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View Full Version : DHS Does Not Meet Disney Standards



Airblue1
02-11-2013, 11:59 AM
We gave it a shot, again!
Well for one I needed a new Star Tours tee, but after 2.5 hrs. We went to the bus and left.
What is up with this place. It is soooooo not Disney when it comes to a lot of things. Thematically it makes sense, but what is before you is a checker board of non sense. Ok, if your not buying it, where does Aerosmith fit into this mess? I have been to Hollywood umpteen times and Aerosmith isn't even a thought???

Tigerinvestigator
02-11-2013, 12:47 PM
We love DHS. Rock-n-rollercoaster is one of the better attractions WDW has. I thought they did an outstanding job of incorporating Aerosmith into the attraction. You take a crazy trip through hollywood including the hollywood sign on the way to a concert. I think most of the attractions fit really well into the story. My only complaint would be that they could do much more.....but I like what they have done already.:thumbsup:

BrerGnat
02-11-2013, 12:52 PM
I totally agree. I actually have never liked this park, and we have been going there since the year it opened. My parents always loved it, but I just don't "get it", I guess.

I do like parts of it, like the Star Tours area, and I love ToT and RnR Coaster, but the rest of it is so disjointed and NOT enjoyable at all.

I would not be sad to see this entire park bulldozed and have them start over a la DCA.

Dulcee
02-11-2013, 12:52 PM
Aerosmith is the best selling rock band the US has ever produced... Hollywood has a huge role in the music industry. I think it fits, and I think for a roller coaster they did an awesome job theming it to fit.

I like DHS, it needs some new attractions and uplifts like most of WDW but we spend a lot of time there every trip. Love all the live shows (Indy, Beauty & the Beast, LMA!, Fantasmic) and the thrill rides. Oh and the holiday lights were pretty amazing too.

Granny Jill A
02-11-2013, 01:00 PM
I do like parts of it, like the Star Tours area, and I love ToT and RnR Coaster, but the rest of it is so disjointed and NOT enjoyable at all.

I would not be sad to see this entire park bulldozed and have them start over a la DCA.

I'm with you on this one. Unless they open a brand new attraction, I can skip this park completely.

Belle of the Ball 051411
02-11-2013, 01:30 PM
I totally agree. I actually have never liked this park, and we have been going there since the year it opened. My parents always loved it, but I just don't "get it", I guess.

I do like parts of it, like the Star Tours area, and I love ToT and RnR Coaster, but the rest of it is so disjointed and NOT enjoyable at all.

I would not be sad to see this entire park bulldozed and have them start over a la DCA.

This! I can ride ToT and RnR and be done for the day.

Crow
02-11-2013, 01:31 PM
I dont spend as much time here as at Epcot. I like Muppets. Star Tours, TOT RNR...GMR. One Mans Dream, TOy Story Midway...but it does need some help, remove the giant hat, Stunt Show, Backlot used to be better...and the Animation tour when they had animators.
Ive never been thru American Idol and wont b. do something w the spot next to Midway Mania and where Sounds Dangerous was...

Tinksalot
02-11-2013, 01:43 PM
We never seem to be able to spend the whole day at HS. Its one of the reasons I always get a hopper pass.

MississippiDisneyFreak
02-11-2013, 02:12 PM
It is my least favorite of the parks, but still Fantasmic, Muppets TSM and Great Movie Ride will make it worth going for me. I could probably be done in 2 hours though.

Gator
02-11-2013, 03:21 PM
Is it MK? No. Is it Epcot? No. But that doesn't mean it doesn't come up to Disney standards. ToT is probably my favorite ride after SplashMt. RnRC is always awesome. StarTours is incredible now - I can do it 3 or 4 times a day. Love the Indiana Jones show and the B&TB show (Bring back Four 4 a Dollar!). Toy Story Mania is great for the kids, as is the Muppet Show. Throw in Disney Junior, Voyage of the LM, Great Movie ride for some extra fill. End it with Fantasmic! I love this park.

