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Pixar Studios expansion
- Thread starter Skyway
- Start date
PhilharMagician
Well-Known 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.
Disney owns the rights to the muppets now.
jedimaster1227
Active Member
I agree.
Plus, with the 20th anniversary of the park being next year...would be a nice tie-in for a celebration. :sohappy:
Well... We did make an announcement regarding the park's 20th anniversary at A Wild Decade... :animwink:
I have not looked into the alterations taking place at Pizza Planet yet, but the Al's Toy Barn will eventually be removed for a future use.
The Great Movie Ride's timeline has not yet been established aside from being listed as "soon." Like you said, soon could be 5-7 years in Disney's book, so thats how I've learned to view the word.
As for outside properties being brought in for the Great Movie Ride, it will most likely not happen. Mind you, some existing scenes will be updated or enhanced. Disney has enough memorable or popular properties that have achieved "greatness" to be brought to the ride, and they plan on milking those properties for all they are worth, rather than paying to promote outside films.
I apologize, as I meant to say that the staple scenes will remain. The staple scenes are the Western Takeover room and the Mugsy Takeover room. The Wizard of Oz will remain (touched up of course), and the Sorcerer Mickey scene will get some strong attention as well--but on that, I can't say more just yet. :zipit:
kcw
Member
I've never understood this; MGM was one of my favorite parks! My friends and I would go all the time and my family enjoyed it too... If anything, the "skippable" park for me is AK....:shrug:
DisneyAnole
New Member
Interesting that they would consider removing the Raiders scene given Indy 4.
And I'll be sad if Disney turns it into "The Great Movies of Disney Ride"...
cooleo
Well-Known Member
I read that quote too about the 20 year anniversary & didn't realize that I had actually read 20. :shrug: :lol: :hammer:
henryt93
Member
I agree with you, but the average WDW-goer needs a huge draw to go to a park. MK has tons, and Epcot has a bunch too. DAK has 3 or 4, but DHS (pre-TSM) only had 2, both major thrill rides. Because of that, they lost a large crowd of people not interested in thrill rides and who didn't necessarily know about all the things that we do.
jedimaster1227
Active Member
Raiders isn't going anywhere either. It plays a role in the Guide Retrieval, and that won't be changed.
mousermerf
Account Suspended
Did i already mention this?
Rumor has it that the second Pixar arch belongs over by HISTK playground and past GMR.
Rumor has it that the second Pixar arch belongs over by HISTK playground and past GMR.
EPCOTCenterLover
Well-Known Member
Gee, if all this work happens, I may return to the Studios my next trip!
Skipped it last time- and halfday the time before.
Skipped it last time- and halfday the time before.
jedimaster1227
Active Member
I've heard over by HISTK but not by GMR. One Man's Dream is the essential barrier between the GMR/Sorcerer's Hat Plaza and the entrance to the Animation Courtyard, where Pixar place is meant to begin at the existing arch. The large amount of Pixar theming that is beginning to show up is meant to provide a feel that the characters and theme of the studio company are bursting out of their stories into the park itself. The archways are the barrier that they are kept inside--almost as if Pixar Place were a land of its own... You'll see that happen more often as the park gets its updates. There will be distinct differences between areas of the park, much like you have with Magic Kingdom (except for far less radically themed areas).
Absimilliard
Well-Known Member
I think adding a clone of Crush Coaster (WDS) would be a VERY big mistake. Capacity is way too small (800-900 guests an hour only!), the ride is prone to breakdowns and one major issue: the ride is not accessible for guests who can't go down ladders or tiny spiral staircases.
Capacity can be improved by opting for the twin track version which WDSP didn`t need at the time. The attraction dosn`t "break down" as such; the WDI-added dark ride section timings are still being fine tuned; when a car gets ahead of itself before reaching the coaster section the ride naturally cascades.
Guests who can`t do staircases enter via the flat floored exit; it isn`t an issue.
I was pleasently surprised by how much I enjoyed the attraction, and the details I didn`t expect. For WDSP, the ride was a bonus D Ticket from the budget path management wisely decided to take and is helping to soak up some of the crowds as the park heads into what is shaping up to be its busiest ever summer by far.
Having said that, a clone of the theme isn`t top if the list for DHS. Strangely I can`t see how another theme would work in the main show building; by its very nature it needs to be dark, and water effects (or stars, like SM) are the only medium that work in this environment in lieu of a full - and expensive - show set installation.
I am really excited by all this talk! DHS is my favorite park, and deserves all the attention it can get now.
