The State of Walt Disney World: Stardate 2015 – Part 1
Since I’m not going to do a proper trip report for my recent trip to Walt Disney World, I thought I’d do this post covering some of my notable observations about the parks and their futures. I’ll start with my observations and speculation as to the various parks, with Animal Kingdom, the Studios, and Epcot covered in Part 1. Later this week, Part 2 will cover Magic Kingdom, Disney Springs, and my take on the overall state of Walt Disney World and the Resort’s future.
Other material that would typically be found in a trip report will be spread out over several other, topic-specific posts in the next few weeks (my Uber v. Rental Car at Walt Disney World experiment post and Getting Groceries at Walt Disney World are good examples of content that would’ve been randomly thrown into a trip report previously), including an upcoming series of posts that specifically cover my stay at the Bora Bora Bungalows in Disney’s Polynesian Resort. In other words, don’t fret too much if you’re disappointed about the lack of a trip report, as most of the stories you’d hear in one will be shared. The only difference here is that it won’t be presented in timeline form.
With that, let’s start by taking a tour of the parks and looking at the good, bad, and ugly of Walt Disney World: STARDATE SUMMER 2015…
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
It’s Christmas 2017. The World of Pandora (AVATAR Land) has recently opened. Rivers of Light and other nighttime entertainment is still going strong, having debuted a year earlier. The park is regularly open until 10 p.m. or later, with E-Tickets still having long lines well into the evening as crowds pack the park. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has become the best park at Walt Disney World.
DON’T LAUGH. Although this might all sound far-fetched, this is not one of my normal, poor attempts at sarcasm. The more I hear about and see developments at Animal Kingdom, the more bullish I become about its future. Even before anything new opens, Animal Kingdom is the most thematically cohesive of any of the parks at Walt Disney World, and it’s also the one that is the best maintained (the combination of its age plus the intentional distress of so many areas doesn’t hurt). Until now, its problems have been two-fold, one feeding into the other: a lack of traditional theme park attractions and entertainment, and limited operating hours.
Although the World of Pandora won’t bring a ton of new attractions to the table, the new attractions it does bring will better balance the park as a whole, and this better balance means ‘animal fatigue’ won’t set in so soon, which is one of the typical reasons people (incorrectly) deride Animal Kingdom as a half-day park.
Likewise, the new environments and nighttime entertainment will make it a place guests want to visit into the evening, giving the park an entirely new dimension. I’m excited for the World of Pandora, source material be damned. I’ve hammered on this point repeatedly, so in the interest of brevity, I won’t reiterate in detail, but I do not believe the popularity of Avatar matters to the success of its land.
I spent a lot of time at Animal Kingdom this trip. Despite the myriad construction walls, I really enjoyed myself there, and found myself constantly excited for the present and the future. For starters, the new Harambe Village area looks excellent. Festival of the Lion King now feels like it has a permanent home in a place where it actually belongs, and the level of detail all throughout Harambe Village is on par with the original areas of the park (excluding Dinorama, which I’m pretty sure Michael Eisner built by himself over the course of 5 hours during the middle of the night, while heavily intoxicated). Harambe Village feels like it has been there all along, which is a good thing given the coherence and quality of that original area.
Equally as important, this space and the new dining options at Harambe Market open up the park more and create additional space that will prove a relief from the crowds that will invariably come en masse once the World of Pandora opens. I think we will continue to see Disney retool other dining options (see Flame Tree BBQ) and other parts of the park to handle the increased crowds that they are (probably) projecting.
One thing I would like to suggest to the many real Imagineers who I would like to think read this blog (but probably don’t): bring back the Discovery River boat ride. I know no one exactly misses it, so I’m not suggesting it be brought back to appeal to nostalgia. Rather, once the area the boat circled has more to see, I think it will do better with guests, and a leisurely boat ride is always a good thing. Oh, and while I have your attention, please burn down Dinorama and give us an area truly worthy of the dinosaur heritage. I am happy to consult as a “dinosaur enthusiast with good taste” for a small fee (and by fee, I mean having a dinosaur named after me in the “Mesozoic Cruise” boat ride that obviously should be built).
