disney mgm backlot tour

Walt Disney World Resort

A ‘Hollywood’ Classic: Residential Street

by Nate Rasmussen , Librarian, Walt Disney Archives

Do you remember Residential Street? The nice, quaint neighborhood in the heart of Disney’s Hollywood Studios ? Of course, this neighborhood was actually a line of facades. Used in various TV shows and commercials as well as movies, some of the homes on Residential Street looked familiar to guests when they drove by on the Studio Backlot Tour .

Homes made appearances in such films as “Splash Too” and “Ernest Saves Christmas,” but the most recognizable ones from Residential Street belonged the family from “Empty Nest” and the ladies from the “Golden Girls.”

Below is an aerial view of Residential Street in October 1988 prior to the opening of the park.

Destinations: Walt Disney World Resort

Topics: Disney History

When was Residential Street taken out?

My husband and I remember taking this tour on our Honeymoon in May of 2001. We still have non-digital photos of the Golden Girls house. We never realized until now that it wasn’t there when we came back to Hollywood Studios for our tenth wedding anniversary and we even took our son to the Extreme Stunt Show! Thanks for this article.

Is the Golden Girls house still around at Disney Studios, or was it torn down? I have been to the real one is LA! Its worth the visit to GG fans!!

Kimberly, they’re all gone – the Lights, Motors, Action! stunt show arena was built on the same site. If you look at Google Maps today and zoom in on that area of the park, Google still shows the ‘Residential Street’ line where it used to run.

We wish they would bring this back, we experienced this street during the Christmas season, walking down that the street, with the houses all lit up for Christmas, and looking in the windows at the cozy, comfy homes was so amazing. We were carrying cups of hot chocolate and watching the snow fall, it was pure magic!! It’s time for the stunt show to go, and get back to a more peaceful and simpler time.

Can you you still visit theses houses or all they all torn down ??? I would love to see The Golden Girls house !!!

I agree with Deanna, it was a favorite part for me also. Taking a leisurely stroll down the street was a nice restful time at the park. The street served as she pointed out as the very beginning of the Osborne Light Family Light Show and was something magical at that time. I still have several pairs of the “Angel” glasses(I drag them out we people visit me at Christmas) in my collection of Disney Memorabilia that I gather on my yearly visits. So thanks for those memories. also those thanks go to you Deanna for reminding me about the glasses.

I miss this street so much. It was one of my favorite parts of the studios. I loved the way they decorated it for the Osborne lights and gave you those special “angel” glasses. Oh the good old days.

And don’t forget the Bulldog Cafe from The Rocketeer.

I was so sad when the Golden Girls house was gone. My grandmother, cousin and I all love the show and missed it terribly on the Backlot Tour.

@ Jeff – I don’t actually know the answer to your question but I never saw the façade on the show in anything more than a single panned shot. Once they have that shot, do they ever re-shoot it?

Jeff, from what I’ve read the actual Golden Girl’s house (located in Los Angeles) was used in the beginning of the show for exterior shots. After that they built a facade and used that for exterior shots.

I love the Golden Girls and miss getting to see this house. I’d also be interested if someone can answer Jeff’s question above.

I have fond memories of Residential St. The Osbourne Lights were set up here and you could walk through with your hot chocolate and enjoy the lights and the snow falling down. Being from PA this was so much fun.

I miss Residential Street. This was one of my favorite parts of the Studio Backlot Tour. So many amazing facades, vehicles and movie props were a part of the original Studio Backlot Tour. Thanks for sharing another fond memory with us, Nate.

I miss Residential street!! I always thought that was the most fun part. I wish they would bring that back with more recent shows!

My sister and I were huge fans of the Disney Channel show, Adventures in Wonderland, so we always got a kick out of seeing the facade of Alice’s house on that street. We definitely miss those houses. 🙂

I have been trying to get the answer to this question for YEARS. I remember seeing the home of “The Golden Girls” on residential street, but the TV series premiered in 1985. Disney-MGM Studios opened in 1989. So does that mean that this house facade was not the actual one used for the show? Is it just a replica? Was it ever used for shooting?

Hi Jeff- My friends at the Walt Disney World Library and Research Center are helping me answer this question. The house was indeed used for the show’s filming. The original exterior house shots were of a real house in California which is what was used on the show in 1985, but after they build the one at the Studios (which was finished at least a year before the park opened) they used it for additional exterior shots.

We were there during Christmastime 1995. I remember the Osborne lights were strung on Residential Street.

I love these posts on the early days of the Studios, eliciting fond memories of visiting the park its first year. Does anyone else remember Herbie, the Love Bug, parked in a Residential Street driveway? He would drive toward the tram, toot his horn, and open his trunk to say hello. So fun!

I so totally remember Residential Street!

Thanks for all of these pictures. I never got to see the Studios before the late 1990s, so this is interesting and fun.

You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed them!

I loved the Golden Girls house and would always get happy when the tram would drive past it.

Although I very much like the Extreme Stunt Show, I really enjoyed the backstage tour which included the homes. Fortunately we visited before the change. Change is good.

Now the location of Lights, Motors, Action!® Extreme Stunt Show®

I love the Golden Girls house!

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Yikes! That’s a long attraction. It’s a good thing there are restrooms at the halfway point.

Disney-MGM Studios—built to be both a theme park and an actual production studio—opened to the public on May 1, 1989. The Backstage Studio Tour was the park’s major attraction.

Here’s how USA Today (“Disney-MGM Studio park makes debut,” by Craig Wilson, May 1, 1989) described the attraction:

The Backstage Studio Tour first segment transports you by tram behind the scenes of a set, where you’ll see The Golden Girls’ house, a New York City street and skyline before you endure an earthquake, fire, explosions, monsoons and other near-disasters. The second segment is on foot, to special-effects areas (complete with a battle at sea), editing rooms and sound stages.

Before the end of 1989, guests were allowed to walk on New York Street. The two-hour tour quickly became shorter.

The 1991 Guide Book listed the Backstage Studio Tour featuring Catastrophe Canyon as a “30-minute shuttle ride.” The walking portion was billed as a separate attraction, Inside the Magic: Special Effects and Production Tour .

The walking tour limped along, with guests often looking down into empty soundstages. The Walt Disney Theatre, which originally showed a preview of the newest Disney movie as the final part of the walking tour, was transformed into a short-lived stage show, Here Come The Muppets , and then into the long-running live show, The Voyage of the Little Mermaid .

Guide Maps in 1994 listed the Backstage Studio Tour as a “25-minute shuttle ride” and Inside the Magic as a “35-minute tour.” The park had grown into a much more complete theme park, especially with the July 1994 opening of Sunset Boulevard and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror . At the same time, the production facilities failed to take off as a “real movie studio.”

In 1996, the Backstage Studio Tour was renamed the Studio Backlot Tour and its entrance moved to the far end of Mickey Avenue, where the walking tour had previously begun. The water tank special effects stage became the opening act for the tram tour.

The entrance to the walking tour moved next door. Inside the Magic was renamed Backstage Pass (often appended with a movie name, such as Backstage Pass to 101 Dalmatians ). The television series Mortal Kombat: Conquest was filmed at Disney-MGM for its one-season run (1998 - 1999). When the series was canceled, Disney bought the sets so that walking tour guests would have something to look at.

In 2001, the Backstage Pass walking tour closed permanently.

Four photos by Allen Huffman, 1998

The walking tour entrance repurposed as the tram tour entrance

Four photos by Allen Huffman, 1996 and 1997

Water tank special effects stage

Four photos by Allen Huffman, 1998 and 2001

Residential Street

Boneyard vehicles

Two photos by Allen Huffman, 2001

Washington Square Arch and backlot church

The Studio Backlot Tour began with a modified version of the water effects tank from the walking tour. Then, instead of continuing to the special effects workshop and soundstages, guests went through a prop warehouse and onto an abbreviated tram tour.

The residential street was removed in 2003 to make way for the huge Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show , so the tram tour only had the costume department, scenic shop, Catastrophe Canyon, and miscellaneous boneyard props along the route.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007

Modified water effects tank in 2007

Costuming—for the parks, not for movie production

Catastrophe Canyon, always the big scene of the tram tour

In it final years, the whole tour was just 35 minutes.

Did you ever wonder why there is such an imposing studio gate at the entrance to the Animation Courtyard?

Studio gate with Disney-MGM Studios signage (1989 - 2007)

It’s because it originally served as the entrance into the “movie studio” where the Backstage Studio Tour began. The idea was that you were leaving the public street (Hollywood Boulevard) and entering a movie studio complex. Real movie studios in Hollywood had entrance gates from city streets.

The Magic of Disney Animation tour—featuring the film Back to Neverland (with Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite) and a working animation studio—had a modest entrance to the right of the Backstage Studio Tour . The Soundstage Restaurant contained sets from the 1988 Bette Midler comedy Big Business . On the second level of the Soundstage Restaurant, guests could drink at the Catwalk Bar, a full bar overlooking the sets. Nearby, the studio’s production facilities turned out movies and television shows, including The All New Mickey Mouse Club (or MMC ). Guests on the walking tour might even see filming in progress.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009

Studio gate with the Disney’s Hollywood Studios signage (2008 - )

Gradually, the focus of the plaza inside the studio gate changed to animation. The Soundstage Restaurant was rethemed so the guests sat among “sets” from the animated Aladdin instead of the live-action Big Business . (Later, the former Soundstage Restaurant became the home of live shows based on Disney television programs for young children.) The former Catwalk Bar became a character greeting location. The Voyage of the Little Mermaid is based of the movie that launched Disney’s “Second Golden Age of Animation.” What had once been the tram tour entrance became the grand entrance to The Magic of Disney Animation . With the new focus came a new name for the area—Animation Courtyard.

Surprisingly, when the name of the park changed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the beginning of 2008, the Imagineers did not use it as an opportunity to retheme the studio gate as an appropriate entrance to the Animation Courtyard. Instead, they simply replaced the old logo with the new logo.

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Updated February 28, 2020.

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Studio Backlot Tour

The Studio Backlot Tour is located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the Streets of America.  This action packed, informative tour of the “backlot” gives guests an inside look at special effects and film artifacts.   Keeping in the theme of “studios” at the Hollywood Studios theme park, the Studio Backlot tour is one you won’t want to miss.  In fact, it’s very close to the Great Movie Ride-you can get your movie fix two attractions in a row!

• This is a two part attraction.  The first part is a walking tour where you can see lots of Disney film props.  You will see different (and ever changing) film artifacts from movies such as Narnia,  Indiana Jones, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, as well as some TV shows and films from some of Disney’s other studios.
• For  the second part of your tour you will climb aboard a tram and view the Earful Tower, Walt Disney’s airplane, Herbie the Love Bug and other fun props and scenes.
• Keep in mind that this is a 35 minute attraction and does not offer Fast Pass.  It is also not always open for all of the parks hours.  Most of the time you can begin the walking tour in 15 minutes or less, but as the park crowds up so can this tour!
• There is no height requirement for this attraction, and it is wheelchair and ECV accessible.
• The attraction lasts about 25 minutes, so if you are waiting out a FastPass, then this could take up some time and entertain everyone all at the same time!

If you want to be part of the opening scene at Harbor Attack demonstration, make sure you let a Cast Member know-and be sure to arrive early.  After the Harbor Attack, you’ll enter the queue area and board a tram for the remainder of your time.

Quick Tip:  Some of the vehicles you see in the Boneyard section of the tour are from the Indiana Jones Movies.  Also, be on the lookout for some of the props and drawings from Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean.  

Overall, we give this attraction an “A”.

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3 thoughts on “ Studio Backlot Tour ”

I love this ride but it is need of some serious updating. I miss the old one where you could see houses from old tv shows. We have video from when I was little, walking by the houses when they were all lit up for the Osbourne lights.

This is a classic! I love it!

I miss the old Backlot Tour…

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Studio Backlot Tour

• View history
• 2.1 The queue area
• 2.2 Walking tour
• 2.3 Tram tour
• 2.4 Post-ride

History [ ]

When the park originally opened, the Studio Tour was a much larger combined tram and walking tour, lasting around two hours in all. The Tram section of the tour which started the attraction originally loaded at Animation Courtyard , going through the Costuming and Scenic departments first, then through Residential Street, a neighborhood of house facades used for shooting films and television shows such as Ernest Saves Christmas and The Golden Girls . The tram then passed through Catastrophe Canyon and would travel through New York Street, then having limited guest traffic, before unloading to start the walking part of the tour with the Water Effects Tank Demonstration. This was followed by a trek through shooting sound stages for various television shows, a Special Effects demonstration involving blue-screens, and a giant bee prop from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , and a Sound Editing studio. The Tour concluded at the Walt Disney Theater, where previews for upcoming films would be shown.

As the park became more popular, the Tour would be scaled back, starting with the Walt Disney Theater's conversion into a stage show venue for Here Come the Muppets and eventually Voyage of the Little Mermaid . New York Street was opened to full guest traffic by the end of 1989. By 1991, the tram and walking tours were split into two separately billed attractions running approximately 30 minutes each, the walking section becoming Backstage Pass and the Tram tour's unload became the regular loading area and absorbed the Water Effects Tank.

In 2003, Residential Street was closed and torn down to make way for the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show .

In 2008, the live cast member spiel was replaced by a pre-recorded one.

The attraction finally closed on September 27, 2014 due to the park's shifting focus away from filmmaking and to the Pixar and LucasFilm properties. Following the attraction's closure, the signage was removed, though reports say that the backlot and props are still intact. It is believed that they were intact until the start of the construction of Toy Story Land which started in early 2016. Catastrophe Canyon was demolished in February 2016 and was watched by visitors at the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show which was also closed in 2016.

Ride summary [ ]

The queue area [ ].

Upon entering the queue area, guests are put into four different lines underneath a large canopy. Throughout the area are props from different movies, including Pearl Harbor , Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl , and The Rock . A film also loops with director Michael Bay telling guests how some of the special effects scenes from Pearl Harbor are filmed. While guests are waiting, four volunteers are chosen to be used in the first part of the attraction.

Walking tour [ ]

A number of guests in each line are taken into a show area with a large water tank in front of them. In the water tank are props reminiscent of Pearl Harbor : the deck and the engine room of the patrol boat. Cast members explain how the water tank and props can be used in filming scenes from action films. Using the volunteers from before the guests are shown a special effects demonstration, known as Harbor Attack . One volunteer sits in the engine room and is overcome by a deluge of water (1000 gallons) coming into the room through a window from two dump trucks. The other three volunteers are standing on the deck when an attack happens. Explosions underwater, simulated torpedo bursts, and fireballs are used to simulate the attack. When filming is finished, the footage is put together with previously recorded footage of airplane attacks and dialogue and shown to the guests.

When the demonstration is finished, guests continue into a large prop warehouse. The line moves guests up and down aisles of props used in different majoring productions including Marvin's Room , The Santa Clause , Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , Honey, I Blew Up the Kid , Who Framed Roger Rabbit , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , and George of the Jungle as well as some extinct Disney attractions, like World of Motion . Several of the props are tagged with information about each one. At the exit of the building, the tram part of the tour begins.

Tram tour [ ]

As guests exit the prop building, they are boarded onto a tram for the main part of the tour. As the driver brings the tram through different areas, a prerecorded narration explains what is found there and tells the guests facts and trivia about it. Guests first travel past the Earffel Tower , the former icon of the park. The tram ride is the closest that guests can get to the tower in the park. After the tower, the tram drives through the costume and materials in the building, which has a thru-way for the tram and the windows for guests to see the costumes and people working. A highlight in the building is the room full of tires used for Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show .

When the tram leaves the building, it brings guests through an outside area named the boneyard (named after an aircraft boneyard). In the boneyard are vehicles which were featured in many films. Props include the Dip Machine used by Judge Doom during the climax of Who Framed Roger Rabbit , ships from the original Star Wars franchise, the duo motorcycles from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , the escape pod from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , cars used in the The Love Bug films (the ex-parade vehicle Herbie was taken away from the All-Star Movies Resort on an account of children always climbing on it and is now on display here), bone cages from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest , the spaceship from Flight of the Navigator , and boats and other vehicles used in other Disney-produced films.

After leaving the boneyard, guests are told that they will be entering a current movie set while the cast is on break. It enters into an area known as Catastrophe Canyon , a rocky area with a fuel truck and water tanks inside of it. While the tram is stopped filming starts suddenly, an earthquake shakes the tram and causes the fuel truck to explode, sending a fireball into the air. Then a flood of water comes rushing down from the canyon and from above the tram. When the earthquake subsides and the water stops, the set begins to reset for the next tram and the tour guide on the tram tells guests how it was done as the tram goes around behind the set to show the back of it.

After exiting the canyon, the tram travels through parts of the boneyard again. Guests go past the neighboring attraction, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show stadium and practice areas. The tram also passes Walt Disney 's private airplane. After this part, the tram pulls to the exit and that part of the attraction is finished.

Post-ride [ ]

In order to leave the attraction, guests must walk through a museum exhibit based on AFI's 50 Greatest Villains . Many of the villains on the list are represented with life-sized figures in display cases, with drawings and pictures of them from their films. The entire list is presented with pictures of all the villains on a wall in the building. While guests on the attraction must go through the exhibit in order to exit, it is not necessary to go on the tour to see the exhibit, as it is possible to enter in the exit.

Gallery [ ]

See also [ ]

• Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic
• 3 Mufasa: The Lion King

Disney News » Disney Attraction » Disney’s Hollywood Studios » Studio Backlot Tour 

Studio Backlot Tour | Disney World

Last Updated on: March 29th, 2024

Posted By: Craig Smith

The Studio Backlot Tour was a fascinating attraction that was once featured at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly known as Disney-MGM Studios) in Walt Disney World Resor t, Florida. This immersive experience provided guests with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the magic of filmmaking, taking them on an entertaining and informative journey through various aspects of movie production.

The tour began with a tram ride that transported guests through an actual working backlot area, designed to replicate a Hollywood studio. Along the way, guests encountered iconic movie sets, props, and scenery from famous films and TV shows, creating an authentic movie studio atmosphere.

One of the highlights of the Studio Backlot Tour was the Catastrophe Canyon segment. During this thrilling sequence, guests witnessed a realistic movie-style disaster scene, complete with special effects like explosions and a flash flood, showcasing how filmmakers create dramatic and action-packed moments on the big screen.

The tour also included interactive exhibits and demonstrations that allowed guests to learn about the various stages of movie production, such as set design, special effects, and sound editing. Visitors gained insights into the filmmaking process and the artistry behind creating movie magic.

Throughout its operation, the Studio Backlot Tour underwent several updates and changes, but it remained a popular attraction that captivated audiences of all ages. Unfortunately, the attraction closed permanently in 2014 to make way for new experiences and developments within Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

While the Studio Backlot Tour is no longer available, Walt Disney World continues to evolve and introduce new and innovative experiences for guests to enjoy. Whether you’re a fan of movies, entertainment, or simply the magic of Disney, the spirit of filmmaking and creativity lives on in various other attractions and entertainment offerings across the resort.

• The Studio Backlot Tour was an original attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, opening with the park on May 1, 1989, and was known for giving guests a behind-the-scenes look at movie production.
• The tour included a visit to Residential Street, where guests could see facades of houses used in various TV shows and movies, including the famous “Golden Girls” house.
• One of the highlights of the tour was the Catastrophe Canyon, a live-action set that demonstrated special effects used in movies, complete with a simulated earthquake, fire, and a flood.
• The tour was constantly evolving, with different props and sets from various Disney films and television shows being displayed over the years.
• The Studio Backlot Tour closed on September 27, 2014, to make way for new developments at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including the expansion of the Star Wars and Toy Story areas.

At a Glance

• Disney Resort: Walt Disney World Resort
• Disney Park: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Info News and Attractions
• Attraction Type: Disney Rides , Extinct Disney Attractions
• Year Opened: 1989
• Year Closed: 2014
• Replaced: Original Attraction
• Replaced By: Toy Story Land

Experience:

Related News:

• Walt Disney’s airplane previously on display at the Studio Backlot Tour has been restored and will be on display at the 2022 D23 Expo , January 14, 2022
• Disney’s Studio Backlot Tour turning out the lights , September 26, 2014

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Studio Backlot Tour – Daps From the Past

Disney MGM Studios opened as a working studio with several sound stages and a whole backlot with facades for outdoor filming. The Backlot Tour functioned as a behind the scenes look at the magic of filmmaking.

The entrance before closing is found towards the back of the park, by Lights, Motors, Action! The original was found in the Animation Courtyard. Guests went through three different acts, so to speak. It started with boarding the trams that drove guests around the Streets of America and Catastrophe Canyon. The Streets were the functioning facades that were used in production. Catastrophe Canyon was more of an illusion of filming where an elaborate real time effects set thrilled guests.

Catastrophe Canyon had the trams drive into a big rock quarry type area. A semi truck and several gas and oil tanks were seen on the canyon wall. An overhang kept the tram covered, but it all didn’t seem safe. Suddenly explosions and rivers of water come onto the scene. The truck begins to slide down because of the force of the water! The tanks are spewing fire! Finally, a waterfall comes down on the side of the tram, soaking those on that side of it, and misting everyone on the others side of the seats. Everything begins to get back into place and the truth comes out: This was all a controlled environment to show how effects can be done on location. The trams drive around to show how the whole thing is put together, including the pipes and vacuums to recycle the water. After the tram portion of the tour, guests took a break around where the Studio Catering Co. is now located beside the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids: Movie Set Adventure. The Set was build specifically to give families something to do as they waited for the next leg of the tour.

The next portion was a walking tour through soundstages and effects tanks.  The water tank held a special effects demonstration of real time explosions and other battle effects. Volunteers were used to provide some comic relief as water would drench them. The first incarnation had a story of a storm with a tug boat. One camera would be on the closeup of the volunteer in a wheel house. The other camera was on the small model boat in the big water tank. Rain effects were used to simulate the storm, and the punchline was a big dump of water on the volunteer via a tank that spewed it down a ramp and through a window of the wheel house room. The whole thing was played back on overhead monitors while the volunteer got dried up.

The walking tour took guests through a green screen demonstration where a guest sat on a giant bee to show how a scene in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The tour also took guests onto a soundstage set, but after watching a short movie starring Bette Midler. The film is The Lottery and was all a production to show a completed film and then the behind the scenes of it. The set on the soundstage was used for this theme park only film. It was a great demonstration of how television and movies seem to be on location somewhere, but really are movie magic. Real soundstages were available for the walking part of the tour. One such stage hosted the new Mickey Mouse Club that was on the Disney Channel and launched such stars as Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. Upper story bridges were constructed, and windows looked onto the sets so as not to disturb productions.

Many changes have been made to the Tour and parts of it. The most significant is taking out the Streets of America as being part of the Tour. This opened up to people being able to walk around without needing to wait in line for the rest of the attraction. The “break area” including the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids playground became accessible from the main paths of the park. Another significant change was taking out the soundstage portion of the Backlot Tour. When the studios became a non-working facility…just a theme park…the idea of showing how current shows and movies are made became unappealing. These buildings now house attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania and The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow. Some of the bridges that took guests along the upper story route still exist.

Finally, as it was before closing, the Studio Backlot Tour had a much smaller path. The start of it was the water tank effects demonstration. At some point in its history it got converted from a story of a tug boat in a storm to recreating the big scene from Pearl Harbor…the movie, mind you, not the actual historical event. Air cannons in the water would soak guests on the three levels of viewing area, and especially the volunteers.

The Studio Backlot Tour was a great attraction in the heyday of the park. It was a spectacular look at the making of film and television, and it was always exciting to try to catch a production being done. The amount of detail and great care in stories and effects that Disney made it an over the top experience. Unfortunately, it fell victim to the theme park losing its number one appeal in being a working studio. I don’t blame them for taking out the soundstage experiences. Another hard to deal with element was the length of the tour. It was long. It would take the majority of the time for families at the park. When it’s a Disney park, a guest might expect being able to have multiple experiences at will. The Tour was broken up into different experiences.

In the end, the attraction suffered, in my opinion. It was still fun to see different props and vehicles, to experience Catastrophe Canyon. But, to call it a Studio Backlot Tour made it seem dull, and well, depressing to me. That also might have been because of going on it not that long after it first opened and having that whole experience.

Though it suffered through many changes, it was still a fun experience throughout the years. My brother and I got to be volunteers for the water effects demonstration where we flexed our acting abilities looking panicked on the deck of a battleship. Yes, we got soaked, but it was refreshing in the hot, summer Florida sun. Plus, how many can say they got to be in the middle of production effects? I learned a lot about movie making through the Tour. I loved seeing the sets and hoping to see a glimpse of a filming in progress. The tram portion always served as a great respite from constant walking. It also seemed like water soaking was tamed down during colder seasons. In all, it was a fun, enjoyable experience. Some years were better than others. But, in all, a classic Disney attraction.

With it being gone, it will be missed, I’m sure. But, I look forward to what will be coming in its place!

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The World You Used to Know

An opening day attraction and Disney-MGM Studios, the original Backlot experienced major changes and new iterations before finally closing in September of 2014. Throughout its history, as changes to the tour were made, so to was its name. Known originally as the Backstage Studio Tour, its name became Backstage Pass, as well as simply Backlot Tour, during its tenure. It’s preshow, Inside the Magic, was listed as a separate attraction for some time as well but, eventually rolled into the overall tour.

With a different entrance area, the original tram portion of the tour took guests through an area called “Residential Street” that featured houses used for exterior shots in shows like The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, and Ernest Saves Christmas. It continued down New York Street before heading into Catastrophe Canyon. Guests then disembarked into what was then a break area before the walking tour, Backstage Pass, began. A working studio in the days of the original tour, the walking portion took guests through the special effects shop and soundstages along Mickey Avenue using overhead walkways.

Despite the efforts of Disney and the state of Florida to keep a real working production studio in Orlando, it was eventually decided to move all active production to other locations. To make way for Lights, Motors, Action!, Residential Street was demolished and the tram tour changed drastically in mid-2003.

The area many guests know today as the Animation Courtyard and the spaces where Studio Catering Co. and the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure are located today was greatly different during the times the park was an actual working studio. A wonderful breakdown of the original tour and studio can be found at  Studio Central .

