Studio Backlot Tour Closing on September 27, 2014

[DisneyFanaticUK]

I'm quite sad that BLT is closing, I'm too young to remember the "glory days" of the ride, but its always been one of my favorites due to the fact that I always got to see some pretty neat movie props. Between this and Maelstrom I'm really unsure if Disney is heading in the right direction, I know that change is a good thing, but an announcement for BLT's replacement would have been appreciated.

I don't even have time for one last ride and I haven't been to Disney in three years

 

[GoofGoof]

Not sure about last year but in 2013 the track ran along the tram path for a section including through the costuming warehouse.

Maybe they could just add some "hurdles" this year. You have to jump over the piles of construction waste. Spice the race up

Based on this, if they don't file something to change the race route then we know construction won't start in 2014. Not a good sign for a "quick" turnaround.

 

[kbelle]

It has been officially confirmed internally that the Studio Backlot Tour will be closing forever on September 27, 2014 to make way for something new in the near future. What will this involve? That's something we will need to figure out, but it will take time...

We just went on that for the umpteenth time in August- never got tired of it. There is so much unused space there I see no reason why they have to take away that attraction. They should use the money to update the Graat Movie Ride or bring back the Power Rangers for the little ones.

 

[216bruce]

Why has no one mentioned a monorail line expansion here? It's obvious...

 

[wm49rs]

Would that partial copy be the entirety of this upcoming project or just part of a bigger build up? Using other Pixar elements along side Toy Story?

What I've heard is that TSP is it....

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm quite sad that BLT is closing, I'm too young to remember the "glory days" of the ride, but its always been one of my favorites due to the fact that I always got to see some pretty neat movie props. Between this and Maelstrom I'm really unsure if Disney is heading in the right direction, I know that change is a good thing, but an announcement for BLT's replacement would have been appreciated.

I don't even have time for one last ride and I haven't been to Disney in three years

It would be unusual for them to announce the replacement before the ride even closes. Jaws was closed and demolished long before any official word from Universal came out. It seems to be the way these companies operate these days. We will have a good idea what's coming long before anything officially gets announced.

 

[CDavid]

Maybe they could just add some "hurdles" this year. You have to jump over the piles of construction waste. Spice the race up

Based on this, if they don't file something to change the race route then we know construction won't start in 2014. Not a good sign for a "quick" turnaround.

Or the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, which happens sometimes in large corporations, and those in charge of the races weren't made aware of the closures.

 

[GoofGoof]

Or the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, which happens sometimes in large corporations, and those in charge of the races weren't made aware of the closures.

Good point. Disney seems especially prone to something like this. I also suspect this size project is probably being driven from Anaheim while the race stuff is handled in Orlando. If that's the case there are probably some RaceDisney people scrambling this morning.

 

[DisneyFanaticUK]

It would be unusual for them to announce the replacement before the ride even closes. Jaws was closed and demolished long before any official word from Universal came out. It seems to be the way these companies operate these days. We will have a good idea what's coming long before anything officially gets announced.

Its just disappointing to see classic rides that you have been riding on since childhood go away. I now understand how the fans of older rides like Horizons, Journey into Imagination 1.0 and Mr Toad's Wild Ride felt when those rides closed.

I'm a bit of a Star Wars nerd so an announcement would be awesome, and the Toy Story speculation is interesting. Regardless, DHS is still one of my favorite theme parks in the world.

 

[flyerjab]

What I've heard is that TSP is it....

If this is what is happening, would the addition of Toy Story Playland be viewed as a quality addition to this park? Would it also be expected to be an exact clone from the other locations? This land is also in DLP and HKDL? I am no world traveler (except for WS ) so I don't know what these lands are like in the other Disney Parks and the internet can only let one experience so much.

 

[Mike S]

What I've been predicting for years? Infrastructure first, expansion second? Could just be a false alarm I suppose though.

What infrastructure work went on in DHS since 2008? MM+ wasn't until later and even then I don't see an excuse for them to have not built anything. Even if whatever replaces BLT opens in 2018 (if they start working NOW) that would still be a 10 year gap between new rides at the park. Along with AK's 11 year gap between Everest and Avatar and Epcot's 9 year gap between Nemo and Frozen (technically just a refurd but I'll include it anyway) this is painfully slow and I see absolutely no excuse for it.

I know, it's like they looked up the word "investment" in the dictionary or something! VERY happy about this news, the potential for an expansion of this magnitude (Backlot was pretty huge) almost makes up for that Frozen announcement.

Not to me

It is about time that the Studio Tour closed. With how much has been cut out of it over the years it should have closed a long time ago

This may seem silly, buy I hope Walt's plane gets showcased somewhere.

Walt's plane should definitely still be displayed somewhere on property.

No way. The hat is a classic. If they remove it I'm never going back to DHS. I'm going now to start an online petition to save the BAH. People will sign it since they are over the Maelstrom news and need something to overreact about.

