The New Disney Hollywood Studios

[stevehousse]

Since there are so many rumors flying around about the DHS makeover, I thought I would write about what I would like to see as a makeover of the park!

The entrance to DHS would remain essentially the same! Headed down Hollywood blvd, that area is renamed Old Hollywood Studios. there would be the removal of the batb stage show and the replaced with the roger rabbit dark ride in its place! Also a meet n greet with roger and Jessica rabbit! Everything else stays the same.

Headed further into the park, the removal of the BAH so you can see the Chinese theatre again! Great movie ride gets updated with more current movies!

Headed toward te newly revamped Animation Studios, Disney jr live stays, little mermaid show torn down and replaced a Mickey Mouse dark ride! Disney villains have captured Minnie and its up to you and other Disney characters to rescue her! One mans dream stays, an the animation building gets turned into a sub area of animation Studios. Studio ghibli replaces it. There will be an a meet n greet with Totoro, and also a Ponyo dark ride taking over much of the animation building!

Pixar place is turned into Pixar studios and backlot tour and surrounding area and LMA all removed! Additions include, monsters inc door coaster, radiator spring racers (rethemed so its differnt from CA) and and Up dark ride replacing the pirates walk through. Table service restaurant with character dining, toy story characters.

Moving into th new muppet studios area, mama melrose is rethemed to chefs restaurant with loads of immersive muppet theming! Pizza planet is removed and a muppets dark ride in its place! It would be a boat ride similar to pirates and small world. Not sure what it could be about, but I like the idea of one!

Next is Lucas studios. Star tours remains, American idol area is used for a new Star Wars dark ride, using that new planes ride tech flying through some kind of arial battle! Indiana jones stunt show gets torn down, and in its place and some of the surrounding area, including the lake, becomes a new Indiana jones water coaster with immersive theming! And back where the parade float area is will be the speeder bike coaster with high thrills! Also included is the Star Wars cantina restaurant!

Now I know none of this will likely ever happen, but I can wish! I think turning the different sections of th park into designated studios make the parks theme more cohesive! Plus with the addition of 9 rides, which is what the park is truly missing, would definitely make it a full day park and have something for everyone, especially since the park only has 1 true kid ride in it! crossing my finger...

 

[spacemt354]

Nice ideas! (Though I feel realistically speaking these may never happen as you mentioned) but it's fun to think about them.

My suggestions will be what I think is plausible. And the ideas I have correlate to what has already occurred in the 1.1 Billion DCA 5-year refurb. This is what a budget of 1.1 Billion did for DCA.


Cars Land
Buena Vista Street,
Toy Story Mania,
The Little Mermaid
World of Color.
The Sun Wheel - refurb
Mulholland Madness (Goofy's Sky School) - refurb
Blue Sky Cellar (replaces Seasons of the Vine Theater) - refurb
Silly Symphony Swings (replaces Orange Stinger) - refurb
California Zephyr - removal
Maliboomer - removal
Golden Gate Bridge - removal

That's a lot of stuff. Now the TDO I know will try to cut the budget down, so we'll say DHS gets 700 Million for their plan. Let's try and play tit for tat.

Let's say Cars Land comes, however not a full Cars Land. Radiator Springs Racers, possible Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, and Flo's Cafe. This can coincide with the removal of Lights Motors Action and the Backlot Tour, as well as the retheme of HISTK Playset to A Bug's Life Playset. In addition, I think the Monster's Inc Doors roller coaster concept is very cool, and could fit in nicely between Cars and Toy Story, however that might be cut due to budget, i won't get my hopes up. Also Pizza Planet can be transported to replace the Jack Sparrow attraction next to Toy Story Mania.

