Disney is Renaming Hollywood Studios - Again

March 12, 2015, 12:46 PM · At Disney's corporate shareholders meeting today, CEO Bob Iger revealed that Walt Disney World will rename the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park upon the completion of its transformation.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Iger stopped short when responding to a young girl who asked about the park's name, raising questions as to whether Iger intended to reveal the name change or not. Iger did not say what the new name of the park would be or when it would change.

And even though Iger confirmed the park transformation project that Disney's confirmed in multiple shareholder and investor conversations, Walt Disney World has yet to formally unveil any major new projects at the Studios. Disney management had green-lit a new Star Wars Land for the park, only to put the project on hold during the production of the new Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens sequel, which will premiere later this year.

From its debut in 1989 until 2008, Disney's Hollywood Studios was known as Disney-MGM Studios. Disney changed the name after its licensing deal with MGM terminated.

In other news from today's event, Disney officials said that Spring 2016 is the current target for opening Shanghai Disneyland, that the new Avatar land at Disney's Animal Kingdom remains on track for a 2017 debut, that Star Wars, Episode VIII will premiere in May 2017, and that Rogue One, the first Star Wars spin-off movie, will come in December 2016.

Oh, and yeah, they're admitting now that they are making Frozen 2, to the surprise of exactly no one.

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Replies (65)

March 12, 2015 at 12:54 PM · Disney's Hollywood Adventure
March 12, 2015 at 1:01 PM · Why would they feel the need to change the name again? I don't get it.
March 12, 2015 at 1:07 PM · Episode VIII in May 2017??? Wow, that would be a lightning fast production since they're still doing reshoots for Episode VII. My understanding was that the Trilogy films would come ever 3 years with spinoff in the 2 years in between. I can see the desire to get the Trilogy/pillar movies out of the Holiday release schedule and into the summer release schedule, but I don't know if they can produce a Star Wars film in 2 years while completing the one currently in post. It's a very ambitious schedule, and combined with the Marvel Civil War schedule would make Disney a Box Office Behemoth for the next 3 years.
March 12, 2015 at 1:11 PM · My guess is it will change to "Disney Studios." The "Hollywood" moniker caused a lot of confusion with guests that were also visiting "Universal Studios." It brands the park far better.
March 12, 2015 at 1:15 PM · Disney's film lineup for 2017 is insane: Star Wars 8, Guardians 2, Pirates 5, Toy Story 4, Thor 3, and whatever Disney cartoon will come out (too soon for Frozen 2?). Russell, "Behemoth" might be an understatement. Wow!

New DHS name: Disney Isles of Adventure? ;)

March 12, 2015 at 1:21 PM · Disney Hollywood Adventure....That's the name I've seen bandied about most often.
March 12, 2015 at 1:26 PM · I agree, Rob. I've heard Disney Hollywood Adventure. It's no longer, nor will it ever again be, an active production facility.
March 12, 2015 at 1:27 PM · I suspect that Disney aims to treat Star Wars much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with multiple films in production at once and, ultimately, multiple releases a year.
March 12, 2015 at 1:33 PM · Obviously this is another "knee-jerk reaction" demonstrating Disney's panic about the success of Universal's Harry Potter attractions.

(Snark)

Sorry ... Couldn't resist.

March 12, 2015 at 1:32 PM · There needs to be more panic. FP+ tickets sold out. People stop visiting Disney World because it is too crowded!!!
March 12, 2015 at 1:34 PM · Name options:

Disney's Florida Adventure
Disney's Hollywood Adventure
Walt Disney Studios Theme Park
Disney's Miscellaneous Adventures

Add your suggestions in a comment, and I'll pick five for a Vote of the Week tomorrow.

