Are the "there's nothing left at Hollywood Studios" threads maddening to anyone else?

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

There have been so many since GMR closed and I'm having a hard time keeping myself calm over here lol.
ONE attraction closed last month not 10 yet all the sudden everyone thinks there is nothing there?
I guess I should be happy that apparently there's nothing to do so no one will go so there will be shorter lines and then when Star Wars and Toy Story lands open everyone will just go to those and not the other attractions that I want to enjoy but it still just gets my goat lol.

 

[mamamelody2]

To be fair, there were tons BEFORE GMR closed, too.
It's true there's not many RIDES, but there's lots to do, and we love HS!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

To be fair, there were tons BEFORE GMR closed, too.
It's true there's not many RIDES, but there's lots to do, and we love HS!

Yes but those closures were not this summer yet that is when the threads started.
There never has been many rides there.
Backlot Tour was the only other ride closed and that was years ago now.

 

[kmb584]

I don't think the GMR closing would have caused such a reaction if half of DHS wasn't already shut down.

We'll still visit as we're fond of TSM and ST, but that's just about it. We don't ride RnRC or ToT. My daughter is well beyond the age to find DJ:L fun, and she's over Frozen. Every three trips or so we'll pop into MV. We've mainly been visiting only because of an ADR at Brown Derby. We've gone from seeing it as a full day park, to a half day park, and now to a park that we spend 3 or so hours in and that time includes dinner.

I'm expecting great things from Toy Story and Star Wars, and while I'm excited about the prospect of what they'll both bring, the things available now simply don't lure us in like they used to.

 

[Parker Clan]

YES

 

[Disneylover99]

No. Not maddening. I get why people might feel that way. GMR was a classic that everyone could ride. I love RnR, TofT and Star Tours, but I know not everyone can ride them. So what's left in terms of rides? TSM. That's it. Sure there are shows. But not everyone is in to them.

 

[Disneylover99]

To be fair, there were tons BEFORE GMR closed, too.
It's true there's not many RIDES, but there's lots to do, and we love HS!

Yes. I agree. Those, "Is HS a half day park?" threads have been around long before the GMR closed.

 

[TulipMom]

Equal parts maddening and encouraging that we may have light crowds on our day at DHS! We have a full day planned and may even go back for a few hours on another day.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Yes it drives me crazy.

 

[slpeters]

It kind of makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong. We're going for an early morning to do rides and then going back a different day for shows, dinner and Fantasmic and then a different night for the Jingle Bam dessert party. I mean we're there for a week and are hopping most days and we can basically walk there from our hotel, but I don't, it just makes me wonder...

 

[SaintsManiac]

It kind of makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong. We're going for an early morning to do rides and then going back a different day for shows, dinner and Fantasmic and then a different night for the Jingle Bam dessert party. I mean we're there for a week and are hopping most days and we can basically walk there from our hotel, but I don't, it just makes me wonder...

We are doing the same thing while staying at Beach Club. We love HS. I have been following all construction updates and watching vlogs with updates, so I can get visuals. I am really looking forward to the new holiday offerings, too. I'm feeling good about being there on Thanksgiving Day. I am hoping all this "HALF OF IT IS CLOSED" nonsense keeps people out

 

[neverlandsky]

Super bummed we didn't get to ride GMR. Was looking forward to doing it for the first time. That being said can't wait to go to DHS for other rides we've never been on too. Plus the Walt walk through. I can see how some attractions can be a 1 and done. We're skipping the sit down shows cause the teens said no musical shows. Yet the night time entertainment, headliner attractions, and the restaurants makes it a good park from what I can see.

 

[Jennasis]

For repeat visitors like us, the only things worth doing there are Star Tours, RnR, ToT, maybe Muppets and TSMM (and I like meeting Chewie). So we hit the park at rope drop and bang out the rides and come back at night for the fireworks or Fantasmic. We have no interest in The LONG-overdue-for-a-replacement Little Mermaid or Indiana Jones having done them both enough to beat the band. We both actively dislike Frozen, and we have no kids so no Playhouse Disney.

So for us it is a half day park. I am SO looking forward to the new Mickey ride and the new Star Wars land and Toy Story! Despite the half day nature for us, I do still love DHS.

 

[willowsnn3]

Yes. I love HS. I've never watched any of the Star Wars stuff but love Star Tours and I'm sure I will like attractions based on Star Wars.

 

[gatorlisa]

Yep. But I've just about given up commenting on them. HS has always been light on rides. I was disappointed that GMR closed before Toy Story Land opened, but there's still plenty to do at the park. I've seen the Indiana Jones show more times than I can remember, but enjoy it every time. Despite many visits, I only just saw the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast shows for the first time earlier this month. Toy Story Mania is tons of fun, Muppet Vision 3D has held up well to me and I still enjoy it, and Tower of Terror is my absolute favorite ride and I could ride it over and over and over again and never get tired of it. While slightly annoying that you can't get from Muppet Vision 3D to Toy Story Mania without going back around the front of the park, the construction has had much less impact on visiting the park than say the New Fantasyland construction or all the stuff they were doing at AK a couple of years ago that resulted in walls up all over the place. To me, the whole "HS is a shell of a park" is greatly exaggerated.

 

[katyj26]

I love DHS as it has some of my favorite rides. I will not stop going there but this past week that we have been here more rides have been shut down for technical difficulties than have been running. That is what is maddening to me. They can't keep the few rides that are left up and running because the demand is so high for them. They really should have had something ready to take some crowds before shutting down everything!

 

[bumbershoot]

Yes but those closures were not this summer yet that is when the threads started.
....
Backlot Tour was the only other ride closed and that was years ago now.

It's about time for people who haven't been in awhile to be heading back. So what's old news to you is newer, or new-feeling, to them.

Even though I only started going in 2010 it feels like yesterday that the backlot tour existed. And looking at the date it closed we've only had one solid family going-to-the-parks trip since then. So it does feel like yesterday.

As unique as I like to think I am, I'm not, really, so others have got to be feeling the same way.


And DHS already *was* a park we grew tired of halfway through the day. I don't think we've EVER stayed beyond 3 or so pm. We just get bored and leave.

 

[999_Happy_Haunts]

Yes but those closures were not this summer yet that is when the threads started.
There never has been many rides there.
Backlot Tour was the only other ride closed and that was years ago now.

I think one's perception is a function of how often they go to WDW. If you go twice a year, every year, the changes can seem very incremental. But let's look at this from the perspective of someone whose last visit was in 2013, (and I would argue that the "once every four or five years" guest is at least as common as the twice a year guest.) For the person who last visited in 2013, they could have spent a full day (and more) at DHS and their visit would have included all of the following, none of which exist any more:

• American Idol Experience
• Studio Back Lot Tour
• Legend of Jack Sparrow
• Animation Academy
• Lights, Motors, Action
• Honey I Shrunk The Kids Play Area
• Great Movie Ride

Now estimate how many hours it would take you to do all of these things. Easily 4 hours or more. Some of these things have been replaced with other options, but unless you have a pre-teen girl, are you going to a Frozen Sing-along? And does a SW character meet take up as much of your day as all these other things?

So from the perspective of someone who last visited in 2013, four or five hours of entertainment (plus wait times) have been removed with very little (nothing actually for my family--not into Frozen or SW character meets), taking its place. And that, I think, explains the complaints. It isn't just GMR.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I think one's perception is a function of how often they go to WDW. If you go twice a year, every year, the changes can seem very incremental. But let's look at this from the perspective of someone whose last visit was in 2013, (and I would argue that the "once every four or five years" guest is at least as common as the twice a year guest.) For the person who last visited in 2013, they could have spent a full day (and more) at DHS and their visit would have included all of the following, none of which exist any more:

• American Idol Experience
• Studio Back Lot Tour
• Legend of Jack Sparrow
• Animation Academy
• Lights, Motors, Action
• Honey I Shrunk The Kids Play Area
• Great Movie Ride

Now estimate how many hours it would take you to do all of these things. Easily 4 hours or more. Some of these things have been replaced with other options, but unless you have a pre-teen girl, are you going to a Frozen Sing-along? And does a SW character meet take up as much of your day as all these other things?

So from the perspective of someone who last visited in 2013, four or five hours of entertainment (plus wait times) have been removed with very little (nothing actually for my family--not into Frozen or SW character meets), taking its place. And that, I think, explains the complaints. It isn't just GMR.

You have it exactly right here, it is a lot to some folks like me. We don't go on RnR or ToT, our regulars were heavily made up of this list. Especially the Back Lot tour, Lights, Motor, Action, GMR and the Animation Academy.

 

[Tomh]

You have it exactly right here, it is a lot to some folks like me. We don't go on RnR or ToT, our regulars were heavily made up of this list. Especially the Back Lot tour, Lights, Motor, Action, GMR and the Animation Academy.

Yes, exactly this right here. We don't do RnR, or ToT. DD won't do Star Tours, though the rest of us do. The park has been reduced, for us, basically to Toy Story, which now you can get on maybe 2 times in a day (used to be able to do 3 or 4 if you worked your fast passes right), Star Tours for the rest of us, the Little Mermaid show, Muppet Vision, and maybe Indiana Jones, then a whole lot of nothing while we wait for Fantasmic.

If we had park hoppers, it might be a half day park. Since we don't get park hoppers, there really isn't enough in the park for us right now to justify using the ticket on. For folks who will do RnR, and ToT, there is a bit more to the park, and of course, families with younger kids have some additional options, but for our family there just isn't that much left to do in the park.