Phase 2: Refurb of BatB and TLM stage shows to Tangled and Phineas and Ferb respectively (those appear to be the rumors floating around) and the removal of the Hat. Now for what what I hope comes to DHS in some form or fashion. Star Wars Land (or more formally Lucasfilm Studios, and my version is not as expansive as most people's suggestions on this site) Leave the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. It's actually worth it imo. However convert the Sounds Dangerous show into a fully formed Jedi Training Academy (similar to the Enchanted Tales with Belle show) , theme the land to Endor and Tattooine (as it is the outside of Star Tours), and add an elaborately themed Star Wars dark ride. I think another simulator type ride on X-wings or Pod Racers next to Star Tours is just duplicating what's already there. A dark ride would be very cool though, and is something that the park needs. Something like the Great Movie ride in terms of length, yet through the star wars films (or maybe just the original trilogy) And lastly, and update to Fantasmic (aka fix the faulty effects)

So let's now compile the DHS list:

Cars Land (RSR, MJJ, and Flos)
Endor and Tattooine theme expansions
Star Wars dark ride

A Bug's Life PlaySet - refurb
Tangled (replaces BatB) - refurb
Phineas and Ferb (replaces TLM) - refurb
Jedi training Academy (replaces Sounds Dangerous) - refurb
LMA - removal
Hat - removal
Backlot Tour - removal

The way I look at it is, it's a start. And it's going in the right direction for the park. DHS needs cohesive lands, not just ride after ride. Making fully functioning lands such as Lucasfilm Studios, Muppets Studios, Pixar Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd will go a long way making the park seem properly put together. Anyway, this is my realistic take on it, although I would have preferred to see your imagineering ideas.

 

[Zweiland]

Great ideas! But instead of removing the hat completely, I would put it out front where it was originally meant to be.

 

[Matt7187]

Great ideas! But instead of removing the hat completely, I would put it out front where it was originally meant to be.

Are those Ferris wheels for the ears, because if they are, that would be awesome!

 

[Zweiland]

Yes. That was the original concept art. Also, I believe a similar attraction to One Man's Dream was to be featured below the hat.

 

[mharrington]

I'm still trying to do Mickey Avenue, but no one seems to want to help me there: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/mickey-avenue-at-dhs-open-brainstorming.862624/. I came up with Mickey Avenue is a sort of "revenge" for using Mickey Mouse-themed areas (i.e., Toontown Fair, Camp Minnie-Mickey) as only temporary. I want Mickey Avenue to be permanent and done on a bigger scale, like with Cars Land, which, according to an article on Progress City, U.S.A. (http://progresscityusa.com/2011/12/18/the-carsland-conundrum/), "due to its scope, expense, and 'pet project' status for grand poobah John Lasseter, will never be removed."

 

[Turtle]

I'm still trying to do Mickey Avenue, but no one seems to want to help me there: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/mickey-avenue-at-dhs-open-brainstorming.862624/. I came up with Mickey Avenue is a sort of "revenge" for using Mickey Mouse-themed areas (i.e., Toontown Fair, Camp Minnie-Mickey) as only temporary. I want Mickey Avenue to be permanent and done on a bigger scale, like with Cars Land, which, according to an article on Progress City, U.S.A. (http://progresscityusa.com/2011/12/18/the-carsland-conundrum/), "due to its scope, expense, and 'pet project' status for grand poobah John Lasseter, will never be removed."

I came up with Mickey Avenue... lol

 

[mharrington]

I came up with Mickey Avenue... lol

I knew that, but I came up with my own idea for that. But the thing is, your emphasized the earlier cartoon shorts, and for some reason, I can't see that kind of thing fitting at the Studios, except maybe as some very small references here and there, but certainly not as some big attractions.

Anyway, my idea was to do something a little more like Mickey's Birthdayland/Starland, but far less low-rent and temporary-looking. It will to look something like this:

Notice those facades that really are just almost flats, particularly along all those tents? And to give you an idea of what the structures for Mickey Avenue should look like, here's another shot:

But I have no idea how to do this section in something not so low-rent and be able to fit the Studios, beyond possibly have colors be less rainbow-like and somewhat darker. Has anyone got any ideas for to do this?

