Rumor: Details on Disney's Hollywood Adventure

[PhotoDave219]

$2.8B feels like a lot for "just" Star Wars and Pixar. That's $1.4B each, which is almost double what Avatar is getting.

Plus infrastructure.

And I'm completely fine with dropping $1B+ on Star Wars.

 

[djkidkaz]

So what was the final cost of Toy Story Playland and Carsland out of curiosity?

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Personally, I'd greatly appreciate a thematic nod to the original Disney-MGM Studios entrance gate; Pixar Studios and Lucas Films would each have their own studio entrance off Hollywood Boulevard.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Good. Great. Excellent. now hurry up and build it!

Gonna be awhile.

Have a cookie while you wait.....

 

[anchorman314]

Oh look, squirrel!

Oh, I get it. So what you're really saying is all the money will be going toward converting DHS to Up-land? That is awesome news!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Plus infrastructure.

And I'm completely fine with dropping $1B+ on Star Wars.

I'd say DHS is more infrastructure-prepared for expansion than DAK was. DAK was a daytime park that needed to become a nighttime park and the construction is all being done in a jungle-like environment. DHS needs... parking? All their buildings are "themed" as show boxes anyways so there's not much to do on that front.

 

[doctornick]

No clue.
Although...I suspect he's confusing WDW with DCA.
I've heard nothing about anything other than Star Wars and Pixar at DHS.

If you will allow me to be so bold as to ask a follow up question @Lee ....

Are you saying "I've been told that only Star Wars and Pixar is coming to DHS so don't expect any other IPs" or are you saying "the only information I have heard is that Pixar and Star Wars are coming to DHS, but I haven't heard updated info to know if other IPs are also coming".

With the large $2.8B amount being agreed to, my inclination is to think that some things beyond the planned/expected Star Wars and Pixar stuff would be on the table.

 

[UpAllNight]

I'd say DHS is more infrastructure-prepared for expansion than DAK was. DAK was a daytime park that needed to become a nighttime park and the construction is all being done in a jungle-like environment. DHS needs... parking? All their buildings are "themed" as show boxes anyways so there's not much to do on that front.

It's a complete mess to walk around though.

Maybe not for people who visit regularly. But most visitors aren't like that, and it's a tad confusing.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'd say DHS is more infrastructure-prepared for expansion than DAK was. DAK was a daytime park that needed to become a nighttime park and the construction is all being done in a jungle-like environment. DHS needs... parking? All their buildings are "themed" as show boxes anyways so there's not much to do on that front.

I don't know what specific infrastructure things they plan on doing.

 

[Lee]

If you will allow me to be so bold as to ask a follow up question @Lee ....

Are you saying "I've been told that only Star Wars and Pixar is coming to DHS so don't expect any other IPs" or are you saying "the only information I have heard is that Pixar and Star Wars are coming to DHS, but I haven't heard updated info to know if other IPs are also coming".

The second one.

With the large $2.8B amount being agreed to, my inclination is to think that some things beyond the planned/expected Star Wars and Pixar stuff would be on the table.

Do not underestimate the infrastructure costs.
They are facing a likely total reworking of the park's entrance roads and parking.
Almost certainly the construction of at least one new parking garage plus other additions.

That stuff adds up quick.

 

[stretchsje]

Oh look, squirrel!

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

So if I'm combining my rumors correctly:

- The DHS makeover is slated to be finished by ~2021.

- A "blue sky" Guardians ride was originally conceived to replace The Great Movie ride, but that now can't happen for five years due to the Turner Classic Movies sponsorship. Thus, this can no longer be the location of the Guardians ride.

- We have heard on-stage areas will become backstage, and vice-versa, so it's possible this ride concept will fit elsewhere. However...

- @Lee, @PhotoDave219, and others have not heard anything about this for DHS. Makes me think a "blue sky" project was canned or there would be more whispers. All we know is @articos sees a squirrel! Maybe this "squirrel" is going under the radar because it is not an expansion. For example...

- Separately, rumors have surfaced of Rock n Roller Coaster getting rethemed to someone or something other than Aerosmith. I don't recall if these rumors have ever been substantiated by a trusted source on this site, but they're out there.

- A reimagining of RnRC couldn't happen until other new attractions within the park open as there are already far too many attractions already closed. They couldn't lose RnRC until something new, a "Phase one" opens. Still, work could finish by 2021 despite a very belated start seeing as the track and show building already exist.

- That said, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be released in 2017. That might make for a reasonable year to announce the ride.

 

[Kman101]

Because a lot has been said over the last few weeks/months/years on this topic, didn't WDW1974 state that the Star Wars budget was separate from any money that would go towards a DHS rebuild? This was said before the recent board meeting. Has that changed and all the monies are now together in the same budget? Not trying to confuse matters, just wanting some clarification.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

- @Lee, @PhotoDave219, and others have not heard anything about this for DHS. Makes me think a "blue sky" project was canned or there would be more whispers.

@articos seems to be hinting otherwise, and he's usually spot-on.

 

[Brer Panther]

Here's an idea, Disney... How about starting construction on the new stuff and THEN closing the old stuff? Do you WANT Universal to dominate the theme park industry?

Sadly, construction would probably have started by now if the Imagineers weren't doo busy working on that stupid Frozen ride.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

So if I'm combining my rumors correctly:

- The DHS makeover is slated to be finished by ~2021.

We havent heard a timetable but that's the working assumption.

- A "blue sky" Guardians ride was originally conceived to replace The Great Movie ride, but that now can't happen for five years due to the Turner Classic Movies sponsorship. Thus, this can no longer be the location of the Guardians ride.

Lots of things are blue skied constantly. Its not indicative of anything other than its being looked at.

- We have heard on-stage areas will become backstage, and vice-versa, so it's possible this ride concept will fit elsewhere. However...

Correct.

- @Lee, @PhotoDave219, and others have not heard anything about this for DHS. Makes me think a "blue sky" project was canned or there would be more whispers.

My Bothans are laying low as the Empire is keeping a watchful eye on things. Absence of information is exactly that, absence. Doesn't indicate anything one was or the other.

- Separately, rumors have surfaced of Rock n Roller Coaster getting rethemed to someone or something other than Aerosmith. I don't recall if these rumors have ever been substantiated by a trusted source on this site, but they're out there.

We've heard that off & on for years.

- A reimagining of RnRC couldn't happen until other new attractions within the park open as there are already far too many attractions already closed. They couldn't lose RnRC now, but they could begin a retheme of RnRC as late as 2019 and still finish by 2021.

Going with that idea..... you'd be reducing capacity and taking away one of the few remaining headliners at that park for 18-24 months.

- That said, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be released in 2017. That might make for a reasonable year to announce the ride.

The only way I can see a GotG-based attraction coming is if the next movie is a crazy success like the first one.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Here's an idea, Disney... How about starting construction on the new stuff and THEN closing the old stuff? Do you WANT Universal to dominate the theme park industry?

Sadly, construction would probably have started by now if the Imagineers weren't doo busy working on that stupid Frozen ride.

We've been over this a million times - Disney does not CARE what Universal does.

I suggest patience.

Edit: Any more Marvel fawning and I'm gonna make a kickstarter to fund the amount of whiskey it takes to try and answer this endless speculation.....

 

[doctornick]

Here's an idea, Disney... How about starting construction on the new stuff and THEN closing the old stuff?

Realistically though, DHS needs a totally reworking. And it's tough to do that without closing significant amounts of attractions so they can be demolished and a new setup built. DHS has been expanded piecemeal since it opened and (quite frankly) that option isn't working well. The layout of the park sucks and needs mulligan and a fresh restart.

I do think, however, that they shouldn't close anything unless they are prepared to do construction immediately. No reason for the Backlot Tour (for example) to close if they weren't going to start work on that space right away.

 

[TabulaRasa]

Has there been any rumblings about the validity of MuppetVision being shuttered? I really feel like the area should be expanded, not gutted. It's one of the best themed areas in DHS.

 

[Jeffxz]

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

So if I'm combining my rumors correctly:

- The DHS makeover is slated to be finished by ~2021.

- A "blue sky" Guardians ride was originally conceived to replace The Great Movie ride, but that now can't happen for five years due to the Turner Classic Movies sponsorship. Thus, this can no longer be the location of the Guardians ride.

@articos addressed this issue in the other thread, but it seems it needs to be repeated here:

I keep trying to put sponsorship in the proper perspective here. If the company has plans to replace an attraction, a sponsor will not keep it intact just because they want to write a check. The company will then say to the potential sponsor "We are making some changes, but here are some ideas on what we want to do in the future, and how we can incorporate your branding/IP, what do you think?" A sponsor coming in would not be able to say "We want this, you have to keep it here!" no matter how large a check they want to write.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Has there been any rumblings about the validity of MuppetVision being shuttered? I really feel like the area should be expanded, not gutted. It's one of the best themed areas in DHS.

Nope. No indication of it one way or the other.