Disney's Hollywood Studios (General Discussion)

[Brian G.]

Interesting strategy. I thought they would try and keep that one open as long as possible since it technically is not being replaced yet. I have no clue what they are doing, but DHS is going to be a hot mess until TSL opens in 2017 and even then it is still going to be a mess, just not as much.

From a steaming, stinking pile to a stinking pile.

 

[Jon84]

From what I know, LMA/SOA will be used as a staging area and LMA had to close anyway because the practice course for LMA is going to be part of Toy Story Land.

So SOA will be closed for storage and prep for the new areas?

Makes sense that Osbourne Lights went if the case!

 

[Mad Dog]

If Toy Story Land opens in 2017, it won't be until at least the winter holidays. My money is still on 2018. Heck, they haven't even started doing anything back there yet. They're still working on the third Toy Story track (in an existing building) and that's been 17 months and counting. Rose colored glasses for anything earlier than Dec. 2017. We're already into 2016, if anyone's noticed. Even Universal's not that fast.

 

[Nick]

If Toy Story Land opens in 2017, it won't be until at least the winter holidays. My money is still on 2018. Heck, they haven't even started doing anything back there yet. They're still working on the third Toy Story track (in an existing building) and that's been 17 months and counting. Rose colored glasses for anything earlier than Dec. 2017. We're already into 2016, if anyone's noticed. Even Universal's not that fast.

Frozen/Rivers of Light/Soarin - 2016
Avatar - 2017
Toy Story - 2018
Star Wars - 2019

They don't need or want Toy Story until 2018 with RoL/Frozen/Soarin this year and Avatar next year. That's a solid schedule for Disney, no matter what critics want to say.

Going beyond that I have to imagine that Epcot will get some much needed love, Magic Kingdom will likely see some sort of attraction built again, and DHS may see an Indy attraction or another Pixar land. And that's no BS about Indy. The stunt show will go, but there's real talk about a ride coming back afterwards, especially with Indy 5 in the works.

 

[IzzyB]

If Toy Story Land opens in 2017, it won't be until at least the winter holidays. My money is still on 2018. Heck, they haven't even started doing anything back there yet. They're still working on the third Toy Story track (in an existing building) and that's been 17 months and counting. Rose colored glasses for anything earlier than Dec. 2017. We're already into 2016, if anyone's noticed. Even Universal's not that fast.

I never thought it would be early 2017. Everything out there says late 2017. And I wouldn't believe that other than the fact that most everything for this project will be fabricated off site and just be a plug and play install. There will be no complex 6 month long tests needed as it is just a roller coaster and flat ride. No rock work, no huge buildings, etc. Just some small minor buildings which take a couple of months at most to build. Even Disney speed they should be able to pull of late 2017.

 

[Nick]

I never thought it would be early 2017. Everything out there says late 2017. And I wouldn't believe that other than the fact that most everything for this project will be fabricated off site and just be a plug and play install. There will be no complex 6 month long tests needed as it is just a roller coaster and flat ride. No rock work, no huge buildings, etc. Just some small minor buildings which take a couple of months at most to build. Even Disney speed they should be able to pull of late 2017.

I simply don't believe Disney will open 2 lands in the same year. While Avatar will be off infinitely higher quality than TSL, Disney can wait until early 2018 and bank on it the whole year. Early 2018 would be a great time to be opening the land anyway as TS4 will probably be winning tons of awards around that time.

Disney can and will market TSL as if it is the best thing ever, just as they'll market Frozen. People will show up just because of the name. No need to open late 2017 when you can save it for 2018. At least that's how i'd look at it.

 

[Brian G.]

Frozen/Rivers of Light/Soarin - 2016
Avatar - 2017
Toy Story - 2018
Star Wars - 2019

That's a solid schedule for Disney, no matter what critics want to say.

Not when 1 park is 90% desolate wasteland and another park is half useless.

 

[IzzyB]

I simply don't believe Disney will open 2 lands in the same year. While Avatar will be off infinitely higher quality than TSL, Disney can wait until early 2018 and bank on it the whole year. Early 2018 would be a great time to be opening the land anyway as TS4 will probably be winning tons of awards around that time.

Disney can and will market TSL as if it is the best thing ever, just as they'll market Frozen. People will show up just because of the name. No need to open late 2017 when you can save it for 2018. At least that's how i'd look at it.

Where I think they need something in DHS ASAP and shouldn't hold it. Avatar will draw crowds and can they afford another Christmas season with even heavier crowds with DHS in the shape it is. I think that is why they are aiming for late 2017. Not for marketing, but for ops. I also think they are still aiming for late 2018 for Star Wars for the same reasons. Disney has been known to open things in December, so it is not unheard of for them on a marketing side of things.

 

[Mad Dog]

I simply don't believe Disney will open 2 lands in the same year. While Avatar will be off infinitely higher quality than TSL, Disney can wait until early 2018 and bank on it the whole year. Early 2018 would be a great time to be opening the land anyway as TS4 will probably be winning tons of awards around that time.

