Transformative Multi-Year Expansion Announced for WDS Paris

[Nickm2022]

I’d argue with Lion King and an Avatar land it would edge out Disney’s Hollywood Studios. DHS would still have a better entrance street but in terms of attraction line ups I feel WDS would win.

ToT- Both have, although DHS has the better version
Flight Force and Muppets coaster - exact same ride, cancel each other out
Crush’s Coaster and Slinky dog - family coasters, would possible give edge to Crush for indoor scenes.
Runaway Railway and Ratatouille - both family dark rides
Midway Mania and Spiderman - I’d give Spiderman the edge over Midway Mania
Flat rides - WDS would win hands down, all of Toy Story Land plus Flying carpets and Cars and new Tangled and UP rides vs Alien saucers at DHS
Cars Tram tour has no equivalent at DHS
Shows - WDS would win for me, Pixar and Mickey and the Magician are good theme park shows, better than Indy and Beauty and the Beast. Whatever replaces the Frozen show is possibly a wash with DHS singalong. Fantasmic vs new WDS nightime show is hard to judge yet.

Would boil down to will Frozen, Lion King and Avatar surpass Galaxies Edge and Monsters Inc.

I only respectfully disagree (in my opinion) because I think that Hollywood studios does have a consistent feel. your either in your favorite movie, or where such movie was made (Hollywood). While I think my biggest issue w the WDS transformation is (despite it being really good for the most part) the back and central part of the park (from the regal restaurant to tangled to up), are far superior and more unique in theming and overall look then the front of the park's cheap Hollywood backlot feel. Which is only Tower of Terror, and then the World Premiere building which while an improvement feels very incoherent to the back. Personally which this was demoed and a new entrance and a new code of paint for tower was built to match the beautiful white and blue color scheme of these new buildings. I also still think the outside of Nemo, the cars stuff, and Aladdin look awful compared to the new and complex worlds

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I only respectfully disagree (in my opinion) because I think that Hollywood studios does have a consistent feel. your either in your favorite movie, or where such movie was made (Hollywood). While I think my biggest issue w the WDS transformation is (despite it being really good for the most part) the back and central part of the park (from the regal restaurant to tangled to up), are far superior and more unique in theming and overall look then the front of the park's cheap Hollywood backlot feel. Which is only Tower of Terror, and then the World Premiere building which while an improvement feels very incoherent to the back. Personally which this was demoed and a new entrance and a new code of paint for tower was built to match the beautiful white and blue color scheme of these new buildings. I also still think the outside of Nemo, the cars stuff, and Aladdin look awful compared to the new and complex worlds

Yeah, I tend to agree with this. At least the front areas of Hollywood Studies still feel like a classic Disney theme park and I do think they have been working at replacing the more awkward/empty corners of the park in recent years.

I am curious to see what this all looks at feels like once the new areas are open. Adventure Way looks really nice and I like that they have made the lake look like an actual lake rather than an artificial body of water. I am still struggling to imagine a cohesive feel in the way that I do think Hollywood Studios still manages, though. I also tend to think the whole front area of what will soon be Disney Adventure World (even that name is not especially evocative of anything) needs a more substantial re-think, but I understand money is not limitless.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

More paving is done, with new benches and lights by ToT

 

[Animaniac93-98]

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Yeah, I tend to agree with this. At least the front areas of Hollywood Studies still feel like a classic Disney theme park and I do think they have been working at replacing the more awkward/empty corners of the park in recent years.

I am curious to see what this all looks at feels like once the new areas are open. Adventure Way looks really nice and I like that they have made the lake look like an actual lake rather than an artificial body of water. I am still struggling to imagine a cohesive feel in the way that I do think Hollywood Studios still manages, though. I also tend to think the whole front area of what will soon be Disney Adventure World (even that name is not especially evocative of anything) needs a more substantial re-think, but I understand money is not limitless.

DAW has the inverse problem of DHS, a weak entrance leading to nicer areas elsewhere

Hollywood and Sunset Blvd are fine examples of Imagineering, but the park still does not look that great outside of them and Galaxy's Edge. The effort to dress up Animation Courtyard isn't much better than the repaving and landscaping that's happening now at World Premier Plaza. Toy Story Land is better at DHS by virtue of its coaster and TSMM, but does not really improve much on the aesthetics compared to its WDSP counterpart.

The problem for DAW is that it will always be hamstrung by it's T-shaped entrance that funnels people through the indoor Studio 1 to the theater district (once almost the entirety of the park). And no matter how much they dress them, up those three big yellow buildings will always be three big yellow buildings. I guess they decided to cut their losses and just focus on the rest of the park. Could have done more to expand the Hollywood Blvd area as I keep saying, though.

With the parks wide effort to enclose/cover spaces for guest comfort, I'm surprised they are not making the theater waiting areas indoors too so at least people are not standing out in the cold.

 

[Supersnow84]

WDS also has; by virtue of this expansion; an overall better planned master layout.

The “T” shaped entryway isn’t great but since you can access the two legacy wings from adventure bay the entire park is now built mostly like a universal studios park

Whereas DHS just has absolutely zero idea what the hell it wants its master planned layout to be. Full of weird courtyards, dead ends, messy land transitions and everything else

I can’t even think of a particularly easy way to remove most of the problems of its layout. I guess the closest was that floated plan around Covid to link rock n roller coaster to the little mermaid which would turn the park into functionally a big circle but that never came to pass

 

[Sir_Cliff]

DAW has the inverse problem of DHS, a weak entrance leading to nicer areas elsewhere

Hollywood and Sunset Blvd are fine examples of Imagineering, but the park still does not look that great outside of them and Galaxy's Edge. The effort to dress up Animation Courtyard isn't much better than the repaving and landscaping that's happening now at World Premier Plaza. Toy Story Land is better at DHS by virtue of its coaster and TSMM, but does not really improve much on the aesthetics compared to its WDSP counterpart.

The problem for DAW is that it will always be hamstrung by it's T-shaped entrance that funnels people through the indoor Studio 1 to the theater district (once almost the entirety of the park). And no matter how much they dress them, up those three big yellow buildings will always be three big yellow buildings. I guess they decided to cut their losses and just focus on the rest of the park. Could have done more to expand the Hollywood Blvd area as I keep saying, though.

With the parks wide effort to enclose/cover spaces for guest comfort, I'm surprised they are not making the theater waiting areas indoors too so at least people are not standing out in the cold.

Yes, I agree with all of this. I would also say DHS is probably the next weakest park and the distance between the two won't be that great once the new areas open.

My impression is that, beyond demolishing the entire entrance experience for the park and just starting again, the park could really benefit from basically demolishing everything you see when you exit Studio 1 to create a real wow experience that all fits together cohesively. That would probably involve bringing the "sets" from Studio 1 into three dimensions more convincingly into a space that didn't seem like facades awkwardly arranged around a big open space and the remaining buildings from the original park. As you say, creating proper facades and indoor waiting areas for the theatres would also go a long way; the use of canvas and digital signs still kind of harks back to the original park's approach to theming.

At any rate, I will be there next week and interested to see if I am more impressed with the effect in person.

 

[marni1971]

you exit Studio 1 to create a real wow experience

I’d say they have that already, especially for the average guest. Hollywood Tower, a huge sorcerers hat, and soon a tree lined walkway to a distant mountain.

As you said by virtue of its function studio one isn’t going anywhere. Could they add dimensional flats to it maybe? Cityscape? A mini New York Street effect? Or are they moving away from the behind the scenes feel? Or will it always be a soundstage from a theme they’re trying to forget?

Similarly the theatre buildings could just have an overlay in front of the fronts. These buildings are as cheap as they come from 2002 (the roofs aren’t even what you call a real roof) but a dimensional build out of a classical theatre facade could work wonders. Not that it’s going to happen of course.

 

[DrStarlander]

The problem for DAW is that it will always be hamstrung by it's T-shaped entrance that funnels people through the indoor Studio 1 to the theater district (once almost the entirety of the park). And no matter how much they dress them, up those three big yellow buildings will always be three big yellow buildings.

My impression is that, beyond demolishing the entire entrance experience for the park and just starting again, the park could really benefit from basically demolishing everything you see when you exit Studio 1 to create a real wow experience that all fits together cohesively.

As you say, creating proper facades and indoor waiting areas for the theatres would also go a long way

When I was at the Paris resort it was before this park was built, so haven't been there myself. But it seems like they could build a sideways Main Street sort of experience after you exit Stage 1, with a grand arched entry to the new boulevard straight ahead.

While it could be themed to 1930s Hollywood golden age, given that's been done at many parks, maybe they do a 1950s era version with neon and hot rods and that sort of Americana. That could transitions well to Marvel/comic books and Twilight Zone, and would have some of the nighttime aesthetic benefits of Cars Land at DCA while not needing the IP (though a Cars IP shop would be fun).

 

[Gusey]

When I was at the Paris resort it was before this park was built, so haven't been there myself. But it seems like they could build a sideways Main Street sort of experience after you exit Stage 1, with a grand arched entry to the new boulevard straight ahead.

While it could be themed to 1930s Hollywood golden age, given that's been done at many parks, maybe they do a 1950s era version with neon and hot rods and that sort of Americana. That could transitions well to Marvel/comic books and Twilight Zone, and would have some of the nighttime aesthetic benefits of Cars Land at DCA while not needing the IP (though a Cars IP shop would be fun).
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Making the entrances to the park's shows (some of Disney's best shows worldwide) with flat facades would be a massive mistake. What they've done with World Premiere Plaza is an upgrade to the asphalt that was there before, and the extra greenery added actually makes it a decent transition from World Premiere (formerly Studio 1). Could it be better, of course but it's a major improvement over what was there before

 

[DrStarlander]

flat facades

Sorry, my drawing was schematic-level almost. I don't mean "flat" facades, I mean something akin to Main Street or Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe in terms of placemaking. A fully themed street, with whatever special landmark entrances/structures for attractions or theater venues as desired, which could include their own forecourt plazas, etc.

 

[Supersnow84]

When I was at the Paris resort it was before this park was built, so haven't been there myself. But it seems like they could build a sideways Main Street sort of experience after you exit Stage 1, with a grand arched entry to the new boulevard straight ahead.

While it could be themed to 1930s Hollywood golden age, given that's been done at many parks, maybe they do a 1950s era version with neon and hot rods and that sort of Americana. That could transitions well to Marvel/comic books and Twilight Zone, and would have some of the nighttime aesthetic benefits of Cars Land at DCA while not needing the IP (though a Cars IP shop would be fun).
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Cars land was already designed to fulfil the 1950’s Americana aesthetic (the whole malt shops, poodle skirts and fast cars) so they could definitely model it off that

But honestly since they are ditching the Hollywood aesthetic I’d prefer they just redo the front. DHS still seems to be going for a sorta “enter the golden age of Hollywood then go behind the camera into the movie itself” with the 1930’s Hollywood transitioning to living lands at the back but WDS seems to just be maintaining the front of the park out of budget constraints rather than a coherent design