Why Hollywood Studios is being rebuilt

[yensidtlaw1969]

Here is the conundrum:

Diehard Fans: "We want to see new stuff in DHS because we like all the parks to look good and DHS's Backlot has been neglected and we know about Carsland and DCA looks like DHS and eventually stuff gets imported to WDW so . . . hurry up and build it."

Burbank: "We'll have 5-6 million more guests over the next decade, where do we put them? Well, we could do a lot of little expansions, or save money by building a couple new lands, or get started on a fifth gate. Get out the maps and the expansion plans. We could also raise prices while we decide."

Burbank isn't thinking this. When MGM opened it merely pulled guests away from The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. When Animal Kingdom opened, the same phenomenon took place. Another park won't make people stay at WDW longer, it will just adjust how they spend their time at the other WDW Parks. Until all the parks are "so good" that you couldn't fathom spending less than a full day at each of them, another park would only continue to cannibalize the attendance of the existing parks.

 

[Mister Boo]

One factor favoring expansion at DHS (into the parking lot or across World Drive mind you) is that having a half-day park versus a full-day park costs Disney some in terms of the expenses of running the "free" transportation around the resort. I.e. monorail and the buses.

Though the reason for park hopping is also due to guest desire to see a show somewhere else, or to make dinner reservations at Epcot, not necessarily because a park is just a "half-day" park.

I'm not 100% against Carsland at DHS, but I'm a realist in that I know it will have to go into the parking lot, or across World Drive, which could be rerouted, but it would be expensive.

Eisner screwed up DHS as there is little room to easily expand this park, primo real estate was reserved for hotels.

But will DHS ever be able to soak another 5 million and hold as many guests as MK? Doubt it.

DHS has all that space taken up by LMA and the tour, to say nothing of other possible expansion schemes. It is the easiest park to expand and they can handle oodles of additional guests.

 

[PeterAlt]

So, now faced with the upcoming reality that Universal was going to completely put Disney's own movie studio park out of business, with a helping assist from New Fantasyland dramatically adding to MK's visitation and guest spending... at the expense of Disney's other parks, the decision was made to do something about the weak link. This was about the same time that Avatar was finally taken seriously by WDPR and given the financial commitments it needed to become a legitimate world class product.

It is important to note that the upcoming improvements to Hollywood Studios are NOT on the magnitude of the work done at DCA or even on the magnitude of Pandora. This is a collection of value engineered improvements, mostly cherry picked from an upcoming project for Disneyland Paris that was already value engineered to death because of that resort's own financial difficulties. The snapshot of what is planned for DHS, when I saw it (I heavily caution that there are large gaps in my knowledge and I will point out where when needed), was very much focused on re-using existing infrastructure whenever possible. Kitchens, restrooms, in one case entire dining rooms are all to be preserved while other major work goes on around them. This is a page borrowed from Universal's playbook and it will save them a lot of money. Disney will still find ways to it away elsewhere, but hey, they're learning!

The list of attractions slated to close as part of this overhaul should not surprise anyone. They are also going to be very cheap to demolish and in one case reuse for a new attraction. At the time I received a snapshot of this project, this list included:

Muppetvision
Backlot Tour
LMA
Indy Stunt Show
Honey Playground

There are also some dining locations that will cease to operate in their current form and will be reused in the new development. This list includes:

Backlot Express
Sci Fi Dine In
Mama Melroses

You can use your own heads to figure out which retail locations are going to bite the dust.

I hope that they don't remove the Muppets, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, and Indy. It would be a great mistake if they do.

 

[HenryMystic]

Actually, a fifth gate is not the answer. 3 of the 4 WDW parks have lots of room for growth.

1) Epcot has lots of unused space and poorly used space. Everyone flocks to Soarin and Test Track. Those crowds need to be dispersed among new or improved offerings in FW and WS.

2) At DHS, everyone spends the bulk of their time among ToT, RnRC, TSMM, GMR, and ST. Cars Land in the back would be a huge draw to an underutilized/trafficked area of the park. A Star Wars Land and E-Ticket would draw more guests to Star Tours and presumably, an expanded area of the park. Building Cars Land and Star Wars Land would most certainly add capacity and help better disperse guests and increase time spent in the park. This is especially the case if MM+ really only allows one e-ticket fastpass per park per day.

