3. The missing cohesion

At one time, Disney-MGM Studios was a cohesive park with a clear focus. It celebrated “the Hollywood that never was and always will be,” while lifting the curtain to reveal the secrets behind the movie magic. Every ride, show, and tour fit together in a logical trip through the movies.

The 1994 addition of Sunset Boulevard, with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, fit reasonably well with the overall theme. After all, Sunset Boulevard is a well-known Hollywood street, and the Twilight Zone (despite its belonging to rival CBS) was a solid choice to add much-needed thrills to the park. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, opened in 1999, was perhaps a bit more of a reach, but it was balanced by two solidly Disney properties, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage and Fantasmic!

As time went on, however, the park lost more and more of its cohesiveness. American Idol displaced Superstar Television, Sounds Dangerous replaced the Monster Sound Show, and Toy Story Midway Mania took over the former production soundstages. No one can argue that the Disney’s Hollywood Studios of today is a confusing mix of dissonant choices.

But will the new lands really help? What exactly do Star Wars and Toy Story have to do with each other? How will Disney create seamless transitions that make the park feel like a unified whole? Granted, Disney has a strong precedent of creating individualized lands—after all, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are not exactly a seamless blend—and transitioning them through the careful use of stylistic choices from plant life to music. Yet it almost seems like Disney is working backwards this time, retrofitting new lands into an existing park rather than developing a coherent master plan.

4. The polarizing choices

Although it might be hard to believe based on the crowds that descend for Star Wars Weekends each year, not everyone is a Star Wars fan. Likewise, more than a few people dislike the Toy Story franchise. While it was easy enough for those who do not enjoy those properties to bypass their individual attractions, the two lands are now taking over the park. Will non-fans find enough to do, or will they simply skip the park altogether? In the Disney-MGM Studios of old, or even the current mess that is Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there was truly something for everyone. Only time will tell whether that continues to hold true.

I think nearly everyone can agree that Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been in need of help for some time. Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land are certainly built on strong franchises that have demonstrated their staying power. The recent announcements from D23 suggest that each land will be complete, cohesive, and highly themed, with some speculating that they could come close to Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter in sheer immersive value. All of these are good things for the park. Still, for those who came of age during the promise of Hollywood East, it is hard not to feel a little nostalgic for what was and, even more importantly, for what could have been.

Are you excited about the new announcements? Do you have reservations? Will this mark a rebirth for Disney’s movie park? Sound off in the comments!