12 Hollywood Studios Rumors (A Disney Rumors video is on pg. 1) and (an update is on pg. 16)

[bcrook]

I think that Rebel Blaster would be the biggest draw in this part of the park. It is described as Toy Story Mania meets Buzz Lightyear. I was surprised that they would do a similar ride to Toy Story though, but maybe a similar ride on the opposite side would get crowds to split up more when the park opens.

I like that... Split up the crowds and double the capacity for the TSMM type ride. It is obviously very popular.

 

[RooRach0906]

Hello guys, I’ve got more rumors for you. These ones are about the much rumored about expansions at Hollywood Studios. I’ve heard from my great uncle that the Cars Section is not going to happen. They are thinking of expanding Pixar Place and adding a Lucas Land section. The Pixar extension will be towards the back of Studios. While Lucas Land looks like it will take up most of the left side of the park. The only drawback about this revamping is that it probably won’t happen until at least 2020.

1. Crush Coaster (would replace the Backlot tour/Warehouse)

2. Monsters Inc family ride (would replace the Backlot tour)

3. The Incredibles thrill ride (would replace the Backlot tour)

4. Pizza Planet (replaces Studio Catering and Honey I Shrunk the Kids Play area)

5. Indiana Jones ride (Dinosaur-like one) (replaces the stunt show)

6. Indiana Jones ride (Rollercoaster) (replaces the stunt show)

7 Indiana Jones warehouse restaurant (replaces Backlot Express)

8. Star Wars Meet and Greet (replaces ABC sound studio)

9. Star Wars Muppet 3d show (replaces Muppet Vision 3d)

10. Mos Eisley Cantina (replaces old Pizza Planet and Mama Melrose)

11. Rebel Blaster ride (replaces set pieces on the left side of the park)

12. Star Wars stunt show (replaces Lights, Motors)

I hope they do something like this. I always thought they should do a Pixarland type area and Star Wars makes something for everyone. Although I am not sure about Indiana Jones, although I like the movies, I think it would be better to add more Star Wars area. I would like to see a re-theming of Sci-Fi to Cars though and play Pixar shorts on the screen and add lighting sense it will no longer be drive in themed.

I also agree with this

I would miss the playground, though can see that they need to seriously re-do or update that...but, it is nice to have a play area to let your kid run around in for a bit. I hope they eventually add something, maybe indoors like the one at Mission Space. The AK construction zone play area is wonderful, too.

Playground areas are great for the kids, it is a nice break from the park in the park and gives them a chance to do something without really waiting. I also love that the playground in the park in Disney you can pass them without the kids realizing.

I agree with a PP to, that when/if they do this they need to rename the park and take studios out of the title. Maybe just something with movie in it, I dunno.

 

[Kimosabe]

...I would like to see a re-theming of Sci-Fi to Cars though and play Pixar shorts on the screen and add lighting sense it will no longer be drive in themed.

I also agree with this

Playground areas are great for the kids, it is a nice break from the park in the park and gives them a chance to do something without really waiting. I also love that the playground in the park in Disney you can pass them without the kids realizing.

I agree with a PP to, that when/if they do this they need to rename the park and take studios out of the title. Maybe just something with movie in it, I dunno.

I could see a logical re-theming of Sci-Fi to Cars (even if I might not like it at first). While I am a firm believer that there is lots of room for Star Wars and Pixar to build out DHS, I'd still like to see at least a few remnants of the "old" DHS stay around, but maybe that could happen even with a theming upgrade. Wouldn't take much effort to re-paint the cars/tables as Cars characters (add eyes to the headlights or windshields and the drive-in feel could easily stay in place. As for what clips they are showing, drive-in movies are not strictly a 1950's concept (many are still around today), so I would not necessarily be offended if there was indeed some edits here. And while my kids certainly enjoy the general atmosphere of Sci-Fi, they couldn't really care less about the current old clips being shown...but if wanting to keep some of them, I'm sure Pixar could come up with a few short clips of black-and-white Cars-related clips like Mater from the Black Lagoon, etc., to intersperse amongst the existing stuff. If they're not going to bring any part of Carsland to DHS, then maybe this idea has some legs. Otherwise, they could spend a little more and switch out the existing cars/tables to land speeders, etc., for a Star Wars-based drive-in!