The only things I don't like about the park is that it doesn't have enough park specific clothing and merch, and the dining option could be improved. They do need another big attraction, but that's up to Disney spending money there.

Cheshire_Girl
02-11-2013, 04:23 PM
The first time I went to HWS I hated it. I was so used to the wheel/spoke of MK...Then I realized-it's just like my home town-laid out on a grid :) The worst thing about this park is their food options...Otherwise, they have 3 of the coolest rides in all "The World"..just not mush else to go with it. There is so much dead space ...if they put some time and money into it it could be Fantasmic! The first thing they need to do is get rid of the hideous hat... :thumbsup:

DVC2004
02-11-2013, 04:33 PM
Wasn't it Disney's answer to try and hold on to market share when Universal was coming to town? I remember when we visited in 1990 when I was a teen. My mother asked us would we rather go there or Universal and we chose Universal (we did do Epcot and MK, just not MGM Studios). And even though Universal was brand new and the rides could barely stay operational, we loved the rides there. When I visited MGM/DHA for the first time in 2001 I was pretty underwhelmed.

I have always thought this park left a lot to be desired. We skip it most trips and when we do go really only hit ToT, RR . If the lines aren't too long we'll do StarTours and Toy Story Mania, but we refuse to wait an hour for those. Sometimes also we'll do the Muppets. But we are never there more than 3 hours tops. It also isn't laid out very well.

Would like to see more attractions. For example, the Indiana Jones Stunt show can go. I would much rather have the Indiana Jones attraction they have over at DL. An amazing ride.

BrerGnat
02-11-2013, 04:40 PM
Sadly, this park is suffering from a major identity crisis. It has evolved so far from what it started out as, there really is no way to bring it back. Best they could do is clone DCA now, at least the theme of "Hollywood when Walt arrived in Hollywood" but then that would be perceived as lame since they just did that at DCA. Really, though, this park needs a lot of help. I think it will just continue to devolve over time, because no one seems intent on fixing what's wrong over there.

EJS-Houston
02-11-2013, 05:01 PM
I guess I'm very much in the minority, but Hollywood Studios is often my favorite of all the parks. I love the feeling of the Hollywood backlot, as well as the day players, and Mulch, Sweat and Shears. Tower of Terror, Rock'n'Roller Coaster and Star Tours are three of my all-time favorite rides, I enjoy the Muppet 3-D movie and Toy Story Mania, and while there could certainly be more good dining options, I like Mama Melrose's very much...plus I have a blast at the Sci-Fi Drive-Iin DIner and the Prime Time Cafe. The food isn't anything to write home about there, but that's not what you go for. Fantasmic remains a thrill, and I personally love the iconic Sorceror's Hat. Sorry y'all don't agree...but let's not be in such a rush to raze it to the ground and start over. I suspect there'd be a lot of us throwing ourselves bodily in front of the bulldozers.

1DisneyNut
02-11-2013, 07:04 PM
I agree, this park is a mess. We completely skipped it on our last trip. We like Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. Backlot is okay and Fantasmic is a great show but I have seen it so many times I can skip it. My biggest gripe with this park is it is poorly laid out causing the crowd traffic to be a disorganized congested mess all the time. Why on earth did they not make a circle or big rectangle street around this place so you could navigate it in some sort of orderly fashion?

wdwfamilyof4
02-11-2013, 07:24 PM
The first visit I had to WDW my children were very small so the parts of DHS I saw were the Honey I shrunk the Kids playground and muppet theatre. I wasn't super excited about it but thought it was nice. During our subsequent trips I've fallen in love. I think if you take your time and absorb the ambience you'll feel something also. We sat and watched and joined the street performers for 2 hrs on our last trip and still talk about it.:thumbsup:

VWL Mom
02-11-2013, 08:14 PM
I think if you take your time and absorb the ambience you'll feel something also. We sat and watched and joined the street performers for 2 hrs on our last trip and still talk about it.:thumbsup:

I totally agree, the street performers a favorite for me. My boys are now 17 & 21 and we spend a lot of our time at DHS every trip. While I agree that it could use a new addition (another thrill ride) and some sprucing up, I think it has a charm of its own.