On September 20, 2014, it was announced that the Studio Backlot Tour would be closing in its entirety just a week later on September 27, 2014, to make way for as of yet unknown additions to the park (later confirmed as Toy Story Land). This announcement came just over a month after the closure of the American Film Institute Showcase, a classic part of the Backlot Tours since the park opened. The closure, and demolition of the backlot were in its entirety. This included Catastrophe Canyon and, much to the dismay of fans, the Earffel Towe r.

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November 13, 2023

Written by: jim smith.

(A version of this article was shared with Pirates & Princesses and published on November 15, 2023.)

“Hooray for Hollywood!”

Since the days of silent films, cinematic stories have faithfully transported viewers from their own lives to another world (at least for a couple hours at a time). While those precious movie theater moments provide a welcome break from the stresses of “real life”, it is also interesting to learn how some of our favorite stories are immortalized on film. In this edition of Dearly Departed Disney , let’s peek behind the curtain and explore some of the moviemaking magic Disney staged for guests, beginning with the Backstage Studio Tour and ending with the Studio Backlot Tour.

In the Beginning…

The 1980s were a time of great expansion for Walt Disney World. EPCOT Center opened to guests on October 1, 1982, exactly eleven years after Magic Kingdom first opened to the public. From there, Disney’s most innovative theme park continued to develop and evolve, adding several more pavilions in both World Showcase and Future World .

One of EPCOT’s new pavilion ideas was to be based on Hollywood. It would present the glory days of American cinema. The idea for the pavilion didn’t fit neatly into either of EPCOT’s regions, but newly-assigned Disney CEO Michael Eisner wanted to explore the concept further.

Hello, Neighbor!

While Disney was mulling over the Hollywood concept, a new neighbor moved in down the street. Movie studio powerhouse Universal announced plans to build a new theme park in Orlando, just a few miles away from Walt Disney World. According to Universal’s announcement, the new park would give guests on the east coast the chance to experience the movies, and catch a glimpse of life on a movie lot.

Just like that, Eisner found the solution to his Hollywood problem within the adversity of a direct competitor. In response to Universal’s announcement, Eisner fast-tracked an idea much larger than that which Disney had previously considered. The Hollywood “pavilion” would become a theme park in its own right. Disney partnered with film giant MGM Studios, and hastily developed Disney-MGM Studios. 

Walt Disney World’s third theme park opened on May 1, 1989 –  a full year before Universal opened their first Orlando theme park. Disney-MGM Studios was envisioned to provide guests with a celebration of the movies, from both sides of the camera, and as such had two anchor attractions. The Great Movie Ride – tucked behind a full-scale replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – treated guests to a taste of many iconic American film scenes. Conversely, the Backstage Studio Tour took guests behind the scenes to examine many different facets of moviemaking.

Disney’s Backstage Studio Tour

Welcome to the movies! Got a couple hours to spare? That’s how long the original incarnation of the Backstage Studio Tour took guests to complete. Let’s walk (and ride) through the attraction as it originally operated, then we’ll chronicle the transformation of this gigantic two-hour tour into the modest-sized thirty minute experience it was reduced to prior to its closing in 2014.

The Backstage Studio Tour’s pre-show was a little more like “queues with character.” Guests waited in four different lines underneath a large canopy, which boasted props from several different Disney films, including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pearl Harbor, The Rock, and Armageddon . With the exception of Pirates of the Caribbean , all of these films were directed by Michael Bay. This comes as no surprise, since the queue area also featured a film loop, narrated by Michael Bay, showing guests how some of the special effects scenes from Pearl Harbor were filmed. It’s also worth noting that four volunteers were plucked from the queue area to participate in a portion of the attraction to come later.

The Tram Ride

After getting through the pre-show queue, guests boarded shuttles at the Backstage Shuttle Station. The first stop along the tour was the production center where guests would see several facets of film production. Let’s explore them here.

Costuming and Scenic Shop

This was the area where Cast Members would create outfits and sets that would be used in various places around the Walt Disney World property. In a park map from 1989, Disney billed the scenic shop as “If it’s in the script, here’s where the studio craftsmen will build it.”

Residential Street and New York Street

Once out of the design area, guests would coast down Residential Street, taking in the exterior sights of houses from classic sitcom shows like The Golden Girls and Empty Nest , as well as films like Splash Too and Ernest Saves Christmas .