3) DAK is woefully underdeveloped despite its size. Once again, as much as I don't want Avatarland, it will presumably draw guests and add more capacity. And, once again, crowds will be dispersed.

In conclusion, a fifth park is totally unnecessary until EC, DHS, and DAK are fully fleshed out. Epcot has the most room for growth.

With Universal potentially adding a 3rd park, a WDW 5th gate should never happen unless America decides to adopt the European philosophy regarding vacations. There's simply not enough time.

 

[Mister Boo]

I hope that they don't remove the Muppets, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, and Indy. It would be a great mistake if they do.

Well according to fine print of that version of the rumor DHS actually ends up with LESS attractions than they have now. Can't be.

 

[HenryMystic]

Despite what may end up happening with this project, for the first time in years, I went to bed last night excited about something in WDW's future. I hope they make all of the right calls.

If Jim Hill is right (yeah, I know), and Star Wars Land is the priority, I hope that gives them time to rethink shortcuts they may be thinking of taking elsewhere in the park. There is so much potential for this park, and everyone sees it.

 

[PeterAlt]

Burbank isn't thinking this. When MGM opened it merely pulled guests away from The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. When Animal Kingdom opened, the same phenomenon took place. Another park won't make people stay at WDW longer, it will just adjust how they spend their time at the other WDW Parks. Until all the parks are "so good" that you couldn't fathom spending less than a full day at each of them, another park would only continue to cannibalize the attendance of the existing parks.

So they need to focus on making the parks "so good" first in order to get to the point where they could justify the fifth gate.

 

[WDWDad13]

Add a big land or 2 to each park (expanded land that is) and add DisneySea to Animal Kingdom and there's your 5th gate but using the other gates

 

[marni1971]

Fans also don't get that DHS has logistical issues and wasn't meant to be expanded very much beyond its borders, the official expansion plan would involve a rerouting of World Drive.....

It does not.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

So they need to focus on making the parks "so good" first in order to get to the point where they could justify the fifth gate.

EXACTLY.

 

[marni1971]

?..fifth gate by the TTC, which has room for parking lot expansion?

There has been a spat of crazy rumors, saying Star Wars, then Carsland, then a Monster Inc. coaster at DHS . . . do the guys who make this stuff up even have a clue about DHS's land/logistical issues? Apparently not!

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?

 

[jt04]

Just wanted to respond to the OP. It reads like a compilation of currents rumors some of which have been refuted, current speculation and the writer's own subjectivity and biases.

It is the last part that causes the cynicism with me. It makes me think none of what was said has any validity other than it being a rehash of current rumors.

Star Wars is Disney's trump card. A Star Wars Land automatically competes with Potter, especially if a new E-Ticket is added.

A Carsland without a RSR clone is a no-brainer. A well done attraction aimed at the primary consumers of Cars merchandise can't lose. Recreating the DL version would be a mistake. It is perfect for DCA but that does mean it would be perfect for DHS. To the contrary. And Star Wars Land is perfect for DHS.

Finally, there is no need to go too far with Star Wars Land IMO. A new E-ticket would be great. Along with the offerings of SWW (made permanent) new eateries and great merchandise locations. But by not adding every bell and whistle possible, it allows for either expansion in the future (as technology evolves) or the addition of a Star Wars boutique park should customer demand warrant such a thing.

A Star Wars Land and Pixar Land at DHS along with Avatar at DAK is a perfect response to potter. Which is why some are here spinning against it. Obviously Potter fanboys.

They fear Yoda.

 

[HenryMystic]

So they need to focus on making the parks "so good" first in order to get to the point where they could justify the fifth gate.

I doubt they ever reach that point (things will always be changing or getting old), and I doubt there will ever be enough demand. Universal isn't going anywhere, and they may be looking at 3rd gate. I don't think Orlando could support anymore theme parks after that. Arguably, Universal's 3rd will be overkill, but that's their perogative.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

It's not up to you or me what happens to Osbourne Lights. That will be decided by the people who are paid to weigh up the consequences of a potential overhaul like the one that could be happening at DHS.