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is an embarrassing mess. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. On the upside, it’s now a hat-less mess, which is a great sight that literally gave me chills, but it’s a mess nonetheless.
What is most troubling to me about Disney’s Hollywood Studios is that as attractions are shuttered in a park with an already-limited attraction slate, there is no news of the expansion project that is (hopefully?) inevitable. Given Disney’s typical pace of project progression from building, that means we are roughly 4-5 years away from stepping foot in whatever is announced from the date of the announcement. That means Star Wars Land (or whatever) is a “Coming Christmas 2019” project at the earliest. (I’m hoping there’s a stop-gap that can be constructed quickly while we all wait on what should be an awesome Star Wars Land.)
This also means that the “once in a lifetime” visitors of today will continue to pay for the park’s future growth as they are charged full price for a park with attractions that have been closed for cost-savings purposes without any work being done on the plots of land said attractions occupy.
I know I’ve expressed my disappointment about this before, but it’s a really, really big deal. I’d hazard a guess that this is the result of someone with a spreadsheet looking at the expenses that will be incurred by construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and decided to offset those costs by closing attractions. The problem with this is that it doesn’t account for the real-world impact on guests. (Whomever at Disney made this decision should really heed the wisdom of this clip…especially now that Randy Quaid is a free man!)
Disney’s coveted “once in a lifetime” demographic–or really anyone paying full price to Disney’s Hollywood Studios today–is essentially paying admission for attractions they won’t experience. That’s not right.
In general, the state of Disney’s Hollywood Studios right now is just sad. With the exception of a few bright spots, there isn’t much to do, and there also isn’t any sense of optimism, outside of the newly-restored view down Hollywood Boulevard. For me, optimism about the future here would be as simple as seeing some construction walls go up. Even better would be a “Preview Center” akin to Blue Sky Cellar that showed off Cars Land and Buena Vista Street during the overhaul of Disney California Adventure. Such a Blue Sky Cellar would fit perfectly at the end of the One Man’s Dream walk-through, and would make the whole situation more palatable.
Epcot
Epcot, oh Epcot. I think I develop a mild case of Stockholm Syndrome when I visit Epcot. I still love large portions of the park and can understand why substantial change has occurred, but it still pains me to see such a brilliant concept for a theme park continually bastardized.
On this trip, Epcot was looking better than I have seen in a while. Part of this was due to Flower & Garden Festival, a time during which Epcot always seems to receive extra attention from the various beautification teams at Walt Disney World. However, it seemed like everything from horticulture to maintenance was on the upswing at Epcot. The park looked absolutely resplendent, and I thoroughly enjoyed simply doing laps around World Showcase and Future World taking in the sights, scents, and sounds.
There were a few new topiaries this year, but most were the same topiaries reused from previous years with new props. The Fab Five have been recycled again and again with the same poses–it’s time for something new. I can’t imagine it’s that costly to make a new wire frame (or whatever horticulture uses) to create new topiary poses.
The most notable new topiaries were the Anna and Elsa ones. This is nitpicking, but I am not a fan of the current trend in topiaries to include a ton of detail, such as defined eyes and faces. These ‘Frozen’ topiaries are the most glaring examples of this, but it has happened in the last few years elsewhere (Snow White, for instance). It leaves nothing to the imagination, and lacks the charm of the simpler topiaries. I realize this is totally in the realm of “personal preference” and is a totally minor thing, but I still wanted to put it out there.
I would like to think the future is bright for Epcot, but I really don’t think much will happen once the whole ‘Maelstrom into Frozen’ project is done. I’m still holding out hope that conversion will be respectfully done and focus heavily on true Norwegian culture and locales and simply be hosted by the characters, but I’m not overly optimistic.
One character infusion I could get behind is Inside Out giving new life to the Wonders of Life pavilion. I had the chance to attend a screening of Pixar’s Inside Out, and it is absolutely fantastic. One of Pixar’s best, and a truly ambitious film that is basically the cinematic adaptation of Wonders of Life. Buzzy could have been a character in the film.
