Disney World Erases Hollywood Studios, Fans Fear the Worst

in Walt Disney World

A group of people on a city street in Disney's Hollywood Studios on the left and sad Rapunzel, looking at it

Credit: Inside the Magic

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is one of the four core parks of the Walt Disney World Resort, and it’s had a reputation for being the place where the magic of the movies and the magic of Disney come to life. Due to recent developments, however, it seems like the beloved icon is shifting away from its original values.

The Twlight Zone Tower of Terror in Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort
Credit: Disney

As the Walt Disney Company has grown with the acquisition of new titles and properties, so too have its parks. Thanks to introducing franchises like Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, the park’s focus on the Hollywood aspect of its namesake has fallen by the wayside.

Related: Dozens Witness Wild Sex Act at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld sparked a dialogue with Disney fans, and many share the fear that the overwhelming amount of Disney-owned IP is encroaching on the park’s identity, calling it “a shell of what it once was.” Could Disney really be erasing Hollywood Studios in favor of something more property-based?

Fans Mourn Hollywood Studios’ Heyday

A family walks through Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland
Credit: Disney

The original post asks if fellow park-goers miss “the spirit of Hollywood Studios,” referring to the classic motifs that represented the golden age of Hollywood and the Walt Disney Company. Watching the Stormtroopers march through Galaxy’s Edge and riding Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway are wonderful, but they feel a step away from the park’s original intent.

Related: Genie+ and Lightning Lane Prices Drop at Disney

u/D_Anger_Dan starts the post with,

“With the purchase of Fox, there are so many great movies. I was thinking about Hollywood Studios of yore and the idea of a theme park around movie making and great movies. I really wish HS had taken that vision. It’s a shell of what it once was. The theme has almost no relation to the rides. The loss of the character improves on the main strip really is an infected wound.”

The user above does raise a few valid points, as rides like Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash don’t exactly fit the entire aesthetic of the name “Hollywood,” but are the updated changes really an “infected wound?”

Related: Comparing Disney World’s Disney Springs and Disneyland’s Downtown Disney

u/VincentStonecliff seems to disagree in the comments, as the user recognizes the need for the world of the movies rather than the production process. The user writes,

Disney and Universal learned that people don’t want to pretend they’re making movies, they want to be in those movies. All Orlando parks shifted to that premise, with Epic Universe being the climax of that idea. And I don’t mind it. I actually kind of love that as you’re driving into Hollywood Studios you see galaxy’s edge from the back side, like a movie set, but when you’re in there it feels real. Recreating these worlds from the movies feels like a great homage to the spirit of the park.

Universal Epic Universe concept artwork for Celestial Park.
Credit: Universal Orlando Resort

The subject of Universal Studios’ new Epic Universe has been discussed before, and it’s definitely something that should keep Disney World on its toes, but Disney still has a blend of both immersion and production that seems to be fading with its competition. A glorified face-paint booth marketed as monster makeup feels a touch misleading, after all.

Related: EPCOT Guests Warned About “Dangerous” Location

Joking aside, the argument can be made that the Disney park, its attractions, and its properties have simply aged with the times. u/Goldwing8 points this out directly when they add in the comments,

“Also, the magic of moviemaking is a forgotten art. If you saw a crazy effect in a film in the late 80s or early 90s, there could be a real curiosity about how it was pulled off. Nowadays it’s just CGI.”

Mouse Greets Guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Credit: Disney

That all being said, the magic of the movies is still alive and well in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, why else would attractions like the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, MuppetVision 3D, or the Tower of Terror still have audiences? Disney has definitely done a lot more with its IP, but the park’s identity hasn’t been completely cut from the script.

Related: All Guests Will Be Asked To Leave Magic Kingdom Early Next Week

What some guests seem to forget is that Disney is all about immersion, and Hollywood Studios is about taking visitors from the plush seats of a movie theatre (represented by the vintage Hollywood themes at the entrance) into the magical cinematic worlds they’ve created. By that logic, the park’s core hasn’t been erased, simply adapted to make the movies even larger than they are on the big screen.

Has Hollywood Studios lost the plot for you? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in Walt Disney World

View Comments (4)