Pixar Studios expansion

S

Skyway

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Does anyone have any firm details about the future expansion of Pixar Studios?

We've all heard the rumor about the Cars/Monsters Wild Mouse Coaster.

Is anything else being proposed?

It seems like a no-brainer that the outdated "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" playground could easily become "A Bugs Life". Put another "Pixar Studios" entrance archway near New York Street, and your new "land" is complete.

The Backlot Express (or whatever the outdoor restaurant there is called) seems perfect for a Pixar-themed restaurant. I saw that some permits were pulled for that location (removal of condiment bar?)

With the apparent removal of the characters on the exterior of "Pizza Planet", could they be relocating that restaurant? (Or is it possible that the Pizza Planet is only being made more dull-looking, so as to not confuse visitors trying to find the new Toy Story ride????)

Although the major "Radiator Springs Racers" Cars ride being built at DCA seems too big for DHS, I can't believe that Disney would not make duplicates of the two other, smaller "Carsland" attractions--- I believe one is a tractor spinner with Mater, and the other is an updated DL 1960's "flying saucer" ride with the aliens.

Anybody got any inside info?
 
WeLComeHomE OKW

WeLComeHomE OKW

Active Member
I do not have any insider information. But, I can offer some knowledge that I have obtained by reading FROM the insiders on this website.

It looks like Disney's Hollywood Studios is getting LOTS of cash to make sure it is up to the quality of a Disney Theme Park. This theme park was novel when it first opened, but since then, it has really only gone down in quality.

Pixar Place is going to be one of the main areas of focus, and it will not just last that little area you see now. The rumors, and info, that I have heard is that the Backlot Tour will be demolished and turned into something completely new. This probably won't happen until 2011 or so, just because they need to focus on other projects first.

The other, cheaper (and crappier if you ask me) option is that they just take out all the references now and turn it into a backstage tour "at pixar" using the same vehicles and making it extremely cost effective on disney's part.

It might be cool. But, it might also be horrible. I always say that if you have to work from a particular mold, it limits your creative ability. If they started from scratch, they have no limitations other than size.

Now, The 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' playlot has already changed names. It is now just a play area, and is no longer named after the film. It is very possible that they could just re-theme it to "A Bug's Life", although, I have not heard such things. In my mind, they should just get rid of that entire area and re-do it. Its old, it kinda sucks at this point. Just start from scratch and get us excited to visit every nook and cranny of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

One thing that I know for sure (as I used to be a cast member in MGM, just this last summer), is that they are building a "family coaster" in studio 1 right next to TSM. They have yet to decide exactly how it will be themed, but it will happen. Rumors have also indicated that this might take up some of the room of the Backlot Tour, which would make it seem like the Imagineers are leaning towards demolishing it, rather than simply re-theming.

Just in general though, it seems that Disney is trying to make "Disney's Hollywood Studios" have mini-lands, instead of kinda being random throughout the park. They are truly trying to put the "theme" in theme park. Pixar Place is only the first of the lands that they are (supposedly) planning. The only other "land" I have heard rumored is a "George Lucas/Steven Speilberg" land. Who knows what it would be called, if anything. But, its main focus would be from indiana jones all the way to star tours. Disney, last time i heard, was working very hard to get a deal put into place with LucasFilm and Steven Speilberg's main production company.

As of right now, they are keeping their lips sealed. But, i have a feeling that come october, some pretty big announcements will be made. Again, Jedi, Lee...you are more than welcome to comment on all of this. None of this is indeed fact. It is just a gathering of all the rumors I have heard about Disney's Hollywood Studios.

To be honest, this actually kind of frustrates me. Because I think the Great Movie Ride needs ALOT of work, and they are probably pushing that back right now to create other things. Hope this helps,

-WelcomeHome OKW
 
abreadcrumboi

abreadcrumboi

New Member
i think that DHS definately needs a few rides before they worry about the great movie ride.. and i was curious of what kind of themed lands everyone thinks would work or be cool (other than the pixar and the lucas/spielburg thmed areas)
 
jedimaster1227

jedimaster1227

Active Member
WeLComeHomE OKW said:
I do not have any insider information. But, I can offer some knowledge that I have obtained by reading FROM the insiders on this website.

