The downfall of Hollywood studios

[BrerJon]

Here's my vision for the park. They should ditch the 'generic entertainment' theme and get back to basics, it should be park about the magic of movies, and the secrets to how they are made, nothing else. Those old enough to have visited the park when it first opened will find some of this very familiar.

Picture if you will, arriving at Hollywood Boulevard, where the hustle and bustle of Old Hollywood music and streetmosphere characters. Ahead of you is the imposing Chinese Theater, with spotlights from the roof, housing an updated (with new movies, actors and animatronics - but no screens!) Great Movie Ride, and drawing you in to a world of cinematic magic.

With the hat gone, the theme is set. Sunset we keep pretty much as is, Animation we add a demo studio where real animators draw on Cintiqs, model characters, animate and render frames, and guests can see the whole process of making Frozen (or whatever the latest hit is), and even have a go at animating Olaf themselves.

Then expand Pixar Place with either a family coaster or a Toy Story Playland (which could take over the site of 'Honey, I Shrunk The Kids!'.

Star Wars expands into a full land, taking over much of Streets of America. Muppets stays where it is, LMA fits for now but could be replaced easily.

When the park first opened, it gave a glimpse into the secrets of how movies were made in 1989. Let's update that for a new tour. Maybe Avengers, Pirates, or another big blockbuster can be the theme of the tour, where we see how a movie is made via a giant green-screen warehouse, where guests can see and experience the process of acting in front of a screen to being in a city, or in space... they can motion capture themselves to make characters move, and we'd have stunt sequences with practical explosions, and a glimpse of how the CGI wizards turn that green screen into cinema gold. A proper, behind the scenes, 'how do they do that?' attraction.

So you have the real life context of the movies, then the history of the movies, then behind that the making of the movies, and at the sides themed lands based on great Disney movies and franchises.

It certainly would be much more cohesive, immersive and memorable than the mess that's there today, I'm sure.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

They should have built the Roger Rabbit and Dick Tracy attractions.

 

[copcarguyp71]

I don't even visit that park right now. I'm trying to show Disney what I think by spending my money elsewhere. I suggest those of you that really want to see a change do the same.

Skip DHS. Force Disney to spend money to actually wow us again with a deserving full day park.

I agree. Anyone who disagrees with the current direction of this or any other park needs to stop paying for diminished experiences with higher prices. The ONLY way management is going to take notice is when their pockets get hit. Write all the angry or disgruntled letters you like but as long as their purse is full they really have no reason whatsoever to change a darned thing or even care a whole lot what your personal feelings are about nostalgia or wishes for the parks. Our vacation dollars have gone elsewhere until at least 2017 in an effort to be part of the solution instead of the problem.

 

[Clamman73]

I'm thinking of pretty much skipping Studios this fall. Maybe park hop to do Rockin and ToT, but that would be pretty much it. Would rather just sit on a bench somewhere around Innoventions and ponder the new color scheme while listening to area music and the fountain in the background.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

DHS is my second favorite park. I love Rock 'N' Roller Coaster and Muppet Vision 3D.

 

[seahawk7]

I don't even visit that park right now. I'm trying to show Disney what I think by spending my money elsewhere. I suggest those of you that really want to see a change do the same.

Skip DHS. Force Disney to spend money to actually wow us again with a deserving full day park.

I don't think I'm strong enough to go to WDW and not see Fantasmic. It get me every time. But I think you are right.

 

[seahawk7]

I'm going to put an optimistic spin on it and say that DHS is merely in it's "Awkward Puberty Years".

because of its identity problem? that is too funny

 

[BufordTJustice]

DHS has some of the most high intensity rides in WDW and that is what needs to be expanded upon. Lose that back lot tour and car extravaganza thing and put another coaster or two there. DHS could be the "it" park for teenagers who want the thrill rides.

 

[hull327]

I've said it before, DHS needs to turn into the WDW "thrill park." They need these type of rides to counter Universal.

 

[FettFan]

I've said it before, DHS needs to turn into the WDW "thrill park." They need these type of rides to counter Universal.

Yep.

And while we are at it, please get Animal Kingdom to counter Busch Gardens.

