Our latest photo report brings us back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see the latest progress on the park’s massive overhaul, as well as some recent closures an removals. Let’s take a look…
Welcome to Hollywood!
Work continues out in the parking lot on some of the park’s infrastructure.
Beauty and the Beast: Live Action on Stage
Some significant changes have come to Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage. A new pre-show featuring a song from the upcoming film was added…
Also, the Beast’s character costume was recently updated to the new style…
This and That
A new monorail mystery pin set was released, featuring all 123 monorails. They retail at $16.99 for a box of 2 pins.
The chasers are actually kind of easy to figure out based on the character silhouettes and that only 4 monorail colors remain…
As we informed you on Friday, the Starring Rolls Cafe is now indefinitely closed. No real reason has been given as to why as of yet, but we expect their to be an expansion of the often crowded Brown Derby Lounge.
While I always liked this location, breakfast offerings at Trolley Car Cafe are similar and plenty of sweet pastries can be found next door at Sweet Spells on Sunset Boulevard.
Toy Story Land
For the most complete look at the current work on the Star Wars and Toy Story Lands, also be sure to check out our latest Hollywood Studios Expansion Update video:
Work progresses on the Toy Story themed land behind PIXAR Place, with the maintenance bay for the Slinky Dog Dash coaster looming over the gate by the former Jack Sparrow attraction.
From the edges of PIXAR Place, the removal of the MuppetVision balloon is surely noticeable. It’s easy to see how that would be visible from any land in the back of the park.
Star Wars Land
The trees and such that once separated the Streets of America from Commissary Lane and Star Tours were recently removed and the walls expanded outward. This offers an unobstructed view towards other areas that has never existed within the park.
It’s not even a construction wall, it is actually a chain link fence covered with a tarps twice over (to make sure I can’t see through it and get you guys some better pictures, I assume).
It’s not the prettiest thing, but we’re gonna have to live with it for a while if we want Star Wars Land, and I do.
With the trees gone, it is much easier to see in from the Tatooine Traders patio though…
The ice cream is still standing, but the Kermit the Frog hot air balloon was removed last week.
Hopefully the fountain will at least turn when all of this is done. PizzeRizzo just feels like a Muppets consolation prize at this point.
The PizzeRizzo balcony offers some views into what was New York Street.
Thanks Tom, love the picture updates.
Good pictures Tom. Hollywood studios looks like at DUMP right now. TERRIBLE JOB DISNEY!!! They needed to expand with new before contracting this park. Or should have just gutted it, and closed it during a faster rebuild..but I get it, they’d rather charge admission for a construction zone of few things open or to do, even quick serve places suffering cut backs. Silly.
I’m glad the park remains open, because I actually enjoy watching the construction progress unfold. I think it’d actually be a great idea for Disney to put up guest-access cat walks, so the barriers provide continuity of visual experience for guests on the ground but guests like me get the opportunity to look over the walls and see the changes.
I am extremely saddened by the closing of Staring Rolls – this was one our most favorite places to grab a delicious snack, coffee, beverage and watch some of the day pass by. The loss of the balloon atop Muppet Vision 3D is also a very sad turn of events. I am all for change but things are getting out of hand – what’s next? Will the brilliant minds at Disney be tearing down Cinderella’s Castel ?
A shame, a real shame what they have done to MGM, yes I said it MGM Studios ………………………
Disney doesn’t give a fuck anymore about guests. Sad truth.
Ate there a few times, it was pretty good. In regards to all the changes. I think MGM is getting hit the worst of all parks combined, due to the expanse of the two new spaces they are putting in. Disney changing up their food offerings is pretty status quo, removing smaller eateries, and replace them or expanding on others is fairly yearly for them. Glad the margaritas are back at Epcot though, so who knows, maybe Staring Rolls will end up else where?