http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/9719
Everything sounds cool, but REMOVE THE SORCERER'S HAT?! Also, DHS is becoming WAY too much like California Adventure with Cars Land, the Theater, and the Trollies. I also don't see how Cars Land will fit to that tiny area. I'm nervous about the changes to Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, even though I don't like those rides. They should keep them the way they are. I'm excited about Tangled: The Musical and for Fantasmic!, I hope they add the updates DCA has, plus the addition of Dr. Facilier, M. Gothel, and Elsa from Frozen (if she's that evil).Cars Land along with its attractions Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Flying Tires, and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree would certainly be enough to finally convince people that Hollywood Studios is a full-day park. So I know what you’re saying, “Tom, some sites have already been saying Cars Land is coming to Florida, so none of this is new.” You’re right, Cars Land isn’t exactly a stretch, but the larger plan to revamp the Studios over the next 6 years is much more than one large land…
Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard will finally see the arrival of the Red Car Trolley if all goes according to plan. The cars will be stored behind Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, where they will then come through the gate near the attraction’s entrance, turn onto Sunset Boulevard, and ride down to Hollywood Boulevard. Now, as for where they will travel from here, I have heard two scenarios: either they will swing left to the park entrance and then turn back towards Sunset Boulevard down a new street taking them past the Theater of the Stars or they will take a trip up to the Great Movie Ride, passing over what used to be the Sorcerer’s Hat before returning down Sunset Boulevard. I tend to think the route illustrated above is a little more realistic considering guest flow in certain areas.
I like the idea of a new street cutting towards Sunset Boulevard as it would make is much easier to get from the park entrance to Tower of Terror, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, and Theater of the Stars. Speaking of Theater of the Stars, enjoy Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage while you can because that is currently scheduled to be the first thing leaving once work starts on this giant project. Similar to what happened to the Theater in the Wild at Animal Kingdom back in 2006, this theater will close for 10-12 months to be enclosed before a new show debuts. That new show? Tangled: The Musical.
Moving beyond the Hollywood of the 1930′s, one of the most anticipated pieces of the project has to be “Star Wars Land”. I don’t think that will be the name, but a new show and dining experience should round-out the Star Wars offerings in the park nicely. The beloved Backlot Express restaurant will be converted into the Mos Eisley Cantina from Star Wars: A New Hope, allowing guests to interact with strange creatures at the bar and order even stranger menu items, maybe even some blue milk. Meanwhile, Jedi Training Academy will move into the former Sounds Dangerous theater for an entire new version of the show that incorporates and audio-animatronics living character figure of Yoda. I’ve also heard Disney will be looking to either expand the existing shop or build a new larger Star Wars store near-by as the current store just can’t hold all of the merchandise they have available, including space for things like the Droid Factory or the “Carbon Freeze Me” process.
Moving north, Muppet Studios is in for some investment as well, albeit not nearly as major as anything else that might happen in the park. Pizza Planet will become a counter service location themed to the Muppets, while Mama Melrose’s should become some sort of table service experience with the Swedish Chef. While The Muppets have proven popular, the safe investment would be in converting dining locations rather than constructing a new attraction to showcase them. I also expect to see a few Muppets living character shows roll around this area as well, such as the returning Muppet Mobile Labs with Bunson Honeydew and Beaker, or the long rumored Electric Mayhem band.
The final piece of the puzzle should be the long-rumored Monsters Inc. suspended roller-coaster including a giant scene in the door room from the film. This ride would still be heading to Soundstage 1 from what I am hearing. I know, it may be hard to believe this one as we have been hearing about it forever, but now that the company is looking to invest in the park, it seems likely that a ride already somewhat developed would be cheaper to add than something still in the early stages of creation.
There are also rumors of changes to Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Fantasmic!, and the possible replacement of PIXAR Pals: Countdown to Fun with the PIXAR Play Parade currently running at Disney California Adventure.