WDW Disney's Hollywood Studios Discussion Thread

[cfc]

I've always liked the front section of the park up to the Chinese Theater and over to Tower of Terror, but found the big mass of "soundstages" to be rather underwhelming. I'm looking forward to seeing what Disney has planned.

[coasterschile]

NOO! I loved that hat! I cant belive they're removing it, so sad

[BlahBlahson]

Now all they need is tacky street performers and hobo's for the authentic Hollywood Blvd. experience!

 

Please no more character meet and greets!

[IrishCasual]

The Sorcerer's Hat was always one of the few things I remember from Hollywood Studios. I will sadly miss it.

[viking86]

Glad I got to see some of these Disney attractions before they closed. The Sorcerer's Hat I thought looked pretty cool, but I never took any close look at it and from Hollywood Boulevard the view of it was somewhat blocked by the stage. I also have not seen how it looked before the hat was installed. The Backlot Tour definately needed to go (along with Maelstrom at EPCOT), and it will be very interesting to see how the park will be transformed.

[jray21]

I'm glad to see the hat go! I thought it looked nice, but it was so terribly out of place where it was. The original park icon was the Earful Tower (if I'm not mistaken), but to me, that wasn't big enough to be an icon.

[cfc]

Now all they need is tacky street performers and hobo's for the authentic Hollywood Blvd. experience!

 

Please no more character meet and greets!

 

Just brawls.

 

[larrygator]

I never had a problem with the hat as I always felt Fantasia was a landmark movie for Disney. Since, I never visited the park prior to the hat, I do not have the same mindset of it being an out of place obstruction.

 

I don't keep up on protests, but are there still fringe groups complaining about the content of the original release calling it sexist and racist?

[Leekak]

Turn it upside down and dump - Muppets, Indy and all the other out of date attractions in it as well before removing it.

[robbalvey]

Please no more character meet and greets!

While I get why you are saying this, it does annoy me how out of touch some "fans" can be with what WDW's core audience wants.

 

If anything, you should be wanting MORE meet & greets because the more money that core demographic spends on Memory Maker and photos of their kids with characters, the more money that will go back into improvements that will benefit the rest of us.

[thrillrider]

They need to do a "California adventure" type remodel to this park.

It's just seems to be lacking in the attraction department. Thank god for tower.

[robbalvey]

Just saw Fantasmic at Walt Disney World for the first time. (Yes, I realize I'm more than a decade late to the party.) I never bothered to see it because all I ever heard from Disney fanboys was how bad the show was. Here's the thing... No, it's not as good as the California version and doesn't even come close to Tokyo's version...

 

BUT... It's still a REALLY GOOD SHOW! If they tightened it up a bit by shortening the Pocahontas section and cutting back on some of the media that was added this version would be every bit as good as the Disneyland one.

 

Sure, it won't ever have the large-scale boats that Disneyland has, but you feel a lot closer to the show, the theater is more comfortable and a much better venue, basically there are pros and cons about each. And very few people in the audience are going to have seen both shows.

 

Overall, as a stand-alone show not comparing it to any other version, it's still really good! Remind me NOT to listen to Disney fanboys! While I prefer Illuminations, it's a good alternate night time show for guests visiting the resort.

 

And the Tokyo Disney version is still the best out of all of them!

 

TL;DR: None of the versions of Fantamic suck.

 

I also *LOVE* being in the parks when they are open later and the guests clear out. Tonight we were able to get some awesome pics of the Mickey's Sorcerer Hat that will be going away soon with NOBODY in the shot! Was pretty awesome!

 

As far as my thoughts on the "hat" go - I'm really kind of indifferent to it and equally as indifferent to the Chinese theater facade. The hat has been in the park now longer than it has not been in the park, so there are probably more guests that can relate to the hat than they can the Chinese theater. Personally, I don't really think either of them are amazing park "icons" and many people seem to be excited about the Chinese theater view coming back, but I'm not convinced that won't eventually get ripped out also!

[azza29]

^Good to hear Fantasmic is excellent in Florida as well. Disneyland's is the high water mark for me in terms of theme park shows (with Waterworld running a close second), definitely looking forward to seeing the DHS version in action in a couple of weeks!

[SFOGdude25]

I'm really happy the hat is leaving, as I much prefer the view of the Chinese Theater.

My last visit to Hollywood Studios was 2011, and I remember that after riding all the major attractions in about 3 or 4 hours, my friends and I were kinda bored with the rest of the place. If it wasn't for Tower of Terror, Rock'n'Roller Coaster, Toy Story, and Star Tours, the park could honestly be skippable.

 

After visiting California Adventure in 2013, I realized what Hollywood Studios could be. The Buena Vista Street area reminded me so much of the Hollywood and Sunset Blvd. sections. Hollywood Studios really does need a big make-over, and hopefully the removal of the hat and the backlot tour is a sign of things to come.

[Morgan]

I'd quite like to see them relocate the hat to the plaza outside the park, if they put it on the right between bag check and the ferry dock it could serve as a 'welcome' icon for the park similar to Universal's Globe or Pharaoh's Lighthouse. It would be a shame to lose it completely, I know that there is a lot of hate for it, but I imagine the majority of visitors quite like it, and I imagine there will be more photos taken in front of it than the Chinese Theatre. It would also mean that it would not have to be completely removed from all the merchandise and media for the park, as it has become one of the most recognisable elements of the park.