I had also kept asking if there was a certain time period for Disneyland's Mickey's Toontown, so I could determine the same for Mickey Avenue. Apparently, there is no such period setting. I thought that, considering the license plates on Lenny the cab in the Roger Rabbit ride, which was 1947, the same year as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", Toontown was set in the 1940s. But that would betray the period setting for Gadget's Go Coaster (also to be removed in a plan of mine, but that's another discussion), set supposedly in the '90s.

I say all this because this new take on a Mickey-themed area is a radical departure from the castle parks, where, I admit, I'm more comfortable with doing things for than in a non-castle park (besides Epcot).

 

[Turtle]

I knew that, but I came up with my own idea for that. But the thing is, your emphasized the earlier cartoon shorts, and for some reason, I can't see that kind of thing fitting at the Studios, except maybe as some very small references here and there, but certainly not as some big attractions.

Anyway, my idea was to do something a little more like Mickey's Birthdayland/Starland, but far less low-rent and temporary-looking. It will to look something like this:

Notice those facades that really are just almost flats, particularly along all those tents? And to give you an idea of what the structures for Mickey Avenue should look like, here's another shot:

But I have no idea how to do this section in something not so low-rent and be able to fit the Studios, beyond possibly have colors be less rainbow-like and somewhat darker. Has anyone got any ideas for to do this?

I had also kept asking if there was a certain time period for Disneyland's Mickey's Toontown, so I could determine the same for Mickey Avenue. Apparently, there is no such period setting. I thought that, considering the license plates on Lenny the cab in the Roger Rabbit ride, which was 1947, the same year as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", Toontown was set in the 1940s. But that would betray the period setting for Gadget's Go Coaster (also to be removed in a plan of mine, but that's another discussion), set supposedly in the '90s.

I say all this because this new take on a Mickey-themed area is a radical departure from the castle parks, where, I admit, I'm more comfortable with doing things for than in a non-castle park (besides Epcot).

would you be able to use a different name, though? Cause I already had that as mine...

 

[mharrington]

would you be able to use a different name, though? Cause I already had that as mine...

The only thing I can think of is Mickey Mouse's Hollywood, like what was thought of for Roger Rabbit's Hollywood. However, that is the only thing I can think of. I'm really not very good with coming up with names on my own.

I already tried to do several individual threads on this idea for DHS, but they both went nowhere.

 

[Turtle]

The only thing I can think of is Mickey Mouse's Hollywood, like what was thought of for Roger Rabbit's Hollywood. However, that is the only thing I can think of. I'm really not very good with coming up with names on my own.

Give me a quick summary of the setting and I'll shoot out some names

 

[mharrington]

Give me a quick summary of the setting and I'll shoot out some names

Unfortunately, it's not really full-grown in my mind. It's all willy-nilly. The only things I can think of are these:

1. A gas station
2. A hotel where Mickey and the gang do meet-n-greets
3. Journey To Atlantis-style water thrill ride themed to "Fantasia" inside a fancy movie palace
4. Oswald's Lucky Five and Dime, a shop
5. Some dark ride with Goofy, possibly a new take on Superstar Limo through Beverly Hills, though if we did a Toon-like version of Beverly Hills for this dark ride, wouldn't that be confusing for those of us who know that Mickey and the gang live in Disneyland's Toontown?
6. Possible merge with the Animation Courtyard, to include the Magic of Disney Animation redone as a dark ride set inside a new building resembling the old Hyperion studio (but which I'm hesitant because A) that goes against the idea of Disney characters as actual beings; B) I was thinking about limiting the time period to the 1940s or maybe early 1950s, by which time the real Hyperion studio was long gone)
7. Some junior roller coaster, NOT themed to Plane Crazy
8. A color scheme darker than the rainbow colors used at Mickey's Birthdayland/Starland

In all honesty, I'm not really good at coming up with anything here at all. Like I said, I'm more comfortable with the castle parks and Epcot. My thinking tends to be very limited. I can't do this thing alone.