Like I said, I could really care less about talking guest numbers and logistics. I learned from the Carsland debate that in your mind there's only one solution to all of the problems that you see at DHS so I'm not getting into it again.

I'd love new Epcot pavilions and a new land in AK (that has no association with Avatar), they would all improve my personal experience at WDW and that's what I care about, the same as everybody else.

I doubt that anybody is making a decision regarding taking out the Osbourne Lights, a very popular holiday offering that cements fans love of WDW, perhaps unlike anything else they've done. A lot of fans would be enraged if this happened. Streets of America was expensive to build, another reason not to tear it out.

If you don't want to talk about guest demand, projections and WDW's slipping attraction to guest ratio . . . then I guess all we can debate would be people's preferences. Makes more sense to discuss what would likely happen and the believability of some pretty wild rumors.

 

[Mister Boo]

I doubt that anybody is making a decision regarding taking out the Osbourne Lights, a very popular holiday offering that cements fans love of WDW, perhaps unlike anything else they've done. A lot of fans would be enraged if this happened. Streets of America was expensive to build, another reason not to tear it out.

Because TDO would never do anything that would upset fans? Please. I wonder if they are intentionally trolling us sometimes.

 

[FrankLapidus]

If you don't want to talk about guest demand, projections and WDW's slipping attraction to guest ratio . . . then I guess all we can debate would be people's preferences. Makes more sense to discuss what would likely happen and the believability of some pretty wild rumors.

I don't want to talk about it because with you a debate is completely one-sided, you seem fixated with a fifth gate so an attempt at any kind of reasonable debate is pointless because it always comes back to the same thing. I believe a Star Wars Land at DHS is far more likely to happen than a fifth gate so we're clearly on opposite sides of the spectrum. If you've written off everything DHS-related as wild rumours then that's your prerogative, you might just find yourself proven wrong one day soon.

 

[bogdig]

5-6 million more guests in the next ten years (easily) have to go somewhere. There are two options:

1. New lands (not just reworked lands with similar operating capacity).
2. A fifth gate.

Logistically, a fifth gate could be put in the area near TTC which has monorail access, as well as room to expand the parking lot. Heck, they could even incorporate a hotel into it.

But building 1/2 of a new land, i.e. NFL, or re-doing a previously utilized guest area, i.e. Carsland in DHS, ain't gonna squeeze in 5 million more guests a year.

5 million guests per year equates to roughly 14,000 people per day... Assuming that MK has reached the point where capacity can't/won't be increased, is it unreasonable to think that with some quality improvements/additions to AK/Epcot/DHS each park can't absorb 4-5k more people per day???

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

Just wanted to respond to the OP. It reads like a compilation of currents rumors some of which have been refuted, current speculation and the writer's own subjectivity and biases.

Interestingly, there was a post regarding "news" that somebody on another website was told by anonymous sources saying that DHS would get Carsland, StarWarsland and some Pixar rides. The author was obviously biased, and this thread has the exact same flavor.

Pixar has a special interest in Carsland, especially JL, he won't go with 1/2 a Carsland. Carsland is cool to walk around, yet you wish there was one more ride. I think 1/2 a Carsland would be a failure, and would be constantly compared to its superior cousin in DCA. Plus . . . Carsland get super hot! Florida has more humidity and heat than Anaheim . . . Carsland might be insufferable in the summer there if they don't add more shade.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

5 million guests per year equates to roughly 14,000 people per day... Assuming that MK has reached the point where capacity can't/won't be increased, is it unreasonable to think that with some quality improvements/additions to AK/Epcot/DHS each park can't absorb 4-5k more people per day???

Carsland added about 1.6 million to DCA's attendance. The place is packed! And it will expanded DCA's attendance maybe 3 million if the numbers hold up, that's about 8,000 per day. Sure, you can pack more people physically into the parks, but lines will skyrocket, and at some point you have more angry guests. You're asking for basically two Carsland over the next decade, and even with 8,000 per day, Carsland is packed. There are also real parking issues.

 

[GLaDOS]

he author was obviously biased, and this thread has the exact same flavor.

And you are what?