While the EPCOT Center fan in me doesn’t want to see further ‘toonification or IP tie-ins, the pragmatist in me realizes that it’s not a matter of this or restoring Wonders of Life to an original, unique concept. It’s this or nothing. I think the best case scenario of ‘things that could actually happen in the real world’ involves reclaiming the pavilion from special events as an attraction with the Inside Out characters. With the real world as a backdrop, I think Inside Out is a perfect fit that would improve Future World and strengthen its message.
I’d also love to see Journey into Imagination finally have its oft-postponed redo, but that also seems unlikely in the near-term. With as many projects as are on the table for Walt Disney World, I think Epcot will be neglected in terms of significant capital investments, but I’d love to be wrong.
Okay, that does it for today. In State of Walt Disney World – Part 2, I cover the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland problem, why I’m actually excited about Disney Springs (yes, you read that right), and my overall take on the state of Walt Disney World now and in the future. Until then, live long and prosper. (Given the ‘Stardate’ title, I figured I needed at least one Star Trek reference…)
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? If you’re interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides” are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
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Your Thoughts…
If you’ve been to Walt Disney World recently, what do you think about its current state and its future? Are you optimistic about things? Pessimistic? What excites you the most about the future of the parks? What disappoints you? I’d love to hear your takes on the present and future of WDW, so if you have any thoughts, post them in the comments!
Tom,
Long time reader, first time poster! I always appreciate your comments and especially your pictures. Just had to share a quick story…
I was also recently in the World with a friend on her first visit (next to taking my kids, this was my favorite experience- being a tour guide and getting to see the magic through their eyes). I’m sure she thought I was crazy when, after coming back from a restroom break, I excitedly told her about a “celebrity” sighting that I’d had.
“Who did you see?” she asked.
“Tom Bricker!” I exclaimed.
“Who?”
I saw you walking past France in Epcot, didn’t know if I should say anything, or what to say for that matter, so I just let you pass. Next time I’ll speak up!
For the first timers out there; Hollywood Studios was an awesome FULL day for us; we had two adults and one 11 year old in our party and loved the rides, shows and street performers – we had a full 13 hour day and enjoyed every moment. Animal Kingdom is amazing and despite the work in progress; this does not deter one bit from the experience. Again another full day to experience the Safari; rides and shows. The African village has every sense intensified. We have three days left of our holiday and are going again tomorrow – 11th June.
I just went to all four parks last month during a week long trip. I didn’t love Animal Kingdom. There was something a bit claustrophobic about the park. The walkways are not nearly as wide as Epcot or Magic Kingdom. It did have some great rides. Expedition Everest is a legit roller coaster. But I just felt like the park was missing something. Couldn’t agree more with Tom regarding Hollywood Studios. There just seems to be a lot of empty space with no real theme to everything. A few good rides, but theme wise the park just doesn’t rate. Epcot on the other hand I loved. I was there for flower and garden festival and the park was really beautiful. I was kinda amazed at the amount of alcohol, can’t imagine the wine festival. There’s just something really cool about the world showcase. It’s awesome at night. I wouldn’t mind a few more rides. I hope Epcot doesn’t go too far with food and drink at the expense of the park itself. Have to find the fine line.
Hey Tom. My partner got me addicted to your blog in preparation for our recent trip to Disney (my first ever and I’m 30!). I loved all of your recommendations for dining and the World Showcase posts. Thank you!
In response to this post: I couldn’t agree more about the Animal Kingdom. I had no idea what to expect from it. And it turned out to be my favorite ‘over-all’ experience of all the parks. Where as I loved certain pieces of the others (World Showcase, StarTours, etc), this park was my favorite. Especially in terms of over-all cohesiveness (as you mentioned). Can’t wait for them to expand and do more with it!
As always, appreciate your dedication to this blog and all the insight you provide!
Your always so kind words towards dinorama always amuse me, but your two lines about it from this post actually had me, dare i say, laughing out loud. I truly can not wrap my head around the thought that pretty much anybody and everybody who may be in charge of that area can not see how horrible it is.
I would not constantly beat a dead horse with Dinorama were it not for the people espousing the sentiment that “Dinorama is actually super clever and well done, it’s just misunderstood.”
That notion is preposterous. I know people say that there’s no such thing as a wrong opinion, but I disagree. The opinion that Dinorama is actually clever and misunderstood is a truly awful one.