 

[mharrington]

All those things that I mentioned up there, I really don't see how they can put them together into one cohesive land. The Magic of Disney Animation would probably have to include several scenes from the movies, but I don't want to include anything from the contemporary period, as it would be anachronistic to what I'm thinking of doing, a 1940s vibe for the area. The design of Hyperion as the main building for the Animation thing would be anachronistic as well.

 

[stitchcastle]

The issue with the Studios isn't just because of a lack of attractions but rather it's missing a grand, unifying theme. It used to be that it was an actual working studio and that's what made it such a unique park but now that it's really trying to be just a full-on theme park, it's lost a lot of its original identity. It doesn't help either that management just throws in whatever random cloned/franchise attraction that doesn't fit in any of the other parks into it and we're left with what's really a messy, hodge podge of a park.

What DHS needs is a solid identity that will unify all its lands and ironically the one park that we can model a new DHS to is a park that was originally just a stepchild of Disney-MGM, Disney California Adventure. Now I'm not saying clone away or anything but rather take the same approach of giving the studios a single, clear time and place like new DCA does and apply it throughout DHS.

I'm going to post some suggestions but I will start with what needs to go and a lot of them are going to be really drastic so bear with me.

First off, demolish the hat. Simple. Obvious. It's a symbolic representation of the mess that is the Studios park, taking that away and restoring the view of the beautiful Chinese theater from Hollywood Blvd. will give the park that big wow factor when guests move through the turnstiles.

Next, and this is going to be big. Demolish the animation courtyard and all of its adjoining attractions and sound stages. All the attractions here, are antiquated and don't really provide much of a draw. They're not even relevant anymore. Free-ing up this space could provide room for better, more picturesque attractions, though it doesn't end there.

Once the animation courtyard is gone, all this demolition will continue on through Sunset Blvd. where we must say goodbye to Rock n' Roller Coaster and the Fantasmic! amphitheater. I'll explain all of this in further detail later but these two admittedly major attractions don't belong in this part of the park and it makes everything oh so very crowded every evening.

From there we move on to the other side of the park, where pretty much everything has to go. The streets of America Backlot, the backlot tours, even the Indiana Jones stunt show must be demolished. and finally...

Pixar place has to go. It's a short sighted decision to lump all these vastly different movies together under one place just because they are by the same studio. This is the old way of thinking in terms of studios and backlots, if you want to tell a proper, cohesive story with this park, you will have to say goodbye to Pixar place.

that's it for this post but I'll be back tomorrow to jot down what's going to fill all that empty space. I know, it's a little crazy and I've practically demolished everything. But there is a new hope...

 

[stitchcastle]

Let me walk you through the new Disney's Hollywood Studios Park, created by The Walt Disney Company and is dedicated to Hollywood—not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was—and always will be.

We enter through the turnstiles to Hollywood Boulevard, seemingly unchanged from when the park first opened. In the distance we see the Chinese Theater as it was on opening day, though maybe not, it looks shinier, newer, even bigger than you remember. We walk towards it to realize that the space right before it has expanded into a beautiful central plaza lined with towering palm trees and lovely, shimmering fountain with a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse sitting in a director's chair right in the middle.

We look around us and we see that the plaza itself acts as a hub, a gateway if you will, to the different worlds of the park. We look to where Sunset Boulevard is and we see that the walkway is wider and a classic red car trolley is making its way down the street towards the massive Hollywood Tower Hotel. Forking the street is the entrance to The Animation Boardwalk with an orate archway that teases a beautifully designed building with a distinct Sorcerer's Hat just beyond. We look behind us and see two distinct monuments towering in the distance. One appears to be a dessert mountain range with a strange looking palace on its cliffs, the other, amidst tall trees that seems to go on forever, looks to be a strange metallic moon rising from the horizon. These two areas are Tattooine and Endor. As we walk towards them we realize that the theater in front of us is actually now and entrance to an land of its own...

