Disney’s Hollywood Studios Transformation Update

Today we starting our first series looking at the redevelopment of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s a multi-year process that will ultimately result in a new name for Walt Disney World’s third gate, along with two new lands (Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land) and a possible place-making effort to retheme much of the park.

Admittedly, there isn’t much work to document right now. There have been a few small closures and there will be more coming in April. So I’m submitting this update mostly as a placeholder to say. This is where things start.

Looks like there’s still a bit of cleanup left from the final season of Osborn Lights

Pizza Planet is down for a 6 momth refurb

At least they’re creative with the construction walls

Also closed are the restrooms attached to Pizza Planet

Closest restrooms are by Star Tours

Walls now hide the former Phineas & Ferb meet and greet

Walls also obscure the Cars photo-op and the Premiere Theater

We hiked up the Lights, Motors, Action grandstands to get a picture of the future home of Toy Story Land. Sadly, the famous Earful Tower will go away along with all this backstage stuff

Catastrophe Canyon looks ready to welcome guests, but it has seen its last many months ago

Some props await their final destination. Don’t send Herbie to the junkyard, please

Walt’s jet is also in the ‘construction zone.’ We’re all worried about what will become of it.

A look out over the skyline of DHS as it exists today

Finally the former audition halls of American Idol are being turned into a meet and greet area.

There’s a lot of prep work to do at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to get ready for construction on either project. Here are just a few of the projects:

• The water runoff plan for DHS needs serious improvements to handle rain water (it will now be directed across World Drive to a new 38-acre pond.)
• Parking expansion will also include some reworking of existing conservation areas
• Construction access roads and staging areas must be added.
• A new fireworks staging area will be built west of World Drive.
• Eventually, the main entrance will be relocated to give additional room backstage for Star Wars land.

As for timeline, Toy Story Land is expected to be completed first (sometime around November 2018) with Star Wars Land coming in late 2019 or early 2020. They want to build faster, but the prepwork is so involved that it may not be possible to rush it.

Do you think Disney will be able to rush either or both of these projects or will this be another long waiting game for fans?