Rumours Intensify Concerning the Future of Disney's Hollywood Studios...

As I'm sure you're aware, recent days have seen a flurry of activity in the Disney Community, as rumours about the much speculated makeover for Disney's Hollywood Studios have intensified. Anybody who reads a lot of Disney related articles and blog posts will be no stranger to the fact that this park in particular always seems to have several rumours floating around it, but this one is huge even by DHS' standards! It's been expected in the Disney Community for a while now that the park would be receiving a major overhaul sometime in the not so distant future, but it's been unclear what exactly this project will include.

Some people have said that the Studios will be getting a version of the hugely popular Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, whilst others have been insisting that a Star Wars Land will be the big news instead. Both have seemed equally likely, the former because George Kalogridis, the former president of the Disneyland Resort who oversaw the original Cars Land's construction, now has moved to WDW where he works in the same role, and the latter because of Disney's acquisition of LucasFilm last October. I for one would have been incredibly thrilled with either, but as these articles on Theme Park Insider and Orlando Theme Park News would suggest, we might be getting both! Speculation would suggest that Cars Land would occupy the land which currently plays host to the Backlot Tour and Lights, Motors, Action Show, with Star Wars taking up land around the current Star Tours attraction, or even extending the park beyond its current boundaries. I think personally that the latter option would be better for Star Wars, as it would allow Muppet Vision 3D to stay, unless of course that show was moved elsewhere. I really can't see them getting rid of the Muppets!

I would thoroughly recommend reading both of the aforementioned articles- they both contain absolutely everything you need to know about what is rumoured to be happening- which is a lot! I know that nothing's official yet, but if Disney do indeed go ahead with this expansion, then I'm positive that it'll be a great move for them, and, of course, for us Disney Fans! What with all the competition from Universal over the past couple of years, in my opinion it's only a matter of time before Disney announce something on this scale, and judging from what I've read, it would leave Universal miles behind! Not only can Star Wars boast more popularity than Universal's Harry Potter, it has so much more potential for translation into a theme park environment, whilst Cars similarly outweighs Universal's Simpsons and Transformers attractions in my opinion. 

There is so much information surrounding these rumours that it would be impossible to fit it all into one blog post, so again I encourage you to check out the two articles mentioned above! They're great sources of information! It has been speculated by many Disney Fans that Cars would open in 2017, with Star Wars following suit in 2018, but nobody really knows, we are after all at the stage where these things are merely rumours. The big announcement, if there indeed is one, is expected to come at the popular D23 Expo in California this year. It's also worth checking out the comments sections in each of the two articles, not only do they include some other awesome rumours, but some interesting opinions too.

All I will say at this point is that whatever happens, the future looks very bright for Disney's Hollywood Studios!

 Please note that the rumours described in this post remain at this point in time rumours, and should therefore be treated as rumours.

Thanks for reading! Have a magical day! 

Please also check out the We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast!

Attraction Review- Toy Story Mania

Before I start, I would like to issue yet another apology for the lateness of this post. I am having the dreadful misfortune to experience yet more technical issues with Blogger, which I am trying to find a permanent solution to. In the meantime, I thank you for your patience, and pledge to publish posts as soon as I possibly can. The show must go on!

Arguably the biggest innovation in theme park attraction technologies in the last decade is the many ways in which attraction designers can add whole dimensions of interactivity to the experiences they create. The Disney Imagineers were the pioneers of this massive advance in how theme park attractions function, and remain to this day the best in the world by far at creating interactive attractions. Naturally, shows are the attraction genre which are best suited to becoming interactive, but the ingenious Imagineers have concocted a winning interactivity formula which works for rides too. And considering how far ahead Disney's interactive attractions are of those of other parks, I shouldn't think they'll be giving away their secret ingredient any time soon!

It's undeniable that the Walt Disney World attraction which best epitomises the vast range of technology available in this respect is Toy Story Mania over at Hollywood Studios. The sole attraction in the park's 'Pixar Place' area, Toy Story Mania takes riders through an area themed as a carnival midway, where they play a host of interactive games on 3D screens which their ride vehicle stops in front of. The games, which all involve throwing virtual objects to hit targets, are controlled by a drawstring 'gun' fixed to the ride vehicle, with one gun per rider. This system is similar to that of Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom, indeed many people argue that the two attractions make each other redundant, due to them both being themed around the same characters and having similar conceptual features. Despite this, however, both attractions do have their differences, most notably how Buzz Lightyear's targets are really there, whereas on Toy Story Mania, they're on a 3Dvscreen. Apart from the aforementioned concerns, both attractions quite happily co-exist in Walt Disney World.