Hollywood Studio Backlot

the first new land in Hollywood Studios is a world dedicated to the magic and legacies of movie making. The Chinese Theater itself holds an attraction within: Cinemagic: A tribute to some of the greatest movies of all time. This show is adapted from the Disneyland Paris attraction and takes guests on a trip down memory lane with Martin Short as he is trapped through the ages of cinema.

Just beyond the theater though, is the Backlot Courtyard. A serene, picturesque garden, littered with massive props and set pieces from the greatest movies of all time. In a way it almost feels like the grounds of an art museum. The garden is surrounded by beautifully decorated sound stages, each with their own attractions:

The Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour - This new attraction takes everything you love about the original studio tour along with everything you love about The Great Movie ride for an unforgettable new ride experience. Take a backstage adventure with your tour guide as you ride the brand new Tour-bo Tram 9000, that takes you through the hustle and bustle of modern movie making along with a few "detours" into the old archive warehouse that is rumoured to contain wonders and relics of the bygone Hollywood era.

The Fireworks Factory - The visual effects department is giving a free tour of the warehouse where they keep all the movie explosives. Well, maybe not so free as a mad director decides he wants you to play the part of the person who explodes. It's a race against time as we try to blow up all the fireworks in the factory before they do us. This visual effects shoot-em up is a more visceral version of the Buzz Lightyear's astro blasters where guests shoot special targets that create fantastical displays of pyrotechnics.

Industrial Light and Magic: Open House - Explore how movie magic is made in this giant interactive walk-through where guests experience motion simulators, weather simulators and get to experience first hand the nitty gritty of movie making. Guests can even have the chance to insert themselves into their favorite movie scenes with the magic of film editing and visual effects.

Rock n' Roller Coaster Starring: Lady Gaga- That's right, Music's superstar Lady Gaga is recording a new movie soundtrack but her busy schedule means she has to jet off to a concert as fast as possible, and you know she wants her little monsters right behind her. Rock N' Roller Coaster will be relocated to this area and will feature new music and new stars every year. Yep, the ride will have an annual overlay change to a new super star starting with Lady Gaga. (Coming soon: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Aerosmith, The Beatles...etc.)

This is just part one of the tour of the new studios, tomorrow I'll post the new Animation Boardwalk section of the park. Possibly with some illustrations.

 

[comics101]

Let me walk you through the new Disney's Hollywood Studios Park, created by The Walt Disney Company and is dedicated to Hollywood—not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was—and always will be.

We enter through the turnstiles to Hollywood Boulevard, seemingly unchanged from when the park first opened. In the distance we see the Chinese Theater as it was on opening day, though maybe not, it looks shinier, newer, even bigger than you remember. We walk towards it to realize that the space right before it has expanded into a beautiful central plaza lined with towering palm trees and lovely, shimmering fountain with a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse sitting in a director's chair right in the middle.

We look around us and we see that the plaza itself acts as a hub, a gateway if you will, to the different worlds of the park. We look to where Sunset Boulevard is and we see that the walkway is wider and a classic red car trolley is making its way down the street towards the massive Hollywood Tower Hotel. Forking the street is the entrance to The Animation Boardwalk with an orate archway that teases a beautifully designed building with a distinct Sorcerer's Hat just beyond. We look behind us and see two distinct monuments towering in the distance. One appears to be a dessert mountain range with a strange looking palace on its cliffs, the other, amidst tall trees that seems to go on forever, looks to be a strange metallic moon rising from the horizon. These two areas are Tattooine and Endor. As we walk towards them we realize that the theater in front of us is actually now and entrance to an land of its own...

Hollywood Studio Backlot

the first new land in Hollywood Studios is a world dedicated to the magic and legacies of movie making. The Chinese Theater itself holds an attraction within: Cinemagic: A tribute to some of the greatest movies of all time. This show is adapted from the Disneyland Paris attraction and takes guests on a trip down memory lane with Martin Short as he is trapped through the ages of cinema.

Just beyond the theater though, is the Backlot Courtyard. A serene, picturesque garden, littered with massive props and set pieces from the greatest movies of all time. In a way it almost feels like the grounds of an art museum. The garden is surrounded by beautifully decorated sound stages, each with their own attractions:

The Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour - This new attraction takes everything you love about the original studio tour along with everything you love about The Great Movie ride for an unforgettable new ride experience. Take a backstage adventure with your tour guide as you ride the brand new Tour-bo Tram 9000, that takes you through the hustle and bustle of modern movie making along with a few "detours" into the old archive warehouse that is rumoured to contain wonders and relics of the bygone Hollywood era.

The Fireworks Factory - The visual effects department is giving a free tour of the warehouse where they keep all the movie explosives. Well, maybe not so free as a mad director decides he wants you to play the part of the person who explodes. It's a race against time as we try to blow up all the fireworks in the factory before they do us. This visual effects shoot-em up is a more visceral version of the Buzz Lightyear's astro blasters where guests shoot special targets that create fantastical displays of pyrotechnics.

Industrial Light and Magic: Open House - Explore how movie magic is made in this giant interactive walk-through where guests experience motion simulators, weather simulators and get to experience first hand the nitty gritty of movie making. Guests can even have the chance to insert themselves into their favorite movie scenes with the magic of film editing and visual effects.

Rock n' Roller Coaster Starring: Lady Gaga- That's right, Music's superstar Lady Gaga is recording a new movie soundtrack but her busy schedule means she has to jet off to a concert as fast as possible, and you know she wants her little monsters right behind her. Rock N' Roller Coaster will be relocated to this area and will feature new music and new stars every year. Yep, the ride will have an annual overlay change to a new super star starting with Lady Gaga. (Coming soon: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Aerosmith, The Beatles...etc.)

This is just part one of the tour of the new studios, tomorrow I'll post the new Animation Boardwalk section of the park. Possibly with some illustrations.

GAH! I wish that clapping smiley face were still here, these ideas are awesome! Stitchcastle, you have no idea how great it is to see you posting again!

Honestly, everything you mentioned here is incredible (some of it is actually kind of similar to ideas I've had, believe it or not, with a little less destruction haha). The idea to combine GMR with Blot Tour is a really good one...this is The Disney Studios after all, here, the movies come to life! The Fireworks Factory is so creative and different, I love it...I actually think it would work really well with TSM tech, maybe combined with Buzz?
If I'm not mistaken, the oversized prop playground came from your previous thread, right? There it replaced HIStK, which is about where I'm imagining it here? I really like the whole idea for the courtyard and everything.
The one thing I'm not a fan of at all is the Lady Gaga RnR overlay hahaha. That really just comes down to preference though. I could totally see Michael Jackson working really well though, especially given his long association with Disney.

I can't wait to see the Animation Boardwalk ideas. This is amazingly good, thanks for sharing!

 

[stitchcastle]

GAH! I wish that clapping smiley face were still here, these ideas are awesome! Stitchcastle, you have no idea how great it is to see you posting again!

Honestly, everything you mentioned here is incredible (some of it is actually kind of similar to ideas I've had, believe it or not, with a little less destruction haha). The idea to combine GMR with Blot Tour is a really good one...this is The Disney Studios after all, here, the movies come to life! The Fireworks Factory is so creative and different, I love it...I actually think it would work really well with TSM tech, maybe combined with Buzz?
If I'm not mistaken, the oversized prop playground came from your previous thread, right? There it replaced HIStK, which is about where I'm imagining it here? I really like the whole idea for the courtyard and everything.
The one thing I'm not a fan of at all is the Lady Gaga RnR overlay hahaha. That really just comes down to preference though. I could totally see Michael Jackson working really well though, especially given his long association with Disney.

I can't wait to see the Animation Boardwalk ideas. This is amazingly good, thanks for sharing!

