With recently released updates on the construction process of the much-anticipated Star Wars Land, many fans of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida are generating excitement about the alterations of Disney’s Hollywood Studios as it transforms into a practically new theme park. However, in all of this hype, it might prove beneficial to take a step back and reflect on the journey this theme park has taken since its opening in 1989 and ask, “Is Disney really taking this in the right direction?”
As older and somewhat dated attractions began closing a few years ago, many people began to speculate about what could lie in store for one of the smallest of the Walt Disney World theme parks. In the past couple years, the Walt Disney Company has announced big plans for Hollywood Studios, most likely in an effort to increase park attendance by updating its attractions to combat Universal Orlando’s popular Harry Potter-themed lands. The two major additions to the park have been coined Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land and aim to do exactly as implied: immerse guests into the world of two popular movie franchises. It appears to be a dream come true for moviegoers of all ages, but there are a number of side effects that come along with this remedy, including the loss of old attractions. The list is extensive, including The American Idol Experience; Studio Backlot Tour; Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show; and the Streets of America.
Disney is thinking that their alterations will modernize and update Hollywood Studios, but instead, the loss of old attractions will deprive guests of a film studio experience as well as other nostalgic sites of their youth.
With all of these changes, it is clear that the vision behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios has shifted. When the park initially opened, it served as a fully functional film and animation studio as well as a theme park. However, it seems that throughout the years, as production has ceased, the park has become simply a celebration of movies. The areas where production used to take place seem to have been patched up as almost an afterthought, resulting in a theme park with an awkward layout and a lack of popular attractions. The addition of the two new themed lands would only contribute to the downfalls of Hollywood Studios that come as a result of these quick fixes.
Although many Disney fans are glad for these updated additions, many are also sad to see some old favorites slip away. These are the attractions many guests first experienced during their childhood, and taking them away is only denying visitors the ability to relive these memories and share them with their own children. All of the closures also leaves guests little to do until construction on the new updates are complete. Making room for these large additions is resulting in the loss of several diverse and classic attractions, diminishing the number of movies celebrated in this fictitious Hollywood.
Perhaps the most controversial loss, and the one that caught my attention, is the Sorcerer’s Hat structure, a large version of the one worn by Mickey Mouse in the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment of Fantasia.
The hat used to reside in the very center of the park, serving as its icon before its deconstruction at the beginning of 2015. Although some guests disliked the hat when it was initially installed in 2001, most have come to love it and feel the park is now empty without it. As a result of its removal, guests cannot share the wonderful childhood memories they have of the Sorcerer’s Hat with others, including their own children.
I have a few ideas regarding a solution, none of which involve the addition of the Star Wars and Toy Story Lands.
First, it might be smart to revisit the original intention of this park-- to be an actual movie production studio. This would bring back classic attractions, such as the fully-functional backlot and an animation studio. Not only do guests miss these attractions, but they are incredibly informative and educational, letting people see how the movie-making process works.
Second, if Disney truly wants to update the park, they should really start by re-examining the park’s flagship attraction, the Great Movie Ride. Here, guests can take a ride into the movies, including classics like Singing in the Rain, The Public Enemy, and Casablanca, as well as some important Disney milestones such as Fantasia and Mary Poppins. However, along with these incredible films come scenes from movies that were popular when the attraction opened, like Alien and Raiders of the Lost Ark. While these are arguably “classics,” their presence makes the Great Movie Ride seem more outdated and less of a celebration of milestones in the film industry. Revisiting the list of movies exhibited in this attraction could help resolve the confusion created by its conflicting themes. Although this won’t necessarily fix the entire theme park, it is a good place to start.
Third, to improve guest attendance, Disney should consider redoing the layout of Hollywood Studios. Unlike its other three parks, which naturally flow from one themed area to another, it is often hard for guests to determine where they are in the park, where certain attractions are placed, and how to get to them (even when looking at a map!). A good suggestion is the “hub” that the Magic Kingdom uses, which takes the form of a wheel directly at the center of the park.
Guests can use the “spokes” of the wheel to easily get to whichever themed land they want. Hollywood Studios would also be ideal to use this, but rather than lands like Frontierland and Fantasyland, it could have sections dedicated to animation, music, and more (yes, even Star Wars if they really wanted). Although the format does not have to be identical to that of the Magic Kingdom, the point is that it would be easy to locate and navigate where you and attractions are within the park.
My ideas are only few compared to what the imagination of the Walt Disney Company can dream of. While I am not sure that mine are feasible to this resort logistically, they are definitely better than just putting duct tape on a leaky boat, which seems to be what Disney is doing. It’s time for the Walt Disney World Resort to revisit this disorganized and dysfunctional mess of a theme park and make attractions such as the Movie Ride great to visit once more.
[Author's Note: This piece was originally written as an assignment for one of my English courses. Students were instructed to write an editorial regarding a current event or topic about which you are passionate. After receiving positive feedback from my professor, I decided to publish my final draft.]