There are so many other ways in which guests can interact with this experience, and I was going to list them all now for you. But then, I had a brainwave! I have decided to add 'interactivity' as a category in which I rate the different attractions I review. So, starting today, every attraction review will also include my comments on the attraction's interactivity!

Anyway, back to TSM. Whilst the attraction itself is pretty cool, anyone whose ever been to Hollywood Studios will tell you that actually getting to experience it is a nightmare. TSM is by far the Walt Disney World attraction with the longest lines, and has been since its May 2008 opening. This is most influenced by the attraction's extreme popularity, largely caused in turn by the popularity of the Toy Story movies on which the attraction is based. When coupled with the fact that this attraction is a slow loader, the equation becomes disproportionate, therefore making long lines ubiquitous due to the attraction's inability to accommodate the droves of eager guests who rush to it each morning at rope drop, and continue to inundate it throughout the day. And it's not just peak times when these kind of waits are common, it's all year round, with the attraction rarely, if ever, having waits of less than 40 minutes. It's usually considerably more than that too! As you would expect, it is also insanely hard to get your hands on a Fastpass for TSM, especially one with a reasonable return time. Fastpasses are typically all gone by 11:30am, and you have to obtain one much earlier than that if you want to return at a decent time. Therefore, my biggest piece of advice if you're looking to ride TSM is to arrive at the Studios prior to park opening, and dashing to TSM as soon as that rope drops to either ride the attraction, or obtain Fastpasses- maybe even both! Try any other time of day and you'll most likely be greeted with a massive wait of 90+ minutes, and little or no Fastpasses available with which to bypass it. The only advantage all this causes is that Hollywood Studios' other major attractions have had their early morning waits significantly shortened by the arrival of TSM.

And now for my ratings of Toy Story Mania:

Thrill~ 8/10
This attraction is another which will delight your senses, predominantly your sight and sound senses. This is enhanced by the impressive 3D graphics showcased by this attraction, made even more impressive by the fact that they aren't showing a set recording, but instead a real-time game. The games are the creme de la creme of this attraction, bringing life to an environment which otherwise contains minimal theming, and providing the most thrill as well, as guests compete in lighthearted contests for high scores.

Scariness~ 1/10
There really is nothing which is at all scary in any way about TSM! It's one of Walt Disney World's most family friendly attractions, and has no features which are at all intimidating. The focus here is having fun, and that is exactly what this attraction delivers.

Theming~ 9/10
Like I said previously, a lot of the theming of the actual ride is virtual, but despite this Disney have still managed to strike a perfect balance between both the virtual theming and the environmental theming. It all flows remarkably well to create a very believable environment as a setting for your interactive adventure. An honourable mention goes to the queue, which is one of those great queues which perfectly gets you in the right mood to best experience the attraction. It uses giant versions of various popular real life toys to create the illusion that you've been shrunk down to the size of one, creating a visually interesting environment to queue in. Whilst I've only ever used Fastpass for this attraction, I have been in the main queue areas, and whilst they are very well themed, they don't really have enough to keep guests occupied, especially considering the amount of time some guests spend in line for this attraction. It's only a matter of time before Disney install an interactive queue into this attraction, if you ask me.

Educational~ 2/10
There really isn't much to be learnt from TSM, apart from how to perfectly pull of an interactive attraction!

Fun~ 10/10
As I have hinted several times earlier in this article, Toy Story Mania is all about fun! As with Journey Into Imagination With Figment, last week's attraction, the focus on Toy Story Mania is 100% fun, with the lightheartedly competitive experience contributing a great deal to this. It's impossible not to enjoy all of the beautifully devised games, or at least the spirit of competition!

Repeatability~ 10/10
Because you play games on TSM, it becomes incredibly easy to repeat, as you get a slightly different experience each time you ride it, with each one being unique to you. Whether you're trying to beat your own high score, beat that friend we all have who's worryingly good at winning all the games, or just trying to simply hone your skills as a beginner, there are so many ways to experience TSM, and so many mentalities in which to do so.