Thanks! I figured the Lady Gaga overlay would be a bit polarizing but I thought a new overlay would be an affordable and headline grabbing way to periodically update and promote the attraction. Lady Gaga I figured was current and popular enough to get people's attentions. The possibilities, I feel, are endless when it comes to attaching new acts and bands to the coaster. Maybe even make seasonal overlays, like a Rock n' Christmas Coaster or better yet, a Michael Jackson inspired "Thriller" overlay for Halloween. All it really takes is a new pre-show video and a new soundtrack, and that's if you're pinching pennies.

I'm going to post the animation boardwalk ideas later on tonight, I'm gonna see if I can include some drawings and sketches for them.

 

[stitchcastle]

Here's a quick sketch of the Hollywood Studios Backlot.

This land would be located directly behind The Chinese Theater, which acts as its "Castle". The general guiding principle behind this redesign is to give the studios park a more "hub and spokes" sort of layout, similar to Disneyland. the Backlot area would act as the park's Fantasyland, representing the over-all mission statement of the park.

The big attraction would be the Studio Tour which anchors the whole area. This front facade houses only the queue as the ride itself will snake its way all throughout the backstage areas. Three major soundstages would be constructed to house the 3 major rides.

The ILM building will be modeled after ILM's Singapore offices which itself is designed to be reminiscent of a Jawa Sand Crawler. This also acts as a transition into the Star Wars heavy left side of the park.

The courtyard will also be host to a few C-tickets like the Genie's Flying Carpets, a direct clone from the French Studios park, this would provide a transition to the cartoon heavy Animation Boardwalk.

Also, for a better context of where everything is, here's a very rough sketch of the park, minus Star Wars land.

 

[comics101]

Thanks! I figured the Lady Gaga overlay would be a bit polarizing but I thought a new overlay would be an affordable and headline grabbing way to periodically update and promote the attraction. Lady Gaga I figured was current and popular enough to get people's attentions. The possibilities, I feel, are endless when it comes to attaching new acts and bands to the coaster. Maybe even make seasonal overlays, like a Rock n' Christmas Coaster or better yet, a Michael Jackson inspired "Thriller" overlay for Halloween. All it really takes is a new pre-show video and a new soundtrack, and that's if you're pinching pennies.

I'm going to post the animation boardwalk ideas later on tonight, I'm gonna see if I can include some drawings and sketches for them.

Yeah, you have a point about the draw of a new overlay. I wonder if it might make more sense to go the Star Tours 2 route though, with a randomly picked artist every ride.
The idea for a "Thriller" Halloween edition is awesome!

Here's a quick sketch of the Hollywood Studios Backlot.
This land would be located directly behind The Chinese Theater, which acts as its "Castle". The general guiding principle behind this redesign is to give the studios park a more "hub and spokes" sort of layout, similar to Disneyland. the Backlot area would act as the park's Fantasyland, representing the over-all mission statement of the park.

The big attraction would be the Studio Tour which anchors the whole area. This front facade houses only the queue as the ride itself will snake its way all throughout the backstage areas. Three major soundstages would be constructed to house the 3 major rides.

The ILM building will be modeled after ILM's Singapore offices which itself is designed to be reminiscent of a Jawa Sand Crawler. This also acts as a transition into the Star Wars heavy left side of the park.

The courtyard will also be host to a few C-tickets like the Genie's Flying Carpets, a direct clone from the French Studios park, this would provide a transition to the cartoon heavy Animation Boardwalk.

Also, for a better context of where everything is, here's a very rough sketch of the park, minus Star Wars land.

I really like the Backlot land. This is exactly what DHS is missing and needs, it does wonders for the park's identity crisis. Can't wait to see the Boardwalk and other expansions!

Btw, the artwork is awesome, thanks for sharing.

 

[mharrington]

So it looks like the Great Movie Ride had been removed altogether? That's what's in the Chinese Theater. And the Flying Carpets ride is already at the Magic Kingdom.