Why Hollywood Studios is being rebuilt

[asianway]

End of Life. It just sounded nicer in my head than "kill list." Also applies to attractions and facilities that close when they operate to the the end of their life expectancy, like Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Or the monorails at Walt Disn- oh wait, nevermind....

I've already resigned myself that sometime in my lifetime there would not be a monorail at WDW, didn't think we were that close.

Of all cuts, this one might be the one that unites the Disney fans though...

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

It does not.

Does!

Seriously, DHS's official expansion plans (not in situ redevelopment which is expensive if preceded by demolishment, though can be done), are across World Drive or into the parking lot w/ the possibility of a parking garage to compensate the lost parking acreage and more guests.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

There will be no park near the TTC. The land isn't suitable.
The MI Coaster.... You know that was legit and came within an inch from being built don't you?

False. Check the Reedy Creek Improvement District studies.

The land to the northeast of the TTC is 100% suitable for recreation (theme park)/hotel, and is set aside for future development uses.

 

[TalkingHead]

DHS is not going to be a movie studio park when this project is completed. It is also likely going to be a smaller park as well, albeit with more focus and much better offerings.

So they're fixing the half-day park by ... making it a quarter-day park.

Seriously, though, any plan that results in fewer attractions sounds strange to me. The whole problem with MGM since Day 1 was that there wasn't enough to do. They're going to fix that by giving us less to do. But the less will be better than what's there currently. That's not saying much.

As for the rest of the plans, sounds like they're trying to value engineer my interest down to nothing. Maybe they could get Budget Rent A Car to sponsor the value-engineered RSR.

And while it sounds like the plan might turn out nicely, I find it very hard to get excited about anything that might open in five years.

 

[Mister Boo]

False. Check the Reedy Creek Improvement District studies.

The land to the northeast of the TTC is 100% suitable for recreation (theme park)/hotel, and is set aside for future development uses.

You are very insistent on this "Disney's neglect is in fact Disney intentionally working its way to a Fifth Gate" business. My question is: if, say, in the next few months the majority of this does get announced, some combination of Star Wars and Cars or whatever...do you admit the Fifth Gate scheme no longer makes sense, or do you chug forward, undeterred?

 

[doctornick]

But most of those people who spend 3-5 hours hit the rides (GMR, ST, ToT, RnR, Toy Story) and they're out. Not many people go to the area which would be home to the expansion

So, if you add 3 new rides, then those people spend an extra hour and a half. Doesn't really solve the problem. (And it's not like no one goes to the attractions that are proposed to be closing -- IJ and Muppets in particular draw pretty decent crowds in my experience). If they want the park to be a full day park and get people to spend 8-12 hours and they are replacing Backlot/LMA/IJ/Muppets then I would say they need to add something like 7-8 attractions to make it happen.

Now, mind you, that can certainly happen in the amount of space being talked about. 2 E-tickets, 4 B to D tickets (some could be small flat rides or compact dark rides or walk throughs) and 2 shows for example. That works. But not 3-4 attractions as has been theorized.

I'd find this plan to be more believable if the space was being used for...

1. Star Wars E-ticket (speeder bike coaster)
2. Jedi Training Academy (possibly in the Muppets theater space)
3. Millenium Falcon walk through
4. Ewok village playground
5. Mater's ride
6. Dark ride version of RSR without the race but taking you around Radiator Springs
7. Monster's Inc door coaster
8. another Pixar ride like Incredibles/Ratatouille/Up etc.

and maybe putting a new Muppets ride or show somewhere else in the park (reusing American Idol and making it park of Hollywood Blvd?).

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

So they're fixing the half-day park by ... making it a quarter-day park.

Seriously, though, any plan that results in fewer attractions sounds strange to me. The whole problem with MGM since Day 1 was that there wasn't enough to do. They're going to fix that be giving us less to do. But the less will be better than what's there currently. That's not saying much.

As for the rest of the plans, sounds like they're trying to value engineer my interest down to nothing. Maybe they could get Budget Rent A Car to sponsor the value-engineered RSR.

And while it sounds like the plan might turn out nicely, I find it very hard to get excited about anything that might open in five years.

DHS pulls in 10 million guests . . . let's make it smaller, have fewer guests, and spend hundreds of millions in the process all along the way towards making less money!?

I could see Carsland in the parking lot, plus a parking garage, perhaps. Though Carsland is nearly unbearable in summer in Anaheim . . . and that's with less humidity!

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

You are very insistent on this "Disney's neglect is in fact Disney intentionally working its way to a Fifth Gate" business. My question is: if, say, in the next few months the majority of this does get announced, some combination of Star Wars and Cars or whatever...do you admit the Fifth Gate scheme no longer makes sense, or do you chug forward, undeterred?

I'm not saying Fifth Gate or nothing. I'm saying lands on unused space or Fifth Gate. If Carsland goes into DHS's parking lot (or across World Drive) . . . a long shot . . . then this is consistent with what I'm saying.

I'm saying they aren't tearing out attractions in DHS to put in Carsland.

I figure that LMA, SoA are safe. They could take out Backlot at a cost, and use some of that area for a small Pixar dark ride behind Pixar Studios . . . though it would make sense to use space that is being unused for something new. I doubt that they'll take out Backlot though.

 

[TalkingHead]

This place is getting better. It took until page 2 before an argument broke out about the popularity of Star Wars versus Harry Potter.

Oh well. Thanks to @pheneix for the really interesting first page of this thread.

 

[Mister Boo]

I

This place is getting better. It took until page 2 before an argument broke out about the popularity of Star Wars versus Harry Potter.

I know its a redundant and useless issue but man, once you get trapped in the vacuum, there's no escape.

 

[G00fyDad]

I

I know its a redundant and useless issue but man, once you get trapped in the vacuum, there's no escape.

I am escaping. I just realized something ..... I have better things to do this evening. No way I am going to continue to try to convince someone of something so blatantly obvious.

 

[marni1971]

The RCID Future Land Use Plan shows the DHS expansion area west of World Drive. They could bridge the two sides or create pedestrian tunnels to connect the two halves without rerouting World Drive.

That is an original proposal for moving the DHS parking lot. I don't believe its still planned.

 

[marni1971]

The Fifth Gate, according to the RCID Future Land Use Plan, is to be located on the land east of World Drive and north of EC and southeast of the MK parking lot, including the abandoned airstrip, and including where the EPCOT monorail runs through. This park can share the MK parking lot and there is already a monorail link (all it needs is a station). I don't know they didn't build DHS there.

That area is now designated resort use. Probably DVC.

The area around the TTC and MK lot is a flood plain. In a 100 year storm it is expected over half the lot to be under water.

 

[marni1971]

What's the complete story on this? I know the building is there. Why did they suddenly stop the project from going ahead?

Budget was pulled locally at the 11th hour. Ground prep work had already begun. The ride plans looked gorgeous too.

 

[marni1971]

False. Check the Reedy Creek Improvement District studies.

The land to the northeast of the TTC is 100% suitable for recreation (theme park)/hotel, and is set aside for future development uses.

I did.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

(And it's not like no one goes to the attractions that are proposed to be closing -- IJ and Muppets in particular draw pretty decent crowds in my experience). If they want the park to be a full day park and get people to spend 8-12 hours and they are replacing Backlot/LMA/IJ/Muppets then I would say they need to add something like 7-8 attractions to make it happen.

Given the sizeable chunk of foreigners at WDW, I'm sure some of them expect (if they talked to friends), or appreciate seeing LMA, IJ . . . even Backlot, as Hollywood is perhaps more of a mystical entity in Brazil.

No reason why Disney can't have their cake and eat it too, put in something new in the parking lot, give the old rides a refurb, and keep guests in the park longer.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

I did.

So you know that it is suitable for development. They were going to put a resort there at one time.

 

[marni1971]

False. Check the Reedy Creek Improvement District studies.

The land to the northeast of the TTC is 100% suitable for recreation (theme park)/hotel, and is set aside for future development uses.

Here is the plan I posted a few years back, based on the proposal for the area. DVC.

 

[BryceM]

I think DAK, ( and a lot of DHS) is better than Paradise Pier, by a long shot, and I think most people would agree with that sentiment.

I think Paradise Pier is very pretty. That Victorian seaside amusement park look is very eye catching.

 

[marni1971]

So you know that it is suitable for development. They were going to put a resort there at one time.

Yes, they still are. Resort. Not park. As you can see two posts back. As I said, no park.