Quadstriker
02-11-2013, 08:46 PM
I always enjoy HS a lot and I think it gets a bad rap.

Star Tours is great. ToT is a classic. RnR is an excellent coaster. The street performers are wonderful (If you're not watching them, that's a mistake). And one of the best afternoon pitstops in the form of the Tune-In Lounge.

They've just got too much wasted space. LMA was interesting once, no desire to ever go again. American Idol Experience? About 7 years too late to the bus stop there. The backlot tour is a snoozer. Walking through unused streets under the guise of "hey they film stuff here. At least... they uh... used to... kinda." just feels wrong in a theme park and takes you completely "out of the magic"

hauntedmansiongirl
02-12-2013, 12:16 AM
The biggest disappoint to us at DHS is the backlot. It used to be so much fun. Now there is really nothing to see and 40 of the 45 minutes seem like a huge waste. Same with the Animation Tour. It used to be a highlight, now we just feel sad nostalgia every time we go in.

On the other hand, RnRC is my DH favourite ride in the entire world (not just WDW). And the new Star Tours is pretty amazing and the line actually moves well, which is great! :coaster:

We hope that with Disney buying Marvel and Lucas Films that some cool "lands" come to DHS!

:mickey2:

TheVBs
02-12-2013, 07:41 AM
I agree that the park seems to lack a cohesiveness. While it's our least favorite park, I would not say it has a non-Disney feel. And, I think the RnRC Aerosmith theme makes sense. We would never skip it completely. DH and DD12 love RnRC and ToT. But usually during a 10 day stay where we're hitting the other parks at least twice, DHS gets hit once. We've never done TSM because we're never there early enough to get a FP and aren't willing to wait more than 20-30 minutes to try it.

Now, having said all that, I have to add that on our last trip we really made much more of an effort to maximize our experience in this park. We had an awesome day there! While DH and DD12 rode the thrill rides, DD8 and I watched the street performers and laughed so much. We hit many more attractions and shows than we had in the past, lots of firsts for us including LMA and Fantasmic! It was a much better experience. The layout was still frustrating, but knowing where we wanted to go and when made a huge difference.

BrerGnat
02-12-2013, 07:55 AM
A park can have some very good attractions and still be bad. DCA, prior to its refurb, had the following:

-CA Screamin' (a GREAT coaster)
-Soarin' over CA
-Muppets 3D
-Tower of Terror
-Toy Story Midway Mania

Just having good rides isn't enough if the park as a WHOLE is disjointed. This is the problem DCA suffered from...lack of a cohesive, relevant theme. They spent a LOT of money to fix it because attendance there was a big problem. However, until the same happens (attendance wise) at DHS, I don't expect to see miracles happen over there. Sadly. It could be a great park, it just isn't.

ransam
02-12-2013, 11:03 AM
personally i think this park is more Disney than any other park but MK. Disney at the root is about movies and Hollywood.
there are much more attractions a kid can ride and enjoy than AK.
I love the atmosphere. I like how it opens up.
the only thing i don't like is the hat. they could come up w/ something better i think.
i would also agree the food selection is not as good as i'd like.
all in all,i usually end up spending more time at Epcot, but HS is a close second.

MOJoe
02-12-2013, 11:46 AM
Wow. I am really surprised to see so much disdain for The Studios. This is my family's favorite park. Not up to Disney standards? Nonsense.

Now i am not saying this park doesn't have flaws. Wasted space, poor layout and a theme that has lost it's original intent, all are big issues. But this is still a park that serves up some enjoyable moments.
Two of my favorite restaurants are here.
Two of my favorite attractions are here.
Two of my wife's favorite attractions are here, and they are different than mine.
My boys favorite shops are here.
Each son also has a favorite attraction here.
And even though they are not our favorites, we all enjoy Muppetvision, Indy,Toy Story and Fantasmic.

