Studio Backlot Tour Closing on September 27, 2014

[DinoInstitute]

Saw this on Twitter today, they already removed the billboard off the top of the building overnight and painted the gate the solid grey.

Interesting. I wonder if this is going to be its state for a little while or slowly, day after day, it will be taken away

 

[Bolt]

Interesting. I wonder if this is going to be its state for a little while or slowly, day after day, it will be taken away

Yeah - I bet they didn't have the most time last night with fireworks and such to get a crane in and do it all.

 

[flynnibus]

But TDO closes the tram tour at DHS without announcement or replacement, and on the importance scale with online fans it ranks somewhere between new cell phone charging stations at the Tangled restrooms and the latest rumors on a refurbished gift shop.

Because it's about as significant as Disneyland finally demo'ing the skyway station. The BLT has been a shell.. a sucker bet.. for ages. The biggest issue is the impact on park capacity.. and that it's a tell about the park's identity. Honestly no one cares about the attraction itself and rightfully so.

When Disneyland finally closes that back half of Toontown, the DL fans won't be out with torches... because it's been neutered, ignored, and generally uninteresting to the majority of fans.

but what the heck is the point of a "Studios" theme park if they can't even pretend to have fake studios any more? What is the reason DHS now exists?

You mean like.. what's the point of a park about California when you take out all the bits about California?? It didn't hurt DCAv2.. and it won't hurt DHS if the rebooted identity and attractions are worthy.

 

[Tadifer]

Saw this on Twitter today, they already removed the billboard off the top of the building overnight and painted the gate the solid grey.

I was just telling my friends last night I bet that the sign would be down overnight. I got the privilege of being on the last tour ever. It was pretty much one of the most magical experiences I've ever had. I'll miss you BLT!!!

 

[Captain Neo]

Like?

Universal Studios Florida

 

[Tom]

I was just telling my friends last night I bet that the sign would be down overnight. I got the privilege of being on the last tour ever. It was pretty much one of the most magical experiences I've ever had. I'll miss you BLT!!!

Did you take any video?

 

[SirLink]

Universal Studios Florida

Eh ... ha ha ha ... incorrect but thanks for playing.

 

[TP2000]

Because it's about as significant as Disneyland finally demo'ing the skyway station. The BLT has been a shell.. a sucker bet.. for ages. The biggest issue is the impact on park capacity.. and that it's a tell about the park's identity. Honestly no one cares about the attraction itself and rightfully so.

And yet it was a 15 minute long ride in a park that only had six rides. And now it's a 25 year old Disney theme park that only has five (5) rides. Five rides. It's just bizarre to me TDO closed this attraction without any real public acknowledgement or announced replacement and no one really seems to care.

It's also fascinating that so many WDW fans seem to have no point of reference for what this DHS Backlot tram tour was supposed to be like, or was copied from: The epic Universal Studios Hollywood Tram Tour, which still operates today to wild success and still clocks in at about 55 to 65 minutes long, depending on filming schedules and tram route taken.

Here's the Hollywood tram tour that lasts an hour long. (No need to watch this hour long ride-thru gang, just using this as the proof of how long the USH tram tour is.)


And then here's the DHS tram tour on its last day as it existed for at least the last decade of its operation. It was 14 minutes long. Fourteen minutes. Uh...


I'm not a huge Universal Studios fan myself, but what a massive difference in what a "studio tram tour" is.

I've been a Disney theme park observer for a couple decades, and this whole DHS concept currently playing out has me baffled. Disney just killed the big ride that was the reason for the park to exist (as painful as it was, but it's all they had really), but Disney hasn't announced any reason or replacement or future strategy. It's now just a grey wall with a couple of apologetic CM's in polo shirts directing guests to the bathrooms or Frozen sing-along shows.

What a weird way for Disney to handle this. Anyone think there's a chance there's some massive and unexpected Bob Iger/Tom Staggs announcement of a DHS Billion Dollar Makeover coming the next few weeks??? Kind of like the big DCA Billion Dollar Extreme Makeover media event that Bob Iger hosted in October, 2007???

 

[flynnibus]

It's also fascinating that so many WDW fans seem to have no point of reference for what this DHS Backlot tram tour was supposed to be like, or was copied from: The epic Universal Studios Hollywood Tram Tour, which still operates today to wild success and still clocks in at about 55 to 65 minutes long, depending on filming schedules and tram route taken.

Please do know what the original is.. but the success of the USH tour is largely based on the fact it's an actual working studio with variations happening all the time. The true 'theme park' elements they've added over the more recent years have been mediocre too. It still works because the studio works. Disney killed their studio what.. 15+ years ago? The facinating point is Disney has kept up all that crap for that long.