It looks like Disney's Hollywood Studios is getting LOTS of cash to make sure it is up to the quality of a Disney Theme Park. This theme park was novel when it first opened, but since then, it has really only gone down in quality.

Pixar Place is going to be one of the main areas of focus, and it will not just last that little area you see now. The rumors, and info, that I have heard is that the Backlot Tour will be demolished and turned into something completely new. This probably won't happen until 2011 or so, just because they need to focus on other projects first.

The other, cheaper (and crappier if you ask me) option is that they just take out all the references now and turn it into a backstage tour "at pixar" using the same vehicles and making it extremely cost effective on disney's part.

It might be cool. But, it might also be horrible. I always say that if you have to work from a particular mold, it limits your creative ability. If they started from scratch, they have no limitations other than size.

Now, The 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' playlot has already changed names. It is now just a play area, and is no longer named after the film. It is very possible that they could just re-theme it to "A Bug's Life", although, I have not heard such things. In my mind, they should just get rid of that entire area and re-do it. Its old, it kinda sucks at this point. Just start from scratch and get us excited to visit every nook and cranny of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

One thing that I know for sure (as I used to be a cast member in MGM, just this last summer), is that they are building a "family coaster" in studio 1 right next to TSM. They have yet to decide exactly how it will be themed, but it will happen. Rumors have also indicated that this might take up some of the room of the Backlot Tour, which would make it seem like the Imagineers are leaning towards demolishing it, rather than simply re-theming.

Just in general though, it seems that Disney is trying to make "Disney's Hollywood Studios" have mini-lands, instead of kinda being random throughout the park. They are truly trying to put the "theme" in theme park. Pixar Place is only the first of the lands that they are (supposedly) planning. The only other "land" I have heard rumored is a "George Lucas/Steven Speilberg" land. Who knows what it would be called, if anything. But, its main focus would be from indiana jones all the way to star tours. Disney, last time i heard, was working very hard to get a deal put into place with LucasFilm and Steven Speilberg's main production company.

As of right now, they are keeping their lips sealed. But, i have a feeling that come october, some pretty big announcements will be made. Again, Jedi, Lee...you are more than welcome to comment on all of this. None of this is indeed fact. It is just a gathering of all the rumors I have heard about Disney's Hollywood Studios.

To be honest, this actually kind of frustrates me. Because I think the Great Movie Ride needs ALOT of work, and they are probably pushing that back right now to create other things. Hope this helps,

-WelcomeHome OKW
Click to expand...

Like you said, the Studios will be getting lots of money, and lots of attention over the next 5 years.

What I can confirm:
Pixar Place will expand to include at least one more attraction, and possibly an option for dining.
The Backlot will *eventually* get the axe. The space will be used for future development of the park.
The former HISTK play place may receive some touch ups, but it is functional, and essentially the least of the park's worries at this point.
Disney is trying to make the deal with Lucas encompass more than Star Tour's update. Remember that this deal would not only benefit WDW, but the other resorts where an attraction could be dropped in or overlayed. :animwink:
Spielberg has proven to be a tougher one to catch, since Amblin is tied to Universal Studios and its parks. Once the box office results for Indy 4 come out, the park will start to further their developmental plans for the franchise's presence in the parks. The first visible sign would be in the Indy Stunt Show, with a new set of scenes to add or replace some existing ones (keeping the more notable intro, but likely nixing the market scene or something the like).
The Great Movie Ride will get its enhancements soon, but the changes will not affect the storyline majorly. Expect the staple scenes to remain, with the WB-owned properties (including The Wizard of Oz) to stay as well. Just for your information, the western bandit scenario of the ride is in full working order once again, with the burning bank and all back in business. (Early restoration work on the ride already accomplished).
 
S

Spyne

Member
It's definitely good to know Disney's Hollywood Studios will be receiving its much needed attention. Possibly the park being crowned with its new name has been the beginning of a brighter future for the park. :D
 
ArnyVee

ArnyVee

New Member
Spyne said:
It's definitely good to know Disney's Hollywood Studios will be receiving its much needed attention. Possibly the park being crowned with its new name has been the beginning of a brighter future for the park. :D
Click to expand...

I agree. :)

Plus, with the 20th anniversary of the park being next year...would be a nice tie-in for a celebration. :sohappy:
 
WeLComeHomE OKW

WeLComeHomE OKW

Active Member
jedimaster1227 said:
Like you said, the Studios will be getting lots of money, and lots of attention over the next 5 years.

What I can confirm:
Pixar Place will expand to include at least one more attraction, and possibly an option for dining.
The Backlot will *eventually* get the axe. The space will be used for future development of the park.
The former HISTK play place may receive some touch ups, but it is functional, and essentially the least of the park's worries at this point.
Disney is trying to make the deal with Lucas encompass more than Star Tour's update. Remember that this deal would not only benefit WDW, but the other resorts where an attraction could be dropped in or overlayed. :animwink:
Spielberg has proven to be a tougher one to catch, since Amblin is tied to Universal Studios and its parks. Once the box office results for Indy 4 come out, the park will start to further their developmental plans for the franchise's presence in the parks. The first visible sign would be in the Indy Stunt Show, with a new set of scenes to add or replace some existing ones (keeping the more notable intro, but likely nixing the market scene or something the like).
The Great Movie Ride will get its enhancements soon, but the changes will not affect the storyline majorly. Expect the staple scenes to change, with the WB-owned properties (including The Wizard of Oz) to stay. Just for your information, the western bandit scenario of the ride is in full working order once again, with the burning bank and all back in business. (Early restoration work on the ride already accomplished).
Click to expand...

Can you confirm that Pizza Planet and AL's Toy Barn will either move to Pixar Place or be axed in teh immediate future?

So, I am assuming that for the next 2-3 years they will be focusing their main energy on Star Tours 2 and the family coaster in Pixar Place. And, that closing/destroying backlot will not occur until after these next 2-3 years.

How soon will The Great Movie Ride get their update? I heard, from a very reliable insider, that it would get some kind of update around 2012. In the scheme of things, that is kind of soon. But, it certainly isn't "soon" in my book. I was kind of hoping that this ride would see a MAJOR overhaul. Because, in my opinion, the scene rides are fine. Yes, they are outdated. But, the most concerning part of that ride to me is the ride vehicles themselves. They breakdown daily, and many times the show sees huge problems because of it.

I worked their last summer, and we had our fair share of big problems. The witch in the Wizard of Oz scene also has HUGE problems. She breaks down all the time. So, I think it is really important to give this thing the kind of money it deserves.

It is the whole reason Eisner built Disney-MGM Studios. As I am sure some of you are aware, the original ride was going to go into EPCOT as Mickey's Journey through the movies. But, when Eisner heard that Universal Studios was going ahead with their florida project, he made that ride the centerpiece of a new theme park to compete with Universal. So, in my mind, it certainly deserves the kind of money a "Space Mountain" rehaul would get.

Do you know if Disney is working with any outside media companies to fill in the scenes in the great movie ride? or are they using existing properties?

Also, I must mention, if any disney executives read this, that it is completely unnecesarry to spend time and money on any more dining options for Disney's Hollywood Studios. I think that, if anything, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom could use more up-scale dining options. I think everyone, including me, would agree that we would much rather see more attractions and new theming than any more restaurants. Prioritizing does wonders.
 
C

CaptainMichael

Well-Known Member
Would there be enought room between the IJESS and Star Tours for an Indy Adventure Attraction? I'd imagine that part of backstage would have to be moved for this to happen because the Cast building and parking lot is right behind that area.
 
C

CaptainMichael

Well-Known Member
WeLComeHomE OKW said:
I think everyone, including me, would agree that we would much rather see more attractions and new theming than any more restaurants. Prioritizing does wonders.
Click to expand...

Yes, but restaurants are the gift that keeps on giving (to Disney at least), and I imagine they are relatively cheap to design, etc. compared to a new attraction. I wouldn't mind seeing a PIXAR themed restaurant especially if it is a proper pizza planet...like the one in the movie. After seeing Midway Mania's queue, I have faith that they can do better than the current pizza planet....
 
WeLComeHomE OKW

WeLComeHomE OKW

Active Member
STR8FAN2005 said:
Yes, but restaurants are the gift that keeps on giving (to Disney at least), and I imagine they are relatively cheap to design, etc. compared to a new attraction. I wouldn't mind seeing a PIXAR themed restaurant especially if it is a proper pizza planet...like the one in the movie. After seeing Midway Mania's queue, I have faith that they can do better than the current pizza planet....
Click to expand...

As I do agree that a more official and proper pizza planet would be awesome, I must disagree that restaurants are more profitable than attractions.

yes, attractions take more money to make, and they see less immediate financial returns. But, if they make something that took a lot of effort, and money. It would bring up attendance, and the more they add to Disney's Hollywood Studios, the more the attendance will go up. Right now, it is the "skippable" park for the general disney world visitor. Even the Disney/MGM Studios manager (when i worked there) told me that this is statically the "3rd or 4th disney theme park a person will visit, if they have the time/money."

Also, the more attendance the park receives, the more market share the park will see, and the more bragging rights they will get. Also, the more attendance, the more money Disney will see on merchandise and food sales, no matter what.

So, for the future of the park, it is much more profitable and beneficial for the company if they enhance the park in whatever way they can. Cheap fixes like restaurants will not bring in new park visitors, but will only slightly raise the day-by-day profits, and operational costs of the restaurant and new employees will take away from that profit.

Especially since all the theme parks in the area (and around the world for that matter) are stepping up their game, disney can not sit back and expect their parks to always be successful, no matter what, just because of the disney name. It is not that easy. I could go into more depth, but for now, i will leave it at that.
 
the-reason14

the-reason14

Well-Known Member
I can not wait to see all these things come to pass. Im already really excited about TSM. Everyone knows that mgm is like the park that needs the most attention, I would even say to some extent more than AK. MGM is smaller, and I think all these things are a big step in the right direction. I hope for the best.
 
D

DisneyAnole

New Member
jedimaster1227 said:
The Great Movie Ride will get its enhancements soon, but the changes will not affect the storyline majorly. Expect the staple scenes to change, with the WB-owned properties (including The Wizard of Oz) to stay. Just for your information, the western bandit scenario of the ride is in full working order once again, with the burning bank and all back in business. (Early restoration work on the ride already accomplished).
Click to expand...

What are the staple scenes?
 
JCorduroy

JCorduroy

Active Member
My main inquiry regarding the studios is if there's any plan for Disney to truly leverage the Muppet license they have, other than just Muppet Vision 3D. I'd love to see an expansion out into the surrounding areas.

If Pizza Planet is indeed being de-themed, then it seems the perfect opportunity to have a Muppet restaurant. :)
 
TubaGeek

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
Skyway said:
Although the major "Radiator Springs Racers" Cars ride being built at DCA seems too big for DHS, I can't believe that Disney would not make duplicates of the two other, smaller "Carsland" attractions--- I believe one is a tractor spinner with Mater, and the other is an updated DL 1960's "flying saucer" ride with the aliens.
Click to expand...
YES!!! I had heard about that ride, and I've always thought it would be sweet to bring it back! I hope it comes through!
 
krankenstein

krankenstein

Well-Known Member
the-reason14 said:
I can not wait to see all these things come to pass. Im already really excited about TSM. Everyone knows that mgm is like the park that needs the most attention, I would even say to some extent more than AK. MGM is smaller, and I think all these things are a big step in the right direction. I hope for the best.
Click to expand...

As much as I personally want to see the money go to DAK for its future development and growth. I agree with your statement. With what Adam confirmed things are looking up. I just hope DAK isn't forgotten in all this shuffling. Oh, I'm really pumped about TSM too. I can't wait to get down there on the 19th and maybe ride it! :sohappy:
 

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