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WDW Hollywood Studios: General Discussion
Harv
TS Member
To me, Hollywood Studios was the most sparse of the Disney, Universal or SeaWorld parks in Florida. Anything new to soak up queues is more than welcome. Midway Mania is fun but definitely not worth the 90 minute queues it draws. The park is crying out for a high capacity thrill, maybe a water ride?
Imagination
TS Member
To be honest, Hollywood Studios is going through a huge identity crisis and needs sorting badly (not to the bad extent of Epcot) but it still needs a big sort out.
The park doesn't serve its purpose any more of being working studios. It opened as Disney-MGM Studios and was a proper all-singing, all-dancing film studio/production area. Then MGM up and left causing it to change to Disney's Hollywood Studios. But, production of TV shows and editing of films etc all closed down in the early/mid 00's and the park has been left with an identity crisis since. We could argue this about WDS in Paris but that's a completely different ball game and was never built with working-studios as its purpose and it too, will be having a refit to welcome Marvel and Star Wars.
The Sorcerer's Hat leaving is one of the best bits of news! That hat was hated by many Imagineers and Disney lovers because it covered up the fantastic façade of The Great Movie Ride...but rumour is, when the Chinese Theatre's new owners (Paramount and Warner Bros.) bought the theatre in 2000, they told Disney for every photographed picture/vista with the façade included in it would mean they would have to pay for royalties...stupid huh?
Anyway, this is the apparent reason why the Sorcerer Hat was drafted in and became the unfortunate icon of DHS. Since it's implementation, huge annoyance and back lash has been aired by fans and even some Imagineers. In '09 during a DHS celebration, the Imagineer Bob Weiss commented on a photo of Chinese Theatre and said: “And this is my favourite view of the Chinese Theater. You can’t get this view any more. You may be aware of that. But I hope that we will get this view again sometime soon.” and what followed? Huge applause and cheers from the audience.
So, that's a good thing. The hat will go and I suppose the temporary icon will either be ToT or the original icon which was the Earful Tower. The Chinese Theatre will once again play host to a phenomenal centre piece down Hollywood Blv for the time being before, it too, is likely to close once Disney Weddings/Events have finished all of their bookings into 2015/16.
The problem is, DHS has issues with so many crowd flow problems, design flaws and the fact "Hollywood" isn't its direction/feel any more. Backlot Studio Tour even in it's watered down state (since the introduction of the stunt show) was still great fun but took up so much space and lost it's purpose slightly. The closure of the Backlot Tour, American Idol Experience and the American Film Institute Showcase points towards a big and exciting change for the park. Disney Hollywood Studios will be renamed and we'll get a (much cheaper) California Adventure-style refit. Cars Land will not be joining DHS in the way it is at DCA but elements will come over, along with the renaming and refurbing of park areas and also the introduction of more Pixar themes and Star Wars too. Marvel will not be joining any time soon either as Universal still holds the the rights to that over in East America (like for an age) and in Japan (until 2020) and the rights are ridiculous (and I won't bore you with them by going into detail over all that).
The thing is, I think DHS is definitely in need of help. The park is tired, cut up and confused.
Problem? Team Disney Orlando and Burbank just don't want to give WDW the love it deserves which WDI have been yearning for and why are they tightening the purse strings? Well, My MagicBands was a multi-million pound fail which has seen cuts, issues and shelved plans in multiple parks (bar Shanghai as that's a separate budget and also funded project in parks backed by Oriental Land Co) because TDO didn't address the issues but just demanded more millions. Animal Kingdom will have the bare minimum done to it in order to turn it into an "all-day destination" and Epcot will be left for ages unless WDI can push and persuade TDO/Burbank into giving it some updates.
But I have gone on a tangent, in short, whilst the expansion won't be a huge one like DCA due to many factors, we we will get will be a decent enhancement for the failing Studios Park.
The park doesn't serve its purpose any more of being working studios. It opened as Disney-MGM Studios and was a proper all-singing, all-dancing film studio/production area. Then MGM up and left causing it to change to Disney's Hollywood Studios. But, production of TV shows and editing of films etc all closed down in the early/mid 00's and the park has been left with an identity crisis since. We could argue this about WDS in Paris but that's a completely different ball game and was never built with working-studios as its purpose and it too, will be having a refit to welcome Marvel and Star Wars.
The Sorcerer's Hat leaving is one of the best bits of news! That hat was hated by many Imagineers and Disney lovers because it covered up the fantastic façade of The Great Movie Ride...but rumour is, when the Chinese Theatre's new owners (Paramount and Warner Bros.) bought the theatre in 2000, they told Disney for every photographed picture/vista with the façade included in it would mean they would have to pay for royalties...stupid huh?
