American Idol Attraction Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios

[goofy for pluto]

How is Disney supposed to edit what guests will say as they sit as a judge on the show. On TV you can bleeeeep out a curse word or a hateful remark. Disney could of course throw the offender out of the park after an incident, but the damage would already be done. I see this as a huge potential for more lawsuits. Disney what are you thinking?

[AlliMo]

Doug the Disney Man....I thoroughly enjoyed your insights.

[DizneyFreak2002]

They could have performed High School Musical Live in there - it would be packed for years - and give talented people a venue to perform!!

If High School Musical ever was put in there, this board would have been still flipping mad... Face it, Disney fan boys are never happy... Give this attraction a chance... if it fails, it fails... But, if it don't, a lot of people on here will have cake all over their face... I hate American Idol, but, I will give the attraction a chance... Then I will make a decision on it... I will not prejudge....

[CJR]

I think it was a good decision. I'll probably watch the show once just to say I saw it, but it probably won't be my kind of show. I'm not into watching a complete stranger sing when I can be riding the GMR, ST, TSM, be on the backlot tour, or in the other great shows the studios has to offer. This show will attract a different crowd. A different crowd is exactly what Disney needs in this park. Not to mention that I think this fits in well with the disappearing studio theme. If only they could actually tape the show there...

I would love to see the studios be a studio again.

[pogo]

Well....I am almost speechless. MGM Studios (as it will always be to me) has reached an all time low. When this park needs more rides...big rides...to pull the crowd from the TofT/RnRC area, we get American Idol???

Whoever was paid big bucks to come up with this stupid idea owes some change back!!

Camping Mom !

Why would "big rides" be good for DS ? I know big rides are exciting, but the reasons we prefer WDW to Universal is that Universal is full of "big rides", and we don't care for them.... ... but then again, we're

We like the Disney approach of building the story in your imagination and while I'm not sure it can be done with AI, I think Disney should be given a chance with this.

I am really surprised at some peoples strong objections in this thread. Come on people.... this is WDW were talking about. Give it a chance and if it fails, you can all say, "I told you so" ! Right John ? Right Ian ??

Come on everybody......

[2Epcot]

My only hope is that Disney isn't getting into this as the brand is so diluted that it won't be around 2-3 years from now.

Sounds like the ill-fated California Adventure hit "Who Wants to be a Millionaire, PLAY IT!" to me.

That is my concern about the attraction. Like Millionaire, how long will this be around. I'm a huge American Idol fan ... watched since season one, sat in the Kodak theater during the finals last year ... While I think it would be fun to watch the show at the park, and this attraction does fit into the "studio" theme of the park, I agree with others that the idea is kind of late in coming.

Yes, the ratings for American Idol are still great, but from my understanding Simon Cowell has said he is staying on the show through 2009. The attraction is supposed to open late 2008. If Cowell does feel he's had enough of Idol, that doesn't look too well for the future of the show. Then like Millionaire, you have a theme park attraction based on show that is no longer on primetime TV.

The normal visitor is someone who goes once maybe every 4-5 years or even someone who gets to go once during their childhood - like my wife did .... If done right, this can be a welcome addition for the next 2-3 years.

I would consider myself a "normal" visitor, since I get to the parks about once every 3 to 4 years since my first visit in the 80s. When I go to Disney, I'm interested in seeing every show, and going on every attraction. So I would do this show on each visit, but I would like to see Disney focus on strong attractions that will be around for many years, not these Millionaire-stop-gap-attractions that are here today, and gone next year.

I think getting Guest judges is a mistake. Will the judges be comfortable enough to express their real opinions in front of a live crowd? How will contestants react if they get a Simon-esc review? Will it be entertaining if the judges know nothing about music or don't have a good ear?

Personally, I think it would be more successful if they could have Simon, Paula and Randy "judging by satalite". Have video screens with with the three that can play pre-recorded canned critiques and a Cast Member backstage (who knows sining) selecting the critiques to match the performance.

I like the idea of having pre-recorded responses from the real judges that could be played by a cast member. I'm also not so keen on the thought of random park guest playing judges when you have no idea what they will say to the contestants. If they are going to use audience members for the judges, then they should also have pre-arranged critiques. Maybe they press a button and it says something like: "not so good", "ok", "great", "amazing", "the next American Idol". That way, you don't get someone who will embarrass the contestant or offend the audience.

While not totally against the idea. I would agree that there are better things that could be done. I've always felt Disney park attractions should be things that a kid can see, then later bring their kids or even grandkids back to enjoy.

[MegaDisney]

Sounds like the ill-fated California Adventure hit "Who Wants to be a Millionaire, PLAY IT!" to me.

My thoughts exactly!

[WDWizard]

Hmm I wonder...
- If Universal will fight back by creating an "America's Got Talent" interactive show.
- How long it will be till we see a version of "Idol" come to Disney's California Adventure (would make sense to put it in the vacant Millionaire building in the HPB)
- If the American Idol show will cause the closure of the nearby infamous Sounds Dangerous starring Drew Carey.