I have felt this way about most of DHS. I feel that they have been working around a very odd layout that was never meant for foot traffic in the first place. It would have been wonderful for DHS to get one of those "placemaking" projects like the big overhaul at DCA. But after seeing Lights Motors Action stuck in at the end of the streets of america, and the rehab of the old Hunchback Theater for permanent use, as well as using old buildings for Toy Story Mania and the upcomming American Idol show, it is apparent that Disney is more concerned about adding new attractions than fixing the park layout.
So at this point I am just excited to see the existing areas touched up and see some good, new attractions come in.
I have felt this way about most of DHS. I feel that they have been working around a very odd layout that was never meant for foot traffic in the first place. It would have been wonderful for DHS to get one of those "placemaking" projects like the big overhaul at DCA. But after seeing Lights Motors Action stuck in at the end of the streets of america, and the rehab of the old Hunchback Theater for permanent use, as well as using old buildings for Toy Story Mania and the upcomming American Idol show, it is apparent that Disney is more concerned about adding new attractions than fixing the park layout.
So at this point I am just excited to see the existing areas touched up and see some good, new attractions come in.
Absimilliard
Well-Known Member
The ride at Walt Disney Studios is not allowed for guests who can't walk on their own the lenght of the station. That is to make sure they can navigate, in case of a breakdown, the very narrow spiral staircases that access the ride braking zones.
Crush Coaster, in the tiny Walt Disney Studios gets 90-120 minutes wait, with no fast pass to slow things down even more. Seeing that WDW install fast pass on every new ride, how bad do you think the stand-by line would be? Fast pass gone within an hour every day?
This ain't rocket science and them having so many problems with such a basic model is embarassing! Phantasialand in Europe installed in 2002 a twin track model of the same ride Crush Coaster is based on... But, they went the fully custom way and added a bunch of stuff to the ride: Each track features an elevator to take the cars ups the first hill. Each track feature a tilting brake, where the track on a brake zone will do side to side or forward to back movement. It also has a section where the track will fall down and then move back up to allow the car to roll forward into the station. Its all part of a large eleborate building.
Crush Coaster, in the tiny Walt Disney Studios gets 90-120 minutes wait, with no fast pass to slow things down even more. Seeing that WDW install fast pass on every new ride, how bad do you think the stand-by line would be? Fast pass gone within an hour every day?
This ain't rocket science and them having so many problems with such a basic model is embarassing! Phantasialand in Europe installed in 2002 a twin track model of the same ride Crush Coaster is based on... But, they went the fully custom way and added a bunch of stuff to the ride: Each track features an elevator to take the cars ups the first hill. Each track feature a tilting brake, where the track on a brake zone will do side to side or forward to back movement. It also has a section where the track will fall down and then move back up to allow the car to roll forward into the station. Its all part of a large eleborate building.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
It would be next to impossible to redesign the layout of the park and keep it open at the same time.
Parks like a lot of the Six Flags parks can do it because they shut down for 5 months.
So they can do a certain amount of rerouting traffic patterns without disturbing guest flow.
Parks like a lot of the Six Flags parks can do it because they shut down for 5 months.
So they can do a certain amount of rerouting traffic patterns without disturbing guest flow.
Yep, if WDSP had gone for the twin track then capacity would be far better. I can only guess the budget decision EDLSCA took didn`t allow for it -as it is I`m pleasently surprised on how far they managed to stretch it - a C ticket, a D ticket and and E Ticket plus placemaking and a general park rehab. I just hope not too many guests will be put off after this summer when the park looks like it just won`t be able to cope. It got bad 3 years ago in peak season. This year looks like it`ll be overflowing. Hopefully it`ll be the final hurdle in getting phase 2 greenlit. Anyone care to bet on it postponing Disneyland Parcs hybrid mountain again??
DHS meanwhile is seeing the shortcomings of its original design; a half day park with half theme park half production center. New York Street was never designed to take foot traffic, let alone be a route to attractions. Same for Mickey Avenue. The park has been a victim of its own (theme park) success and a victim of the lack to attract productions to make the production side viable. You can`t say they didn`t try at the studio side, but shoehorning a full theme park in to the original plan will always be a comprimise.
Kind of makes you shudder to think they used to close the majority of the park for SitS...
DHS meanwhile is seeing the shortcomings of its original design; a half day park with half theme park half production center. New York Street was never designed to take foot traffic, let alone be a route to attractions. Same for Mickey Avenue. The park has been a victim of its own (theme park) success and a victim of the lack to attract productions to make the production side viable. You can`t say they didn`t try at the studio side, but shoehorning a full theme park in to the original plan will always be a comprimise.
Kind of makes you shudder to think they used to close the majority of the park for SitS...
wickedfan07
Member
Until recently I didn't even realize that New York Street was closed to foot traffic and that the Backlot Tour used to start in the current Animation Courtyard. Was when did the Streets of America open to foot traffic? And what used to happen on that section of the tour; did Guests just stare at the facades?
Hopefully DHS can overcome its layout problems. Out of the four parks it is definitely the most frustrating to navigate. Maybe navigation will improve after WDI has a chance to make more distinct lands. The fact that the park is boexed in my three roads and a parking lot isn't too helpful either. Hopefully the future brings a little more order to the park.
And one other question: What areas of the park were closed for Sorcery in the Sky? I guess it was an end-of-night finale like IllumiNations then; no sense in closing areas for the show just to have to reopen them again.
New York Street first opened to traffic on August 1st 1989; it closed again after peak season but reopend full time in late 1990. Mickey Avenue was opened in late 1989/early 1990. Prior to that the backstage tour (which as you found used to depart from where the animation entrance is today) was a full 2 hour attraction with no escape. Once you borded the tram you didn`t get back into the park until the 2 part tour was over.
Part of the tram tour took in New York Street and the town square - with no foot traffic it looked a lot more realistic and like a `movie set` - and in 1990 a D ick Tracey `hold up` was performed for tram guests on what is now the San Fransisco street. This was way before the backlot theatre was built, infact that land and all around it was designated for Muppet Studios.
Also notable was the original `Walt Disney Theatre` which was converted into `Here Come the Muppets` for May 25th 1990. This is the space now occupied by `Voyage of the Little Mermaid` but when the park opened it was a theatre as part of the backstage tour, showing upcoming movie trailers and acted as the tour finale.
Opening NYS and Mickey Av to foot traffic and adding HCTM was a short term, almost knee jerk, reaction, to coping with the parks small size and overwhelming popularity. Park hours were extended to 11pm and then midnight, but the parking lot was still closed regularly by mid morning. This was extended too.
A catch 22 situation was created when Sorcery in the Sky opened. DMGM first held a fireworks show on August 12th 1989, though it was then un-named; the show was added to, Mickey was installed and it was first performed with a name on May 29th 1990. The show was added to round off the day and to give extra entertainment to a park that had just one small theatre stage - the original Theatre of the Stars which closed May 3rd 1993 to make room for Sunset. SITS kept guests in the park longer, but also meant the tram tour was closed, and as the park expanded so was Mickey Avenue, the plaza infront of Animation and also the area around Muppet*Vision 3D and New York Street for safety since a large part of the shows pyro was launched from the rooftops of TGMR and the tour post production building. Basically, the park was open but the only thing to do was shop or watch the show from HollyWood Blvd or Lakeside Circle. This of course got very crowded, and only Sunsets opening in 1994 gave some breathing space before the regular show was replaced by Fantasmic!
Part of the tram tour took in New York Street and the town square - with no foot traffic it looked a lot more realistic and like a `movie set` - and in 1990 a D ick Tracey `hold up` was performed for tram guests on what is now the San Fransisco street. This was way before the backlot theatre was built, infact that land and all around it was designated for Muppet Studios.
Also notable was the original `Walt Disney Theatre` which was converted into `Here Come the Muppets` for May 25th 1990. This is the space now occupied by `Voyage of the Little Mermaid` but when the park opened it was a theatre as part of the backstage tour, showing upcoming movie trailers and acted as the tour finale.
Opening NYS and Mickey Av to foot traffic and adding HCTM was a short term, almost knee jerk, reaction, to coping with the parks small size and overwhelming popularity. Park hours were extended to 11pm and then midnight, but the parking lot was still closed regularly by mid morning. This was extended too.
A catch 22 situation was created when Sorcery in the Sky opened. DMGM first held a fireworks show on August 12th 1989, though it was then un-named; the show was added to, Mickey was installed and it was first performed with a name on May 29th 1990. The show was added to round off the day and to give extra entertainment to a park that had just one small theatre stage - the original Theatre of the Stars which closed May 3rd 1993 to make room for Sunset. SITS kept guests in the park longer, but also meant the tram tour was closed, and as the park expanded so was Mickey Avenue, the plaza infront of Animation and also the area around Muppet*Vision 3D and New York Street for safety since a large part of the shows pyro was launched from the rooftops of TGMR and the tour post production building. Basically, the park was open but the only thing to do was shop or watch the show from HollyWood Blvd or Lakeside Circle. This of course got very crowded, and only Sunsets opening in 1994 gave some breathing space before the regular show was replaced by Fantasmic!
wickedfan07
Member
Wow, I really didn't know any of that! Adding Fantasmic was a really great thing from a crowd control/park oprations standpoint. That's really interesting. Thanks for the info! :wave: