Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park with an identity crisis. The Studios is on it's 3rd or 4th name already.

This Walt Disney World park officially opened as the Disney-MGM Studios in 1989. After years of legal wrangling (in which Disney referred to the park in some literature as The Disney Studios) Disney finally settled on the name Disney's Hollywood Studios.

What ever you want to call it, it's the home of some of Disney's newest and best attractions.

Check it out.

Hurray for Hollywood

When Michael Eisner dedicated Disney-MGM Studios, he declared "Welcome to the Hollywood that never was and always will be." Over the years, the park has morphed away from the working studio idea to a theme park full of the best attractions Walt Disney World has to offer.

Hollywood Boulevard/Echo Lake- The Introduction

Star Tours Speeder - Jeff_B

Welcome to Hollywood, or an unreasonable facsimile thereof. This is the main entrance area of the park. There are lots of shops here to slow your progress into the park or to get that last dollar out of your wallet as you leave. During the day, "movie stars" appear and are "filmed" making their big debut.

You can see all the big stars in their big roles in The Great Movie Ride. Classic films like "Singing in the Rain", "The Wizard of Oz", and "Alien" are showcased in this dark ride that's full of surprises. After riding the rides you can eat at The Brown Derby a historic Hollywood establishment.

Echo Lake, the small pool of water at the end of Hollywood Boulevard is the home of some of the biggest attractions Disney World has to offer, including the newest and most hip, American Idol. Also, considered in this area are the George Lucas attractions, Star Tours and Indiana Jones Stunt Show. Great food served in a great atmosphere can be found at 50's Prime Time Cafe.

This is a great way to start and end any day at a theme park.

Attractions -

• The Great Movie Ride - ride through scenes of timeless, classic movies in this 22-minute tour of movie history.
• American Idol - See if you have what it takes to be the next American Idol.
• Sounds Dangerous - A wacky show about how audio tracks are created. Starring Drew Carey.
• Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular - A live show full of thrilling stunts based on the Indiana Jones movie series.
• Star Tours - Take a ride to Endor on Star Tours, an inter-galactic journey you won't soon forget.

Miss Piggy statue in Disney's Hollywood Studios- Joe Penniston

Streets of America - See how movies are made

The Streets of America at Disney's Hollywood Studios is the area where you learn how movies are made. The Backlot tour takes you into Castrophe Canyon where you can see how large scale stunts are created it also takes you to the backlot storage area of The Disney Studios.

This is also the home of the wild, wild MuppetVision 3-D show. It's a riot. The little ones will enjoy the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Adventure Set, and everyone should take time to see Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show.

Italian food is what's on the menu at Toy Story Pizza Planet and Mama Melrose's. Down Commissary Lane you have the most innovative restaurant in Walt Disney World (in Dad's opinion) the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant.

Attractions -

• Muppet-Vision 3-D - A hilarious 3-D experience starring Kermit and friends. Even the old guys from the balcony get in the act.
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure - A playground modeled after the movie. This is for guests under 4 foot tall.
• Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show - See how car chases are filmed. It's a blockbuster show that's full of big time action.
• Studio Backlot Tour - A 35 minute tram tour of movie-making magic.

Animation Courtyard - The making of Cartoons

There is some good stuff and some really boring stuff in Animation Courtyard. This is where animated features use to be made, but now, alas, there is only a walk-through area with videos that talk about the process. You can see the a short portion of one of Disney's latest features.

If you enjoy history, you'll love walking through One Man's Dream. It's the story of Uncle Walt and his empire. Don't miss this.

Ariel can be seen and heard in the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and Playhouse Disney has a live show especially geared to the little folks.

Attractions -

• Journey into Narnia: Prince Caspian - See authentic props and costumes worn by the actors in the movie and meet Prince Caspian in front of the "Dancing Lawns".
• Walt Disney: One Man's Dream - A walking tour of images and items from Uncle Walt's life. A history buffs dream.
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid - A live, musical presentation of scenes taken from the movie.
• The Magic of Disney Animation - A walking tour of the Animation Academy where you can learn to draw your favorite Disney Character.
• Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage - A show featuring the Playhouse Disney characters from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Pixar Place - Pixar and Disney... Match made in heaven

A few years ago, Pixar and Disney teamed up on a couple a little film called Toy Story. It wasn't very successful (yeah, right). It only became one of the biggest blockbusters ever. Now Disney and Pixar have done it again. They've teamed up on a Toy Story ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios called Toy Story Midway Mania. It's quickly become the longest line at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and that's saying something.

More Pixar and Disney collaborations are coming soon.

Attractions -

• Toy Story Midway Mania! - Join the Toy Story gang in a mid-way style arcade adventure.

Sunset Boulevard

The Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios - Joe Penniston

Sunset Boulevard is the blockbuster area of Disney's Hollywood Studios. There's only 3 attractions and one show down this not so sleepy lane, but they are the parks biggest, loudest, and busiest. The first attraction on Sunset Boulevard is Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage. Then come the biggies, The Hollywood Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. WOW. It doesn't get any better than this.

(Check out Dad's strategy for riding the Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.)

Or maybe it does. Also on Sunset Boulevard is Fantasmic, which is the closing show for the park complete with fireworks and dancing water. This is a must see show. Check it out.

Attractions -

• Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage - A live production taken from the Broadway musical.
• The Twlight Zone Tower of Terror - Journey into a world, a world of time and space, a world where the bottom drops out, over and over.
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - Starring Aerosmith - Join Aerosmith on the most hair-raising limo ride you'll ever take.

Daily Entertainment

The daily entertainment schedule at Disney's Hollywood Studios is as good as it gets. Here's a list of the daily (or sometimes several times a week) activities -

• Block Party Bash - The new daily parade. It transforms the Studios into a non-stop musical block party.
• High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Right Here! Right Now! - A high energy experience. 14 singers and dancers immerse guests in a rock concert production that features songs from the movie.
• Fantasmic (shown on selected days) - Fantasmic is a spectacular voyage into the dark world of Disney villains as they battle Sorcerer Mickey. It's a must see extravaganza for all ages.

Dad's Bottom Line

A lot of people over the years have complained that the Disney Studios or Disney's-MGM Studios, or whatever, was a work that was thrown together to compete with Universal and that the park needed more attractions. I think Disney finally got the word. With the openings of American Idol and Toy Story Mania, Disney's Hollywood Studios has become a complete and "fabulous darling" vacation experience.

Check out Disney's Hollywood Studios homepage

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