This is a park we come back to again and again over our weeks' vacation. And isn't that what a Disney vacation is all about. Families having fun together?
Count me in as a human shield if the bulldozers get fired up. I love The Studios.

BigRedDad
02-12-2013, 12:17 PM
I can understand what your thoughts are on the subject. However, look at what is there and determine if it should not be there.

RnRC: Aerosmith is Hollywood. I do not know how you could argue that. However, think of another band that could pull it off without vulgar language and across multiple generations? I could name a bunch that would work, but not fit into Disney. If you took Aerosmith out completely, what could you do with it, make it Tron or Marvel?

ToT: This is straight out of the Twighlight Zone. Fits in perfectly.

GMR, Indiana Jones, The Muppets, Star Wars, Cars, TSMM, etc is all Hollywood.

I do think the park is drastically lacking breadth. The park is very big and can fit so much more. I do see them expanding Star Wars immensely in the park. I also see them adding a huge Marvel Comic area in there.

What DHS really needs are about 6-8 new family type rides and 2-3 more thrill rides all around Marvel and Star Wars. They can get rid of Narnia, American Midol, and a lot of the unused space in the back that is just back drops.

ANG
02-12-2013, 04:34 PM
HS was never missed in our trips before kids. But now I can do it in about half a day. I'm a big Toy Story nut and DH loves the Muppets. Usually, I wait out with the kids while DH doesn't Star Tour, RRC, and TOT, if th elines aren't too crazy. And the food choices aren't crazy awesome. But I Would be sad if we weren't able to go.

Lindsey310
02-12-2013, 04:47 PM
We do like HS but def feel its not a full day park. I for one think it needs new attractions and or themed lands...I would love to see them do cars land here like previously speculated. :mickey:

SandmanGStefani24
02-12-2013, 11:15 PM
I'm with you on this one. Unless they open a brand new attraction, I can skip this park completely.

yeah I'm good with a visit every 5 years or so. And I usually only do it as a half day. Last trip I decided to go to eat time as the flight from TX puts me in WDW around 2ish at the earliest. This is still plenty of time to knock out the Studios. AK is the same way. I don't feel the need to do these every trip.

Melanie
02-13-2013, 06:36 AM
DHS has a lot of good IMO, but even so much of the good needs updating - Great Movie Ride, Indy, Muppets. Same thing, for so many years. Just look what the update did for Star Tours.

But unfortunately, there is so much bad - Backlot Tour, wasted space in Streets of America, LMA, Sounds Dangerous (when it's open), Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area, outdated shows (High School Musical, anyone?).

But I love so many things about DHS, like the Streetmosphere (superior to any other park), Fantasmic!, TSM, One Man's Dream, Animation Academy, Prime Time and Tune In Lounge, Starring Rolls Cafe. And of course, my boys love ToT and RnRC.

We'd never skip this park on a trip, but I really hope this is the domestic park that gets the next big bit of attention. It really needs it.

AmandaChan
02-13-2013, 06:39 AM
Now that they did a makeover on Magic Kingdom they can focus on the other parks including DHS especially now that they have purchased Lucas films.

lightyearfan
02-13-2013, 01:36 PM
i'm sorry maybe me and dw are in the big minority here but we absolutely love DHS. I think it's themed correctly for what the park is. it's a hollywood backlot and it does just that. from the stage shows, movie ride, midway mania, backlot tour star tours, etc it does feel like your walking on a backot (IMHO). sure could it use some updating alla new fantasy land and new test track at epcot , but it doesn't need to be bulldozed and start over as 1 poster suggested, i'm sure that the imagineers will think of something to give the park a face lift, i mean they kinda started with the new Star Tours, i mean cmon how better did that attraction just get.