I’m going to open up a new theme park called “LandfillLand.” The premise is that you play in a giant landfill-like environment that has been painstakingly re-created by throwing a bunch of garbage in a hole. Don’t worry, it’ll be great because I’ll make up some ridiculous backstory for it!!! 😉
I think I fall between the two sides: having spent many, MANY summers traveling out west and seeing roadside amusement “parks”, I feel confident in stating that Dinorama is 100X better than most of them. Because of that, I find that I can’t just make a blanket statement that I hate it. However, it does NOT belong in a Disney park. Being cleverly done (and some parts are, though those parts are few and far between) does not automatically mean it belongs, and that’s where I think the problem is. A fully fleshed-out reference to a Route 66 roadside attraction could’ve been a great addition to, say, California Adventure, at iteration 1. And theoretically and again, only if fully fleshed-out, it still could, especially right off of Cars Land (I say this while thinking off the awesome Rust-eze road signs that mimic Burma-Shave signs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma-Shave), and also, I’ve never actually been to California Adventure, so I may just be talking out my butt). But that said, as it’s designed right now, Dinorama is total crap. All my visits to AK, I’ve only been in Dinorama once, and that was because I had 2 children under 5 with me, and we needed something to make them happy. Queue Triceratop Spin – over and over and over again.
I just saw on the Disney Parks Blog a first look on the “Frozen Ever After” attraction at the Norway Pavilion. It looks like all signs of the Maelstrom ride that was there is now totally being transformed to being a ride through Arendelle and Elsa’s ice castle. Someone made the comment asking if the name of the pavilion is going to be changed to the Frozen Pavilion. They may be a good question.
As a regular visitor to Disneyland Paris, I’m excited to go HS for the first time in September as it surely can’t be worse than Walt Disney Studios?!
Great article Tom – has made me so excited for my trip across the pond to WDW for the first time. I wasn’t particularly fussed about Animal Kingdom but reading your recent articles (and watching YouTube vlogs) has definitely changed my mind. Now I can’t wait to check it out!
Would also love to hear your opinions on the Caribbean Beach refurb?
Caribbean Beach refurb turned out wonderfully. The rooms are very, very nice. I’ll go more in-depth in a future post…
Tom,
I frequently review your work and greatly appreciate the level of depth and insight you provide; it helped me plan my last Disney trip. We’re going back this fall and my issue pertains to the availability of these attractions: Tower of Terror, Rock n’ Roller Coaster, The Great Movie Ride, 50’s Diner, and Sci-Fi Dine in Theatre. Are there any rumors/plans to close any of these attractions/restaurants moving forward and have they been closed randomly on your recent trips? It would be devastating to purchase tickets to HS and have that occur.
In the long term, all of the things you mentioned are safe (at least based on what I know, but the scope of this project seems to be constantly changing). However, I would not be surprised to see temporary closures of 50s Prime Time or Sci-Fi. I would not expect that to happen this fall, though. They would have to kick the projects into hyperdrive for that to occur.
While I have no real facts or info to back this up, I feel practically 100 % certain that they will not close Tower of Terror or Rock N’ Roller Coaster unless the entire park were to close someday (which won’t happen either). The Great Movie Ride just got a new sponsor and some minor tweaks so that is safe too I’m sure. And both Sci Fi Diner and Prime Time Cafe are still very popular so I don’t think you have anything to worry about there either. The most common rumor I’ve heard about the next closing at HS seems to be the Indian Jones stunt show.
I think all are safe; however, several credible sources say that the Echo Lake area is set to close in the very near future. In fact, a certain Pony who is a very reliable, knowledgeable source in the Disney community said for a fact that it was going to be shuttered severed months ago (it’s still open). 50’s Prime Time Cafe is in the Echo Lake area, so if this part of the park does close (it’s also where the Indy show is housed), that might impact that restaurant. Even if the Echo Lake area does forgo a facelift/closure, whatever it may be, I don’t see them closing 50’s or Hollywood and Vine, which are two of the more popular restaurants in the park, and are both in the Echo Lake area.
