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[Anthony]

(Or "Tarmac")

A random topic, I know, but it was something that was really criticised at the opening of the park, and something which doesn't really do the park any favours in the beauty league of Disney parks.

The floor of a disney park is just as important as everything above it.  With Buzz in april they used yellow, blue, purple and green flooring to make it look good, and they added some cool yellow paint markings to the Monsters Inc photo location in the studios too.

Should the asphalt stay to retain the "real studio backlot" look, or should they bring in more fancy paving like they have at the Disney Bros Plaza and Place des Stars?  Or maybe the same "moulded" concrete flooring they have across Disneyland Park?  Do you think it's letting the studios down, or do you think it's ok?
Your thoughts, please!  :donald:

[Jon]

i would say it depends on what was in the area, because if they built an area that was themed to look like a set then it may look good to have a break between a standard tarmac floor and a themed floor as it would make it look more like a real set having a sudden break in floor surfaces.

[Kristof]

They can't just use tarmac for Toon Studios.  The colour of the floor has to be whacky... For ToT I'd like to see some real paving.

I don't mind the floor covering to be honest at the Studios.

[flor]

There are to many difficulties with the pavement on front lont and the Place des Stars (too slippery) so it would be better to keep the 'tarmac'. If it rains it's not as slippery as those 'real pavement'

[Anthony]

i would say it depends on what was in the area, because if they built an area that was themed to look like a set then it may look good to have a break between a standard tarmac floor and a themed floor as it would make it look more like a real set having a sudden break in floor surfaces.

Yes, definitely.  I think the only problem with the use of tarmac in the Studios is the fact that there's so much of it.  The area in front of Tower of Terror between the Partners Statue and Backlot is the worst, IMO, because there's nothing breaking it up or adding any interest.  It also doesn't seem to fit with the buildings/attractions around there.  It looks fine in Backlot and leading up to Studio Tram Tour, but in Production Courtyard it's pretty bad.  They either need to change the flooring or break it up a bit with flower beds or something like in Animation Courtyard.

When they did the new Hollywood Studios area of DCA's Backlot, they changed the tarmac for better flooring and more flower beds, and I'd like to see a bit more of this in WDS too.  IMO, tarmac is fine for the Backlot areas of WDS, but makes Production Courtyard seem even worse because it's so bland to start with.

They can't just use tarmac for Toon Studios. The colour of the floor has to be whacky... For ToT I'd like to see some real paving.

On the plans leaked onto the net last year it seems like there'll be some kind of highway-style road bordering the Cars area, and then breaking up as if hit by an earthquake at the Animation Courtyard end...  Coloured flooring would be good, they used blue stuff at Buzz, so there's no reason why Crush's Turtle Twister couldn't have that too I guess!

I'm not sure about Tower of Terror - in DCA it's tarmac I think, with perhaps a bit of paving in the outside queue areas.  Over there it's themed like a hotel access road, so it makes sense.  Since we've got La Terrasse in front of ours, I suppose it depends whether they'll have that as the hotel's fictional main entrance or not... (they could have a road leading in from Studio Tram Tour and the future rumoured Boulevard)

There are to many difficulties with the pavement on front lont and the Place des Stars (too slippery) so it would be better to keep the 'tarmac'. If it rains it's not as slippery as those 'real pavement'

Yeah, that's true.  The Place des Stars and Front Lot are *really* bad when it rains, I was surprised how easily you can nearly fall over there.  The concrete floor outside the doors into Rock N Rollercoaster is really bad too.  They cope ok in Disneyland Park though, don't they?

I suppose in way using tarmac does fit the "real working studio" theme, but I think some areas of the park would be much better without it.  Imagine a rainbow-effect of coloured flooring spiralling out from the Animagique entrance, or a concrete red carpet leading out from CinéMagique!  It's so easy, and would really make the park shine.