Stagnation / Redevelopment vs. Strategic Investment

[AndyMagic]

There seems to be a lot of talk about WDW parks getting "revitalized" and "redeveloped" and "re-imagined" lately. The Studios is essentially getting a DCA-style triple bypass surgery. Epcot is on the verge of some sort of... ummm... big thematic change. Downtown Disney took nearly a decade to settle on its redevelopment plans after sinking millions into failed designs and missed deadlines. I know long-term thinking isn't exactly common in mega corporations like Disney but there's got to be SOME sane people within the company that understands this isn't a sustainable way to do business.

If you have the means to build a beautiful house that you plan to live in and potentially resell, then a reasonable person would maintain the investment. They would update the fixtures every now and then, fix the roof, renovate the kitchen, upgrade the HVAC unit, and give it a fresh coat of paint every few years. What you WOULDN'T do is let it turn into Grey Gardens and spend years doing emergency repairs to prevent it from collapsing.

Disney's Hollywood Studios = Grey Gardens. It's been allowed to stagnate to such an extent that it essentially needs to be rebuilt. Millions upon millions will be spent and an immense amount of time and resources will be wasted trying to make it relevant again. Next up, Epcot's Future World.

 

[danlb_2000]

There seems to be a lot of talk about WDW parks getting "revitalized" and "redeveloped" and "re-imagined" lately. The Studios is essentially getting a DCA-style triple bypass surgery. Epcot is on the verge of some sort of... ummm... big thematic change. Downtown Disney took nearly a decade to settle on its redevelopment plans after sinking millions into failed designs and missed deadlines. I know long-term thinking isn't exactly common in mega corporations like Disney but there's got to be SOME sane people within the company that understands this isn't a sustainable way to do business.

If you have the means to build a beautiful house that you plan to live in and potentially resell, then a reasonable person would update the fixtures every now and then, you fix the roof, you renovate the kitchen, you upgrade the HVAC unit, you give it a fresh coat of pain every few years. What you DON'T do is let it turn into Grey Gardens and spend years doing emergency repairs to prevent it from collapsing.

Disney's Hollywood Studios = Grey Gardens. It's been allowed to stagnate to such an extent that it essentially needs to be rebuilt. Millions upon millions will be spent and an immense amount of time and resources will be wasted trying to make it relevant again. Next up, Epcot's Future World.

Personally I think if a park need a huge makeover, then something has been done wrong. There should always be a road map that allows the parks to evolve so that a extreme makeover is never actually needed.

 

[SCOTLORR]

Personally I think if a park need a huge makeover, then something has been done wrong. There should always be a road map that allows the parks to evolve so that a extreme makeover is never actually needed.

I agree, but DHS may deserve a pass. Had there not been a recession in our economy, the whole studio theme may still be in full effect and working. Once the real, living, working studio had to be shutdown, the park was exposed and thus got it to where we are today. Not giving it a full pass, but you can see how things went wrong here.

 

[AndyMagic]

Personally I think if a park need a huge makeover, then something has been done wrong. There should always be a road map that allows the parks to evolve so that a extreme makeover is never actually needed.

Precisely. Universal is the prime example of a company that has adopted a long term road map. One or two attractions strategically planned and spaced out evenly, renovations to existing attractions like Hulk and Spider-Man to keep them fresh, a new hotel planned to open prior to a new water park. THAT is how you run a business. You don't just blow up everything and start from scratch every 30 years.

 

[AndyMagic]

I agree, but DHS may deserve a pass. Had there not been a recession in our economy, the whole studio theme may still be in full effect and working. Once the real, living, working studio had to be shutdown, the park was exposed and thus got it to where we are today. Not giving it a full pass, but you can see how things went wrong here.

The entire country was hit by the 2008 recession and the "working studio" aspect of the park was effectively a facade from the start. If anything, the empty sound-stages should have allowed for more growth.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

The entire concept behind DHS and the relationship with MGM that brought it into existence were dysfunctional and fractured before the park ever even opened. The Disney Renaissance, economic boom times in the 90s, and well timed additions to the park that were huge hits were enough to overcome its inauspicious history and keep it afloat and vibrant for over a decade before time and corporate chaos finally began to take its toll.

 

[Jon81uk]

One of the other reasons why movie studios and backlot sets are less relevant now are tax breaks. Why do you think so much gets filmed in New Mexico.
Eisner trying to create a working movie studios just to tour guests round it was slightly doomed from the start. Universal Hollywood was a movie studio first and the attraction of tours was secondary income. And Universal Orlando was built as a theme park, they new trying to make it work as a Bscklot would be difficult.

 

[Variable]

I agree, but DHS may deserve a pass. Had there not been a recession in our economy, the whole studio theme may still be in full effect and working. Once the real, living, working studio had to be shutdown, the park was exposed and thus got it to where we are today. Not giving it a full pass, but you can see how things went wrong here.

To me what you want to give a pass for is the company resting on its heels.

 

[Princess Leia]

I really think HS could have been more developed in the 90s if it wasn't for corporate disagreements. MGM was there only in the name and Great Movie Ride for years until TCM happened. Roger Rabbit was supposed to have more of a presence, but Disney got into a disagreement over the character with Spielberg. Then Muppet Courtyard had been planned to include The Great Muppet Movie Ride as well as two restaurants, but those were cancelled as well.

While Disney definitely screwed up in not keeping the park up to date, I think it's mostly to blame on the 'making movies' concept, and when they built the park in the 80s, they couldn't have known that 30 years later, we would have access to that whenever we wanted online. The same goes for Future World. It was really too hard to keep up with rapidly changing technologies.

I don't see why they need to rename the park. The Hollywood theme is still partially there. It's just going to be more about the movies than making them.

 

[Goofyernmost]

To me what you want to give a pass for is the company resting on its heels.

I don't see where it is up to us to give them a "pass" or not. They can do what they want and we can either accept it or not accept it, but, it isn't our decision to make as to what they do and when they do it. Our only options are to accept it and continue going there, or reject it and find another place to go. Until that last one happens, they have no reason for them to care if you like it or not.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

The entire country was hit by the 2008 recession and the "working studio" aspect of the park was effectively a facade from the start. If anything, the empty sound-stages should have allowed for more growth.

Not Quite. WCW wrestling shows actually were taped at DHS through some point in 2000. They did do tapings for Hulk Hogan's old tv show called Thunder in Paradise. I know Lilo and Stitch was done at DHS also.

 

[Ralphlaw]

I see Studios as the place where many "what ifs" were to be placed. The Star Wars deal was probably considered and in the works for a long time. That was where it was going to go, so let's hold off on anything else. It was also a potential natural place for Pixar to take over, which it is, or even a Carsland like in California. Perhaps even a possible Harry Potter Land would have gone there if the Rowling deal had succeeded, and even a bigger Muppets presence was considered at one time. I could also see a potential deal for a major addition for the Marvel characters, assuming they could be freed up for the Florida parks.

The old theme of a "working studio" focusing on how movies are made needed replacing, but Disney wisely decided not to dump it all overnight. That theme is ebbing, and within a few years it will be seen that any vestiges of the movie-making process (the commissary to show where stars eat, Sounds Dangerous to show how sound is done, LMT to show how car chases are done, Indiana Jones to show how stunts are done) will likely be gone if not gone already.

Overall, I believe Studios was a relatively old slate that needed cleaning, and the bigwigs were waiting for the optimal theme to do it right. Star Wars is that optimal theme. In the meantime, Lights. Motor, Action was a nice fill-in, Midway Mania is a wonderful addition, and the rejigger of Star Tours showed us what random scenarios could do. But now, let's put StarWarsLand on the fast track. I hope that some type of Phase I addition could be opened soon.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I agree, but DHS may deserve a pass. Had there not been a recession in our economy, the whole studio theme may still be in full effect and working. Once the real, living, working studio had to be shutdown, the park was exposed and thus got it to where we are today. Not giving it a full pass, but you can see how things went wrong here.

The recession had nothing to do with it. The filming of living filming of stuff ended way before the 2008 recession. That live filming ended at DHS in the early 2000's. The working Animation studio part of DHS ended after Brother Bear was released.

 

[SCOTLORR]

The recession had nothing to do with it. The filming of living filming of stuff ended way before the 2008 recession. That live filming ended at DHS in the early 2000's. The working Animation studio part of DHS ended after Brother Bear was released.

Hmmm my bad. I had that wrong. Sorry for the lack of info on my part.

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

Something like this is needed to truly keep a park fresh and up to date. Sure you can maintain an attraction, but at some point that attraction becomes very dated and too costly to repair/update. At some point you cut your losses and tear down and rebuild.

 

[Variable]

Overall, I believe Studios was a relatively old slate that needed cleaning, and the bigwigs were waiting for the optimal theme to do it right. Star Wars is that optimal theme. .

Yeah, I think there could be some truth to this. But, there were certainly other opportunities, not to mention home grown imagination and non-IP driven, that would have the park full and vibrant AND TRULY expanding its boundaries today - not repurposing a combination of backstake/onstage areas.

I don't know that Star Wars was optimal as much as a MUST GET before Uni or someone else.

Optimal is not a business strategy in and off itself.

 

[Variable]

Hmmm my bad. I had that wrong. Sorry for the lack of info on my part.

You're not alone. There is a lot of poor -planning, implementation, decision making, business plan, ideas that should never have been funded, across the entire economy that are rather conveniently being blamed on 2007/2008.

 

[marni1971]

The working Animation studio part of DHS ended after it was closed down with no notice and most who worked there were laid off

Fixed that for you.

 

[Ralphlaw]

Yeah, I think there could be some truth to this. But, there were certainly other opportunities, not to mention home grown imagination and non-IP driven, that would have the park full and vibrant AND TRULY expanding its boundaries today - not repurposing a combination of backstake/onstage areas.

I don't know that Star Wars was optimal as much as a MUST GET before Uni or someone else.

Optimal is not a business strategy in and off itself.

I also think that themed lands is the trend. Harry Potter made that loud and clear, so we now have Carsland, with Avatarland and Star Wars Land coming soon. It's probably marketing. Amusement parks all over have good rides, shows and amenities, but to bring in the customers you have to have a big name something special to attract attention. Thus, someday it won't be that I went to Disney to see what all they had, it will be, "I went to check out the new Star Wars Land."

 

[Variable]

I also think that themed lands is the trend. Harry Potter made that loud and clear, so we now have Carsland, with Avatarland and Star Wars Land coming soon. It's probably marketing. Amusement parks all over have good rides, shows and amenities, but to bring in the customers you have to have a big name something special to attract attention. Thus, someday it won't be that I went to Disney to see what all they had, it will be, "I went to check out the new Star Wars Land."

Yep. I frequently hear or talk with people that went to or are going to see Harry Potter that couldnt differentiate between islands of adventure and studios. They went for potter, the rest was just Universal, and happen to be there.