March 12, 2015 at 1:37 PM · Disney's Other Park.... hahahaha
March 12, 2015 at 1:38 PM · Disney's Means of Generating Revenue to Launch a Hostile Takeover of Comcast?
March 12, 2015 at 1:38 PM · Star Wars Land
March 12, 2015 at 1:39 PM · They will probably make it Disney Studios to fit in line with Paris. Or Hollywood Adventure.
March 12, 2015 at 1:42 PM · Disney's Acquisitions Park.
March 12, 2015 at 1:43 PM · Disney's Pixar-Star Wars Land
Disney's Sorry We Can't Give You Marvel on this Coast Land
March 12, 2015 at 1:43 PM · Lucas Land.
March 12, 2015 at 1:44 PM · 3 Ride park - TS, TT, R N R coaster..
March 12, 2015 at 1:47 PM · Well if they have to rename it than Disney Movie Land would be good.
March 12, 2015 at 1:48 PM · The Park that remained to small
March 12, 2015 at 1:49 PM · Disney's Holly Woody Wookie Adventure
March 12, 2015 at 1:50 PM · Robert is there a way I can contact Disney or Marvel???
March 12, 2015 at 2:11 PM · I would call the new park... and it's tagline:
- Formerly not Disney Park - Disney IP's bought because they couldn't get their life action and animation studio to be profitable so we bought others successes.
- Star Cars Park - We are the one with no Potter nor Marvel.
- Sequel park (and Arrowsmith).
- TPFKATOWTUH (The park formerly know as the one with the ugly hat).
- Little mismatch land - We don't have a coherent theme just like Epcot but are much smaller.
March 12, 2015 at 2:11 PM · My guess is that if they are planning to change the name, they are really going to change it, not to something that is basically the same.
March 12, 2015 at 2:15 PM · How about Disney Cinematic Adventure? Though that would result in two DCAs.

Anyway, I wonder what scale the refurbishment of the park will be. I've never been to the park, but based on what I've heard (as well as my experience at the similar Walt Disney Studios Paris) it could be a candidate for a full makeover. Realistically, I'm guessing it will just be Star Wars Land and maybe one other major new attraction, along with some general refurbishments.

March 12, 2015 at 2:20 PM · Perhaps the most smirk-worthy irony of the expansion of the 'Star Wars' franchise's footprint is that the creative leader of its development is Scott Trowbridge - the guy who left Universal Creative to join the ranks of WDI.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/other/walt-disney-company/news/25apr2014-imagineering-move-scott-trowbridge-to-new-dedicated-star-wars-studio-at-wdi.htm

Regardless ...

March 12, 2015 at 2:19 PM · AJ, at present DHS is something like 1/3 shut down by and area, with another 1/3 that could easily follow. It's more likely a drastic re-imagining of a park that was somewhat hastily imagined in the first place.
March 12, 2015 at 2:22 PM · Disney Franchise Adventure
March 12, 2015 at 2:25 PM · I like that one!
March 12, 2015 at 2:33 PM · Disney's Conglomerate Land!
March 12, 2015 at 3:02 PM · Actually Universal considered the "franchise adventure" thing when they embraced outside attraction concepts like Marvel, 'Ghostbusters,' 'Men In Black,' 'Barney,' 'The Simpsons,' Harry Potter, an army of comic strip characters that inhabit Toon Lagoon and Shrek ... They didn't think it would work
March 12, 2015 at 2:38 PM · Disney's Hollywood.

Simple, effective, and you can rebrand all the merchandise and packaging with white-out.

March 12, 2015 at 2:39 PM · Disneys IP Kingdom or Disney-Pixar-Lucasfilm-Henson Adventure.
March 12, 2015 at 2:48 PM · Disney's Magical Grotto of Movies. That way we can all just call it MGM again!
March 12, 2015 at 2:52 PM · I suspect the other shoe may drop between August 14th and August 16th at the D23 Expo in Anaheim.
March 12, 2015 at 3:07 PM · Iger suggested a possible expansion of the Disneyland Resort, but no third theme park. He did not say this is a definition decision so a third theme park could happen in the future. I wonder what the expansion should include? A new land in DCA? Downtown Disney expansion? A new hotel?
March 12, 2015 at 3:18 PM · Disney's Wonderful World of Conglomeration
March 12, 2015 at 3:27 PM · I've long believed that everything planned and under development at WDW has gravitated toward 2021 -- the Fiftieth anniversary. The infrastructure, resort renovations, DAK expansion and now DHS ... or ... whatever it's gonna be called.
March 12, 2015 at 4:17 PM · I can't come up with a better name than those already suggested, so I'll just wait for the vote tomorrow. However, I will say that it would be somewhat foolish to rename it after what is currently regarded as the worst Disney park.

