Worst Things About Hollywood Studios?

I think, for me, it lost its entertainment (experience) touch.
I loved:
1. Animation drawing class - I still have the drawings we did as a family
2. Sound Studio - they did update it, but as a hands on experience, it was fun and interesting. I guess the park got too big and crowded for that to be something they could offer. Like the backlot tour. You could join in while they filmed the boat/bomber scene (so much fun) then Honey I Shrunk the Kids, where they demonstrated how the kids rode on the bee; that sort of personal experience
3. They used to have live action towards the back; for instance, there was the Hunchback of Notre Dame live action play, then later the Ace Ventura stunt show, Toon Town and the Honey I Shrunk play area. Ninja Turtles doing a live show, then stepping down for autographs.
They don't have to have the same experiences they used to, but they could have updated these aspects of the park.
4. I feel as if they've tried to compete with theme parks. Disney is not a theme park (not in the sense of being a concrete park where you travel from thrill ride to thrill ride). For me, it's always been an experience, an immersion into the magic, living in a make believe land. I can stay home and have roller coasters and thrill rides. I don't care much for the Toy Story Land, don't like the layout, but it reminds me more of being at the state fair as opposed to Andy's back yard. I think the new Star Wars Land is a step in the right direction, and long as it is a land you can immerse yourself in and feel as if you're truly inside Galaxy's Edge it will succeed.

I do believe that the powers that be are trying to make Walt Disney World bigger and better, however, as far as the feeling the visitors take away from their day at the park, I just get the feeling that they really don't care.
 
The layout! Even before SWGE construction started there have always been dead ends that you don't realize until you run into a wall and have to turn around. And those facades? Do something with the space instead of having building fronts that are meaningless in the current context of the park.
 
Lack of a quick exit from the Fantasmic show. Exiting from that show and park would be so much better if i could just hang a left at the bottom of the ramp and quickly exit the park but no, they make you walk all the way around.. ugh. i hate that.. mainly because its at the end of the day and i am tired and ready to get back to the room and bed! Other than that, i love it all... ;)
 
I would say the biggest complaint about HS is basically the "phase" it is in. They are trying to completely redo this park but I still don't know what they are wanting to accomplish with it. It doesn't resemble what it use to be, and it is difficult to say what it is becoming. I feel as though it is an overflow of ideas that they are not sure what to do with. It makes sense to have SWGE and Toy Story there but there is no overall theme of "Hollywood"..or studios.. to tie it all together like it use to have. I feel like now it is way more random with what is in that park. And really it has become a half day experience on our vacation.
 


I'm not sure why a lot of people say it has no theming now as opposed as before...it's Hollywood, the movie franchises that Disney owns. Music, T.V. and Movies.
It's like saying MK has no cohesive theming because we have Adventureland next to Frontierland next to Fantasyland, if anything, DHS has a more cohesive theme that MK
I understand the nostalgia of what it was, I loved the original MGM Studios and not having any of the original attraction/shows is a big deal as the loss of identity, but the cohesive theme is still there
Just my opinion
 


Even before the construction, there were a lot of areas that were prone to congestion—i.e. the area by Hollywood Brown Derby that's impossible to walk around when it's crowded.

DHS has lost its theme, too. It used to be a big working movie set mixed with Hollywood in the 60s(?), now it's sort of a hodge podge. Are you on a movie set? Are you inside your favorite movies? Are you still in the 60s?
 
I echo everyone's comments about how the food options are the worst at Hollywood Studios. Mama Melrose is just Italian food which you can get in almost any locale in America and the rest of the Table Service restaurants are just ok, including Hollywood Brown Derby. If you're using a DDP that makes it even worse to spend 2 credits on an "ok" meal at HBD. The quick service locations are all mediocre as well, and while the Fairfax/Rosie area is a little better than everything else, it super sucks that it's outside, and Andy's Lunchbox is also outside. The entire eating experience makes me wish we didn't have to book anything there 180 days out, but also don't feel like dealing with the hassle of leaving the park to go eat elsewhere (especially after SWGE opens).
 
I think they lost the vision for the park and now its just more of IP rides with no real theme anymore.
lack of good QS restaurants, haven't tried Woodys Lunchbox.
Lack of shade in the lands, TSL is the worst for this.
Poor upkeep/updating of the rides.
I would agree that the worst part of HS is just the phase its in now. So many things closed and nothing new to replace them yet.
Seeing how poorly HS handles the TSL crowd makes me even more worried what will happen when SWGE opens. The walk ways are not wide enough to handle that kind of crowd.
 
A lot.:sad: I haven't read all the posts here so may be repeating. This USED to be my fave park, not anymore.
1) Lack of a cohesive,immersive theme. This is what Disney was known for,why it built a reputation as 'worth more' than the average theme park experience. The other 3 parks still maintain their immersive themes overall, but the Studios has gone completely awry with this concept. I have no clear idea of what it will be like when it's all finished with the new stuff,but I don't have a lot of optimism. As it stands, it's a mess with a few fun attractions tossed in,and not enough of those to warrant a days admission,which is steadily (and horrifyingly) rising.
2) The loss of the ''old Hollywood" feel,music,streetmosphere characters is a huge blow. I used to enjoy just wandering there,and watching the MANY streetmosphere shows all day. What a sad loss.
3) Stormtrooper marches through what used to be fake movie sets,etc. (see #2) Stormtroopers are nazis. And I don't enjoy watching them march around every 15 minutes with the awful music blaring. They're the villians in the movie,and it just feels wrong that they've become the main focus of the entire park.
4) lack of actual attractions - on my last visit(before toy storyland opened) we entered the park at about 10-11 am,and we were done by about 2. We saw all the rides,a couple of the shortened shows,and couldn't force ourselves to hang around and wait till the night show. We left,and that's about how much there is to do that's interesting now.
 
I also don't like that the park doesn't have an "icon." MK has the castle, AK has the Tree of Life and EPCOT has Spaceship Earth...they took away everything that HS once had. I know they use ToT now but to me a ride should not be the icon. I hope that SWGE helps the park out because to me it is failing. When we were there last January, my daughter and I found this sweets shop while my husband and son rode Rockin Rollercoaster and we got this gigantic cookie...well I have heard that that shop is now gone and it is a Toy Story shop, yet it is nowhere near TSL. It seems like many things they are doing at HS don't make logical sense; it just seems like the land of misfit toys.
 
For me, the lack of a consistent theme is not so much an issue, but the size is.

I love Old Hollywood, but the areas dedicated to that theme are pretty tiny. It can be a pro, in that it gets you around easily, but there are very few things in the Park especially iconic. The Tower of Terror is an exception, and Grauman's theatre will be re-opened shortly. I remember the street shows they had with the theme and it seems to have been overlooked.

Also, it seems to be totally lacking in interesting or diverse merchandise. Last time I was there, I was unable to find anything unique or interesting.
 
A lot.:sad: I haven't read all the posts here so may be repeating. This USED to be my fave park, not anymore.
...
2) The loss of the ''old Hollywood" feel,music,streetmosphere characters is a huge blow. I used to enjoy just wandering there,and watching the MANY streetmosphere shows all day. What a sad loss.

I %100 percent agree. It was such a fun place when I was a teenager. It now feels like a Park which is just sort of going through the motions.
 
they took the Hollywood out of Hollywood Studios! Bring back animation drawing classes, movie history and set tours like backlot. I may never get to the real Hollywood. I would love to see what I am missing. (And Pixar does not have anything but rides.)
 
Personally, I would rather see a "Best Things About Hollywood Studios" thread. I am tired of re-hashing this topic many times over.
 

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