Victor

WDW&MK
02-13-2013, 02:16 PM
DH and I really love DHS BUT it needs MORE!!! The theming is great and we love the steet actors, but it definitely needs more of everything!!! More dining options, more family rides, more thrill rides (a monster's inc coaster anyone?). I agree there is a lot of wasted space and the theming could be more cohesive. As for the atmosphere though, I love each park for its own identity and DHS is really at the heart of Disney's business. They just need to take this and run with it. I don't understand why someone doesn't take this park and really make it a fantastic destination :confused: Just boggles my mind.

WDWgoofy
02-13-2013, 07:42 PM
Our visits to HS were the low point of our most recent trip.

Yes, we think ToT, RnRC and TSMM are great rides and we enjoy these thoroughly. Muppets and Star Tours are fun.

But the place lacks magic - my wife and I thought the place, I dunno, depressing?

The latest Pirates thing was TERRIBLE; a complete waste of 1hr.

I grateful that we had three other parks that were great:mickey:

Sylvia
02-13-2013, 10:05 PM
i'm sorry maybe me and dw are in the big minority here but we absolutely love DHS. I think it's themed correctly for what the park is. it's a hollywood backlot and it does just that. from the stage shows, movie ride, midway mania, backlot tour star tours, etc it does feel like your walking on a backot (IMHO). sure could it use some updating alla new fantasy land and new test track at epcot , but it doesn't need to be bulldozed and start over as 1 poster suggested, i'm sure that the imagineers will think of something to give the park a face lift, i mean they kinda started with the new Star Tours, i mean cmon how better did that attraction just get.
Victor

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees the hidden magic at HS. I have many happy memories of visits to this park with my family, especially my Mother. It's not always only about the thrill attractions. If you take your time and explore slowly, you will experience some funny live entertainment, hear some great music, witness a child's amazing reaction when she/he sees a favorite character for the first time, walk around after dark and listen to the different music in each area. So, watch for me when you're at HS, I'll be the one watching the street performers often, because each show is different. I'll be coming out of One Man's Dream or for the 50th time and heading to Muppet Vision 3D for the 50th time. I may be at one of my favorite TS, 50s Prime Time, or favorite CS, Backlot Express. As it gets close to closing time, I'll be sitting on a bench on Sunset just opposite one of the speakers, waiting for "Sing Sing" to play and remembering how often this how we ended the day while my Mother was alive. Sing Sing was her favorite big band song, and if we were lucky the long version was playing, we were never permitted to speak until the song ended. I still end my days at HS the same way. Pure magical!!

borisfam
02-14-2013, 12:10 PM
Patience. Disney now owns Star Wars. It's pretty safe to say that a much larger part of this park is going to evolve into Star Wars World...

wellsm
02-14-2013, 04:26 PM
We just went on our first big WDW trip this past year, and DHS was our first stop.

We chose it to be first because we thought it wouldn't be so overwhelming for the first day. Somewhere to take our time on, and somewhere our DD could see Mickey without being completely Disney-struck in MK.

We had a blast that day! I found some of my favorite rides (TOT is the best ride anywhere, ST, RRC, TSMM, - all great!) there. Good food, good shows, good atmosphere.

Now, I can see what you are saying - it does feel "mashed together" when compared with MK or Epcot, where there is distinct theming in each area. Hopefully that will come.

I'd expect (hope?) that DHS sees some love next in the parks. I can see them lifting Cars land from DHS and plopping it right over the backlot, and putting in "Star Wars land" right next door. (The only wrinkle in this is this crazy "Avatar" talk...)

Mogie
02-14-2013, 05:52 PM
I agree that DHS doesn't have a "Disney Feel" because of the theme of the attractions. Besides Aerosmith, the park is based on Hollywood movies. Disney has always been a big part of Hollywood. What will be interesting is how the Marvel and Star Wars acquisitions will change the parks in the years to come. Again, Marvel and Star Wars may not be the classic Disney stories and characters, but they are part of Disney now.

On another note...do Animal Kingdom, or Epcot really feel like Disney either? Epcot is about World Cultures and technology of the future. AK is about wildlife. Disney takes the topics and infuses original stories and characters and makes great attractions.

