Our latest report bring su back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as it continues its transition from active construction zone to functioning theme park.
Welcome to Hollywood
Reports indicate that Disney is now rushing to complete the new bus loops at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guest complaints from having to use the temporary loop are mounting, from guests at Deluxe Resorts angered that they are paying so much money to walk further than this who took their own cars to the park, to everyone being upset that they have to wait in a tent in the hot Florida sun for their bus to arrive.
The Skyliner and the mystery structure continue to be worked on.
We still don’t know what this building is, but our money is on restrooms and offices.
A look at the current construction around the Disney Skyliner station.
Not much looks to have changed at the former bus loop and handicap parking area since we last visited.
This is the entrance to a Disney theme park in 2018.
Another look at the Skyliner station.
More construction near the park entrance.
Remember when you could come in through security this way? Remember when you could at least exit this way? Now you can’t do either. This park lost a lot of things, both big and small. I would argue it will be the park most different from its original incarnation come next year.
A look at the back of the Skyliner station.
This and That
What were intended to be wheelchair accessible ramps have now permanently become the queue and exit for the popular Trolley Car Cafe Starbucks. This will happen when you close every other grab-and-go breakfast option in the park.
There is some sort of Halloween dessert for sale inside, but we couldn’t figure out what it was. It didn’t look to be holding up very well.
Some concrete work happening out back. When did they get rid of all of the taller tables and chairs back here?
Some new Disney Snack related apparel has been released for girls.
I really love the Fairfax Salad from Fairfax Fare, one of the better quick options in the park.
To the untrained eye, it appears nothing of interest is happening in this picture. However, if you look close enough, you’ll see they are installing the new lasers for the Sunset Seasons Greetings show.
You can see some fences up just behind the wait time sign.
Work continues on the former site of the face painting kiosk near PIXAR Place.
Meanwhile, PIXAR Place is getting ready to become Metroville next year when The Incredibles take over the abandoned space.
The preview of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms has moved in at Walt Disney Presents, replacing the One Man’s Dream film temporarily. Strangely enough, the marquee is still advertising the film, but we’re guessing this title now refers to the exhibit space? But isn’t the exhibit space called Walt Disney Presents? I’m so confused.
The Star Lord and Groot meet and greet is gone, making way for a Monsters Inc. meet and greet.
Costumes from The Nutcracker and the Four Realms are now on display as part of the sneak peek.
The preview is interesting, but I didn’t see many guests looking too excited for the film leaving the theater.
Chinese Theater Gets Railway-ed
For whatever reason, Imagineering has decided they need to destroy the facade of the Chinese Theater now with signage. Were the existing places for signage not good enough? Must we wreck the facade?
Here you can see 4 new posts mounted in the wall.
The decorative piece from the top of the entrance gazebo is missing, hopefully it will be coming back.
Bland Avenue
There’s some sort of planter work taking place on Grand Avenue. Hopefully it is to fix that weird dead-end path if you choose to go down the steps at the exit of Tatooine Traders.
Strangely enough, they are still updating the billboards that area really hard to see down by the Galaxy’s Edge entrance.
It’s coming…
The building for the Battle Escape ride looks mostly done at this point. This is the first time this site has looked organized since work started back in early 2016.
Lots of The Nightmare Before Christmas 25th anniversary merchandise can be found at all of the parks right now.
Tatooine Traders
I wish I understood what they are doing in Tatooine Traders at the exit fo Star Tours. The wall with the bulletin board and such near the exit was taken down.
The right side of the store is now under construction.
There’s two columns that don’t really seem to be themed to anything in the center of the store. They don’t really look like something you’d find on an alien planet.
They’re apparently stripping a lot fo the movie set theme from the shop. I don’t really understand doing that when you have an Endor movie set outside. Also, every other Star Tours attraction has a shop at or near the exit themed to a Star Tours terminal, wouldn’t that make more sense than exiting into Tatooine? Tatooine is never even a final destination on the ride. Trying to make this not a movie set leads to more story problems than the ride already has.
The light removal of the movie set theme still leaves things that look like a movie set, like the catwalk on the left side.
I can’t imagine that all of the stuff along this exit ramp will survive these changes.
The “finished” store sections leave a lot to be desired.
Oh well…
Yikes!
Am I the only one that looks at HS and is reminded of the scene in Jurassic World when the pteranodons are attacking and the people are stuck at the gate? There’s just so many dead ends and gates!
Please add to the list of complaints the poor drainage on the temporary walkway from the resort drop out. Nothing like soaking your feet in a 2 inch puddle. Be advised you are better off taking off your footwear than walk through that and I wished I had thought of that. Also what is the deal with no signage to go from one part of this park to another? I never could get my bearings in this park.
So sad…
A castmember we talked to two weeks ago said she wishes HS had just closed for a year to do all of this work, like they did at California Adventure (I didn’t know they had done that). I feel bad for visitors who have never been to HS or may only visit once in a blue moon. I was shocked at how bad everything looked. Very un-Disney.
California Adventure did not close during the construction, but it seemed not as bad as this honestly.
I know this is Florida, the land of hurricanes, but those Skyline towers sure look short. Considering the cabins hanging beneath, I think I’d instinctively duck if I’m near an approaching cabin. What a fun way to traverse the property though. Looking forward to seeing them in action.
After my experience in August, I won’t bother going back until this park is complete. Nothing, including TS land is worth the mess this park is currently!