 

Also the issue with using the Earful Tower as the park's icon again is that it is not prominent enough, it's not visible throughout the majority of the park, the best view of it was on the Tram Tour which is now closed, so it would seem a little weird using an icon which is rarely seen.

[bbomser]

Remind me NOT to listen to Disney fanboys!

 

Duly Noted Sir! Might have to kick some people from this board though

[Hilltopper39]

Sounds like some major capital improvements are in the works for Hollywood Studios, which is a good thing. I'm gald they're removing the hat but I hope it finds a new home somewhere else because it is a pretty cool structure, just not in the middle of the park like it is.

 

I always liked Hollywood Studios with the Chinese theater as the focal point at the end of the mains street so hopefully that stays, and hopefully the Great Movie Ride gets a nice refurbishment. I've always loved the Movie Ride but it is a bit dated and could use some scenes from a few "modern movies". I'd love to see what they could do to that experience with some modern technology and effects.

 

I guess my ideal expansion would include a new Pixar section near the Backlot and a new Star Wars section where Indy stands now. It will be interesting to see what they do with the Indy and Lights Motors Action Shows. Indy has been rumored to be going away for a while now but it pulls good crowds and is still pretty good, and Lights Motors Action isn't that old. Would it be possible to retheme LMS to a Cars themed stunt show, or overhaul Indy into some kind of live Star Wars who some how? I know there is plenty of land for expansion in/around the studios park but seems like those two theaters are right smack in the middle of prime real estate for whatever they end up doing.

 

 

Just a random idea but it would be kind of cool to see a version of a Mystic Manor style ride themed to a movie studio or prop warehouse or something that comes to life somewhere in the park, maybe between Tower and Rock n Roller Coaster. Seems like that story would be fairly easy to create and could be really cool.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Hilltopper39

[cfc]

Personally, I don't really think either of them are amazing park "icons" and many people seem to be excited about the Chinese theater view coming back, but I'm not convinced that won't eventually get ripped out also!

 

Or at least put a better attraction behind that façade. I did like the Great Movie ride back when I first rode it in the 1990s, but it seems so silly and dated now.

[coasterfreak101]

^I was thinking the same thing. The Great Movie Ride is in a good location to be included in a Pixar expansion (an Incredibles 2 tie-in or the long-rumored Monsters Inc. ride could slide in there), though that would leave the Studios without a real centerpiece (read: photo-op).

[robbalvey]

I'd quite like to see them relocate the hat to the plaza outside the park, if they put it on the right between bag check and the ferry dock it could serve as a 'welcome' icon for the park similar to Universal's Globe or Pharaoh's Lighthouse.

I am under the assumption that with the changes coming to this park, that entire front area may be totally re-done. The turnstiles and bag check might not even be in the place they are now.

Edited October 27, 2014 by robbalvey

[bbomser]

Just adding to the revamp and construction going on, when they announced the RunDisney races for 2015, there was one that was noticeably absent, the Tower of Terror 10-Miler. It was quite a popular race, but there were no confirmations about why the race wasn't included. Obvious rumors regarding the closures and removals of late.

 

I think it will be interesting the next couple of years. I did hear something that we shouldn't expect an announcement regarding what's going on until the Summer Preview event in 2015.

[cfc]

I'd quite like to see them relocate the hat to the plaza outside the park, if they put it on the right between bag check and the ferry dock it could serve as a 'welcome' icon for the park similar to Universal's Globe or Pharaoh's Lighthouse.

I am under the assumption that with the changes coming to this park, that entire front area may be totally re-done. The turnstiles and bag check might not even be in the place they are now.

 

This sounds rather intriguing. Disney certainly improved the looks of DCA's front area, and I'd love to see the Studios park jazzed up a bit.

 

Disney Hollywood Adventure, anyone?

[PeoplemoverMatt]

I am under the assumption that with the changes coming to this park, that entire front area may be totally re-done. The turnstiles and bag check might not even be in the place they are now.

 

 

I had the very same thought. After DCA's entrance re-do and construction of Buena Vista Street, the front of Hollywood Studios is basically superfluous. That alone would not make much difference, but DHS' current front area also doesn't quite fit with the many possible new visions for DHS that come up from time to time.

 

So if this park does head in an entirely new direction, which is quite possible given what we've seen, the whole front area could be entirely re-done and nothing much would be lost. The crazy fanboys can go to DCA if they feel some semblance of loss. Meanwhile DHS can be re-born and try to rise out of the basement of WDW theme park attendance. At this point, that's what it is going to take.

[rcguy979]

WHAT!?!? NO THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!!!!

[G$ Kurt]

^ Confused, what can not be happening? The hat? Because its always been "temporary". And to those of you who are too young to remember or know better, the removal of the hat is a much welcomed change aesthetically for the park. As for the re-do of DHS, its also much welcomed and at this point the worst kept secret in Orlando.