Muppets Mini-Land / Muppets Courtyard Additions & Refurbishments

[WDWtraveler]

Photo update as of Friday, June 2. While this photo is of the original Streets of America, it will become part of the Muppets Courtyard. Painting of the facades was ongoing today. Rather than the "weathered stone" fronts on the buildings, this fresh coat of white and light blue paint will make the Muppets Courtyard somewhat brighter and welcoming.

 

[danlb_2000]

Photo update as of Friday, June 2. While this photo is of the original Streets of America, it will become part of the Muppets Courtyard. Painting of the facades was ongoing today. Rather than the "weathered stone" fronts on the buildings, this fresh coat of white and light blue paint will make the Muppets Courtyard somewhat brighter and welcoming.


View attachment 207995

According to @marni1971 these are NOT becoming part of the Muppets Courtyard.

 

[Goofyernmost]

According to @marni1971 these are NOT becoming part of the Muppets Courtyard.

But they will be visible from there I think!

 

[PizzaPlanet]

But they will be visible from there I think!

Right, and there will be a new wall dividing the Courtyard from this neutal area.

 

[sedati]

Photo update as of Friday, June 2. While this photo is of the original Streets of America, it will become part of the Muppets Courtyard. Painting of the facades was ongoing today. Rather than the "weathered stone" fronts on the buildings, this fresh coat of white and light blue paint will make the Muppets Courtyard somewhat brighter and welcoming.


View attachment 207995

Don't assume that's the final appearance. They often do a base layer and add on top of it, or at least weather it a bit.

 

[Herbie]

I'm still a bit confused on the whole New York vibe and Golden Hollywood-transition to Star Wars.

 

[roj2323]

Photo update as of Friday, June 2. While this photo is of the original Streets of America, it will become part of the Muppets Courtyard. Painting of the facades was ongoing today. Rather than the "weathered stone" fronts on the buildings, this fresh coat of white and light blue paint will make the Muppets Courtyard somewhat brighter and welcoming.


View attachment 207995

That's going to be sharp looking!

 

[deWild]

If I may recap...

1. It sounds like Star Tours will be rethemed/demolished at some point in time after SWL opens.
2. Muppets Courtyard is staying put.

Thematically, having Muppets separate Star Tours from the rest of SWL would be a concrete no in my mind. Then again, from what I've read here it seems logical to keep the Muppets in operation, open SWL, and then decide what to do with Star Tours. Hell, maybe at that point Indy 5 will be in theaters and Bob can decide if an Indy style dark ride could takeover Star Tours.

I also am confused regarding the second entrance/exit into SWL. We know that one of the entrances will be a corridor using the previous SoA. Is the other entrance supposed to connect to the far side of TSL? Lastly, what becomes of the path through Pixar Place? Will this be rerouted once Toy Story opens to make way for additional expansion?

 

[ospopo5]

Pixar place lane will become backstage of TSMM once they reconfigured the entrance to the other side.

 

[MisterPenguin]

If I may recap...

1. It sounds like Star Tours will be rethemed/demolished at some point in time after SWL opens.
2. Muppets Courtyard is staying put.

Thematically, having Muppets separate Star Tours from the rest of SWL would be a concrete no in my mind. Then again, from what I've read here it seems logical to keep the Muppets in operation, open SWL, and then decide what to do with Star Tours. Hell, maybe at that point Indy 5 will be in theaters and Bob can decide if an Indy style dark ride could takeover Star Tours.

I also am confused regarding the second entrance/exit into SWL. We know that one of the entrances will be a corridor using the previous SoA. Is the other entrance supposed to connect to the far side of TSL? Lastly, what becomes of the path through Pixar Place? Will this be rerouted once Toy Story opens to make way for additional expansion?

ST has a few years of life after SWL opens... to deal with the onslaught of SW fanatics and to showcase the scene from Episode 9. Then it will be rethemed (or moved or trashed).

Muppet Courtyard is staying put. As you approach MC, you can enter it or go right around a wall and merge with Commissary lane and enter SWL through a large S-shaped entrance that will hide both lands from each other.

Pixar Lane will be closed off to the public and will be a back lot area for CMs to navigate. You'll enter TSL past the Chinese Theater and to the right of TSMM. TSMM's entrance will be moved to from inside TSL. You can walk all the way through TSL and enter SWL from the backside.

 

[BD-Anaheim]

I'm still a bit confused on the whole New York vibe and Golden Hollywood-transition to Star Wars.

I'm also a bit perplexed by it - it has me wondering if they are planning to retro the facades into a LA street scene rather than New York (although I think it was already confirmed previously that these will remain NY?)

 

[deWild]

Pixar place lane will become backstage of TSMM once they reconfigured the entrance to the other side.