[Lightning McQueen]

I can't seem to place where the show will be? Can someone please give me an idea in relation to other attractions on an DHS map? Thanks!

[Doug The Disney Man`]

First, thanks to AlliMo for the nod on my last comments.

Now for my prepared remarks...
For those of you who say that "no one" watches Idol anymore (I'm looking at you Daughtry!) check out their ratings and see that Idol's numbers have remained steady.

Okay, so it's still popular, but is it going to just up and leave us, breaking our hearts like so many attractions before? Yes. Of course. Everything WILL change! 20K Leagues is gone. Mr. Toad is gone. Horizons is gone. Motion is gone. Pirates has changed for the (fill in worse or better). The Living Seas is now the Nemo Seas. No more Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit. And let's not forget the changes that never happened. The fifty or so countries that were rumored to be coming to WS. Beastly Kingdomme. A new Star Tours. A TestTrack that doesn't break down every time I set foot in Epcot! But, I digress. My point was, everything changes, we all knew Millionaire would leave someday, just like everything else.

No matter what Disney puts anywhere, people will complain. They could announce that they have perfected a way to bring Walt Disney, himself, back to life and he would personally answer your questions, in place of the film at One Man's Dream, and I guarantee complaints would be mere seconds away.

Anyway, if you hate the Idol idea and you say that it will be gone in a year or two...then what's the problem? You'll have some new idea that you hate to complain about soon enough.

[scoot241]

First, thanks to AlliMo for the nod on my last comments.

Now for my prepared remarks...
For those of you who say that "no one" watches Idol anymore (I'm looking at you Daughtry!) check out their ratings and see that Idol's numbers have remained steady.

Okay, so it's still popular, but is it going to just up and leave us, breaking our hearts like so many attractions before? Yes. Of course. Everything WILL change! 20K Leagues is gone. Mr. Toad is gone. Horizons is gone. Motion is gone. Pirates has changed for the (fill in worse or better). The Living Seas is now the Nemo Seas. No more Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit. And let's not forget the changes that never happened. The fifty or so countries that were rumored to be coming to WS. Beastly Kingdomme. A new Star Tours. A TestTrack that doesn't break down every time I set foot in Epcot! But, I digress. My point was, everything changes, we all knew Millionaire would leave someday, just like everything else.

No matter what Disney puts anywhere, people will complain. They could announce that they have perfected a way to bring Walt Disney, himself, back to life and he would personally answer your questions, in place of the film at One Man's Dream, and I guarantee complaints would be mere seconds away.

Anyway, if you hate the Idol idea and you say that it will be gone in a year or two...then what's the problem? You'll have some new idea that you hate to complain about soon enough.

So basically you're complaining about "complaining", which in most cases here are statements of negative opinion? In my mind, there's a distinction. "Complaining" to me has a whining connotation, while most people here I believe disagree with building this attraction.

In the end, I'm sure it will be a big draw at first and will dwindle off like Millionaire did before it. That's the problem with creating attractions based on current properties. They haven't stood the test of time. Even Universal's Harry Potter land falls into this category. Once the movies are over, who knows how well that will stand in the long run. (IMO, it will probably do well, but that's just me.)

In the end, is an American Idol attraction going to draw more people to WDW? I don't think it will make enough of an impact on attendance. Will it enhance the guests' experience? Depends on how it's implemented. Is it an attraction that belongs at a Disney park? Again, debatable (as you can see from the pages in this thread), but it's my opinion that it doesn't fit.

[Zone Stop]

http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?i...canidolkz3.jpg

[NotaGeek]

Considering for a moment that WDW is the top destination in Florida, and one of the top destinations in North America, let's assume that the world's Disney fans also like American Idol. American Idol is watched in 154 countries.

Presently there are Idol Franchises (it was actually started in the UK under the name Pop Idol) around the globe: Pop Idol (UK), American Idol (USA), Australian Idol, Latin American Idol, Idols (Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, South Africa, Serbia-Montenegro & Macedonia), Canadian Idol, Idols West Africa, Indian Idol, Indonesian Idol, New Zealand Idol, Hay Superstar (Armenia), Nouvelle Star (France), Pinoy Idol (Philippines), Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Germany), Singapore Idol, Malaysian Idol, Vietnam Idol, Music Idol (Bulgaria), Ídolos Brazil, Ídolos Portugal, and Super Star (Arabic TV Show produced in Lebanon).

I have a feeling this show will be popular with millions of guests.

[JT Mac]

I have absolutely no idea how the funding is being split between Disney and the AI folks but I can say one thing. Those of you who are saying Disney is going cheap on this are mistaken. Just renovating the theater to get into compliance with current ADA codes is a huge project. It's really been that issue that has kept the theatre unoccupied for so long. As for the show... the plans so far seem to be aiming for a true "Idol" experience so I'd expect to see a show with production values similar to what you see on TV.

But hey. What do I know?

[Beach Club Babe]

Considering for a moment that WDW is the top destination in Florida, and one of the top destinations in North America, let's assume that the world's Disney fans also like American Idol. American Idol is watched in 154 countries.

