Why Hollywood Studios is being rebuilt

MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
Cesar R M said:
the animatronics are definitively top tier.
The issue is: the ride is too short.
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Lee said:
It is great...for what it is. (A short family D ticket.)

That is its biggest flaw.
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Agreed, though not the only flaw. The animatronics are quite well done as most people agree, but too short (about 2-3 extra slower indoor scenes too short). But another flaw- the outside scenery is underwhelming IMO (particularly at night, the ride didn't receive a satisfying lighting package for when it gets dark compared to most other rides).

If I had to describe it without calling it a bad ride (which it isn't), i'd refer to it as "about one quarter (1/4th) of an amazing ride". Which leaves it as a pretty good ride with flaws.
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
MerlinTheGoat said:
Agreed, though not the only flaw. The animatronics are quite well done as most people agree, but too short (about 2-3 extra slower indoor scenes too short). But another flaw- the outside scenery is underwhelming IMO (particularly at night, the ride didn't receive a satisfying lighting package for when it gets dark compared to most other rides).

If I had to describe it without calling it a bad ride (which it isn't), i'd refer to it as "about one fifth of an amazing ride".
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Unless a guest is under 10 years old. The intended audience. Then it is Space Mountain, Splash and Thunder all in one. And definitely an E ticket........... in their opinion.
 
MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
jt04 said:
Unless a guest is under 10 years old. The intended audience. Then it is Space Mountain, Splash and Thunder all in one. And definitely an E ticket........... in their opinion.
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Lolno, the 40+ year old Pirates of the Caribbean destroys it. Even Magic Kingdom's vastly inferior version of Pirates. And under age 10? I rode Splash and Big Thunder when I was 4. Space shortly after about a year later... The height gap between 7DMT and Splash/BTM is extremely negligible, and the audience that are tall enough to ride 7DMT but not Splash/BTM is incredibly miniscule.
 
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jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
MerlinTheGoat said:
Lolno, the 40+ year old Pirates of the Caribbean destroys it. Even Magic Kingdom's vastly inferior version of Pirates. And under age 10? I rode Splash and Big Thunder when I was 4. Space shortly after about a year later... The height gap between 7DMT and Splash/BTM is extremely negligible, and the audience that are tall enough to ride 7DMT but not Splash/BTM is incredibly miniscule.
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Not everyone is as brave as you it seems.
 
MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
jt04 said:
Not everyone is as brave as you it seems.
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Not at all, i'd say most children were more brave than me at the age I first rode these. Compared to most other children of four, I was what I would now describe as timid and cowardly when it comes to thrill rides. Even today I still have a hard time riding Tower of Terror and haven't even ever ridden RnRC yet (i'll attempt that someday).

Throughout every occasion I have ridden 7DMT, the children seen on the ride haven't appeared visually younger or shorter than the ones i constantly see riding and loving Splash and Big Thunder. In fact, i've seen FAR more older kids, tweens, teens and adults (unaccompanied by a younger kid) riding 7DMT than children under 4-5.

I definitely don't see a ton of kids who are afraid of the likes of Splash or Big Thunder (or even Space) but that are simultaneously completely ok with riding 7DMT. Most kids who already have an interest in less thrilling coasters can't wait to go on the more aggressive ones, even those who aren't tall enough yet. None of the Magic Kingdom "thrill" rides are that thrilling. My mom intensely fears almost all roller coasters and suffers motion sickness from almost all of them (she can't handle Everest), but even she love Big Thunder (and Splash).
 
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djkidkaz

djkidkaz

Well-Known Member
pheneix said:
I thought it would be fun to consolidate some of the rumors and speculation going on in other threads and also to bring a slightly more business focused narrative to the rumor outbreak regarding upcoming developments at DHS. I caution that a lot of what will be mentioned here is speculation based on "solving for the missing variable" logic in the rumors that are being spread around, but this should hopefully paint a picture about why Disney has rather suddenly decided to call it lights out for Hollywood Studios and start over from scratch.

First off. Hollywood Studios has a dramatic audience retention problem, and it is now also a dramatic attendance problem. Actual attendance figures are basically state secrets and the "attendance estimates" circulated every year are basically BS on a stick, so instead I am going to point to evidence that anyone can investigate using publicly available data and experience.

Much has been made of Animal Kingdom and the "3pm problem" where most of its guests are ready to peace out after six hours. The truth is, Hollywood Studios has the same problem and it really began to show after Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened. Universal Orlando successfully pulled a day off of the typical one week Orlando visit and this is a day that would have been spent at Disney. Probably half at a water park and maybe the evening at a theme park. Or maybe at DTD or at the pool or riding horses at Ft. Wilderness. Whatever. What most guests ended up doing was shortening their time spent at DHS and DAK and consolidating those visits into other activities planned on the same day to accommodate for the time spent at UO. This means Disney still gets that "first click" daily attendance math that gives DHS and DAK abnormally high yearly attendance numbers, but the truth is those visits are shorter and guests are spending less money. Go hang out at the Backlot area of DHS on any given day after 6pm and you will see this in action. It is a ghost town. Star Tours 2 routinely is a walk on in the late evening at Hollywood Studios. Star Wars is a keystone of the upcoming plans for DHS and one of the most popular rides at Disneyland Park in Anaheim at all hours of the day. For this ride to routinely operate as a walk on in Orlando, something is very wrong.

Let's be very clear: up until July 2012, Disney was perfectly fine with this. New Fantasyland was set to dramatically increase guest spending and time spent at their largest and most profitable park and this would naturally lead to a huge increase in earnings from Orlando. Avatar is coming to DAK in a few years. Epcot still sells enough booze to justify its existence. We have a weak link. Who cares. Hotel rooms still sell.

Then, all of a sudden, Universal reduces Soundstage 44 to a pile of rubble and immediately commences construction on Transformers. The concerns about Harry Potter phase two recreating the same attendance miracle at Universal Studios now become reality. In fact, Universal has basically decided to go DCA on the park and completely revitalize it ahead of Diagon Alley. Universal is going to pull a second day off a Disney vacation. Done deal. And it doesn't take a fool to figure out where Disney's theme park product is most redundant at. Oh, by the way, Universal is building a hotel that is squarely aimed at Disney's hotel market. Hotel business doesn't look so safe anymore.
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Wondering if pheneix has any update on the progress of Hollywood Studios' expansion? I noticed his last post on the boards was Sept. 2014 though, so he might not be around anymore.
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Cesar R M said:
the animatronics are definitively top tier.
The issue is: the ride is too short.
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I think "too short" is an oversimplification, because Space Mountain is the same length and I have never heard anyone complain that it is too short. I like the mine ride, but I think what makes it disappointing for some is that it tries to be a coaster and a dark ride and doesn't overwhelming succeed in either area.
 
chiefs11

chiefs11

Well-Known Member
danlb_2000 said:
I think "too short" is an oversimplification, because Space Mountain is the same length and I have never heard anyone complain that it is too short. I like the mine ride, but I think what makes it disappointing for some is that it tries to be a coaster and a dark ride and doesn't overwhelming succeed in either area.
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Maybe so, but it could have...it could have been amazing if they didn't cheap out and shorten it so much.
 
Marlins1

Marlins1

Well-Known Member
If rides the quality of 7DMT and LM opened every year with a great E ticket every few years I don't think they would disappoint. Instead these 2 and TSMM are the only new rides since Everest and that is certainly underwhelming. I'm cautiously optimistic that things are changing.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Marlins1 said:
If rides the quality of 7DMT and LM opened every year with a great E ticket every few years I don't think they would disappoint. Instead these 2 and TSMM are the only new rides since Everest and that is certainly underwhelming. I'm cautiously optimistic that things are changing.
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WDW can't grow forever and always. They're not going to grow themselves beyond a one-week destination. I agree that DHS and Epcot both need to be filled in, but I don't think we'll ever see a "new ride every year" situation, unless it's refreshing or replacing existing attractions.
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
danlb_2000 said:
I think "too short" is an oversimplification, because Space Mountain is the same length and I have never heard anyone complain that it is too short. I like the mine ride, but I think what makes it disappointing for some is that it tries to be a coaster and a dark ride and doesn't overwhelming succeed in either area.
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That's more accurate. It needs 30-45 more seconds of something.
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
WDW can't grow forever and always. They're not going to grow themselves beyond a one-week destination. I agree that DHS and Epcot both need to be filled in, but I don't think we'll ever see a "new ride every year" situation, unless it's refreshing or replacing existing attractions.
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I wonder what the average stay is right now? I'm willing to bet it's closer to 5 days than 7. As such, there is still plenty of room for "growth".
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
Perhaps adding more theme and set elements to the outdoor section of the ride would make it feel more interesting...The interior is great....The exterior is just sort of trees... I know there are a couple set pieces, but aside from the cottage and witch at then end, they have very little impact.
 

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