Long story short, you should be good. And I for one really enjoy DHS.
Hi Tom,
We came back just a few days ago from our trip to Orlando. We stayed 3 days at UNI and 8 days at WDW. Our last visit to Orlando was in 2009. I have to say I agree with you on Animal Kingdom, love that park. We only had problems with Dinosaur. The finale was not working and that was a shame. We adore Epcot, it is one of our favourite Disney parks in the world and I am not really sad about the toonification. I agree with you on Hollywood studios, it is a half day park for us. Still it holds a couple of favourite attractions for us. It is a crime they ask full price for it at the moment. I have to say that we loved WDW, that did not change. For the first time we also visited UNI and that was nice but it is just not Disney. The difference in quality and the general feel of the place was just not on par with Disney. Looking forward to your next instalment!!
Yeah, it took me two seconds to find a pic online, so I guess I’ll let it go. http://www.themeparkinsider.com/photos/images/epcot%20flowerand%20garden%204.jpeg
I have to file a complaint. You cannot leave people with a desire to see the frozen topiaries so we can decide if you are right or wrong concerning detail, and then NOT post a picture. Now I will have to surf the web searching for something I didn’t care at all about two seconds ago. Im gonna have to speak to your supervisor. Is Sarah around?
This is one area where I actually disagree with Tom. I think the topiaries with the detailed faces are way better than the creepy faceless versions.
I absolutely adored Epcot as a young teen in the early 90’s. We live in the pacific nw, and will be doin one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ trips with the kids in the fall of 2017. I’m worried Epcot won’t be as neat as I remember it, and I am most certainly disappointed about HS. Disappointed enough to seriously debate not wasting our money on HS for the 5 of us. Hmm.
Love your insight into the parks, as always.
Are you doing park hopper? I don’t have a family of five to plan for, so I can’t tell you if it makes sense financially for you, but I would recommend at least considering it. Even though Studios is the weakest park at Disney World, it is still worth checking out. There are some really great attractions there. If you do park hopper, you can visit Studios without feeling like you wasted anything, except potentially your time. We always get park hopper and generally visit two, sometimes three, parks a day. Most of the time, we only give Studios a few hours on one day. Parker hopper really opens up a lot of flexibility in your trip. However, there are just the two of us and we don’t have kids, so your mileage may vary in terms of cost and practicability.
Practicability should be practicality.
Jess, the park hopper will probably be the way for us to go. As you suggested, we can hit HS for a few hours and then spend the rest of that day at a park we like better. Thanks for the park hopper reminder!
Couldn’t agree more about the park hopper, especially with respect to HS. My favorite Disney days involve getting to HS at opening, hitting TSM once and TT as many times as we can til the line goes up, Star Tours, a Mickey Pretzel in front of the theater and then taking to boat to Epcot once the World opens. A bit of a ritual, if you can’t tell. It would be hard to justify a whole day at HS, unless it was a travel day on either end. Btw, I loved Frozen but as of Last month, it looks like Elsa has performed a hostile takeover of HS. I was challenged to take any photos that didn’t contain a snowflake. 🙂
Take your kids to Tokyo for a “once in a lifetime” trip. So much better than WDW. Maybe when they have kids, WDW will be worth the money/time.
Marc,
As west-coasters, we’ve seriously contemplated it.
Can Germany open up its mythical boat ride at EPCOT it needs it. I too would love Figment to just be returned to its original glory complete with the color tunnel and really lame 80s insert yourself into the action movie.
I actually feel like Epcot needs more attraction more then Hollywood. We were ridding the bus back to resort two weeks ago and family pointed out that there were only rides in the front of Epcot and movies and food in the back. Also Epcot needs a parade
Dinorama… Eisner… 5 hours LMAO.
When you think about it, that’s actually praise to Eisner. Building anything in 5 hours while drunk is an accomplishment. Well, actually, except in the case of Dinorama. I think you could spend 5 minutes in the bathroom and *ahem* “build” something better. 😉
Bahaha. Our first family trip was last October and I hated dinoland so. much. I feel like it’s an attempt at kitsch by making fun of the other off the highway attractions you see on the way to Florida, but in DW, it just seems out of place. It’s hideous, it’s unshaded from the heat, and my preschooler son will 100% insist on going on that stupid triceratops ride the next time we go to AK anyway. It’s not like they don’t have the IP to make a better dino-themed area. Land Before Time, anyone?