Never forgive, never forget.

Let me speculate for you on the future of the studios. The best thing to replace The Back Lot Tour is Cars Land. It only takes up 8 acres in Disneyland and the Back Lot Tour is 10.75. You could even retheme Lights Motors Action to Cars themed. Further more, you could hit a 2.5 acre Monsters Inc doors themed coaster Next to story mania. There is that much room. They recently filed permits to double the height of the American idol building, so I expect a more formal Anna and Elsa show to go there. Finally with StarWars land, all you have to do is knock down the backlot express restaurant and the already closing Indiana Jones stunt spectular (we have permits for that already happen).. There's the room for your StarWars land.. The loss of back lot express is taken care of by all new cars land dining venues.
Also, you still have enough room to do all of this, and still leave all of streets of America.

I'm not saying all of this will happen, but where the permitting and leaks are leading me to.

I wouldn't want all of Cars Land. If they really wanted to bring over Radiator Springs Racers as a Pixar Place E Ticket, fine. But the rest of the space should be for different Pixar properties, not just Cars.

What I've heard is that TSP is it....

Well that's underwhelming but completely expected from TDO

It would be unusual for them to announce the replacement before the ride even closes. Jaws was closed and demolished long before any official word from Universal came out. It seems to be the way these companies operate these days. We will have a good idea what's coming long before anything officially gets announced.

In the case of Jaws destruction/construction started almost immediately. Looking at Avatar for evidence I doubt that will be the case here.

 

[Bocabear]

TSP seems like a cheap placeholder for something that could be better...Pixar has many films...we already have a Toy Story themed ride at the Magic Kingdom and Midway Mania at the Studios... I think they should move Monsters Inc Laugh Floor out of tomorrowland where it makes no sense at all,over to the studios and maybe the rumored door coaster and then expand out into a Carsland attraction...represent more than one film...

 

[GoofGoof]

If this is what is happening, would the addition of Toy Story Playland be viewed as a quality addition to this park? Would it also be expected to be an exact clone from the other locations? This land is also in DLP and HKDL? I am no world traveler (except for WS ) so I don't know what these lands are like in the other Disney Parks and the internet can only let one experience so much.

If they just build Toy Story Playland I can guarantee that a lot of people on this board will want to riot. There are a lot of adults here who don't have kids so would see it largely as a waste for them. The general public will probably eat it up, but they will eat up the Frozen replacement of Maelstrom too and that went over so well here.

IMHO, DHS does need more rides. If they build out Pixar place with a number of new rides it should help some. The big 3 headliners all have height restrictions and GMR scares the heck out of a lot of little kids. DHS desperately needs kids stuff. 2 things little kids could do were BLT and HISTK play area which are both rumored to be gone now. I know people would rather see 3 or 4 D or E tickets added, but it's not realistic. I think what the park needs is an area with multiple smaller, C ticket sized attractions plus one high end family dark ride. I would prefer they spread the wealth and have several Pixar properties represented as opposed to having a Toy Story Playland but the Playland part is needed.

 

[Mike S]

TSP seems like a cheap placeholder for something that could be better...Pixar has many films...we already have a Toy Story themed ride at the Magic Kingdom and Midway Mania at the Studios... I think they should move Monsters Inc Laugh Floor out of tomorrowland where it makes no sense at all,over to the studios and maybe the rumored door coaster and then expand out into a Carsland attraction...represent more than one film...

And put Timekeeper back in his old Tomorrowland spot

 

[Matt]

Sad to see it go but it needed to be put out of its misery. Was a shell of a formerly great ride.

Bring on Star Wars and or Pixar Land

 

[FrankLapidus]

So, if these rumours are true, we're getting another underwhelming placeholder in place of the Backlot Tour and Pixar Place will essentially be nothing more than a mini Toy Story land? Fantastic.

 

[wdw47]

Toy Story Playland is really underwhelming at the Studios in Paris. It would be a major disappointment if that is what they have planned. Really hoping it is used for bigger and better ideas.

 

[flyerjab]

If they just build Toy Story Playland I can guarantee that a lot of people on this board will want to riot.

The fascinating part about @GoofGoof 's post it that aside from the notification that the BLT is closing, nothing has been officially announced about anything taking its place, and I can already sense the tenor of this thread turning.

 

[GoofGoof]

Toy Story Playland is really underwhelming at the Studios in Paris. It would be a major disappointment if that is what they have planned. Really hoping it is used for bigger and better ideas.

The concept of a Playland area works, but the ride lineup doesn't. They need more capacity then TS Playland in Paris. There are numerous Pixar based rides around the world they could clone.

 

[tl77]

So is "Lights, Motors, Action" next? I don't see how area of the Studio Backlot Tour could be used for much of anything by itself