Credit: All photos Walt Disney World Resort
An iconic Walt Disney World Resort theme park is struggling, and guests are beginning to take notice.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has long been a cherished destination for fans of cinema, offering an immersive experience into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. However, recent developments have cast a shadow over this beloved Disney World park as it grapples with a series of setbacks that threaten to dampen the magic for visitors.
One of the most notable blows to the park’s appeal is the temporary closure of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. A staple attraction for thrill-seekers, this high-speed roller coaster has been a crowd favorite since its inception. However, the closure for refurbishment until the summer season has left a noticeable void in the park’s roster of rides. With just eight attractions currently operational, the absence of this coaster– which also typically carries with it a wait time exceeding an hour every day– exacerbates the challenges Disney’s Hollywood Studios faces in managing crowd volume.
Moreover, the closure of the documentary showing in Walt Disney Presents further compounds the park’s woes. This attraction served as a homage to the rich history and legacy of Walt Disney’s ventures. While the gallery is still open, the experience not being fully functional does not help in spacing out crowds.
Adding to the frustration of visitors is the recent disruption experienced at Toy Story Mania!. This popular ride, inspired by the beloved Toy Story franchise, encountered operational issues that resulted in a closure lasting more than four hours over the past weekend. Such incidents serve as inconveniences to Disney World guests, sure, but what this also means is that the attractions surrounding a closed ride see their wait times skyrocket.
In many cases, Disney fans have also experienced lengthy wait times on another attraction– Twilight Zone Tower of Terror– which has had to resort to running just one side at times due to technical issues. This essentially doubles the wait for the attraction.
The attractions inside of Disney’s Hollywood Studios are nothing short of impressive. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is immersive, and Rise of the Resistance is an attraction unlike any other. Slinky Dog Dash is a fun coaster for the whole family. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror remains an iconic landmark for the Disney park. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway has been a beloved addition to the theme park. However, even with these additions and the evolution of the theme park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios remains overrun by guests almost every day.
These challenges have left fans wondering about the future of the Disney World park, in general. While setbacks and closures are not uncommon in the theme park industry, the frequency and severity of recent issues have sparked apprehension among guests.
Disney has brought forth plans for construction and expansion at all of its other theme parks– Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom–. Still, the company has remained silent on Hollywood Studios since the opening of Galaxy’s Edge in 2019, except for one thing: The revamped Little Mermaid show– Voyage of the Little Mermaid– that is set to open later this year.
Magic Kingdom will soon have two new attractions open– TRON Lightcycle / Run and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure– in the past couple of years, and the theme park is set for a major expansion in the future, “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain.” EPCOT has been under construction for several years and has added new attractions and experiences like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is about to get a facelift with Dinoland, U.S.A going extinct for new and exciting experiences.
With all these developments– and more– happening at the other three theme parks, one would think that Disney might have plans to address the crowding problems that have plagued Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While the updated Voyage of the Little Mermaidshould help with crowd control, it’s not likely that this will pull enough volume daily to make a significant dent in the wait times that guests are seeing daily at the park. Ultimately, though, we’ll have to wait and see.
What do you think of Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!