As for the playground, I am also in favor of keeping it for the same reason you mentioned - rest for us weary parents! They could simply put up a new sign showing it as A Bug's Life playground and put the characters in or near it for meet-and-greets, and with very minimal effort and dollars, there is a painfully easy "upgrade" of an existing area and a head-start on a new-and-improved Pixar Land.

 

[rteetz]

I think that AK and DHS have low ride counts as they were never designed to have a large number of rides. Animal Kingdom has the two walking trails plus the other animals around the Tree of Life therefore rides take second place to animals. But I agree it needs more to keep people in the park into the evening. The original Disney-MGM studios backstage tour took 2-3 hours as the tram went around the old residential street then the city streets (which are now walk-around areas) then you did a walking tour of the soundstages (which are no longer used so house TSMM and other attractions). Unfortunately now it isn't a working studio any more they need to invest in new attractions to bring the park up to date. and demolish the old studio tour section, maybe keep and expand the walk-though with the submarine water flood but there is nothing worth seeing on the tram anymore!

I agree I love AK a lot of people don't because it doesn't have rides and I think that is a shame it's a beautiful park. DHS is nowhere near where it was when it opened they need to do something with it. I'm also for a name change it's not a Hollywood studio anymore.

 

[Josh Hendy]

4. Pizza Planet (replaces Studio Catering and Honey I Shrunk the Kids Play area)

If it wasn't clear before, I think that the fairly lame version of Pizza Planet in DHS was really exposed by the lavish, faithful rendition of Hogwarts/Hogsmeade made by Universal.

In the movie, Pizza Planet looks really awesome and you think, "That is so cool," and you imagine how neat-o it would be to visit a restaurant like that. But instead of satisfying those expectations, probably new visitors see "Pizza Planet" on the park map and hike back there assuming that an at least 'good' imitation of the movie restaurant was waiting for them. When they see that it's a pretty sketchy imitation of the real thing serving not-very-special pizza they're going to be disappointed but probably too hungry and too anxious to see more attractions to not eat there anyways.

I think I know why it happened that way - most of the Studios was originally supposedly to be (or at least look like) a real working studio and it's hard to drop a standalone, lavishly themed and visually striking restaurant into the middle of that kind of architecture/cityscape. And also of course the entire park was designed and built in a bit of a rush in order to beat the opening date of Universal Studios Florida ... which is bound to lead to shortcuts and mistakes (*cough* Grauman's Theater licensing ... just saying)

It's probably too late for a do-over, but I'm sure that Disney learned from Harry Potter how much people react to a lavish, generous theming and how after visiting, it makes them a lot more conscious of skimpy efforts elsewhere.

My priority list for DHS looks like this:

1) More rides
2) Improved/updated rides/shows/food
3) Decide on the "symbol/weenie" issue once and for all and get rid of the awkward hat/Chinese theater superimposition.
4) Evolve toward either a complete "hub-spoke-wheel" layout (like MK) or a "lagoon-wheel" layout (like USF, IOA, World Showcase) to facilitate visitors orienting themselves and navigating the park. Right now there are too many dead-ends and mysterious alleyways heading off at odd angles to heaven-knows-where.

 

[Dfan79]

If it wasn't clear before, I think that the fairly lame version of Pizza Planet in DHS was really exposed by the lavish, faithful rendition of Hogwarts/Hogsmeade made by Universal.

In the movie, Pizza Planet looks really awesome and you think, "That is so cool," and you imagine how neat-o it would be to visit a restaurant like that. But instead of satisfying those expectations, probably new visitors see "Pizza Planet" on the park map and hike back there assuming that an at least 'good' imitation of the movie restaurant was waiting for them. When they see that it's a pretty sketchy imitation of the real thing serving not-very-special pizza they're going to be disappointed but probably too hungry and too anxious to see more attractions to not eat there anyways.

