$3 Billion Will Allow Star Wars, Pixar & Indiana Jones Overhaul of DHS

[DizneyFreak2002]

Aw! Well? whatever will be, will be. I'll keep my excitement in check for now. I'll just play it cool...

Hope for the best... There are reasons to be excited... Honestly...

Just temper the expectation about the Indy ride, that's all... Otherwise, there is plenty of reason to be excited about this...

[goofy for pluto]

Hope for the best... There are reasons to be excited... Honestly...

Just temper the expectation about the Indy ride, that's all... Otherwise, there is plenty of reason to be excited about this...

---- Yay! - - -

[Arielfan98]

This all sounds exciting! But Illuminations is going in EPCOT?

[NJGIRL]

How long to complete, 10 to 15 years? They might as well just shut down the park and finish as quickly as possible.

I agree with this. Disney always takes far too long to complete projects. I used to a big supporter of DHS and RR is probably my favorite Disney ride, but I haven't been to that park since ICOT 15 despite visits to other Disney parks after that. I won't spend money on admission to DHS until they add more attractions my family is interested in. There is too little for us to do there... having only 4 attractions (RR, ToT, SW, and the GMR) for us to do isn't worth the money.

Closing the park and banging out the work makes more sense to me instead of this dragging on for years.

[PopPhan]

To all who have been saying "Why don't they just close the whole park down and finish more quickly?".....

Wouldn't it be easier, and probably cheaper on their part, to just create a whole new park and once that is ready to open, close the existing DHS? It's not like they don't have plenty of land to work with. With this option, they could actually plan it out better. The biggest hassle I had/have with DHS is that it can be a pain to try to get around within the park. It is the only one that does not follow the traditional "hub and spoke" design well.

[danheaton]

To all who have been saying "Why don't they just close the whole park down and finish more quickly?".....

Wouldn't it be easier, and probably cheaper on their part, to just create a whole new park and once that is ready to open, close the existing DHS? It's not like they don't have plenty of land to work with. With this option, they could actually plan it out better. The biggest hassle I had/have with DHS is that it can be a pain to try to get around within the park. It is the only one that does not follow the traditional "hub and spoke" design well.

Given the costs at this point to build a park, I think this would be a lot more expensive. You have to take into account changes to infrastructure like bus routes, supplies, etc. They already have the set-up at DHS and the land prepared to handle guests, so changing it would be the right move.

At this point, I'd much rather see them focus on improving the parks they have and not going for a fifth gate. One of the reasons it's so hard to update EPCOT and DHS is just how massive the resort is. They have so many fixed costs, and it takes so much effort just to keep the site running smoothly.

[PopPhan]

...create a whole new park and once that is ready to open, close the existing DHS?...

I wasn't thinking of a 5th gate, per se, but rather a full replacement with the idea that DHS would close when the replacement was ready to open.

Given the costs at this point to build a park, I think this would be a lot more expensive. You have to take into account changes to infrastructure like bus routes, supplies, etc. They already have the set-up at DHS and the land prepared to handle guests, so changing it would be the right move.

At this point, I'd much rather see them focus on improving the parks they have and not going for a fifth gate. One of the reasons it's so hard to update EPCOT and DHS is just how massive the resort is. They have so many fixed costs, and it takes so much effort just to keep the site running smoothly.

I realize that this would be a lot of expense, as you noted, but with $2B+ to use for construction (part of the $3B tag would be for other improvements/changes/additions throughout WDW) I would think it would be easier to create new than to try to modify/add/change existing properties that are not well laid out in the first place.

BUT, if this could not happen, there is plenty of land around DHS to expand the existing footprint of the park and expand upon the Pixar and LucasFilms properties that Disney now owns.

Close S Studio Dr, shift parking areas to the East and expand LucasFilms area - Indy & Star Wars - to the South and East; Take the LMA and Backlot Tour areas and make them into Pixar areas - Monsters, Inc., CarsLand, etc.

The problem I see with this scenario is what to do with the Streets of America area? It doesn't make for a great segue between LucasLand and PixarLand. It is not really that great a segue as it stands....

These are just my own, disjointed, thoughts, and should be taken with heaping teaspoons of salt.

[Aurora]

Do not hold your breath for the ride... There is not one trusted insider saying the ride is in the plans... Just don't be disappointed if the ride does not come... Be over joyed if it does, with major plussing...

Dang. I was really excited about that part. The Indy ride in Disneyland is fantastic -- my favorite attraction in the California parks (although Radiator Springs Racers is a close second).

I'll still keep my fingers crossed. I'm excited about everything else and happy that they're keeping GMR.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Supposedly 2.8 billion to DHS, 350 million to MK, 350 million to Epcot... plus millions more resort wide... to get ready for the 50th...

[DizneyFreak2002]

Dang. I was really excited about that part. The Indy ride in Disneyland is fantastic -- my favorite attraction in the California parks (although Radiator Springs Racers is a close second).

I'll still keep my fingers crossed. I'm excited about everything else and happy that they're keeping GMR.

All I was saying with the Indy ride is no credible insider has come out to say Indy is in the plans... All plans they knew of (admittingly) prior to the BoD meeting and approving the work, did not include Indy, and they say there were many plans... Also, others close to knowing what is going on have said not to believe what you read online as people are just taking rumors that have been spread over the years and trying to make it sound like they know what they are talking about, looking for clicks on their blogs... Which is why I called this article click bait...

I'm hoping for a Lucas area, where an Indy ride is included... I just don't see that happening just yet... not until Disney ruins, I mean, remakes the Indiana Jones movies... Much like you won't see anything Star Wars related until Disney's versions of the movies are released (hence the delay!!!)...

[Roger's #1 Fan]

I'm hearing they may start off with a smallish Star Wars presence until they can decide how to add the upcoming movies into the mix. Has anyone else heard this?

[DizneyFreak2002]

I'm hearing they may start off with a smallish Star Wars presence until they can decide how to add the upcoming movies into the mix. Has anyone else heard this?

Possibly, I'd assume they would start with Mos Eisley though, build that alley way of shops and dining, leading to Star Tours, then close Indy Stunt Show to work on the massive e-ticket and other themed areas/lands...

I heard the delay was really placed on Iger as he wanted to wait until Episode 7 so they could include the new trilogies and off shoots into any expansion...

[Roger's #1 Fan]

The actual concept I am hearing about is called Star Wars Launch Bay which is currently slated for Shanghai as well as a rumored part of the Disneyland Innoventions update. While the suspected location is thought to be the recently closed Magic of Disney Animation section of DHS, I find this hard to believe since it is opposite the side of the park where Star Tours now resides. I'm more inclined to believe that it could go where the Sounds Dangerous and Idol buildings are as you suggested Freak as a prelude/entry to the actual land,

[Yo Mickey!]

guessing osborne lights will be gone too? we go the first week of dec every year and hit those lights at least 3-4 evenings out of 7. but other than ToT, RnR and TSM...no reason to go.

[DizneyFreak2002]

The actual concept I am hearing about is called Star Wars Launch Bay which is currently slated for Shanghai as well as a rumored part of the Disneyland Innoventions update. While the suspected location is thought to be the recently closed Magic of Disney Animation section of DHS, I find this hard to believe since it is opposite the side of the park where Star Tours now resides. I'm more inclined to believe that it could go where the Sounds Dangerous and Idol buildings are as you suggested Freak as a prelude/entry to the actual land,

Star Wars Launch Bay is only a meet and greet... DHS's Star Wars will be a lot bigger than just a meet and greet... It will be grand.. But it is coming to Shanghai...

If they do Launch Bay in DHS, it would only be something temporary to hold things over... And signs point to Launch Bay possibly opening in DHS later this year, early next... So yes, it is coming, but again, it isn't the official Star Wars offering for DHS...

[DizneyFreak2002]

guessing osborne lights will be gone too? we go the first week of dec every year and hit those lights at least 3-4 evenings out of 7. but other than ToT, RnR and TSM...no reason to go.

This year, no... Next year? Maybe... All depends on the plans, which no one has been able to figure out or even get a bit of a peep from people... If Streets of America go away, the lights may too, unless they find a good spot to relocate them to...