It's the River Country of action theme parks.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Please do know what the original is.. but the success of the USH tour is largely based on the fact it's an actual working studio with variations happening all the time. The true 'theme park' elements they've added over the more recent years have been mediocre too. It still works because the studio works. Disney killed their studio what.. 15+ years ago? The facinating point is Disney has kept up all that crap for that long.

It's the River Country of action theme parks.

Absolutely, and even at it's best it wasn't anything like the Universal Tour. It couldn't be. Universal probably made more movies per month on that back lot then Disney/MGM Studios did in it's entire life. There was nothing there to show. What they did show, at the time, was somewhat current. After they closed the working studio, it had nothing to show anymore. It should have been stopped years ago. I believe that if it hadn't been for Catastrophe Canyon it would have gone at the same time as the Residential Street. They probably felt the need to continue running CC til it depreciated out. My guess would be just about now.

 

[dgp602]

Grand Floridian Villas and Bay Lake Tower were both well on the way to being fully constructed before they were announced, if my memory is correct.

Going to throw the flag on that, only because I know from experience. When I bought into Bay Lake, they had just completed demo of the old wing and had not even completed site work. It was announced well before construction started. And Grand Floridian was announced before construction began also. My sales person called me looking for leads on the Floridian....

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Universal Orlando did infact had a Backlot Tram Tour during it's early years...

 

[FigmentJedi]

When Disneyland finally closes that back half of Toontown, the DL fans won't be out with torches... because it's been neutered, ignored, and generally uninteresting to the majority of fans.

The Roger Rabbit ride is pretty beloved and people actually want to see it relocated to DCA, but other then that, yeah lot of people are looking forward to something taking Toontown's place.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Universal Studios Florida

http://studio.florida.universalstudios.com

And yet it was a 15 minute long ride in a park that only had six rides. And now it's a 25 year old Disney theme park that only has five (5) rides. Five rides. It's just bizarre to me TDO closed this attraction without any real public acknowledgement or announced replacement and no one really seems to care.

It's also fascinating that so many WDW fans seem to have no point of reference for what this DHS Backlot tram tour was supposed to be like, or was copied from: The epic Universal Studios Hollywood Tram Tour, which still operates today to wild success and still clocks in at about 55 to 65 minutes long, depending on filming schedules and tram route taken.

Here's the Hollywood tram tour that lasts an hour long. (No need to watch this hour long ride-thru gang, just using this as the proof of how long the USH tram tour is.)


And then here's the DHS tram tour on its last day as it existed for at least the last decade of its operation. It was 14 minutes long. Fourteen minutes. Uh...


I'm not a huge Universal Studios fan myself, but what a massive difference in what a "studio tram tour" is.

I've been a Disney theme park observer for a couple decades, and this whole DHS concept currently playing out has me baffled. Disney just killed the big ride that was the reason for the park to exist (as painful as it was, but it's all they had really), but Disney hasn't announced any reason or replacement or future strategy. It's now just a grey wall with a couple of apologetic CM's in polo shirts directing guests to the bathrooms or Frozen sing-along shows.

What a weird way for Disney to handle this. Anyone think there's a chance there's some massive and unexpected Bob Iger/Tom Staggs announcement of a DHS Billion Dollar Makeover coming the next few weeks??? Kind of like the big DCA Billion Dollar Extreme Makeover media event that Bob Iger hosted in October, 2007???

The production facilities were shuttered long ago, and even by 1990 the Disney-MGM Studio was failing to attract sufficient production interest.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

What will happen to the trams, castrophy canyon, etc?

 

[Mike S]

Universal Orlando did infact had a Backlot Tram Tour during it's early years...

They took the trams through the actual park? Seems strange.

 

[GoofGoof]

Going to throw the flag on that, only because I know from experience. When I bought into Bay Lake, they had just completed demo of the old wing and had not even completed site work. It was announced well before construction started. And Grand Floridian was announced before construction began also. My sales person called me looking for leads on the Floridian....

Plans for GF villas were leaked on line in March of 2011. They started clearing land and prepping the site by the end of that summer. The official announcement from Disney wasn't until December 2011.

Not sure on the timeline for Bay Lake Tower, but I seem to remember the construction starting before an official announcement.

 

[Macca250]

What will happen to the trams, castrophy canyon, etc?

They will receive a makeover- fake snow and ice will be glued onto them. Presto! Frozen tram tour. I also heard more about the Sound Stage 1 installation next door - Big Hero 6 will be receiving the themed bathroom treatment. Expected completion; 2037

 

[flynnibus]

What will happen to the trams, castrophy canyon, etc?

keep an eye on mouse surplus and others like it

 

[Tadifer]

Did you take any video?

I didn't take any video, no. I have some photos, but for some reason they had no lighting on at all. It was dark, like eerily dark. It was just super sad.