has been the Director of some of Pixars best movies. I am totally on board with that and I'm sure him and his close team will bring plenty of humor and heart warming emotion to this as well. I think that is a very important thing to remember with this whole thing and can't remember it being mentioned once on this forum.

 

[LSLS]

I highly doubt this. 25 years ago they only had 5 rides and a few more shows.

Someone mentioned if everything goes in, we would be 1 over 2007 levels, so I may be thinking 15 years ago. I don't have a list of defunct vs current attractions right now, but point is all the transformation really added a net 0 at best.

 

[monothingie]

Very true, especially when the attractions are mostly thrill rides with height requirements or stage shows. There isn't a lot of variety at HS.

For context:

• MK's most attractions was 40 between 2005 and 2008 (only difference was Timekeeper replaced by Monsters Laugh Floor) and they're currently at 36, soon to be 34 without Tom Sawyer and Liberty Belle.
• Epcot currently has 32 attractions, the most its ever have. It did have 30 between 2003 and 2007 before it went on a decline, so Epcot overhaul did end up adding more attractions to the park.
• Animal Kingdom's best year was 2019 at 25 attractions. It's currently at 23 but next year it will be down to 19 before Tropical Americas opens it will be back up to 22/23 if the playground gets built because the Fossil Fun Games are listed as an attraction and won't get a 1:1 replacement

Was the frontier land shooting gallery considered an attraction?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Was the frontier land shooting gallery considered an attraction?

Yes

 

[GoofGoof]

On a positive note, humanity is now forever grateful to Disney and Bob Iger for finally ridding the world of Pizza Rizzo.

Let’s hope so. What if it’s not really gone though. The place went from Pizza Planet to Pizza Rizzo when the land changed to Muppets what if they just kept the awful pizza and just changed the name to Pizza Roz or something Monsters related.