 

[disney_nutter]

DHS will always hold a special place in my heart, but this park, needs some major TLC

 

[LAKid53]

I would never, ever, skip Star Tours on a WDW visit. Agree the park is in need of some TLC. The whole Frozen Summer thing was a little overwrought, IMHO. It was a cute movie, but I don't understand this whole rapid obsession with Frozen. It's no Lion King or Beauty & the Beast. I witnessed a dad screaming at his crying daughter over the Frozen dress he spent hours trying to find for her at MK recently. Really?

I think BrerJon's got some great ideas. DHS gives guests a peak into the magic that is movie making - like Universal did with their tour of their Hollywood lot. But this will have the bonus of DISNEY movie making magic - along with pertinent rides and shows. And of course, those themed weekends. Like Star Wars. When a new Disney feature opens, have the DHS version of the Hollywood Premiere for a weekend - they've got the theatre space and can you imagine Hollywood turned into a red carpet?

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I have come up with a few TV and movie IPs that fit DHS perfectly. "Arrested Development", "Failure To Launch", and "Identity Crisis".

You would steer clear of DHS if you meet it on OKCupid.com. Too much "Excess Baggage".

 

[Bluewaves]

Studios feels like the park that grew up went to college and is still working at McDonalds since they took a degree in something useless and can't get a real job.

My last trip to the world I spent half a morning and then part of an afternoon in the park, Fantasmic holds no interest for me at all, maybe its my back that is getting worse and worse and those horrid seats, there is hardly anything to do, LMA is a once and done for me, its a bad show, in a hot theater, no thanks, there is no theme to the park, period, that stage and the hat need to go ASAP, unfortunately I don't see TDO spending the couple billion dollars to fix the park , put in a parking garage and really make that park something special and worth doing.

 

[Claretstevo]

This is my favourite park in Disney. However I can't help but feel like the whole frozen thing will spoil it for me this year.

Bringing in the extra crowds and making it much busier. Frozen also has no appeal to me.

Im really looking forward to Magic Kingdom now. I dont think I've given this park the love it deserves on previous visits

 

[cba]

Yes, HWS is turning into a half-day park, just as it was when it first opened with a whopping 5 attractions. Although the Studios has more now, it is just rides that I have ridden many, many rides. If Disney wants me to spend my money there, we're gonna have to see something new. Soon.

 

[G00fyDad]

This is my favourite park in Disney. However I can't help but feel like the whole frozen thing will spoil it for me this year.

Bringing in the extra crowds and making it much busier. Frozen also has no appeal to me.

Im really looking forward to Magic Kingdom now. I dont think I've given this park the love it deserves on previous visits

I'm hoping the whole Frozen junk is pretty well over by the time we get there next year. I loved the movie, but I don't want it puked all over my Disney trip. I don;t mind a little here and there, but it sounds like DHS has become Disney's Frozen Studios.

 

[disney_nutter]

I understand why frozen is in the park this summer but I would had rather that all the frozen overlay could have been done on the release of frozen in the cinema. I miss the days were an animated film ment a new studios parade for example the Hercules or mulan parade. The studios needs to go back to its roots, I understand that it will never bea working studio again but then at least make us belive it is. We need something new and not just one attraction but a new land maybe after avatar they will look here next.

 

[Bluewaves]

They need to have things that you want to do over and over again, how many times does the average guest want to sit through LMA? Fantasmic is a once a night show and unlike say Illuminations or Wishes you have to be in one particular spot to be there and pre plan to be there and can't enjoy it from the vast majority of the park.

Food options are so so and there hardly is enough of them, food service takes way too long.

There isn't that cohesive immersive feeling that you get when you walk into the Magic Kingdom or Epcot or even Animal Kingdom, you feel like you're at any other amusement park for most of the place

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

I'm a DHS lover as previously posted, but do have a bone to pick. ^^^ Speaking of ride repetition, what is up with Star Tours? When it reopened after the rehab, they bragged about there being a multitude of movie possibilities and combinations. We've ridden it about 25 times and have experienced 3 different movies. Did we just get that unlucky?