I've been pretty laissez-faire about the whole Frozen presence at Disney, but the sequel leaves me feeling a little cold (pun semi-intended). Frozen was based on The Snow Queen fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, who also wrote The Little Mermaid. While not a direct translation (no Disney fairy tale movie has ever been really that remotely close to the source material), it still took key elements and reworked them for a modern audience. A sequel, should they pursue one, would require an entirely fresh story. Disney's done that with all their direct-to-video sequels (except the Lion King sequels) and those were mediocre at best and somewhat tarnished the reputation of the original. I suspect a Frozen sequel would suffer similarly.

March 12, 2015 at 4:28 PM · Disney's Fast Food Adventure

or

Disney's Frozen Parts

March 12, 2015 at 6:49 PM · Mr. Niles uses the word "Renaming." I might assert the proper term MIGHT be "re-branding." And when it is re-branding at this level (the Bigs) that's ... substantial.
March 12, 2015 at 6:24 PM · Thank you, Disney, for the name change! DHS just was not right. Though if they do add "Adventure" to the name, then I will give up all hope for this park, once my favorite and closest to my heart. I do not think Walt Disney Studios, the best name available, would work because of all the genius tourist that would get it confused with Walt Disney World.
March 12, 2015 at 6:28 PM · I really don't care what they end up calling it but it would sure be nice for a real roller coaster to be introduced ANYwhere on Disney property at some point. ToT and RRR don't really fit the mold and Disney kids DO get older
March 12, 2015 at 7:40 PM · Disneys Half Day Park
March 12, 2015 at 7:44 PM · Disney's Pixar Wars (The Battle Against Harry)
Or
Disney, Lassiter and Lucas Land (Walt, John, and George Follow the Yellow Brick Road)
Or there's always
Frozen World (the Park that Never Changes Anything Except its Hat)

March 12, 2015 at 8:37 PM · We've Run Out of Original Ideas Continent
March 12, 2015 at 8:44 PM · Disney's Hollywoodland
March 12, 2015 at 8:54 PM · I saw this on another site...Iger & Stagg's Excellent Adventure
March 12, 2015 at 9:23 PM · The Little Park That Couldn't
or
Star Wars (when they get around to actually building anything remotely resembling) Land Plus Stuff
March 13, 2015 at 1:40 AM · The only one i can think of that fits a Disney Corporate mind is... Cinema Kingdom.
March 13, 2015 at 5:39 AM · Disneys Frozen Park (and other stuff too)
March 13, 2015 at 6:05 AM · Disney's Ultimate Movie Park (DUM Park).
March 13, 2015 at 6:51 AM · The new name will be "Something Something Something Darkside!!!!"
March 13, 2015 at 6:59 AM · Disnudios.
March 13, 2015 at 7:42 AM · "Mr. Niles uses the word "Renaming." I might assert the proper term MIGHT be "re-branding." And when it is re-branding at this level (the Bigs) that's ... substantial."

I respond: Re-branding a half day theme park with more meet & greets than rides (6 total) is hardly substantial.

March 13, 2015 at 8:23 AM · Gabriel....said...."Disnudios"....SMH, I can't....

That has my vote, lol.