So if you ask me is Magic Kingdom Disney? I'd say absolutely, it has attractions based on classic Disney characters and stories, and it has recognizable Disney symbols, like the castle, and Main Street etc. The other parks, besides Epcot maybe, are so new, that I feel they have not been around long enough to have images or symbols that I identify as Disney.

Ian
02-15-2013, 10:38 AM
Yeah, I pretty much agree. There are pockets of fun stuff to do ... like I enjoy Star Tours, the Muppets and TGMR (although it's dated and needs a refurb BADLY). And I love RRC and ToT, although I carefully balance the wait times with whether I ride or not. They're fun, but I would never wait like 45 minutes to ride either one. 10 or 15 minutes is usually my break point.

TSM is ... I mean, it's cool. But the hype and the ridiculous lines and cattle stampede and Fastpass craziness ... no thanks. If I make it there at opening and can ride, I do. If not it's not a make-or-break for me.

But the rest of the park I can do without. The Backlot is a shadow of what it once was. LMA is totally pointless to me. American Idol experience is a one trick pony. And my feelings on Fantasmic are well documented ... I'd sooner chew my own arm off than be stuck in that snooze fest ever again. :ack::ack::ack:

Overall, I agree the park feels very disjointed and lacks the cohesive theme/feel of the other three parks. Once they closed the actual studio I don't think they really knew what they wanted to do with it. They sorta kinda tried to make it the "thrill park", but they stopped after two attractions? :confused:

tiggerbuddy
02-15-2013, 10:16 PM
I agree !!!:thumbsup:

I would not be sad to see this entire park bulldozed and have them start over a la DCA.

Ian
02-16-2013, 10:09 PM
I just thought of this .... I know I'm showing my age, but one thing I absolutely can't stand about DHS is the NOISE!

It seems like there's always some corny teeny bopper show going on in front of the (God-awful needs to be blown up) hat.

It really detracts from the overall atmosphere of the park when you're walking along over by Star Tours and you can still here some terrible High School Musical garbage playing over the background music. :ack:

DizneyFreak2002
02-16-2013, 10:31 PM
Patience. Disney now owns Star Wars. It's pretty safe to say that a much larger part of this park is going to evolve into Star Wars World...

It's not... Unless you want to consider these interactive games a much larger part of the park... What we see is what we get, for Star Wars... Pixar will be taking over more of the park...

jaredkari
02-17-2013, 03:34 PM
I guess there are a couple of things I take into consideration when going to DHS
1. it was designed intially as a half day park then expanded. I still don't feel it is really a full day park yet. We generally only spend half a day there during our visits. They need to expand and add "Cars Land".
2. It is not designed like a typical disney park. It is designed to make you believe you are on a real working movie studio lot. It is hard to get around, things are not organized as we maybe think they should be. I feel this adds to the experience, but yes it is difficult to get around.

SandmanGStefani24
02-17-2013, 06:46 PM
I guess there are a couple of things I take into consideration when going to DHS
1. it was designed intially as a half day park then expanded. I still don't feel it is really a full day park yet. We generally only spend half a day there during our visits. They need to expand and add "Cars Land".
2. It is not designed like a typical disney park. It is designed to make you believe you are on a real working movie studio lot. It is hard to get around, things are not organized as we maybe think they should be. I feel this adds to the experience, but yes it is difficult to get around.

Well said! I agree completely. One thing I will say about your second point is that I actually like that part. I love to just kind of wander aimlessly and have taken a wrong turn or two. (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not.) Some people say the layout is comfusing, but I like the idea of "getting lost" in the parks.

roses
02-17-2013, 11:23 PM
I used to love this park, back when I loved thrill rides. Now, with my anxiety, I can't ride any of them :sad: I really do miss them, I even tried going on ToT in 2010 for the first time in 10 years. Didn't enjoy it, couldn't breathe through the entire thing... needless to say, I didn't try any other thrill rides. (Happens in elevators too - can't go on elevators anymore either.) So, for some reason, this park gives me too much anxiety - I don't enjoy it as much as I used to. :crying: