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[Anthony]

Raptor told me I should post this.  I got bored the other night and started planning what I'd do for WDS' Phase 3, after ToT and Toon Studio...

Behold - my amazing map-drawing skills! :lol:



I've only added two attractions (Soarin' and Philharmagic), two restaurants and some street sets, but I think it'd completely transform the park.

I moved the STT station and made it a central feature from the new plaza - you begin by taking a sharp turn left out of the building, which will give the plaza lots of activity.  Your ride then ends at the reign of fire set, a nice firey finale to the trip!

At the end of Sunset Boulevard I've put a large backdrop similar to the DCA one, but better. It'll join up to the Soarin and STT buildings, so it could look quite professional really.

I've also left room for Phase 4 - Toon Studio expansion into the forest area, possible with that Midway Mania ride they're working on, as well as a Fantasmic arena, and then further Hollywood expansion behind the temporary backdrop.

Raptor also just suggested that I replace the Brown Derby next to the Tower with the "Tip Top Club" as featured in DCA's ToT artwork:



So... what do you think?  I think it's a very realistic plan really.  It's actually less over-the-top than rumours we've been hearing, which is perhaps a first for a fan project. :lol:

[Kristof]

That is how it should be!!  I really, really love it!!!  The view coming out of Studio 1 would be amazing with ToT, the streetset and the new backdrop.  :shock:

Congratz!! I hope the great folks from Imagineering visits these boards as well ( :wink: )

[penfold12]

Nice one! It appears to work really well!! And gives the park more of the feel it needs, like MGM....... If only they would build "the hollywood that never was but always will be" as they described MGM.

Wasnt the tip top club also featured in the dodgey Tower of Terror film, starring Steve Guttenburg?

By the way, like how you quietly snuck in the Little Mermaid musical!!
I read that thats closing in MGM, to make way for the Broadway version, in the same way they pulled the Tarzan show in AK just before Tarzan opened on Broadway

[penfold12]

BTW, isnt the forest area zoned as a "nature area" and cannot be built on? I may be wrong, but im sure i heard that somewhere. Kinda makes no sense designing a park with it in the middle mind......

[Anthony]

By the way, like how you quietly snuck in the Little Mermaid musical!!
I read that thats closing in MGM, to make way for the Broadway version, in the same way they pulled the Tarzan show in AK just before Tarzan opened on Broadway

Yeah, that was sneaky of me.  I was trying to think of a suitable Disney film to feature a musical of for ages, but it's hard.  AK's new Nemo musical would be perfect, if it weren't for Crush's Coaster across the way.  I was originally going to move Legend of the Lion King there, but then I decided the park should get its own new show.  Hopefully it would be a Little Mermaid nearer the future broadway version than the MGM one. :wink:

BTW, isnt the forest area zoned as a "nature area" and cannot be built on? I may be wrong, but im sure i heard that somewhere. Kinda makes no sense designing a park with it in the middle mind......

I'm not sure if that's true or not to be honest.  They've already driven Studio Tram Tour right through half of it.  Original MGM-Studios Europe plans had the park expanding more to the left, over next to the train line, both to keep it away from DLP as well as away from the forest perhaps?  Hopefully they could expand the forest at the back and then be allowed to build over some of it.  It'd be a nice contrast to the rest of the park to have some attractions hidden in the forest!

The view coming out of Studio 1 would be amazing with ToT, the streetset and the new backdrop.

Definitely!  With Studio the Imagineers were actually quite clever, because it's a nice set but it's not especially detailed or realistic at all.  So imagine guests walk through that set thinking "oooo... cool set!" to then step outside the soundstage and be stood right at the foot of a real, full-on Sunset Boulevard.  They'd build an expectation and then top it.  It'd also work well in studio terms having the outdoor set as the daytime street and Studio 1 as a special nighttime stage.

Some extra notes: PhilharMagic would be themed to the Toon Studio Scoring Stage, the place where all the music is recorded for the Toons' productions.  The queue line and pre-show would pay homage to all the classic Disney soundtracks and composers, through an exhibition and pre-show video kinda thing.

I'm not sure how to fit Soarin' in... It definitely needs to be something to do with aviation, quite similar to the Condor Flats theme in DCA.  Maybe an eccentric Hollywood film producer has used his millions to develop a brand new way for people to experience a flight over America to discover its sights through the magic of the movies?  It'd fit into a period Hollywood theme, and would kinda link to Miramax's The Aviator.  I'd put some old planes out the front and theme the queue either to aviation history, aviation in films or just a general theme of American scenery...

Edit: Whoaa, I'm getting really into this now... :lol:

[penfold12]

Yeah, that was sneaky of me.  I was trying to think of a suitable Disney film to feature a musical of for ages, but it's hard.  

How about Hunchback of Nortre Dame?? Not the version that played in MGM, but a larger scale, somewhere along the lines of the Disney Theatrical version that played in Germany for 5 years?? Thats not only set in Paris, but would help attract the German Market that the are repotedly loosing slowly..... :lol:

[RnRCj]

That's great Baloo! It's just what WDS should look like! I can imagine it in my head. I especially líke the backdrop with STT and Soarin either side of it on "Sunset Boulevard". All your ideas are just what WDS needs to make it a better place.  

Please could you send that to the Imagineers?

[Kristof]

Starts looking like the real thing now :wink:

This time, the Imagineers are going to focus on the area surrounding the Tower Of Terror, by installing a new Hollywood street set!The new set will run the length of the miniature boulevard, from the entrance of the Art of Animation building and La Terrace food court, right the way to the Studio Tram Tour station. The station will be hidden behind a large false perspective screen, a little like the one found at the end of the Hollywood Pictures Backlot street in the California Adventure park.The new street will also extend to cover the front of La Terrace, leading into the circular plaza of the Production Courtyard. If all goes well and extra funds are assigned, we might even see extra facades being erected opposite the Rendezvous Des Stars restaurant. (As detailed in one of Peter Bell's articles.)The facades should be in place for the end of next year/early 2008, and look set to totally transform the aspect of the Studios park! I for one can't wait!

[murkai]

Hello, I really like your ideas for WDS! Could you please fix the link to your park map? I'd love to see it, thanks.  

[Anthony]

Hello, I really like your ideas for WDS! Could you please fix the link to your park map? I'd love to see it, thanks.  

I updated it for you.  If I drew the plan now, I'd probably do things quite differently - move/cut Soarin' for a start.

It's very weird that the Hollywood street sets came true, and even more weird that the actual project is waaay bigger than what I had in mind.  It's usually the fans with wild ideas. :lol:

[giorgio1712]

Looks really good man! YOu should make it "land" on someones desk!!

[murkai]

It's very weird that the Hollywood street sets came true, and even more weird that the actual project is waaay bigger than what I had in mind.  It's usually the fans with wild ideas. :lol:

Just shows how good your idea really was! The plans are really great, and I love the idea of expanding Toon Studios, so that it is not just boxed into one small area. Great map!

[Kristof]

Ant, maybe an updated version, if you find the time?  :wink:

[lilcharlie]

Just wondering whats the Midway Mania?

[Anthony]

Ant, maybe an updated version, if you find the time?  :wink:

Your wish is my command! I've just raided the EDL-I offices and found their plan for expansion to 2017! It looks like they've even solved the problem of what to place at the end of the boulevard - and it's not a chinese theatre, a fountain or a giant backdrop... They're also adding 5 new attractions, 4 restaurants (+1 rethemed), about 5 shops, a new theatre and... a lagoon to be used for both a daytime and nighttime show...

I'll post the plans and a full write-up in a minute, if Karl doesn't catch me first. :wink:

 :lol: