Toy Story Land expansion announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios

[Jones14]

So you would rate Pandora as four times better than Diagon Alley?

I’m afraid the implication is flying over my head. Overall, I’d say they’re matched by each other.

Pandora has the better headliner, better food, and less breaks in theme overall.

Diagon has superior entertainment, more numerous (and better) opportunities for guest interaction, and a stronger transportive feeling due to its layout.

Both are excellent lands, and worth the money to me. I worry that Toy Story won’t be worth the money.

 

[smile]

I’m afraid the implication is flying over my head.

cost difference

 

[twebber55]

I agree and disagree with you. Universal got WAY more bang for their buck, but Disney is still building a large land from scratch with multiple attractions for the same price.

Disney being incapable of building a Diagon-level land with that money doesn’t negate that they’re spending that kind of money. My point was that it’s unfair to use Hogsmeade to compare when what was built for Diagon is a better comparison overall, both in budget and in what is being built, rather than repurposed.

Now, final product? Right there with you, although I think Diagon and Pandora are pretty even.

TSL cant touch DA built Pandora certainly can and does both in scale and themeing as well as E Ticket

 

[twebber55]

I’m afraid the implication is flying over my head. Overall, I’d say they’re matched by each other.

Pandora has the better headliner, better food, and less breaks in theme overall.

Diagon has superior entertainment, more numerous (and better) opportunities for guest interaction, and a stronger transportive feeling due to its layout.

Both are excellent lands, and worth the money to me. I worry that Toy Story won’t be worth the money.

agree with every sentence

 

[Horizons '83]

I’m afraid the implication is flying over my head. Overall, I’d say they’re matched by each other.

Pandora has the better headliner, better food, and less breaks in theme overall.

Diagon has superior entertainment, more numerous (and better) opportunities for guest interaction, and a stronger transportive feeling due to its layout.

Both are excellent lands, and worth the money to me. I worry that Toy Story won’t be worth the money.

In what sense? Not worth your money or WDW's investment?

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Another Universal vs. Disney thread I’ll have to visit PotterLand Pandora is breathtakingly with its detail Even Helen Keller would agree

 

[Casper Gutman]

They called it an Avengers retheme.

But @Casper Gutman was talking about the Iron Man simulator from HKD

I was. I was wrong.

But what I really want in theme parks right now are lands that I can sit in, soak up, peruse tiny clever details and hidden gags, spend real time wandering shops... basically, HP lands or Cars Land. I don't even care that much about the IP (I'm not a huge fan of either HP or Cars) as long as the place is immersive.

Attractions matter, but less then the land as a whole. RSR is a far better ride then Gringotts, but while I love both Cars Land and Diagon, I'd give the edge to Diagon simply because of how happily I can spend hours there doing nothing in particular.

And Paris seems to be getting three such complete lands, while we get one. Hence my envy.

 

[Jones14]

In what sense? Not worth your money or WDW's investment?

WDW’s investment. I think that the money would have been better spent on a replacement show (Batb or Mermaid, with theatre improvements for the former), continued aesthetic improvements to the park, and a Fantasyland-style dark ride.

It’s less flashy than a new land, but I think the park needs those things more than a small coaster and a flat ride.

 

[Timothy_Q]

WDW’s investment. I think that the money would have been better spent on a replacement show (Batb or Mermaid, with theatre improvements for the former), continued aesthetic improvements to the park, and a Fantasyland-style dark ride.

It’s less flashy than a new land, but I think the park needs those things more than a small coaster and a flat ride.

The thing is, SWL needs a neighbor land to help with guest flow.
Otherwise SWL would be a dead end

 

[Jones14]

The thing is, SWL needs a neighbor land to help with guest flow.
Otherwise SWL would be a dead end

They could have gone through with the reroute of Mania and put the dark ride where Slinky sits now to fix that problem.

 

[Timothy_Q]

They could have gone through with the reroute of Mania and put the dark ride where Slinky sits now to fix that problem.

Definitely agree.

A dark ride would be way more expensive than Slinky though.
You were talking about using the same budget

 

[Jones14]

Definitely agree.

A dark ride would be way more expensive than Slinky though.
You were talking about using the same budget

Not necessarily; apparently, Slinky is pretty pricey for what we’re getting. Plus, cutting Slinky would have meant they could condense the area and save some more money on whatever the theming for the area would have been.

It’s all speculation, of course, but I think it would’ve been doable.

 

[Magic Feather]

So the announcement regarding Disneyland Paris really helps put the MGM "fix" into perspective. Both MGM and Studios Paris were broken parks, but Paris is getting three large, intricately-themed new lands, plus other additions like Swinging Saucers for their TSL. MGM is getting a net gain of three rides, two of which are essentially carnival rides.

Disney seems fairly convinced that WDW guests don't demand the same quality that patrons at their international parks do. Rides like Mystic Manor and Shanghai Pirates make this really clear (I still hold out hope Alcatraz will reach that level). And when you look at this newly announced expansion or the changes coming to TDL (or anything at TDL, really) its hard not to get frustrated.

I wonder the degree to which DVC plays into this. My understanding is the international parks don't get the hulking DVC additions that blight the Orlando resort and that DVC points don't work particularly well at those parks. To what extent is DVC an American phenomenon? It seems possible that American tourists' willingness to legally bind themselves to give money to WDW for decades, regardless of the quality of the parks, might account to some extent for management's different attitudes to the US vs the international resorts. There may be nothing to that idea, I'm just a bit curious.

I would not tie DVC exclusively to the US. Disney sure is not.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Definitely agree.

A dark ride would be way more expensive than Slinky though.
You were talking about using the same budget

$60 million or so should be able to buy a fun little dark ride. But we’re talking about the company that spent more than twice that on building and trying to fix The Little Mermaid.

 

[Kman101]

Too much focus is placed o

WDW’s investment. I think that the money would have been better spent on a replacement show (Batb or Mermaid, with theatre improvements for the former), continued aesthetic improvements to the park, and a Fantasyland-style dark ride.

It’s less flashy than a new land, but I think the park needs those things more than a small coaster and a flat ride.

It needs both. Placemaking, new shows and things to do.

 

[marni1971]

One of the many recent revelations of your personality that prevents me from ever wanting to have "coffee" with you. Stick with your single minded friends. I really used to respect you... but, you are making that hard to do. Read through the post that I posted and if you can find anything I said that should have started this garbage I will apologize and be on my way. You won't! Perhaps the angered responses after being attacked will display some, but, not the original. Otherwise, put me on "IGNORE" it's the simplest way to avoid having to put up with my opposing view.

I found someone’s post humorous and quite original.... don’t be such a grump. Also note I wasn’t laughing at "the post that you posted". I’m not really concerned about what you posted. With respect. I’ve no idea what you posted. I just found someone’s comment funny.

I don’t have anyone on ignore. I’ve only ever used it once but they disappeared. As much as you may not think it, I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion. As a side note I’m interested in the other revelations you’ve found about me.

I’m open to a coffee with anyone I bump into or meet. My offer still stands but I understand if you decline.

Please do elaborate. As I said, I didn't read what you originally said until you decided to take it out on me as opposed to whoever you were having a debate with. And please do say what revelations of my personality you’ve recently discovered. I’m genuinely interested. Thanks.

 

[marni1971]

When will you be there

Later this year

 

[nickys]

I would not tie DVC exclusively to the US. Disney sure is not.

Now you have me intrigued! My instinctive reaction was "How do you work that one out?" But then I did a double take. Are you implying there are plans afoot ....... ?

Yes, there are non-US DVC members.
But there are no DVC resorts anywhere else.
Using points at resorts anywhere else is a seriously bad move. For example, a room at a moderate HKDL resort would be 40 points a night. That's worth around $600 if I were to rent my points out. Yet I can pay less than $300 for a room.

I really don't see anything to suggest that Disney are looking to expand DVC to their other resorts.

Are you simply referring to the fact that they are happy to sell to non-US residents, or hinting at something else?

 

[Ag11gani]

And Paris seems to be getting three such complete lands, while we get one

I'm not exactly convinced that the Marvel land will be a fully immersive land, but we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully the SWL will have the two rides but again that seems unclear too. And if you count Pandora then WDW would be getting 2.

All of these things still make me exited for Paris though.

 

[DVCOwner]

Now you have me intrigued! My instinctive reaction was "How do you work that one out?" But then I did a double take. Are you implying there are plans afoot ....... ?

Yes, there are non-US DVC members.
But there are no DVC resorts anywhere else.
Using points at resorts anywhere else is a seriously bad move. For example, a room at a moderate HKDL resort would be 40 points a night. That's worth around $600 if I were to rent my points out. Yet I can pay less than $300 for a room.

I really don't see anything to suggest that Disney are looking to expand DVC to their other resorts.

Are you simply referring to the fact that they are happy to sell to non-US residents, or hinting at something else?

After all these years Disney Vacation Club still is selling in Hawaii. Do not see a new off resort DVC coming very soon.