Disney's Hollywood Studios (General Discussion)

[UniversalRBLX]

I just have a feeling we'll see more makeovers of existing attractions. It's faster and cheaper and keeps the staffing levels the same. Any net new attraction means more staff which they don't want to pay for.

I think they’ve changed their mindset with trying to limit staffing levels, parks at back pre-COVID levels staffing (just need to fix maintenance now).

The very existence of these Blue Sky "Beyond Big Thunder" concepts would imply Disney (internally) understands the concept that at least some of the parks need true expansions of capacity, not just replacements.

Yes, while I don’t take the announcements at face value, they know that they’ve underinvested in the parks from a capacity perspective.

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I'm really struggling to think of something Disney has built fast since Walt's days - examples very welcome.

They’ve been terrible in the past, but when properly motivated (like a DVC resort) they can push projects through. Not saying it’ll happen, but if the top dog thinks Epic is going to impact them significantly, a 2026/2027 major attraction isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

 

[Tobias]

If we were on a different social media space that comment would receive community notes

I'm really struggling to think of something Disney has built fast since Walt's days - examples very welcome.

When it comes to attractions, the only example I can think of is the conversion of Test Track 1.0 to 2.0. It closed April 15th, 2012 and officially reopened December 6th, 2012. A smidge under eight months.

However, that decent timeframe to get something done was due to a very notable caveat, Chevrolet was spearheading that whole project. I recall reading that Disney wasn't looking at updating the ride at the time, and GM/Chevrolet pretty much forced their hand via the power of "We're the big main sponsor/putting money into this, do it or you lose us and our money."

That is also why I feel the conversion from 2.0 to 3.0 is not only going to happen, but be done in a decent timeframe, too.

 

[Mad Dog]

When it comes to attractions, the only example I can think of is the conversion of Test Track 1.0 to 2.0. It closed April 15th, 2012 and officially reopened December 6th, 2012. A smidge under eight months.

However, that decent timeframe to get something done was due to a very notable caveat, Chevrolet was spearheading that whole project. I recall reading that Disney wasn't looking at updating the ride at the time, and GM/Chevrolet pretty much forced their hand via the power of "We're the big main sponsor/putting money into this, do it or you lose us and our money."

That is also why I feel the conversion from 2.0 to 3.0 is not only going to happen, but be done in a decent timeframe, too.

You may be on to something in relation to Test Track....For GM/Chevy a third version of TT that emphasizes hybrid and electric vehicles is kind of a perfect advertising segue for the company future auto production.

 

[Tobias]

You may be on to something in relation to Test Track....For GM/Chevy a third version of TT that emphasizes hybrid and electric vehicles is kind of a perfect advertising segue for the company future auto production.

Agreed, TT 3.0 can be a great way to push that direction.

There's also the fact the post-show showroom is a very big seller for the company. A showroom that see's thousands of people each day, and they get to check out the cars with zero pressure, but there's associates on-hand for any questions and so forth...it's been nothing but a boon for them, which makes sponsoring the attraction all the worthwhile. Keep it updated, keep it fresh and that showroom pays for itself in due time.

 

[UNIrd]

Did the very first Jollywood Nights last night. When I tell you that it is not worth it at all if you’re a passholder.

They somehow managed to have less streetmosphere than past regular nights on Sunset Blvd. The two shows were decent (Holidays in Hollywood and Nightmare Before Xmas sing-along) but they were packing them in! Be prepared to wait.

Also, if you’re already in the park, be prepared to wait again to check-in and get your wristbands. That took about 45 minutes and that was with a 3yo in tow. No ride at the end of that was hard to explain.

It was impossible to actually get any festival offering. The lines were so long for any bar or eatery that had anything exclusive to the event. It sounded like they had a lot according to the Foodie Guide posted but definitely felt oversold as far as crowds in that respect.

BUT.. that was only for the party stuff. Ride lines were almost non-existent which means I would treat this as a solid After Hours event if you are not a passholder. Rise had a virtual queue and only a 15min wait when your group was called. Rock’n, Mickey & Minnie, Star Tours, Aliens, and Tower were walk-ons. Slinky was only 25min.

So overall, we would not spend money on it again ever. It was not much more festive than any regular DHS night and the entertainment for the cost just did not add up. But for low wait times, go for it. Happy Holidays everyone!

 

[Mad Dog]

Did the very first Jollywood Nights last night. When I tell you that it is not worth it at all if you’re a passholder.

They somehow managed to have less streetmosphere than past regular nights on Sunset Blvd. The two shows were decent (Holidays in Hollywood and Nightmare Before Xmas sing-along) but they were packing them in! Be prepared to wait.