Disney can and will market TSL as if it is the best thing ever, just as they'll market Frozen. People will show up just because of the name. No need to open late 2017 when you can save it for 2018. At least that's how i'd look at it.

Yeah, I would basically agree with that schedule. And, as you pointed out, it makes marketing sense. And, yes, plenty will show up for Toy Story land, even though it's kind of mediocre considering all of that space it will take up...... Disney could put up 12 acres of corrugated metal buildings and paint Toy Story on it, and the masses will still come.

 

[Nick]

Where I think they need something in DHS ASAP and shouldn't hold it. Avatar will draw crowds and can they afford another Christmas season with even heavier crowds with DHS in the shape it is. I think that is why they are aiming for late 2017. Not for marketing, but for ops. I also think they are still aiming for late 2018 for Star Wars for the same reasons. Disney has been known to open things in December, so it is not unheard of for them on a marketing side of things.

I can see where you are coming from. I've still been hearing early 2018 though. But if they can get it open for late 2017 and even have some sort of Christmas Display up, that would really help. Until then, the park is gonna have to suffer.

There is supposed to be a new daytime show at the Fant! Amphitheater this summer though, which would at the very least offset any capacity loss from LMA. It's not official, but casting is done and work is being done there to set up for it.

 

[IzzyB]

I can see where you are coming from. I've still been hearing early 2018 though. But if they can get it open for late 2017 and even have some sort of Christmas Display up, that would really help. Until then, the park is gonna have to suffer.

There is supposed to be a new daytime show at the Fant! Amphitheater this summer though, which would at the very least offset any capacity loss from LMA. It's not official, but casting is done and work is being done there to set up for it.

Oh wow, that would be a huge help for capacity in that park. A daytime show would be wise since that land is only used once or twice a day.

 

[Brian G.]

Orlando Sentinel confirms Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Studio Catering Co., Monsters meet and greet are all closing on April 2nd. WDWNT is reporting the Earful Tower is going, but no one else has verified.

 

[IzzyB]

Honey I shrunk the kids is going to hurt capacity too.

 

[Nick]

Not when 1 park is 90% desolate wasteland and another park is half useless.

Well that's what happens when Disney let's an entire park and Future World rot for a decade or more.

But you can't go back and fix those wrongs. You have to do your best to fix the mess and make the parks top notch again and as we've seen with what Comcast is doing with IOA and USF, it doesn't happen overnight. They've done a lot in a short period of time, yet still have a long ways to go.

Moral of the story is these things take time. Not saying let Disney off the hook if it takes them forever to build SWL, but that once that is done, more still needs to be done obviously, and that's where we'll see if Disney is truly interested in making these parks "great" or just "good enough".

Orlando Sentinel confirms Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Studio Catering Co., Monsters meet and greet are all closing on April 2nd. WDWNT is reporting the Earful Tower is going, but no one else has verified.

I sort of figured that's what they meant by the "surrounding area" stuff. Wow, that's just A LOT. They better get to damn work if they are closing all of this. It's pretty much gonna be a dead end at Muppets and Toy Story now.

 

[Brian G.]

Well that's what happens when Disney let's an entire park and Future World rot for a decade or more.

But you can't go back and fix those wrongs. You have to do your best to fix the mess and make the parks top notch again and as we've seen with what Comcast is doing with IOA and USF, it doesn't happen overnight. They've done a lot in a short period of time, yet still have a long ways to go.

Moral of the story is these things take time. Not saying let Disney off the hook if it takes them forever to build SWL, but that once that is done, more still needs to be done obviously, and that's where we'll see if Disney is truly interested in making these parks "great" or just "good enough".

Well I didn't know they take time... thanks.

I was approaching your comment because of "solid schedule". DHS needed to get its ass in gear 2 years ago. That's what the critics are slamming. It's good they are finally moving on, but it's a damn shame it didn't happen sooner.

Honey I shrunk the kids is going to hurt capacity too.

but Star Wars Awakens!

 

[Brian G.]

Earfful Tower confirmed to be gone.

 

[Teebin]

This is funny... I think it would be a good time for Tower of Terror to go down for a 6 month refurb.

 

[Mad Dog]

Yes, they should have started right after they brought the girl in that was a big part of the DCA & DCA Carsland expansion to look at what to do to fix DHS. If memory serves me correct her name was Cathy Magnum or something like that. That was three years ago, and as BriMan says they could have started on stuff two years ago. This is really going to be a mess. Pity, since I've really liked that park, warts and all.

 

[Mad Dog]

This is funny... I think it would be a good time for Tower of Terror to go down for a 6 month refurb.

Actually, they were having lots of technical problems with that the past year, often causing huge lines due to shutdowns. So, who knows, they might end up having to do a refurb even if they don't want to.

 

[Nick]

Well I didn't know they take time... thanks.

I was approaching your comment because of "solid schedule". DHS needed to get its ass in gear 2 years ago. That's what the critics are slamming. It's good they are finally moving on, but it's a damn shame it didn't happen sooner

I understand that. Future World needs to be dealt with literally right now, but they can only do so much at this point. They rested on their laurels for too long, not doing anything and they are paying the price big time now.