What's the Deal with Hollywood Studios?

[pumpkin7]

ME TOO !!
Star Tours is just DUMB and will NOT boost anything.
Hope they rethink & add Monsters Inc.

err, just no. in the UK last year, the fastest expanding religion was Jedi. do not underestimate the power of the force!

i love star tours. to be fair, i love MGM, and that's without the wonders of TSMM, and up until last year, ToT too. i was even unphased by the hat! i love hollywood boulevard, the backlot tour, the giant hidden mickey, rock n roller coaster (eventhough it's not as good as it used to be, unless i'm getting confused with the one in DLP, it used to be like a disco inside? hmm. ) even narnia and one mans dream was shut when i went, and i still went twice during our trip.

 

[minniemickeyfan]

Months ago I read on these boards that Disney's HS is going to get:

Monsters Inc Roller Coaster
an Incredibles attraction about them going on vacation
Honey I Shrunk the Kids playset would become A Bug's Life playset
the first part of Backlot would be taken out for the pixar additions,
The Studio Catering Co would become Pizza Planet
and Pizza Planet would become the Swedish Chef (Muppets)

Makes sense to me

 

[rodserling27]

The problem with DHS is that it's just so badly themed, poorly laid-out, and everything is just sort of thrown there randomly. There's no continuity to the park, in terms of roaming from "section" to "section." I understand this is the result of it not originally meaning to be a theme park but rather a working studio. But there's room for improvement. I mean Star Tours takes place in a SOUNDSTAGE! Come on, really? You can't do better than that? I was hoping for at least a little outside redesign for the new Star Tours...



(I don't mean to beat it up, I still think it's a decent park.)

 

[Disneyfanatic!!]

Months ago I read on these boards that Disney's HS is going to get:

Monsters Inc Roller Coaster
an Incredibles attraction about them going on vacation
Honey I Shrunk the Kids playset would become A Bug's Life playset
the first part of Backlot would be taken out for the pixar additions,
The Studio Catering Co would become Pizza Planet
and Pizza Planet would become the Swedish Chef (Muppets)

Makes sense to me

I recall this as well and think everything on that list sounds amazing (minus the Incredibles)

The problem with DHS is that it's just so badly themed, poorly laid-out, and everything is just sort of thrown there randomly. There's no continuity to the park, in terms of roaming from "section" to "section." I understand this is the result of it not originally meaning to be a theme park but rather a working studio. But there's room for improvement. I mean Star Tours takes place in a SOUNDSTAGE! Come on, really? You can't do better than that? I was hoping for at least a little outside redesign for the new Star Tours...



(I don't mean to beat it up, I still think it's a decent park.)

I actually like the whole Star Tours is in a soundstage thang. :shrug:

 

[thelookingglass]

I say Star Tours being a "soundstage" fits with the park's theming better than MILF does in Tomorrowland.

 

[wolf359]

I say Star Tours being a "soundstage" fits with the park's theming better than MILF does in Tomorrowland.

Rock 'N Rollercoaster and American Idol, on the other hand...

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I was struck on my last trip by the contrast between Hollywood/Sunset Blvds. and the back of the park.

Hollywood and Sunset are such triumphs of design...loving tributes to bygone Hollywood with wonderful details like the streetcar food stand and the taxi stand signs, a steady supply of streetmosphere actors (at least everytime I visited, they were always out), and of course the brilliantly placed Hollywood Tower Hotel. (And even though its placement feels off, you can't hate on Rock n Roller Coaster.)

Then you journey behind the hat and it just all falls apart. The Toy Story area springs up and fades away so abruptly with no transition, LMA is tucked away in a random nook, American Idol audition signs greet you with no rhyme or reason, and Animation Courtyard has no reason to exist without the tour.

I also think the "working soundstage/studio" theme that takes over in the back of the park is just so much weaker and less interesting than the "Hollywood that never was" story you encounter coming in. Areas like Sounds Dangerous and ABC Comissary are just so visually dull. Fairly or not, it just feels like an excuse to scale back on theming in the interest of "authentically" uninteresting design...and it doesn't serve any purpose without any real production going on in the park.

It would be so nice if the back of the park could tell a consistent story on par with the front streets, but it's hard to imagine how without re-doing it from the ground up.

 

[David S.]

My son and I were at AK one day last week. Did the Safari ride, roamed around thru some of the pathways looking at animals, and rode Dinosaur and left by l0:30 to Epcot. Its definitely not a full day park.

I guess it isn't, if you skip more than half of the attractions!

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I still like DHS. It does need some tender loving care but if you went there for the FIRST time ever you would love the park. Remember, we are a little jaded around here we've been to the park a few times. We demand new things!

Yes the park could use some additions and there really isn't any reason why it can't be an equal to Universal Studios. While I would never want Disney to rest on it's laurels and assume they can't do better I will end on a positive note by noting my most beloved attractions at DHS:

Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller coaster, Fantasmic, One Man's Dream, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, soon to be refurbed Star Tours, Indiana Jones.

Yes I know that DHS is commonly the 4th and least favourite park out of the major 4, but a park with those rides in there sprinkled with some other ones is still a pretty good day I think

 

[wolf359]

Hollywood and Sunset are such triumphs of design...loving tributes to bygone Hollywood with wonderful details...

...Then you journey behind the hat and it just all falls apart...

...I also think the "working soundstage/studio" theme that takes over in the back of the park is just so much weaker...

...Fairly or not, it just feels like an excuse to scale back on theming in the interest of "authentically" uninteresting design...and it doesn't serve any purpose without any real production going on in the park...

...It would be so nice if the back of the park could tell a consistent story on par with the front streets, but it's hard to imagine how without re-doing it from the ground up.

I agree, and that's exactly how I've come to regard the park on my last several visits. The front half of the park sets you up so beautifully, and the theming is so very well done.

And then they switch it all off. Bare girders and scaffolding, obvious facades and incomplete structures intended to be "just out of frame." The transition to that style made sense in the early days of the park, because the whole point of the "back half" of the park was to take guests "behind the scenes" of movie making.

But now that there is no working studio and the behind the scenes aspects of the attractions are teetering between almost and completely gone it makes a lot of the park look haphazardly designed.

I believe the biggest issue facing MGM/Hollywood Studios is that the park operated without a rudder almost since it opened. No one seemed to be in charge of making sure the attractions kept to the theme of the park, or at least steer what was left in the same direction as they added new attractions.

So now we have a park that is thematically confused and haphazardly realized because pressing need for more attractions forced Disney to ignore any real sense of consistency. And I don't expect a California Adventure-style reboot anytime in DHS' future because the masses are just as confused about what the theme of the park should be.

 

[marni1971]

rock n roller coaster (eventhough it's not as good as it used to be, unless i'm getting confused with the one in DLP..

You are.

It is known that DHS is in a bit of a theme mess. Give it time. And as always money.

 

[magiconmainstrt]

DHS is wonderful in December---
The Osborne Light Show is an added "extra magic" for your day--

:xmas:

 

[zooey]

You are.

It is known that DHS is in a bit of a theme mess. Give it time. And as always money.

Honestly, the best way to move forward with DHS is to keep the main streets at the front as is, and section everything after GMR into individual studio lands. We'd have Lucasfilm, Muppets Studios, and Pixar Studios, (my dream is for them to replace Catastrophe Canyon and Backlot with an indoor Miyazaki forest land like the Ariel land in TDS).

And of course, remove the hat.

 

[Nemofinder]

I'm going to disagree with the theme issue here. Muppet Studios is a real place, so is lucasfilm. Pixar the same. Obviously they aren't going to call Echo Lake Lucasfilm because, well that would promote someone else wouldn't it. The Phineas and Ferb photo op fits because, "Dude, They're Making a Movie". Very Hollywood. Maybe that last was a stretch but there is a certain California Hollywood theme still present. The rides in the park are journeys into the films and characters created by the studios. I think that this should be the theme they focus on most. A Swedish Chef restaurant, Mos Eisley Cantina, Bug's Life retheme all contribute to this type of theme. I would love to see more to Pixar Place, especially a full on Pizza Planet and Monster's Inc. coaster. A Tangled show would be a great replacement to BaTB and VoTLM may need something too after the opening of the FLE ride. Change is coming, I'd wager. How much and how soon are the missing variables.

 

[britdaw]

I do think there needs to be something added to HS. I was on the site yesterday trying to plan out my itineraries for our trip, and only found about 12 things that I wanted to do there, compared to the 37 in MK. However, like I said in another thread, I doubt after the FE we'll get anything major for a while.

 

[koryadams]

I think it is because they work on all Disney Parks at once, so at least one new thing is being added to every destination. So at WDW, It is MK and AK. And I bet once those are done or almost complete, they will be announcing things to epcot or HS.

I think its a good plan because that way, they can have something new each year and not alot of new things at once. It gives them more time to think of future things. I would rather have one new thing a year, then 10 new things and then 5 years without anything.

I agree with HS not having much, but I think they have something up their sleeve coming in future...just gotta be patient and live long enough to see it all I guess lol

 

[Susan Savia]

There is only a handful of things we do in HS. Toy Story, (we work it out so we get three rides on it), Animation Studio, Indiana Jones, and Backlot area. We don't even take the time to eat in there anymore. Usually by noon or 1:00, were ready to move on to another park.

 

[Mickey_777]

We have spent entire days at DHS. I think the park has great atmosphere and if you repeat your favorite attractions, you can fill up your day easily. I mean how can you not go on ToT, Toy Story MM (if you're lucky enough), or Rockin RC more that once? Plus these 3 attractions are among the absolute best in all of WDW. Fantasmic, LMA, and the BATB shows are great. Another major D or E ticket plus a proper expansion of the Backlot tour and DHS would feel "just right" IMO...

 

[JamieD]

My biggest problem with DHS isn't the lack of new attractions- its the lack of cohesion. The park doesn't know what it is anymore. It is missing all the edutainment that Disney does better than everyone else. Ever since it stopped being an actual studio and the animation dept was shipped out of town, it has lost its identity. Part of what made DHS (then MGM) so great was that it had thrills combined with fascinating behind the scenes type stuff.

It really is a random assortment of stuff anymore... AI, Muppets, Pixar, Star Wars, Playhouse Disney...

I just think it really needs to figure out what it wants to be first then we can worry about it getting new attractions.

Great first post!

I agree completely. If Hollywood Studios is going to be more than just a dumping ground for attractions that don't fit into the other three parks then Disney needs to figure out what they want the park to be in the 21st century.

In addition to closing or shipping out the actual studio stuff, I believe technology has eroded the standard studio park. When I went to USF in the early 90s, I was intrigued by how they did everything for the camera. The techniques of the foley artist (Murder She Wrote attraction), the amazing miniature-type sets (Earthquake, Alfred Hitchcock) and the streetscape/skyline to illustrate an actual city (USF and MGM too) were amazing and gave me a "Wow, that's how they do that" kind of feeling. Nowadays, everything is done by computers, which to some degree is cool, but doesn't translate into an "oh wow" factor at a theme park. You know, seeing an actual set on the backlot at USH is way neater than seeing the blue screen that an actor stood in front of just before the computer guy chromoed the scene in behind him. In some ways, the art of making movies just isn't the same.