"Excuse me are you a cast member here at Disnudios? Can you tell my where I can find exclusive Disnudios merchandise? Because I'm about to leave this Disnudios park, & I won't have time to call Disnudios customer service"

March 13, 2015 at 8:45 AM · The park transformation has to be big, not a mere Star Wars Land add-on. I wonder what they have in mind. California Adventure had a big transformation, but the name didn't change although I felt it should be less tongue twisting. They should double the number of attractions to alleviate the extreme congestion of Toy Story Mania. The next park name change should be EPCOT for the obvious reason that it isn't EPCOT anymore and it just sucks as a theme park name.
March 13, 2015 at 9:00 AM · I expect they'll remove the word "Studios" from the title. They want to sell the fun of the park, especially after possibly adding Star Wars and Toy Story attractions. I doubt we'll see anything new that fits with the Studio concept. Disney Hollywood Adventure sounds legit and connects to DCA.
March 13, 2015 at 9:41 AM · AAron, what should Epot become? My idea would be Disney World Park. Replace Future World with a a harbor similar to DisneySea. By having the harbor and keeping the world showcase, the park would have finally have one theme. Test Track could could move to the Magic Kingdom and replace the Tomorrowland Speedway. I would hate to lose Epcot, even if its almost nothing like Walt's original idea, but it's time for a change.

Hollywood Adventure would be fine. The working studio idea didn't work, and its time to move forward with it being a theme park. Changes need to be made to it as well, much more so than Epcot does.

March 13, 2015 at 10:36 AM · Losing the EPCOT names doesn't mean a wholesale change of Future World. Why would you move a $200 million Test Track attraction to the Magic Kingdom? EPCOT attractions are HUGE. They don't fit in the smaller scaled Magic Kingdom.

Calling it "Disney's World Adventure" would be a good enough change. The Future World exhibits will still continue its duty to showcase innovations around the world. I do think they should gradually convert the many pavilions into Disney IP. The first few in consideration is Energy, Imagination, and Food. Energy has such a vast space, I can imagine smaller vehicles and more practical sets. How about a new trackless ride?

Imagination can be changed into a family roller coaster. The ride vehicle sits on a roller coaster like track. What if they did an "Escape from Gringotts" type ride in the space.

The Food pavilion houses the Body Wars ride vehicle. I still think they can use the ride vehicle with Disney IP. "The Incredibles" would be a great fit with the emphasis on superheroes, but "Big Hero 6" is the new superheroes in town and I would love to see them incorporate superheros with a health element into the ride. Imagine cross promotion of the Apple Watch and Baymax.

March 13, 2015 at 12:42 PM · Here is my suggestion: Disney's Anti-Studio or Disney's Lost Our Direction Park. I could also see the name Confusion Fusion Park.
My Hope is that the transformation will do something to make it a more interesting place. It lost its purpose and direction when they stopped doing production work there. Part of the appeal for me was seeing the old sets and catching some production work going on.
March 13, 2015 at 1:59 PM · How about Disney's Salute To All Movies But Mostly The Ones We Own That We Own, Heck There 's Only 3 Things In The Park That Aren't Based Off Something We Own And No We We Don't Have An Indiana Jones Ride We Just Have A Show But Hey You Can Ride Some More Star Wars Rides In 2018 But As Of 2015 We Barley Have Anything To Do And Good Luck Trying To Get Our Seat For Our Fantasmic But At least We Have Seats Adventure?
March 13, 2015 at 3:28 PM · How about "We stole the idea from Universal Studios"
But all history jokes aside, I'd be up for renaming it MGM. Much easier to remember. Or call it something like "Jump In the Movies". You'd have people saying "hey, let's go jump in the movies"!
March 15, 2015 at 1:36 PM · This is easy.. being 1/3 of the place is shut down for refurbishing..
It seems the only thing it is full of is restaurants & stores that sell overpriced merchandise. THE MALL AT DISNEY, or The DISNEY MALL
either way there is not too much studio left of the place..
Do they even film anything live there anymore for The Disney Channel or ABC TV networks... Its just a marketing merchandising Mall of sorts..
They should change EPCOT too, as it does not fit it's original namesake..Change it to "The Florida Worlds Fair Showplace" as it dups the 64-65 NY Worlds Fair theme. nothing like what W.Disney desired it to be..

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