Grand Avenue & Muppet Courtyard

[Corey Mathery]

I honestly am not super excited for GE! I am not a Star Wars fan, and it just doesn't interest me that much. With that being said, this is going to be huge for Hollywood Studios, and Disney as a whole. This could easily be the best investment Disney has ever made in any of their parks. I know that they need to have a good launch, and I am sure Disney learned a lot from Pandora.

I will say though, we really won't know the total reaction until the public gets their shot at the area. You can speculate and plan all you want, but when the public gets in, that's the game changer! I think this will be as big as Harry Potter was to Universal. I think there are more SW fans than HP fans. They will flock to both the east and west coast to experience these attractions. Only time will tell though, and we will just have to see what the initial response will be, and how Disney will handle things!

Oh and as far as Grand Avenue is concerned, I made a little video showing off the main things like the tap house Grand Avenue - Hollywood Studios - NOW OPEN! - YouTube. Check it out if you want I think it is a nice little addition, but I really feel it will just be over looked once GE is open. So hopefully it will get the attention it deserves during this down period before GE opens.

Anyways, like I always say, these are just my opinions, and I would love to hear some contradictions to them. So fire away if you have anything you want to say!

~Corey Mathery

 

[Nick]

Oh, and Goofy is now meeting in front of the gate on Grand Avenue:

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I think this will be as big as Harry Potter was to Universal. I think there are more SW fans than HP fans. They will flock to both the east and west coast to experience these attractions. Only time will tell though, and we will just have to see what the initial response will be, and how Disney will handle things!

~Corey Mathery

I don't think people will travel to BOTH when they are the exact same thing, unless Disney markets both as different experiences. And I do think it will be huge for Disney, but I don't think they will get the same % increase that Uni saw with Potter. Potter was an untapped market, and SW already has a presence within the park. Not saying there will be a bump in attendance.

Also, is there the potential for a queue to be set up to the right of the future SWL entrance and between the muppets building? It seems like its a bare area that could be used for queue? Unless they go the timed ticket return method?

 

[Nick]

I don't think people will travel to BOTH when they are the exact same thing, unless Disney markets both as different experiences. And I do think it will be huge for Disney, but I don't think they will get the same % increase that Uni saw with Potter. Potter was an untapped market, and SW already has a presence within the park. Not saying there will be a bump in attendance.

Also, is there the potential for a queue to be set up to the right of the future SWL entrance and between the muppets building? It seems like its a bare area that could be used for queue? Unless they go the timed ticket return method?

It's next to impossible for SW to create the same % increase without surpassing MK numbers, which we know isn't going to happen.

Potter has done great things for UOR, bur mostly because the numbers were so low to start out with, it was fairly easy for the % increase to be huge.

 

[rcoasterdude]

Looking st the building that is being built at the end of Grand Avenue and the entrance to Star Wars, it looks like an old timey movie theater. Could we enter Star Wars land through a movie theater?????

 

[Nick]

Looking st the building that is being built at the end of Grand Avenue and the entrance to Star Wars, it looks like an old timey movie theater. Could we enter Star Wars land through a movie theater?????

Not a movie theater.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit version of Griffith Park Tunnel (roughly):

 

[Alicia]

Not a movie theater.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit version of Griffith Park Tunnel (roughly):

I know I've posted this before, but looks more like this tunnel to me now, which is still a CA tunnel:

 

[Nick]

I know I've posted this before, but looks more like this tunnel to me now, which is still a CA tunnel:

View attachment 5599

And you're actually right. I always forget the name of it so my mind just turns to Who Framed Roger Rabbit for some reason

 

[Teebin]

And what is the reason they are making this look like a 1930’s highway tunnel? I just don’t get it.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

And what is the reason they are making this look like a 1930’s highway tunnel? I just don’t get it.

Because magic

 

[Alicia]

And what is the reason they are making this look like a 1930’s highway tunnel? I just don’t get it.

Tis but a portal to a galaxy far, far away.

On one side it looks like an unassuming Southern CA tunnel, and the other side an alien outpost planet.

Unfortunately, walking through a brick wall was already taken.

 

[Nick]

Tis but a portal to a galaxy far, far away.

On one side it looks like an unassuming Southern CA tunnel, and the other side an alien outpost planet.

Unfortunately, walking through a brick wall was already taken.

It's like a Star Wars speakeasy

 

[Alicia]

It's like a Star Wars speakeasy

You wanna buy some death sticks?

 

[Mad Dog]

Now that would be cool. Entrance into a SW Speakeasy for DHS at the end of Grand Avenue, instead of a tunnel. Then when you walk out of the back of the Speakeasy, it would be the full SW land. I'd like that better than the tunnel, which kind of seems out of place for DHS....Though the tunnel seems to fit Disneyland fine.

 

[Nick]

which kind of seems out of place for DHS....Though the tunnel seems to fit Disneyland fine.

There's a reason for that - the land was designed for DL and ported over virtually as a carbon copy to DHS.

I like the idea of the tunnel, but i'm not sure how it will work in practice as I think you'll still be able to see slight bits of SW:GE from outside the land, unlike Diagon Alley. Although the berm they have created around that tunnel is quite high. Very high, actually. I wouldn't be surprised if they put landscaping on "top" of the tunnel to block any sight-lines from the outside.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

It seems as the tunnel will have walls to side and landscaping on top. I wonder if they considered the views from ToT? That should be interesting.

 

[captainmoch]

There's a reason for that - the land was designed for DL and ported over virtually as a carbon copy to DHS.

I like the idea of the tunnel, but i'm not sure how it will work in practice as I think you'll still be able to see slight bits of SW:GE from outside the land, unlike Diagon Alley. Although the berm they have created around that tunnel is quite high. Very high, actually. I wouldn't be surprised if they put landscaping on "top" of the tunnel to block any sight-lines from the outside.

Can't you see parts of Diagon Alley from outside? I'm pretty positive you can see parts of the dragon and some of the buildings from different points around the lagoon.

 

[Doug A.]

And what is the reason they are making this look like a 1930’s highway tunnel? I just don’t get it.

Well the whole Grand Avenue/Park area is a Southern California theme so it fits right in.

 

[Nick]

Ongoing construction in the area now sees the former path to Muppets from Star Tours permanently blocked off (as expected):

PHOTOS: Path Reroute Eliminates Walkway Next to Tatooine Traders - Blog Mickey

 

[epcyclopedia]

That looks terrible. And not because it's not finished - that red brick juxtaposed to the stone facade looks absolutely awful.