For more than 4 years (out of the soon 8 years the park exists) the front facade of Studio 1 in the Walt Disney Studios has been covered by huge scaffolding. As it faces toward the Frontlot it is thus visible already to guests when approaching the gates of the Walt Disney Studios Park. Originally the scaffolding was covered with a huge oversized billboard to advertise the movie premiere (and then the DVD release) of Disney’s Chicken Little, which was then released with a huge oversized billboard / painting advertising Disney Pixar’s Cars (again first for the movie premier than the DVD release). In the meantime the scaffolding is covered by a huge replica of the facade as it was originally looking. Supposedly a rehab, i.e. re-painting, was / is going on under the cover of the scaffolding – even so in the recent years no work was witnessed by regular guests to really go on there. However, in time for the New Year season there is some sort of progress to report.
Unfortunately it is no progress that indicates that the scaffolding will finally go – in fact the progress could be understood to indicate that the scaffolding is to stay on for a while. The progress in questions was a partial de-construction of the scaffolding limited only to the entrance gate leading into Studio 1. Originally the scaffolding covered every bit of the facade but the actual small entrance doors build into the larger entrance structure of Studio 1. So the large glass element above the small doors to resemble the huge gates leading into actual studio soundstages were all covered up. Now in late December the parts of the scaffolding covering these elements of the entrance, i.e. the glass windows, were taken down, so that the entrance of Studio 1 can now once again be seen in all its glory with a huge rectangular gap in the cover and underlying scaffolding.
Compared to the situation prior when guests actually had to step under the scaffolding into something resembling short, dark tunnels leading into the soundstage the effect of the latest changes is that the scaffolding is much less intrusive and guests don’t notice it as blatantly everytime when entering the soundstage as they enter through the regular entrance without any visible changes. It is just a step, a small step after over 4 years, but it is progress – definitely!