Thank you!

ST has a few years of life after SWL opens... to deal with the onslaught of SW fanatics and to showcase the scene from Episode 9. Then it will be rethemed (or moved or trashed).

Muppet Courtyard is staying put. As you approach MC, you can enter it or go right around a wall and merge with Commissary lane and enter SWL through a large S-shaped entrance that will hide both lands from each other.

Pixar Lane will be closed off to the public and will be a back lot area for CMs to navigate. You'll enter TSL past the Chinese Theater and to the right of TSMM. TSMM's entrance will be moved to from inside TSL. You can walk all the way through TSL and enter SWL from the backside.

I figured management would want to keep it open to reduce some of the congestion. That would make the most sense. The S-bend entrance you're talking about though, will they incorporate this as a sort of 'build-up' towards the new land? Similar to walking through the Esplanade at MK before seeing the castle?

As for the backstage areas after TSL opens, it seems as though the backstage areas in DHS were poorly designed, if fleshed out at all. Having Pixar Lane as backstage would mean cast members would have to walk onstage at some point to reach their destination, right? I feel like MK, Epcot, and AK all have their backstage areas better hidden than the Studios.

 

[MisterPenguin]

As for the backstage areas after TSL opens, it seems as though the backstage areas in DHS were poorly designed, if fleshed out at all. Having Pixar Lane as backstage would mean cast members would have to walk onstage at some point to reach their destination, right? I feel like MK, Epcot, and AK all have their backstage areas better hidden than the Studios.

Problem with DHS is that it was built to be studios. It was perfectly fine to see endless pink stucco walls and back stage areas arranged in a haphazard way. No utilidors. No expansive set of lands connecting to a central hub.

So, now, they make-shift as they can. SWL and TSL was a good start in razing huge areas of back lot buildings and streets to nowhere. They'll eventually have to do the same for any future lands.

 

[Kman101]

I'd like to see the connect the dead end that is Sunset Boulevard to Animation Courtyard but that doesn't seem likely without a lot of things being moved. They seem to be trying to do a more spoke and hub layout with the additions of TSL and SWL. You can circle that part of the park but still have to walk down Sunset.

Sounds like Commissary Lane isn't changing or going away?

 

[deWild]

I'd like to see the connect the dead end that is Sunset Boulevard to Animation Courtyard but that doesn't seem likely without a lot of things being moved. They seem to be trying to do a more spoke and hub layout with the additions of TSL and SWL. You can circle that part of the park but still have to walk down Sunset.

Sounds like Commissary Lane isn't changing or going away?

Read my post on the bottom of the previous page. They could, in theory, connect Sunset to Animation Courtyard if some sort of forced perspective theming was created to have guests travel over/under the launch of RnR. There's quite a bit of land back there.
Granted, are they going to do this? Probably not, but it's just me being me.

 

[Kman101]

Read my post on the bottom of the previous page. They could, in theory, connect Sunset to Animation Courtyard if some sort of forced perspective theming was created to have guests travel over/under the launch of RnR. There's quite a bit of land back there.
Granted, are they going to do this? Probably not, but it's just me being me.

Very true. I wish they would. In my mind, a Hyperion Studios with the Mickey ride could have gone behind Animation Courtyard with that either becoming a Walt tribute area or Monstropolis, connecting it to Toy Story Land ... if only ...

 

[Herbie]

Very true. I wish they would. In my mind, a Hyperion Studios with the Mickey ride could have gone behind Animation Courtyard with that either becoming a Walt tribute area or Monstropolis, connecting it to Toy Story Land ... if only ...

The arch entrance in the Mickeys Movieland concept art is reminisicent of the arch to Animation Courtyard. I wish they would replace AC with Movieland, in general.

 

[LieutLaww]

The S-bend entrance you're talking about though, will they incorporate this as a sort of 'build-up' towards the new land? Similar to walking through the Esplanade at MK before seeing the castle?

Think of the S bend as more like Diagon alley, you can't see into the land from the entrance and as you move through the S Bend all is revealed.

 

[HMF]

Very true. I wish they would. In my mind, a Hyperion Studios with the Mickey ride could have gone behind Animation Courtyard with that either becoming a Walt tribute area or Monstropolis, connecting it to Toy Story Land ... if only ...

If only.. Indeed!

 

[ToTBellHop]

I'd like to see the connect the dead end that is Sunset Boulevard to Animation Courtyard but that doesn't seem likely without a lot of things being moved. They seem to be trying to do a more spoke and hub layout with the additions of TSL and SWL. You can circle that part of the park but still have to walk down Sunset.

That was the plan when the DHS project had four phases and $2.8 bn.