Ok, I’m in total agreement with Dinoland, but I have to say that the Boneyard is the only redeeming part of it if you have small children. It is so great to have a place where kids don’t have to wait in line, can have unstructured free play and can imagine and explore. Boneyard was a bit warm, but pretty great. The rest can be lit on fire, but please save the Boneyard!
I love this post Tom. Just a couple thoughts:
1-Moving the hat means nothing to me until they move that stage.
2-You touched on this when you mentioned someone with a spread sheet…I want to know that person. We always say Disney decided this or that. In reality in the beginning someone had an idea. You know what I mean….you work in an office…the person who wants to make a name by saving money some where. Like who decided to change Maelstrom into Frozen, it started somewhere. People are talking all over the news about 250 employees training their replacement. They say Disney did this…but someone brought up the idea at first. Even though Disney is one of the most successful companies right now in the country( What bad PR by the way). Who? Who brings up the idea of tiers for rides. Who brings up the ideas for closing the back lot, or letting it die years before that and not having a replacement ready to be built. Who? It is just a dream of mine to find out lol(That and marrying Phoebe Cates!Kevin Kline? Really?). Are you like me who can see this little guy with a pocket protector bringing these ideas up and then melting back into the background with his calculator. Back into the shadows. He never sets foot in the park and loves for fun he counts the colors of cars that drive by his house. Would you love management to come out and say “We decided that we are closing Indiana Jones, it was Bills idea originally, he thought it would be a waste of money to keep it going, he has a calculator so we agree. So email Bill.”
I suspect it would be impossible to trace the single source of most of these ideas, because they are probably hashed out by committee, and they gain legs because no one has the courage to speak up and say, “hey, this is a really guest-unfriendly and downright bad idea in the long term.” This is doubly-true when the proposed idea will reap short term monetary gains.
I could go on and on about this type of thinking…
1-Moving the hat means nothing to me until they move that stage.
Exactly! I was so happy to go to Studios in May and finally see it without the hat, only to see that stupid stage still in place. It really is a terrible eye sore and ruins the view of the Theater. I really hope they get rid of it soon.
Thought this article was interesting- didn’t really tell me anything we didn’t already know as Disney fans, but an interesting read nonetheless. It kind of hits on your question of the decision makers.
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/how-disney-milks-its-hits-for-profits-ever-after-1433813239-lMyQjAxMTI1MjA3OTcwODkyWj
I think we are about to see a public backlash to that kind of thinking within the next few years. People are going to get “brand” fatigue when there’s a dearth of original ideas because everyone is always playing it safe.
I just had my first visits to Hollywood Studios last month (on my honeymoon), and I disagree. Maybe it was the excitement of a first impression, or the excitement of the honeymoon, but to me it was a beautifully themed, intricately detailed Golden Age of Hollywood experience, with a few appropriate side trips to areas themed to particular movies (e.g., Star Wars, Toy Story).
I actually had your Animal Kingdom change-of-heart post very much in mind as I was there, and wonder if the park’s detractors are looking for more thrill rides and not appreciating the nostalgic look of things. To me it was a delightful place to walk around and enjoy the scenery, taking in the occasional show or ride. Maybe I’d feel less enthralled with the current state of the park if I’d been there dozens of times.
When you don’t know what you’re missing, it’s tough to miss it. The Studios still has some solid headliners, and arguably the best Walt Disney World attraction in Tower of Terror, but it has lost the Backlot Tour, American Idol Experience, The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow (albeit not much of a loss), and its parade all within the last year or so. Rumors are currently swirling that we should expect additional closures shortly. Although it was a shadow of its former self for years, in the park’s early years, the Backlot Tour was *the* headliner draw, and a multi-hour attraction that was a ton of fun.
I still enjoy the ambiance of the park, especially Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, but I think it’s fair to say that in its current state, it isn’t in the same league as the other parks.
“When you don’t know what you’re missing, it’s tough to miss it.” A fair point!