Interactivity~ 10/10
TSM is without a doubt WDW's most interactive ride, and if it weren't for Monsters Inc Laugh Floor over at the Magic Kingdom, it would most likely be the most interactive attraction too. Not only is there the innovative Mr Potato Head animatronic in the queue, who engages with guests in real time, but the very essence of the attraction itself, where YOU control what happens on the screen, and ultimately your own 'destiny', at least as far as the attraction goes. The friendly competition within your ride vehicle adds a great deal to this, a whole new dimension of interactivity, if you will.

And finally, my overall rating of Toy Story Mania~ 8/10
I'll be honest, for me TSM didn't really live up to its excessive hype. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't exceptional either, and whilst I hate to say this, it wasn't quite up to the standard I expected and was made to expect. True, it is still early days for a lot of the technology adopted in the attraction, and as a 15 year old boy I don't exactly fit into this attraction's target demographic, but as a family attraction, TSM really does need to be as universally appealing as possible. It's not like my opinions have been influenced by my preferred type of attractions either. Whilst I, like most people my age, am a big thrill seeker, I also have a lot of appreciation for rides with a rich storyline, they are in fact my preferred attraction type, something a little less common amongst people my age!
Despite all this, however, I do think that TSM is a truly great attraction. I have no doubts in my mind that Disney will update it as new technology available, and that it will remain a major part of the Hollywood Studios attraction lineup for many decades to come.

So, what do you think? Is Toy Story Mania really Walt Disney World's most interactive attraction, or is there one which exceeds it in this field? Are interactive attractions the way to go for the future? Share it with the world in the comments below, or on the blog s Facebook page!

Thank you for reading, and have a magical day!

World of Dreams Photo of the Week

This week our photo shows the Entrance of Walt Disney World's most sensational, inspirational, celebrational and Muppetational show (try saying that fast five times). Muppet Vision 3D, located over at Disney's Hollywood Studios, is a 3D Movie and Audio-Animatronic presentation, featuring Kermit and Co. demonstrating their latest technology- 'Muppetvision' in a (not so) musical spectacular. However, this being the Muppets, mayhem soon sets in. I took this photo of this superbly done show's sign just before entering on the first ever time I saw it! I have edited it slightly to enhance the colours and quality, but for the most part, this is the original photo I took.

Before I sign off today, I would just like to thank you all again. Last week, the World of Dreams Blog reached 5000 all time pageviews! These 5000 views include when the blog was called the 'Disney Parks Unofficial Blog', as well as whilst in its current form. I just want to say a massive thank you to all of you for supporting and reading the blog- I can't begin to describe how much it means to me. I really appreciate it!

Thanks for reading, I hope the rest of your week is magical!

World of Dreams Photo of the Week

This week I have chosen a picture of the massive guitar which fronts the Rock 'n' RollerCoaster attraction on Sunset Boulevard at Hollywood Studios. As you can see, I have adjusted the saturation, contrast and sharpness of the photograph to create an effect, and really enhance the vibrant colours of the guitar, which I consider to be one of the Park's most stunning icons.

What are your thoughts on this attraction? Please comment below with your opinion! Thanks for reading the World of Dreams Blog, and have a magical day!

Cars Land RUMOURED to be built at Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Rumours have emerged in the past few hours that Disney will make an official announcement very soon about plans to build a version of Disney's California Adventure's hugely successful Cars Land in Disney's Hollywood Studios. There has been another rumour surrounding this possibility for months, almost ever since the original Cars Land opened in California earlier this year, and, whilst it still remains a rumour, several reliable sources have confirmed that the announcement is due to happen sometime soon. 
I understand that Cars Land will be situated on the land currently occupied by the Backlot Tour and the Lights, Motors, Action Show, which would both close to make way for the new area. Although we know that the land itself is rumoured to be built, we still have little idea of which attractions will feature. The immensely popular Radiator Springs Racers is a strong candidate, but may not make it to WDW, as it draws too many similarities with Epcot's Test Track, which re-opens tomorrow after being refurbished and updated since April. I'm sure that Disney won't want to create an exact replica of the land already in California, and will avoid having the exact same thing on both coasts.
For this reason, we will hopefully see some original attractions being developed for the Florida version by the Imagineers, and maybe even new locations from the film for the land, instead of Radiator Springs Town, like the original Cars Land already has. It would be great to see maybe a small drive 'em yourself attraction, similar to the Tomorrowland Speedway (which could lead to the closure of the Speedway, opening up some prime real estate for a new attraction in the Magic Kingdom), alongside an interactive playground for kids, and maybe a simulator based on the movie, or an attraction focusing on the World Grand Prix from Cars 2 for teens and adults. I'm also assuming that the Cars Meet and Greet, WDW's sole Cars attraction, would be moved into the new land as well. There are so many things the Imagineers could do with the Cars movies, and I can't wait to see what they come up with!
Believe it or not, there are also rumours circulating that Cars may only be a part of a larger Pixar Land, which would be an expansion of the existing Pixar Place area. This has in turn led to the inevitable resurfacing of the ubiquitous 'Monsters Inc Doors' Hanging Rollercoaster rumour, which has overshadowed Hollywood Studios for years, and could finally become a reality. I would love to see this come to fruition, but I really don't see how this could all fit in to the park. It's looking more likely that that Cars Land will just adjoin the existing Pixar Place.
More on this as it happens, but for now I'd love to hear your views on this exciting news! Please feel free to leave a comment, or leave a message on our Facebook page or my Twitter account.