I agree that the current Pizza Planet is horrible, but Disney rarely does something so bad. I think Disney usually does a masterful job when they create attractions, parks and resorts.

 

[rteetz]

I agree that the current Pizza Planet is horrible, but Disney rarely does something so bad. I think Disney usually does a masterful job when they create attractions, parks and resorts.

Three words.... Stitches great escape....

 

[Kimosabe]

I agree that the current Pizza Planet is horrible...

It would not take much effort or creativity to improve Pizza Planet immensely (with or without an expanded Pixar Place/Land). Even if they keep the existing menu, they could add a couple of flatbreads, Caesar salad (available on its own, perhaps with chicken as an option), Greek salad and maybe some breadsticks, and suddenly there is more variety (without imposing too much on the Italian fare at Mama Melrose) and an appeal to a much larger audience. Add some pizza crust "nachos", a couple of breakfast pizza options, a fruit pizza (available all day) and a pizza-slice-shaped cookie, and suddenly there are some unique items that would really set PP apart as a great QS option...and would allow it to be open for breakfast, given the limited breakfast options already in DHS. (Admittedly, I am starving as I write this...never mind that I have put way more thought into it even before now than I should! Hello, my name is ____ and I am a DHS Refurbaholic.)

To be fair, I have never eaten at PP, but I have checked it out online (menu, Yelp, Tripadvisor, etc.) and while the existing options might be OK, it seems to be a frighteningly limited menu, relying primarily on the hope that kids will want to visit the "real" Pizza Planet.

 

[EpcotBot]

It would not take much effort or creativity to improve Pizza Planet immensely (with or without an expanded Pixar Place/Land). Even if they keep the existing menu, they could add a couple of flatbreads, Caesar salad (available on its own, perhaps with chicken as an option), Greek salad and maybe some breadsticks, and suddenly there is more variety (without imposing too much on the Italian fare at Mama Melrose) and an appeal to a much larger audience. Add some pizza crust "nachos", a couple of breakfast pizza options, a fruit pizza (available all day) and a pizza-slice-shaped cookie, and suddenly there are some unique items that would really set PP apart as a great QS option...and would allow it to be open for breakfast, given the limited breakfast options already in DHS. (Admittedly, I am starving as I write this...never mind that I have put way more thought into it even before now than I should! Hello, my name is ____ and I am a DHS Refurbaholic.) To be fair, I have never eaten at PP, but I have checked it out online (menu, Yelp, Tripadvisor, etc.) and while the existing options might be OK, it seems to be a frighteningly limited menu, relying primarily on the hope that kids will want to visit the "real" Pizza Planet.

I really like this idea. I remember eating at the current Pizza Planet for the first time a while back when I was younger. I was really expecting something along the lines of what was in the movie. Even though I still enjoyed my time, I was a bit disappointed with the iteration they went with. I would love to see this redone and expanded on for a truly awesome experience.

 

[Kimosabe]

I really like this idea. I remember eating at the current Pizza Planet for the first time a while back when I was younger. I was really expecting something along the lines of what was in the movie. Even though I still enjoyed my time, I was a bit disappointed with the iteration they went with. I would love to see this redone and expanded on for a truly awesome experience.

I'm speaking out of turn again (having not ever stepped foot into PP), but I'm guessing there is a random assortment of video games in the arcade. Would be very cool if most (if not all) of the games had some Disney-related focus -- e.g., Tron, Fix-It Felix, Toy Story Mania (they make it for the Wii, etc., so I'm guessing they could make a stand-up arcade version, too), some sort of Sugar Rush racing game (from the pictures, it looks like there are plenty of racing games in there), Disney property (including Marvel/Star Wars)-themed pinball machines and a bunch of games referenced in Wreck-It Ralph (Q-Bert, Pac-Man, etc.). I would spend a few bucks playing some of these games myself, and I'm 43! I realize their priority is not going to be on a quick service restaurant, but these sorts of things would take very little effort, but with big appeal...in a park that could use little touches like this (while we wait for the big touches, hopefully!).