Don’t forget Animation academy! Walking through a working animation studio back in the day was pretty cool as well.
We’re here right now and Star Wars Weekends is definitely the best time to visit DHS – it feels like the park has a purpose.
It seems “Future World” at EPCOT will be there as a side show for the real attraction that EPCOT offers: Booze, Beer and Food.
I’d expect to see more things along the line of making the sidewalk stands of the wildly popular Food and Wine Festival more of a permanent presence in world showcase.
And when advance reservations at the restaurants reach critical mass…you bet their will be more focus on food carts/stands, and maybe even trucks.
I really hope that’s not true, although that does seem to be the case. I am glad that Flower & Garden Festival has *not* turned into that, and I was worried it would after the first year they added the booths. Either the Flower & Garden booths haven’t done well enough, or they just haven’t expanded them for some other reason yet.
Food & Wine Festival doesn’t interest me much at all anymore. I fear it will take a serious incident (death due to alcohol poisoning or a seriously intoxicated person harming a child) for Disney to rein in the level of alcohol consumption in World Showcase. I hope I’m wrong about that.
HS is really depressing, we had AP’s this year so we went three times, the last one after the hat was down. Thematically, they have failed when you consider all of the non “disney” movies that they have the rights to. They really could have an amazing park there EVEN WITHOUT STARWARS which THEY HAVE ANYWAY. Every time we chose to go there on our 10 day trip we left within an hour or two.
Epcot is a favorite, but you are right about all the things that need improvement. I feel like so many people have awesome ideas, why can’t disney just pick one and go with it?
AK is EXCELLENT. I made a point of going to some of the shows I had skipped on previous trips and it was a great time.
So pretty much you hit the nail on the head with all three parks, Hopefully the future is better for HS especially.
I’m afraid I don’t understand references to “the hat” and DHS being “hatless”. It’s been over 15 years since I was last at Disney World, and I was fairly young at the time. I’m in the middle of planning for a trip in autumn 2016.
Can someone clarify for me?
Also, the Backlot Tour is closed? That’s terribly sad, it’s one of the parts of that park I remember more vividly and enjoyed immensely.
In front of the Chinese theatre, they put a giant sorcerer mickey hat. It has now been removed
My husband and I visited Hollywood Studios April 2014. It was his first visit ever and my first visit both as an adult and since it was MGM Studios. It turned out to be way more fun than either of us expected. It’s definitely his favorite park and it may pull ahead as second for me (over EPCOT). Maybe if we visited the parks multiple times a year, we would feel differently…maybe grow tired of it. But I think that in the park’s present state we can get our thrills (TOT and RRC), we can chill out and be entertained with numerous shows or we can even grab some ice cream or Mickey pretzel, walk around and waste time taking in “the sights.” It really is a pretty park. And when you’re coming off a jammed-pack day at Magic Kingdom, it’s nice to be occupied and entertained but not feel like we have to run around to do everything there is to do. As I’m typing this I can see your point about spending money on a full-priced ticket – but I think even if I was on a once in a lifetime trip, I wouldn’t feel ripped off by Hollywood Studios. We have plans to visit in September and again next May for Star Wars weekends…so in a year from now we’ll see if I’m still as dreamy-eyed.
PS I REALLY am excited at the prospect of Star Wars additions…so I’m not saying Disney SHOULDN’T make any changes.
Unfortunately, since your visit, several attractions have closed and made HS a desolate wasteland. Any time one of the few remaining rides is down for maintenance, lines at the other attractions explode. It was still okay last spring, but since then much has changed and not in a good way
When we visited last year we skipped the Backlot Tour, the American Idol Experience, the Jack Sparrow thing and there was no parade so I can’t comment on those being a loss…but I can understand the idea of lines at other attractions exploding as a result and that does suck. Maybe we won’t be able to ride TOT 4x times in a row now? haha
I wouldn’t have said this before visiting the Animal Kingdom in January. We had such a great time there even with the construction walls! I feel like DAK has the most potential to improve in the next few years.
Sadly, I have to agree about both EPCOT (which has always been my favorite park) and DHS. From what I hear, it may be a while before we have any new announcements too. This is not good.