Toy Story Land expansion announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios

[djkidkaz]

Does anyone know why this land isn't getting much effort / funds put into it? I was under the impression DHS was getting a DCA style makeover. There were all these posts about Disney realizing how bad of shape the park is in and finally pumping money into it. Bob Iger confirmed a name change for the park, which would lead you to believe its getting a pretty hefty overhaul if they are going as far as to change the name. What gives?

 

[Kman101]

Does anyone know why this land isn't getting much effort / funds put into it? I was under the impression DHS was getting a DCA style makeover. There were all these posts about Disney realizing how bad of shape the park is in and finally pumping money into it. Bob Iger confirmed a name change for the park, which would lead you to believe its getting a pretty hefty overhaul if they are going as far as to change the name. What gives?

I'd like to know too. While I'm very excited for SWL in a few years, and @MansionButler84 has said they recognize they need more and that they are looking at current areas (I'd venture a guess Animation Courtyard, there's really not much left to retheme), they could have marketed this all a lot better and they should have greenlit a lot more. We should be getting, IMHO, Monstropolis, Cars Land, Toy Story Land, Star Wars Land, a Mickey themed area behind Sunset, a makeover of Animation Courtyard .... they could also retheme Rock n Roller Coaster, change out the 30 year old stage shows ....

So much needs to be done or could have been done. I've been scratching my head over this "makeover" for a while now. I think it's disappointing. It sounds like Epcot has more on the table and more of a makeover coming in the future.

 

[andysol]

Why does everyone keep comparing the slinky dog coaster to barnstormer? Barnstormer/Woody woodpecker/flight of hippogriff are all interchangeable.
2 launches and that much track length? This is nothing like any of those. A much better rival would be 7DMT less the dark ride portion.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm not a coaster expert, but this sound rather unique. Even if it's been done (a 2nd launch) in the world, it's unique to WDW. Good to know it's not all that "generic" that many have mocked this land for. The queue building seems relatively large as well, I wonder what surprises we'll see in there to get more people on the band wagon.

Isn't just Walt Disney World a rather narrow field to be looking at? There isn't a swing ride at Walt Disney World either, so would one be less generic? Launches are becoming more popular and so are multiple launch coasters.

 

[doctornick]

I'd agree with you. I also think that - for all its faults - the land will provide some much needed kinetic energy to a park that currently only has the Tower's elevator doors, Gertie's nostrils, and Mickey's Mouse About Town arm to show for.

Speaking of kinetics... I don't understand why they don't add some sort of transport (i.e. like a Red Car Trolley going down Hollywood Blvd and Sunset Blvd) to the park as part of the "makeover". It could sorely use it.

 

[doctornick]

I'm not a coaster expert, but this sound rather unique. Even if it's been done (a 2nd launch) in the world, it's unique to WDW. Good to know it's not all that "generic" that many have mocked this land for. The queue building seems relatively large as well, I wonder what surprises we'll see in there to get more people on the band wagon.

I think the double launches sounds pretty cool, but it seems the downside would be ride that is over pretty quickly. Lift hills do add significantly to the ride time for a coaster and build anticipation. That said, I'll agree with others that this coaster at least seems like it will have an interesting layout, especially among "kiddie coasters". I just wish the land was utilized more efficiently (e.g. put another attraction underneath the higher parts of the track).

 

[jt04]

If they made TSL fancier it might have been at the expense of SWL.

As planned it will eat huge crowds allowing even more expansion in the future.

 

[doctornick]

I actually don't mind them not making TSL "fancier" (though, sure, I'd rather see every land be as good as it can get). I'm more announced that it's only two relatively low capacity additions.

And I'm annoyed that there doesn't seem to be anything else planned beyond TSL, SW and a replacement of GMR by Mickey -- even though DHS needs a crapload more capacity.

 

[Kman101]

I actually don't mind them not making TSL "fancier" (though, sure, I'd rather see every land be as good as it can get). I'm more announced that it's only two relatively low capacity additions.

And I'm annoyed that there doesn't seem to be anything else planned beyond TSL, SW and a replacement of GMR by Mickey -- even though DHS needs a crapload more capacity.

I'm annoyed by all of the above, LOL. I think they should have stuck to the original plans for TSL no matter what the budget was or how much it cost. It was bare bones as it was, to cut the Woody's Roundup area, to cut the theming around the coaster, etc.

It also looks like they had room in the Woody's Roundup area for another flat ride.

 

[marni1971]

A much better rival would be 7DMT less the dark ride portion.

And minus the theming. And the Mountain. And the detail.

 

[cjkeating]

Does anyone know why this land isn't getting much effort / funds put into it? I was under the impression DHS was getting a DCA style makeover. There were all these posts about Disney realizing how bad of shape the park is in and finally pumping money into it. Bob Iger confirmed a name change for the park, which would lead you to believe its getting a pretty hefty overhaul if they are going as far as to change the name. What gives?

I think plans changed... from what various people have said on here it seems the original funds for DHS have also been shared with Pandora and Epcot. Also, the original SWL plans in the front of the park required the back end of the park be a separate expansion whereas now the front of the park is left untouched.

 

[HMF]

Does anyone know why this land isn't getting much effort / funds put into it? I was under the impression DHS was getting a DCA style makeover. There were all these posts about Disney realizing how bad of shape the park is in and finally pumping money into it. Bob Iger confirmed a name change for the park, which would lead you to believe its getting a pretty hefty overhaul if they are going as far as to change the name. What gives?