Presently there are Idol Franchises (it was actually started in the UK under the name Pop Idol) around the globe: Pop Idol (UK), American Idol (USA), Australian Idol, Latin American Idol, Idols (Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, South Africa, Serbia-Montenegro & Macedonia), Canadian Idol, Idols West Africa, Indian Idol, Indonesian Idol, New Zealand Idol, Hay Superstar (Armenia), Nouvelle Star (France), Pinoy Idol (Philippines), Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Germany), Singapore Idol, Malaysian Idol, Vietnam Idol, Music Idol (Bulgaria), Ídolos Brazil, Ídolos Portugal, and Super Star (Arabic TV Show produced in Lebanon).

I have a feeling this show will be popular with millions of guests.

I don't doubt for a minute that this will be very popular, at least for a little while. I just don't like the idea at all for a Disney Park. It sounds like something Universal or another amusement park would have.

I have absolutely no idea how the funding is being split between Disney and the AI folks but I can say one thing. Those of you who are saying Disney is going cheap on this are mistaken. Just renovating the theater to get into compliance with current ADA codes is a huge project. It's really been that issue that has kept the theatre unoccupied for so long. As for the show... the plans so far seem to be aiming for a true "Idol" experience so I'd expect to see a show with production values similar to what you see on TV.

But hey. What do I know?

I think of it as "cheap", but not in that context. I think of it as "cheapening" Disney Hollywood Studios and therefore Walt Disney World in whole. It does not IMHO, have the Disney feel or touch at all. Perhaps others who have used that word are also using it in that context. I'm sure the set will be impressive, to me the idea is not!

[Ian]

I have absolutely no idea how the funding is being split between Disney and the AI folks but I can say one thing. Those of you who are saying Disney is going cheap on this are mistaken. Just renovating the theater to get into compliance with current ADA codes is a huge project. It's really been that issue that has kept the theatre unoccupied for so long. As for the show... the plans so far seem to be aiming for a true "Idol" experience so I'd expect to see a show with production values similar to what you see on TV.

But hey. What do I know?

Those costs in relation to building a new theme park attraction are very minimal.

Put this in perspective ... attractions like Expedition Everest and Mission Space cost in excess of $100 million each. By contrast, this attraction is probably going to cost them maybe $10 million tops.

Now that being said, the cost is not an issue for me. I agree with John that not every attraction has to be an E-Ticket. Disneyland and Disney World were built around a mix of A through E ticket attractions (although I'd submit that some of the old A-ticket attractions are better than some of the E-ticket attractions of today).

I think of "cheap" more in the sense of what Heather said.

[celebrationasheley]

I am looking forward to seeing this.... But I hate the prize.

Why not give out pins for the winner, some disney dollars, or even some fast passes....

Why exclude certain age groups. Why hand out "front of the line" passes. Sort of boring to me. Wouldn't it be nice to see older people do this?

Other than Pleasure Island... Why should Disney exclude guests from being involved in a park attraction.

[CleveSJM]

I am looking forward to seeing this.... But I hate the prize.

Why not give out pins for the winner, some disney dollars, or even some fast passes....

Why exclude certain age groups. Why hand out "front of the line" passes. Sort of boring to me. Wouldn't it be nice to see older people do this?

Other than Pleasure Island... Why should Disney exclude guests from being involved in a park attraction.

I think the competitors are going to love the prize. The winners are going to be good singers that want to compete on the real AI. They will love the prize. They'll probably get some kind of "gold ticket" as a souvenier that will be as nice as any other trinket.

To compete in the real AI you need to be in a certain age range. Sounds like anyone can compete (no former record contract, amateur) at WDW and even transfer their prize to a family member if they fall outside the real AI age rules.

Per the news article:
"Theme park guests ages 14 and up will be able to audition for a Disney casting producer... Top audience vote-getters will compete in a grand finale show at the end of each day. Overall daily champs will win a special front-of-the-line pass at a regional audition for the actual "American Idol" show... Because of eligibility differences -- namely, the TV show's 16- to 28-year-old age limit -- winners may be offered the option of transferring their pass to a friend or family member, but they won't be allowed to sell it. Daily champs too young to audition for the real deal could save the pass until they're old enough to compete, according to Hindle."

I think the prize is great and will be treasured by the winners.

[LLaffinPlace]

I for one wonder what the American Idol ratings would be if the writer's strike had not happened....

In any event, it's going to happen and I will likely go once just to see for myself even though I have never watched an entire show on TV.

[WEDTOPIA]

Would have loved a " Disney " branded experience instead, but , that theater has sat empty for so long , anything is welcomed by me. And let's not forget , the park is supposed to be media driven.
Millionaire was successful in it's run , and so too will Idol. This will probably be around 5 years ,tops. Maybe by then , they will think of something everyone will love to refill the theater.
At the very least, you can't complain about that empty space at the Studios anymore. And by the way , Superstar Television was all about ordinary people making fools of themselves ,and most of us who remember , seem to have good memories of that attraction.