Star Wars Land announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios

[Disneyhead'71]

Sounds great to me. So will DHS beat DCA's record for "Most Construction Walls in A Park"? Sounds like it!

So in your opinion, where will the construction start first?

Behind TSMM. In the next couple of weeks.

 

[Baltar]

Behind TSMM. In the next couple of weeks.

Sorry to hit you with another question but with the accelerated timeline, how much longer will One Man's Dream and Voyage of the Little Mermaid remain open? any guess?

 

[twebber55]

That whole confusing Phase 1, Phase 2, ....,Phase 4. Is now more like Phase 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, Phase 2. It was originally planned to be as one project was wrapping up, the next would start with about a 6 month overlap. That was to keep as much stuff open while still building. But that was a six year plan and operations had a hissy fit. Now, the phase one projects will all be started by the holidays of 2016. Huge swaths of the park will be inaccessible and what is open will be construction walls as far as the eye can see.

The good thing is the timeline has been significant compressed and we will get the joy of seeing Disney "BUILD LIKE YOU MEAN IT!"©. By Christmas 2018, DHS will be beginning to resemble a world class theme park.

do you mean holidays of 15 or 16?
seems like TSL would ve started before 2016

 

[Disneyhead'71]

do you mean holidays of 15 or 16?
seems like TSL would ve started before 2016

Right. What I was meaning is by 12/25/16, TSL, SWL, and the Mystery Project will all be under construction. But, yes TSL starts in a couple of week. Things get ugly after the holidays this year.

Caveat, TSL may be done by then if the stars align.

 

[OvertheHorizon]

Wow! I love "BUILD LIKE YOU MEAN IT!"© - that should become a thread title.

 

[DisDan]

New Park Name? "Disney's Build It Like You Mean It Adventure"...you know, because Adventure has to be in the name.

 

[Mikejakester]

That whole confusing Phase 1, Phase 2, ....,Phase 4. Is now more like Phase 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, Phase 2. It was originally planned to be as one project was wrapping up, the next would start with about a 6 month overlap. That was to keep as much stuff open while still building. But that was a six year plan and operations had a hissy fit. Now, the phase one projects will all be started by the holidays of 2016. Huge swaths of the park will be inaccessible and what is open will be construction walls as far as the eye can see.

The good thing is the timeline has been significant compressed and we will get the joy of seeing Disney "BUILD LIKE YOU MEAN IT!"©. By Christmas 2018, DHS will be beginning to resemble a world class theme park.

When you say "operations had a hissy fit" What exactly did they b!tc# about?

I honestly don't know why they don't always have this approach. Just minimize your time of clusterfudgness. Swallow the frog whole instead of eating it piece by piece. (I'm laughing because I am not sure if anyone will get that, kind of disgusting too).

 

[Disneyhead'71]

When you say "operations had a hissy fit" What exactly did they b!tc# about?

I honestly don't know why they don't always have this approach. Just minimize your time of clusterfudgness. Swallow the frog whole instead of eating it piece by piece. (I'm laughing because I am not sure if anyone will get that, kind of disgusting too).

They didn't want to have to operate a torn up park for 6 years. Now the major guest areas should be open by mid 2019 instead of 2021. My question is now that they got their wish, how are they going to pull this off. Shorter time, more construction walls and less attractions.

 

[Baltar]

They didn't want to have to operate a torn up park for 6 years. Now the major guest areas should be open by mid 2019 instead of 2021. My question is now that they got their wish, how are they going to pull this off. Shorter time, more construction walls and less attractions.

Somebody else mentioned this a few days ago but I think they should allow free parkhopping if you start your day at DHS. It's not a major thing but it at least acknowledges the lack of entertainment in that part during the height of construction.

 

[ctrlaltdel]

Honestly, this sounds like the best long term plan for DHS. It's gonna suck over the next few years, but it will be nice to have everything done in a short time frame. It will be a world-class park that much sooner.

 

[ctrlaltdel]

They didn't want to have to operate a torn up park for 6 years. Now the major guest areas should be open by mid 2019 instead of 2021. My question is now that they got their wish, how are they going to pull this off. Shorter time, more construction walls and less attractions.

So is the southern half of the park going to be completely shut down? Because that sounds like what's going to happen. Good on operations though. Much rather have a park that will be completely finished and top notch, than phased in over 6 years.

 

[ToTBellHop]

They didn't want to have to operate a torn up park for 6 years. Now the major guest areas should be open by mid 2019 instead of 2021. My question is now that they got their wish, how are they going to pull this off. Shorter time, more construction walls and less attractions.

Expect to see more offerings at the front of the park like Star Wars Months and Frozen Summer Fun so there is at least something to do. Hollywoood Blvd should be mobbed when guests have nothing else to do away from Hollywood and Sunset (other than Star Tours and Midway Mania). It'll be a REAL mess in 2016 and much of 2017 though until Toy Story opens to provide a bit of relief

 

[DisDan]

So essentially, 2016 could be one of the WORST years ever to visit WDW..... our family is planning a 2017 WDW trip....we are def. skipping 2016.

 

[Baltar]

Expect to see more offerings at the front of the park like Star Wars Months and Frozen Summer Fun so there is at least something to do. Hollywoood Blvd should be mobbed when guests have nothing else to do away from Hollywood and Sunset (other than Star Tours and Midway Mania). It'll be a REAL mess in 2016 and much of 2017 though until Toy Story opens to provide a bit of relief

I'm sorta glad I decided to skip the 2016 family trip! We might drop down for a weekend trip

So essentially, 2016 could be one of the WORST years ever to visit WDW..... our family is planning a 2017 WDW trip....we are def. skipping 2016.

Honestly, I didn't plan it this way but I told my wife back in January we should skip 2016 due to Pandora coming and because our oldest graduates from high school in 2017 and I said I'd rather have a lot grander 2017 trip than go in 2016.

 

[DisDan]

Expect to see more offerings at the front of the park like Star Wars Months and Frozen Summer Fun so there is at least something to do. Hollywoood Blvd should be mobbed when guests have nothing else to do away from Hollywood and Sunset (other than Star Tours and Midway Mania). It'll be a REAL mess in 2016 and much of 2017 though until Toy Story opens to provide a bit of relief

Not to mention Pandora also opening in 2017... so 2017 should be the first time in a while were we will have a slew of new experiences at WDW. That trend should continue right up until the 50th Anniversary of WDW.

 

[SJN1279]

I would love to see Star Wars Land to open on both coasts to coincide with Episode 9. The hype would be unbelievable!

 

[SJN1279]

After the years of complaining, this decade may go down in history as WDW's best ever when it comes to new attractions, and Disney's best for new acquisitions. Like him or not, you have to give Iger credit.

 

[Mikejakester]

They didn't want to have to operate a torn up park for 6 years. Now the major guest areas should be open by mid 2019 instead of 2021. My question is now that they got their wish, how are they going to pull this off. Shorter time, more construction walls and less attractions.

Sometimes I think too many people have their hands in the pot when it comes to making decisions - But I guess it worked out for the best in this case.

From an operations point of view this is great considering there have been "classified: by invitation only" meetings last week, and it looks like the main theme is "budget cuts". If you are able to close entire sections of a park, you not only decrease personnel/utilities/maintenance expenses but you'll be able to let your construction contractors work around the clock, instead of just after hours.

 

[ToTBellHop]

So essentially, 2016 could be one of the WORST years ever to visit WDW..... our family is planning a 2017 WDW trip....we are def. skipping 2016.

Well, we are getting Frozen, River of Light and nighttime safaris along with Disney Springs finishing up, so not that bad. Arguably, 2015 is a worse year to visit with the construction mess at DTD, nothing new at DAK yet, and DHS largely useless. It will only be marginally less enjoyable next year at DHS due to construction walls blocking the remnants of formerly useless attractions. But we get a Star Wars festival and pavilion as a small accommodation. Whether Captain Jack is open or bulldozed, I get the same use out of the space.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Sometimes I think too many people have their hands in the pot when it comes to making decisions - But I guess it worked out for the best in this case.

From an operations point of view this is great considering there have been "classified: by invitation only" meetings last week, and it looks like the main theme is "budget cuts". If you are able to close entire sections of a park, you not only decrease personnel/utilities/maintenance expenses but you'll be able to let your construction contractors work around the clock, instead of just after hours.

The audacity of someone trying to start up the "budget cut" train again is appalling. You are referring to a resort that is spending $3,500,000,000 over the next five years in addition to over $1,000,000,000 in spending already underway that will come to fruition by June 2017. You are whining over the budgetary decision to remove 20-year old Christmas lights to be able to spend the full $4,500,000,000 prior to the end of this decade instead of spreading it out into the early 2020s. Dear lord.