Also, if you’re already in the park, be prepared to wait again to check-in and get your wristbands. That took about 45 minutes and that was with a 3yo in tow. No ride at the end of that was hard to explain.

It was impossible to actually get any festival offering. The lines were so long for any bar or eatery that had anything exclusive to the event. It sounded like they had a lot according to the Foodie Guide posted but definitely felt oversold as far as crowds in that respect.

BUT.. that was only for the party stuff. Ride lines were almost non-existent which means I would treat this as a solid After Hours event if you are not a passholder. Rise had a virtual queue and only a 15min wait when your group was called. Rock’n, Mickey & Minnie, Star Tours, Aliens, and Tower were walk-ons. Slinky was only 25min.

So overall, we would not spend money on it again ever. It was not much more festive than any regular DHS night and the entertainment for the cost just did not add up. But for low wait times, go for it. Happy Holidays everyone!

Your thoughts are echoed quite often on the WDW Magic forum. It doesn't seem to have gone over very well, except for the short ride times. It was kind of a universal comment that there were too few extras, and most everyone in the park crowded into 'long' lines for those.

 

[Grabnar]

This is what I've been hearing as well. I have tickets for 12/6 but I mainly want to go and try and ride the new rides with less wait so it may be a win for me either way.

I do think that the lines for food will get better as time goes on, this is the first night so all the influencers were there which always drives up lines. I think we'll settle in to something a little more reasonable next week.

 

[Mad Dog]

Touring Plans owner Len Testa just reported, "I'm told that Disney's giving refunds from last night's Jollywood to anyone that wants one.".....That says a ton about how bad it was.

 

[Mad Dog]

Not really a double post since it's three hours later ....Vloggers are blasting this show. Kevin Heimbach, for one, calls it a "Disaster from Hell" , the title of his Jollywood vlog. He added that the event was a scam and it sucked and it was a complete waste of money. Then he said that it's nowhere near the level of the Universal Christmas Celebration, and that has no upcharge. Soooo, Universal gets a nice compliment......Heck, I'd say that Universal's Christmas is better than anything at Disney, including their Mickey & Minnie upcharge event. Universal has really upped their Holiday game.

 

[Tbad556]

Not really a double post since it's three hours later ....Vloggers are blasting this show. Kevin Heimbach, for one, calls it a "Disaster from Hell" , the title of his Jollywood vlog. He added that the event was a scam and it sucked and it was a complete waste of money. Then he said that it's nowhere near the level of the Universal Christmas Celebration, and that has no upcharge. Soooo, Universal gets a nice compliment......Heck, I'd say that Universal's Christmas is better than anything at Disney, including their Mickey & Minnie upcharge event. Universal has really upped their Holiday game.

Disney's holiday offerings period are depressing in this day and age. I was at MK for the first night of the Frozen Holiday Surprise show and the projections replacing the castle lights and the overall lack of decor elsewhere was just really sad. Losing things like Osborne Lights, Epcot’s Lights of Winter, the Dream Lights, etc. and getting nothing but half-baked upcharge events leaves the parks feeling dismal for the holidays. I find myself looking outside of the Disney parks for holiday events nowadays despite having annual passes.

 

[UNIrd]

Really surprised that Disney cannot nail the holidays when it used to be what they did best. Did Disneyland's recent Christmas event that they only had for 1 year suffer similar reviews? If I remember correctly, that had a similar concept of different multiple Christmas parties in one.

I think their issue is the value proposition when the tickets for these are pushing $200. It's not enough to justify the uncharge, even if the market demands it. I will say their marketing did a decent job of selling an experience that was just not fulfilled by what was there. The idea sounded great, just not the execution.

 

[Mad Dog]

Really surprised that Disney cannot nail the holidays when it used to be what they did best. Did Disneyland's recent Christmas event that they only had for 1 year suffer similar reviews? If I remember correctly, that had a similar concept of different multiple Christmas parties in one.

I think their issue is the value proposition when the tickets for these are pushing $200. It's not enough to justify the uncharge, even if the market demands it. I will say their marketing did a decent job of selling an experience that was just not fulfilled by what was there. The idea sounded great, just not the execution.

The Mickey & Minnie event isn't bad if you approach it for it's short ride lines. Plus you can get in the park at 4:00. We rarely spend more than 8 hours in a park, so it's perfect for us. The castle shows are good and the parade is too. Only the hub gets really crowded, so the lines for cookies, rides etc. are usually super short. So the value is OK. BUT, Universals Christmas events and decorations are BETTER. Plus there's no upcharge. This DHS Jollywood stuff really looks like a travesty though. Even before the first showing, I wandered why anyone would pay for it. It seemed to lack substance.....Guessing they'll make some changes before the next showing, and try to fix the operations, which appeared to be pure chaos and not very well planned.....When something goes down this badly, someone responsible needs fired......Also TP reports the MK Christmas Party nights are selling out slower than in past years. I'd guess that indicates something.