Chapek and the sharp-pencil boys got a hold of it.

 

[danlb_2000]

Why does everyone keep comparing the slinky dog coaster to barnstormer? Barnstormer/Woody woodpecker/flight of hippogriff are all interchangeable.
2 launches and that much track length? This is nothing like any of those. A much better rival would be 7DMT less the dark ride portion.

I don't think they are comparing the content of the ride, but instead the theming. Hippogriff, barnstormer and slinky dog are all bare track coasters with very little theming around them, as opposed to coasters like SDMT and Big Thunder which surround the track in a considerable level of theming.

 

[Goingdown13]

Speaking of kinetics... I don't understand why they don't add some sort of transport (i.e. like a Red Car Trolley going down Hollywood Blvd and Sunset Blvd) to the park as part of the "makeover". It could sorely use it.

The roads are already pretty narrow, especially compared to DCA. It would be a congestion nightmare, as nice as it would be .

 

[davis_unoxx]

What were the original plans for Toy Story Land?

 

[Casper Gutman]

Does anyone know why this land isn't getting much effort / funds put into it? I was under the impression DHS was getting a DCA style makeover. There were all these posts about Disney realizing how bad of shape the park is in and finally pumping money into it. Bob Iger confirmed a name change for the park, which would lead you to believe its getting a pretty hefty overhaul if they are going as far as to change the name. What gives?

I think we may need to realize that just because the powers-that-be recognize MGM's sorry state doesn't mean they feel compelled to fix it. I get no sense that Iger is personally invested in the parks the way Walt and even Eisner were - until guest dissatisfaction begins impacting revenue, it's not a priority.

The MGM makeover, unlike that at DCA, is the bare minimum they think they can get away with. SWL looks great, but remember this is the single most enduring, popular franchise in modern entertainment, one that Disney spent mounds of money to acquire, the pinnacle of Iger's acquisition philosophy, and its getting a land with two rides years after Disney bought it. Star Wars could easily warrant and support a full park and at the very least merits the treatment Uni gave HP (yes, that was two phases, but is there any evidence Disney is considering building another phase as rapidly as Uni built Diagon? In both WDW and especially DL they managed to build SWL in a location that makes expansion difficult.) As cool as SWL looks, given the nature of the IP, it still fits the "least we can get away with" model.

The rest of the MGM makeover is an embarrassment - a Six Flags level kiddie-land taking up huge swathes of space and the replacement of a classic ride.

SWL will be cool, but the MGM makeover as a whole borders on insulting. WDW knows the park has enormous problems, but they're betting guests are dumb or loyal enough to settle for a few cheap, heavily promoted changes that don't address the underlying issues.

 

[Andrew C]

I think we may need to realize that just because the powers-that-be recognize MGM's sorry state doesn't mean they feel compelled to fix it. I get no sense that Iger is personally invested in the parks the way Walt and even Eisner were - until guest dissatisfaction begins impacting revenue, it's not a priority.

The MGM makeover, unlike that at DCA, is the bare minimum they think they can get away with. SWL looks great, but remember this is the single most enduring, popular franchise in modern entertainment, one that Disney spent mounds of money to acquire, the pinnacle of Iger's acquisition philosophy, and its getting a land with two rides years after Disney bought it. Star Wars could easily warrant and support a full park and at the very least merits the treatment Uni gave HP (yes, that was two phases, but is there any evidence Disney is considering building another phase as rapidly as Uni built Diagon? In both WDW and especially DL they managed to build SWL in a location that makes expansion difficult.) As cool as SWL looks, given the nature of the IP, it still fits the "least we can get away with" model.

The rest of the MGM makeover is an embarrassment - a Six Flags level kiddie-land taking up huge swathes of space and the replacement of a classic ride.

SWL will be cool, but the MGM makeover as a whole borders on insulting. WDW knows the park has enormous problems, but they're betting guests are dumb or loyal enough to settle for a few cheap, heavily promoted changes that don't address the underlying issues.

huh...what else has even been greenlit besides TSL and the mickey ride? What is this rest of the MGM makeover you're referring to? Did I miss something?

 

[Casper Gutman]

huh...what else has even been greenlit besides TSL and the mickey ride? What is this rest of the MGM makeover you're referring to? Did I miss something?

That's it - that's the kiddie land and ride replacement I mention.

 

[Hatbox Ghostbuster]

I think we may need to realize that just because the powers-that-be recognize MGM's sorry state doesn't mean they feel compelled to fix it. I get no sense that Iger is personally invested in the parks the way Walt and even Eisner were - until guest dissatisfaction begins impacting revenue, it's not a priority.

This is the problem right there. Despite the poor shape most of DHS and Epcot are in, guests are continuing to flock there. Recent TEA reports show all six Disney parks still thriving, so the urgency in fixing things that we see as problems just isn't there.

 

[Andrew C]

That's it - that's the kiddie land and ride replacement I mention.

So, SWL is giving us two higher level attractions (and probably one of the best themed lands anywhere). TSL is giving us two lower level attractions. And Mickey seems like it is a new e-ticket replacing an old e-ticket.

You stated "the rest of the MGM makeover is the bare minimum." The only thing I see so far that can be considered "bare minimum" is TSL.

We don't really know what else is going to come, unless Martin has provided some new information that I missed. So, I would say it is probably too early to judge whether the MGM makeover is going to be the bare minimum or not.