 

[MinervaMouse]

Though I would like to see SWL, I really hope they don't get a 3D film in addition to the ride they had just updated a few years ago. Seems like a cop out from what could potentially go there attraction wise.

 

[Dfan79]

Why don't you like French people? Where in France have you been?

A gang of French men in berets killed my grandparents.... just kidding I'm just stereotyping what I've seen. Whenever I see a France French person in a video or picture they've usually got a sour puss on their face. Plus they smoke like a chimneys around other people with little to no regard to others.

 

[Teresa82]

A Pixar expansion would be interesting, but cannot wait to see what they will do with a Star Wars Expansion especially with the new movies coming out. Cars Land would be nice, but highly doubtful. What do you think about Disney adding some Marvel Inspired attractions?

 

[disneysource]

A Pixar expansion would be interesting, but cannot wait to see what they will do with a Star Wars Expansion especially with the new movies coming out. Cars Land would be nice, but highly doubtful. What do you think about Disney adding some Marvel Inspired attractions?

Disney can't do it in their parks east of Mississippi, but they can put it in other Disney parks like Disneyland in California.

 

[seascapemvy]

Disney can't do it in their parks east of Mississippi, but they can put it in other Disney parks like Disneyland in California.

You are not entirely right. WDW can't use any characters the are being used at Universal until Universal decides to give up those rights. Disney will never pay a dime for them but when Universal decides it's no longer in their interest to maintain and advertise attractions that can only be used in one park and not all their others around the world they will give up the rights and paying Disney money that Disney is using to develop Marvel attractions in their parks around the world. However WDW can build attraction based on other Marvel Characters at WDW.

 

[rteetz]

You are not entirely right. WDW can't use any characters the are being used at Universal until Universal decides to give up those rights. Disney will never pay a dime for them but when Universal decides it's no longer in their interest to maintain and advertise attractions that can only be used in one park and not all their others around the world they will give up the rights and paying Disney money that Disney is using to develop Marvel attractions in their parks around the world. However WDW can build attraction based on other Marvel Characters at WDW.

Correct disney can't use avenger characters basically. And universal won't be giving up those rights anytime soon and that would be very costly for both enterprises to do so. Disney is having movie previews for guardians of the galaxy at DHS. They can do that because they are not in those rights with universal.

 

[disneysource]

You are not entirely right. WDW can't use any characters the are being used at Universal until Universal decides to give up those rights. Disney will never pay a dime for them but when Universal decides it's no longer in their interest to maintain and advertise attractions that can only be used in one park and not all their others around the world they will give up the rights and paying Disney money that Disney is using to develop Marvel attractions in their parks around the world. However WDW can build attraction based on other Marvel Characters at WDW.

I'm talking about the characters at Universal. No one wants to go on a Guardians of the Galaxy ride. Most of the characters that people love are being used at the rival theme park.

 

[seascapemvy]

I'm talking about the characters at Universal. No one wants to go on a Guardians of the Galaxy ride. Most of the characters that people love are being used at the rival theme park.

People care more about the ride than the characters they are based on. As for the Universal characters, how long do you think they will keep advertising them once Disney starts using them elsewhere around the world?

 

[disneysource]

People care more about the ride than the characters they are based on. As for the Universal characters, how long do you think they will keep advertising them once Disney starts using them elsewhere around the world?

So you do think that people would go on the Spiderman ride as much as they do if it was an Antman ride instead? I agree though about rollercoasters like Hulk. It doesn't matter who those rides are based on because there isn't much of a story used with those type of attractions.

 

[disneysource]

Oh that reminds me I wanted to mention that "The Incredibles" ride that's rumored to go to Hollywood would be similar to "Spiderman" and "Transformers" at the Universal parks.