 

[Disneyhead]

I am sure this would have been a fine event if it wasn't oversold and understaffed.

I would expect significant "adjustments" before the the next "Jollywood Nights".

 

[Mad Dog]

I am sure this would have been a fine event if it wasn't oversold and understaffed.

I would expect significant "adjustments" before the the next "Jollywood Nights".

Watching the vlogger video, the various events sound better on paper than they actually are. The Tower of Terror area show and the Brown Derby event weren't really much of anything, plus they're in a small limited area. The two shows seemed OK at best. Seems like the event needs spread out to TSL & Batuu since everything is squeezed into a small area, which exacerbates the crowding. And, yes, as you said, it seemed to be severely understaffed. Heck, they were taking an hour in line just to get your armband if you were already in the park. Definitely, adjustments need to come.

 

[OrlLover]

Contrary to popular belief I’ve heard nothing but good things about the shows. The whole event did seem somewhat rushed and put together somewhat haphazardly.

I feel like Disney was testing something like this out and to see if the reception would be good. Sometimes our expectations need to be put in check based on their current work.

 

[Tbad556]

Operations issues aren't surprising at all for the first day of an event, so I'll typically write it off (even though these big companies should at the very least get staffing right). But actual event quality is a completely different topic and this seems like a straight up dud regardless of operations.

I just can’t imagine spending money on these upcharge holiday events when they don’t even come close to matching the holiday atmosphere and experiences that the previous events that came with the daytime tickets delivered. It feels like the parks put less effort forward annually in this department, but continue to charge more. These tickets are Rush of Fear price levels while delivering the absolute bare minimum. I’d get a far more immersive and holiday centric experience with a much cheaper ticket to something like ICE or Give Kids the World Village. Continuing to center their holiday events around largely projections and bare minimum actual holiday lights is a joke.

I feel like Disney was testing something like this out and to see if the reception would be good. Sometimes our expectations need to be put in check based on their current work.

It's a nearly $200 holiday event. Two alright shows does not justify such an insanely steep cost.

 

[OrlLover]

It's a nearly $200 holiday event. Two alright shows does not justify such an insanely steep cost.

I’m not saying the price is justified however let’s be real people spending habits at Disney are sometimes questionable.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Contrary to popular belief I’ve heard nothing but good things about the shows. The whole event did seem somewhat rushed and put together somewhat haphazardly.

I feel like Disney was testing something like this out and to see if the reception would be good. Sometimes our expectations need to be put in check based on their current work.

I don't blame people for complaining about it after paying $179 + all the food & beverage offerings they were pushing.

Essentially paying $179 for 3 shows (one of which was previously included in regular park admission) plus the right to pay even more for food & beverage.

Disney knows the reception was horrendous, they're offering refunds to anyone who had a ticket for that night. I also can't excuse poor operations since Disney knows how many people are going to be there.

 

[JungleSkip]

Disney knows the reception was horrendous, they're offering refunds to anyone who had a ticket for that night. I also can't excuse poor operations since Disney knows how many people are going to be there.

Eh. It's real easy to make mistakes without knowing how people will actually act in a new event.

I feel like Disney was testing something like this out and to see if the reception would be good. Sometimes our expectations need to be put in check based on their current work.

Nah. You test things in the park as part of normal operations before expanding it into a hard ticket event. This feels like the opposite.

 

[IzzyB]

Operations issues aren't surprising at all for the first day of an event, so I'll typically write it off (even though these big companies should at the very least get staffing right). But actual event quality is a completely different topic and this seems like a straight up dud regardless of operations.

I just can’t imagine spending money on these upcharge holiday events when they don’t even come close to matching the holiday atmosphere and experiences that the previous events that came with the daytime tickets delivered. It feels like the parks put less effort forward annually in this department, but continue to charge more. These tickets are Rush of Fear price levels while delivering the absolute bare minimum. I’d get a far more immersive and holiday centric experience with a much cheaper ticket to something like ICE or Give Kids the World Village. Continuing to center their holiday events around largely projections and bare minimum actual holiday lights is a joke.


It's a nearly $200 holiday event. Two alright shows does not justify such an insanely steep cost.

I would also say that you get several shows in the base Sea World ticket and special food booths. I don't understand paying extra for a holiday event when the other parks are included in the standard ticket. I never understood the appeal of Disney up-charge holiday events outside of people who just want a 1 day park ticket because it is lower lines. But now it seems the events are more expensive than a 1 day park ticket making it even less appealing.

I really hope that Universal never goes down this money grabbing path.