Thanks for reading, and have a magical day!

As The Official Opening Of New Fantasyland Approaches, Sightings Of A Dragon Are Reported In WDW...

Thursday December 6th is going to be a big day for Walt Disney World. On a day which has certainly already cemented itself in WDW history, the resort will see not one, not two, but three major new Official Openings; with the Animal Kingdom the only theme park not to have an attraction making its debut. All three have been going through soft openings, or 'Dress Rehearsals', but are being officially opened on Thursday.

Firstly; The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow will be opening in Hollywood Studios' Soundstage 4 (where the Journey Into Narnia walkthrough attraction was housed). As with Narnia, the Captain Jack attraction will be a walkthrough, and Disney have promised that it will include content from every Pirates of the Caribbean movie. They are also claiming it to be 'a first of its kind sensory experience', and that, if you haven't experienced this attraction; 'you don't know Jack... Yet'. As always, the detail which has gone into both the concept art and the attraction itself are stunning, in a way that only Disney can pull off. If you want to see for yourself, WDW Magic have a great selection of photos.

Next, we head over to Epcot, where the long awaited and eagerly anticipated Test Track 2.0 will be starting its engine! Closed for refurbishment since spring this year, the re-imagined Test Track, now presented by Chevrolet is the second attraction to be premiering on Thursday. The old, moderately popular queue has been replaced with a futuristic queue, where you get the opportunity to design your own car, before boarding an equally futuristic 'SimCar', which will take you on a thrilling adventure around Test Track's amazing circuit. Upon exiting the ride, guests will have the opportunity to make a commercial for their car design, have their picture taken with it, and race it around a virtual track. It sounds like another awesome Disney attraction!

Last, but certainly not least, there is 'the big one'. The second, biggest phase of the Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland will be opening, comprising of the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast areas. The Storybook Circus area (first phase) opened last March, and the second phase has been doing Soft Openings, meaning that I was fortunate enough to get to experience both on my recent trip in October. Having actually been there, I can tell you that the New Fantasyland area is absolutely stunning- another spectacular feat of Disney Imagineering. The theming is superb, the attractions equally so, and from what I've seen, I wouldn't be surprised if Fantasyland knocks Frontierland off its perch as the Magic Kingdom's most popular land, especially after the third phase (Snow White) opens in 2014.
Thursday will see several additions to Fantasyland, the most notable of which being Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, and the Be Our Guest Restaurant. Gaston's Tavern, a counter service restaurant, will also be opening, alongside Enchanted Tales With Belle; an interactive storytelling experience, and several gift shops and snack carts.

Although all of these things are exciting additions to the Magic Kingdom, they have been overshadowed in recent weeks by rumours of a Dragon heading 'back home' to New Fantasyland. The Dragon rumours first surfaced back in June, when Imagineers were spotted testing an actual flying Dragon (which I believe they now have a patent for) at an airfield in California. At the time, it was speculated that the Dragon was for the upcoming Avatar Land at the Animal Kingdom, but ever since Disney have begun dropping hints through a blog post and a Tumblr Blog, people are certain the Dragon is headed to New Fantasyland. Lots of ideas are being bounced around- including the possibility of Epcot's Figment being somehow involved! Disney have, in their usual style, been feeding us little tidbits of info about this- and the links above are really worth a look, the story they've created for this is incredible, especially the interview with an 'anonyMOUSE' source. Sightings of the mysterious beast have begun appearing all over the place now- and I for one cannot wait for the reveal!

I'd love to hear your views on this! If you want to share your views, please feel free to leave a comment below! Thanks for reading, and have a magical day!