Studio Backlot Tour Closing on September 27, 2014

[P_Radden]

Has anyone taken a bing map or google map and highlighted the entire areas that will be demolished/ re-worked into SWL?

I'm excited to see DHS (MGM Studios FOREVER TO ME) get its mojo back. This is the one WDW park that is most similar with Universal, (in that both are movie studios) so it's time they stepped up their attractions to rival Universal. Are rides like Tomb Raider and Jurassic Park considered E Ticket? Either way, IMO DHS could use more attractions like those to start..

Edit: Acronym error

 

[danlb_2000]

Has anyone taken a bing map or google map and highlighted the entire areas that will be demolished/ re-worked into SWW?

I'm excited to see DHS (MGM Studios FOREVER TO ME) get its mojo back. This is the one WDW park that is most similar with Universal, (in that both are movie studios) so it's time they stepped up their attractions to rival Universal. Are rides like Tomb Raider and Jurassic Park considered E Ticket? Either way, IMO DHS could use more attractions like those to start..

SWW = Star Wars Weekends, I don't think anything is being demolished for that. As for a Star Wars expansion we don't know what that will encompass.

 

[P_Radden]

SWW = Star Wars Weekends, I don't think anything is being demolished for that. As for a Star Wars expansion we don't know what that will encompass.

Haha woops I meant SWL

 

[MotherOfBirds]

Wasnt the Toy Story Playland going to occupy that space in part or whole? Since when is SW going there?

 

[danlb_2000]

Wasnt the Toy Story Playland going to occupy that space in part or whole? Since when is SW going there?

Who said Star Wars was going there?

 

[Tinkrbell]

Same reason as to why they all of a sudden closed all of the parade based entertainment at DHS with less than a month's notice only for all of the backstage parade infrastructure to still be there along with the floats just chilling backstage....almost two years later.

The floats were all (finally)removed from the parade barn about a month ago.

 

[dreamscometrue]

Wasnt the Toy Story Playland going to occupy that space in part or whole? Since when is SW going there?

It's not.

 

[P_Radden]

We first heard about SW coming to DHS when we were there in February. People were talking about it in line for HTH. Here is one article about it.

The rumor was it was going in the area the back lot tour is now. Take that for what you will, I have no idea where it will be or how big. But I was hoping someone on here had more info

 

[Kman101]

Star Wars makes no sense in the backlot area unless they do two different lands and that ain't happening. We're lucky to be getting one and that's still up in the air.

Backlot makes the most sense for Toy Story Land / Pixar

 

[P_Radden]

I agree, but it would make more sense if they closed and re-purpose the area Star Tours is now. Then it doesn't matter where they put SWL

 

[marni1971]

The rumor was it was going in the area the back lot tour is now. Take that for what you will, I have no idea where it will be or how big. But I was hoping someone on here had more info

The rumour was wrong.

Or never really a rumour. Nothing in that article says what area the SW expansion would be in.

 

[P_Radden]

The rumour was wrong.

Or never really a rumour. Nothing in that article says what area the SW expansion would be in.

You are right, it doesn't. But where else can they put it? If they were going to expand the park we would already know about it one way or another(permits, visible surviving, clearing land) based on something actually being ready to open in 2017ish. My guess is they will remove LMA the Backlot Tour, whatever they need to in order to use that real-estate for SWL.

 

[dstrawn9889]

there have been no sightline baloons aloft that i have seen, so nothing has been set into stone. highly unlikely that there will be a SWL by 2017-- more likely 2020

 

[danlb_2000]

You are right, it doesn't. But where else can they put it? If they were going to expand the park we would already know about it one way or another(permits, visible surviving, clearing land) based on something actually being ready to open in 2017ish. My guess is they will remove LMA the Backlot Tour, whatever they need to in order to use that real-estate for SWL.

Near Star Tours they have the old Sound Dangerous and American Idol buildings, Echo Lake, Backlot Express resturant and Indiana Jones Stunt show that all could be re-purposed into a Star Wars land. Even major construction within the park likely wouldn't be ready by 2017. Rumor is that Pixar content will go in the Backlot and maybe LMA area.

 

[P_Radden]

I stand corrected. Thank you, that sounds more logical. I must have not done my research. If this is the case then we are in for for one heck of an experience once all of it is completed.

 

[danlb_2000]

I stand corrected. Thank you, that sounds more logical. I must have not done my research. If this is the case, then we are in for for one heck of an experience once all of it is completed.

Problem is, this is all speculation at this point. They could just build an X-Wing spinner and call it a day.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Who said Star Wars was going there?

Since WDW can't use Marvel, I would like to see a Super Hero Area with The Incredibles, Big Hero 6, GoG to name a few. Do something different than a copy of Toy Story Playground.

 

[Matt_Black]

Since WDW can't use Marvel, I would like to see a Super Hero Area with The Incredibles, Big Hero 6, GoG to name a few. Do something different than a copy of Toy Story Playground.

Throw in the Rocketeer, Gargoyles, and any public domain superheroes they care to use, and I'm sold.

 

[Rob562]

Near Star Tours they have the old Sound Dangerous and American Idol buildings, Echo Lake, Backlot Express resturant and Indiana Jones Stunt show that all could be re-purposed into a Star Wars land. Even major construction within the park likely wouldn't be ready by 2017. Rumor is that Pixar content will go in the Backlot and maybe LMA area.

There's also the much-more speculative/armchair Imagineering discussions that suggest they'll build parking garages for Guest parking and then expand around behind/through the Indy theater into the space currently occupied by parking.

Actually, if they just built a Cast garage between the BLT drive-through workshops and World Drive, and then repurposed some of the workshops to be new Cast support services, they'd have plenty of room if they simply took over the CM entry building/costuming and the CM parking section of the main lot (though they'd lose some flexibility in parking Guests in there on busy days)

Backlot Express, the two large backstage buildings (one is parade storage, the other the Cast entry building) and just half of that lot would be over 11 acres. Expanding out to the beginning of where they routinely start parking Guests puts it at 14 acres. And apart from demolishing Backlot Express that's all without touching anything in the Guest areas of the park...
(In comparison, I calculate the area available for the whole of the Avatar land to be a little over 13 acres)

-Rob

 

[Ignohippo]

Since WDW can't use Marvel, I would like to see a Super Hero Area with The Incredibles, Big Hero 6, GoG to name a few. Do something different than a copy of Toy Story Playground.

I said this exact same thing last week in a different thread (although I don't agree with you about the Toy Story Playland – that is a much-needed addition).

Brand it as "Disney Heroes" and have it include Incredibles, Guardians, Big Hero 6, Tron, SW Rebels, etc.

IMO, those characters should always have a presence in the parks. They just need an appropriate home.