Anyway, this is the apparent reason why the Sorcerer Hat was drafted in and became the unfortunate icon of DHS. Since it's implementation, huge annoyance and back lash has been aired by fans and even some Imagineers. In '09 during a DHS celebration, the Imagineer Bob Weiss commented on a photo of Chinese Theatre and said: “And this is my favourite view of the Chinese Theater. You can’t get this view any more. You may be aware of that. But I hope that we will get this view again sometime soon.” and what followed? Huge applause and cheers from the audience.
So, that's a good thing. The hat will go and I suppose the temporary icon will either be ToT or the original icon which was the Earful Tower. The Chinese Theatre will once again play host to a phenomenal centre piece down Hollywood Blv for the time being before, it too, is likely to close once Disney Weddings/Events have finished all of their bookings into 2015/16.
The problem is, DHS has issues with so many crowd flow problems, design flaws and the fact "Hollywood" isn't its direction/feel any more. Backlot Studio Tour even in it's watered down state (since the introduction of the stunt show) was still great fun but took up so much space and lost it's purpose slightly. The closure of the Backlot Tour, American Idol Experience and the American Film Institute Showcase points towards a big and exciting change for the park. Disney Hollywood Studios will be renamed and we'll get a (much cheaper) California Adventure-style refit. Cars Land will not be joining DHS in the way it is at DCA but elements will come over, along with the renaming and refurbing of park areas and also the introduction of more Pixar themes and Star Wars too. Marvel will not be joining any time soon either as Universal still holds the the rights to that over in East America (like for an age) and in Japan (until 2020) and the rights are ridiculous (and I won't bore you with them by going into detail over all that).
The thing is, I think DHS is definitely in need of help. The park is tired, cut up and confused.
Problem? Team Disney Orlando and Burbank just don't want to give WDW the love it deserves which WDI have been yearning for and why are they tightening the purse strings? Well, My MagicBands was a multi-million pound fail which has seen cuts, issues and shelved plans in multiple parks (bar Shanghai as that's a separate budget and also funded project in parks backed by Oriental Land Co) because TDO didn't address the issues but just demanded more millions. Animal Kingdom will have the bare minimum done to it in order to turn it into an "all-day destination" and Epcot will be left for ages unless WDI can push and persuade TDO/Burbank into giving it some updates.
But I have gone on a tangent, in short, whilst the expansion won't be a huge one like DCA due to many factors, we we will get will be a decent enhancement for the failing Studios Park.
Imagination
TS Member
Thanks @Alastair and @Rob .
To be honest I really I don't want it to be about me me me, what I do etc... but instead just want to spread the research I conducted (and still do) and help contribute to this community in any way I can.
I will say that despite taking a break from the theme park working world for a while, I actively keep researching, doing side projects and remain in contact with stuff and just try to help contribute (although I worry I ramble!).
To be honest I really I don't want it to be about me me me, what I do etc... but instead just want to spread the research I conducted (and still do) and help contribute to this community in any way I can.
I will say that despite taking a break from the theme park working world for a while, I actively keep researching, doing side projects and remain in contact with stuff and just try to help contribute (although I worry I ramble!).
TheMan
TS Member
I don't think anyone considers you a rambler @Imagination besides which if you took that title from me I'd be most offended. 
Your posts are informative, make for fascinating reading, and personally I always enjoy reading the posts from you!
Your posts are informative, make for fascinating reading, and personally I always enjoy reading the posts from you!
Rowe
TS Member
An update is coming to the Hollywood Studios in the form of a new sponsorship.
Source
Speaking as a film student with a vested interest in the socio-historical and cultural aspects, this is great news! Although TCM is a bit naff in this country, they're a perfect and well known fit in America for the Great Movie Ride.
Inside the Magic said:
Source
Speaking as a film student with a vested interest in the socio-historical and cultural aspects, this is great news! Although TCM is a bit naff in this country, they're a perfect and well known fit in America for the Great Movie Ride.
Rob
TS Team
Plastic Person
TS Member
They got that down fast, hats off to them.
jon81uk
TS Member
The tree was scheduled to come down on the 18th Jan. for some reason Christmas lasts a little longer at DHS.
The hat is still slowly dissapearing, taken today, from wdwmagic.
But in other news from Hollywood studios it appears wall have been set up arround the boat near the hat
Reading some rumours the removel of the hat was mainly down to the fact it would have effected the visuals from the Star Wars Area which will hopefully start dvelopment soon on Echoe Lake. The removel of the boat which is on the side of the lake may well be the first preperations of drainage and eventual construction of Star Wars.
But in other news from Hollywood studios it appears wall have been set up arround the boat near the hat
Reading some rumours the removel of the hat was mainly down to the fact it would have effected the visuals from the Star Wars Area which will hopefully start dvelopment soon on Echoe Lake. The removel of the boat which is on the side of the lake may well be the first preperations of drainage and eventual construction of Star Wars.
Imagination
TS Member
Great about TCM but shame that the long term future of GMR is uncertain. The hat coming down is such a great move. Well done Team Disney Orlando. Now, get your fingers out from where the sun doesn't shine and sort the identities out of DHS and Epcot please....pronto!