Moving on to New York Street, guests traveled by the busy storefronts, offices, residential buildings, and subway stops of downtown New York. Of course, there were no people or vehicles roaming the street, other than the tour trams, so the street had a slightly creepy abandoned feel of an apocalypse. But forced perspective was on full display here, convincing guests they are surrounded by taller buildings and a street that went on for miles.

The Boneyard

Sprinkled along the tram’s route were stretches spotlighting the park’s “greens department” with character-shaped topiaries, and a “Boneyard” filled with prop vehicles from different films and television shows. Guests could spy Judge Doom’s Dip machine from Who Framed Roger Rabbit , ships from the original Star Wars franchise, and motorcycles from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade . This route through the Boneyard offered the best view of the Earffel Tower (the park’s original icon) and a sentimental favorite – Walt Disney’s private plane – N234MM (where the MM stands for Mickey Mouse).

Catastophe Canyon

The last stop on the tram tour was a worthy finale. Catastrophe Canyon was an experience that simulated popular movie disasters. Guests would shake in an earthquake, witness falling power lines and the fiery explosion of a fuel tanker truck, and even survive a massive flash flood from a breached water tower.

Guests could literally feel the heat from the flames and the mists from the splashes. This energetic demonstration never failed to satisfy!

The Walking Tour

As Indiana Jones said in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, “We walk from here.”

After completing the tram tour, guests put their feet back on the ground and got a mid-attraction break before embarking on the walking portion of the experience. This midway point offered bathrooms, shops, and food, to re-energize guests for the second half of the tour.

Water Effects Tank

The Water Effects Tank was located in an outdoor area, and sported props setting the scene for Disney’s film Pearl Harbor, including the deck and engine room of a patrol boat. While Cast Members explained how the water and props could be used in filming scenes from action films, those volunteers plucked earlier from the pre-show queue were set up to participate in a filming demonstration. One lucky volunteer sat in the engine room and was swamped by a deluge of about a thousand gallons of water. The other three volunteers stood on the deck during a simulated attack. Underwater explosions, simulated torpedo bursts, and fireballs added an alarming amount of realism to the simulation. After filming was completed, the footage was edited together, along with previously recorded footage of airplane attacks and dialogue. The final film was then shown to the guests, to amusing delight.

Special Effects Workshop and Shooting Stage

This is the area where TV and movie productions were planned to take place, as the 1989 park map invited guests to “Explore the fascinating science of optical and mechanical effects.” Unfortunately, the production facilities failed to take off as a “real movie studio”, and guests often saw empty spaces on the shooting stage portion of their walking tour. But there were fun set pieces to enjoy, from films such as The Santa Clause (starring Disney Legend Tim Allen ), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , and The Rocketeer .

Post Production Editing and Audio

This portion of the walking tour exposed guests to the area where editors, sound engineers, and other technicians add the finishing touches to films and television shows. Similar to the shooting stage before, the post production area was often uninhabited when there were few films and shows actually being produced here.

The Walt Disney Theater

The final stop on the walking tour was the Walt Disney Theater, where guests could enjoy sneak peeks of upcoming Disney films. Think of this as the happy ending to the tour, and a reminder to head to your local movie theater soon.

Attraction Editing

The whopping two-hour tour of the original Backstage Studio Tour saw many “edits” over the years, trimming the experience from a once-robust two hours down to a scant thirty minutes.

The first of these edits was the removal of New York Street from the tour only months after the attraction opened. Due to the popularity of this portion of the tour, combined with the need for guests to have more places to roam freely within the park, New York Street was split off from the tour, enhanced with another street reflecting the landscape of San Francisco, and renamed the Streets of America.

Within two years of the attraction’s opening, the attraction was officially split into two separate portions, each with its own entrance. A 1991 park guide book listed the “Backstage Studio Tour featuring Catastrophe Canyon” as a “30-minute shuttle ride”, while the walking portion was billed as ”Inside the Magic: Special Effects and Production Tour.” At this point, the sum total of both experiences was a little over an hour in length.

In 1990, the Walt Disney Theater was removed from the walking tour and transformed into Here Come The Muppets , featuring favorite Muppet characters. As the photo shows, the Muppets participating in the show were all “human-sized” and a little unnerving as a result. How can Kermit be anything other than two-feet tall (unless he’s a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade )?

Less than a year and a half later, Here Come the Muppets was replaced with The Voyage of the Little Mermaid , which enjoyed a much longer run of over 28 years.

By 1994, guide maps listed the Backstage Studio Tour as a “25-minute shuttle ride” and Inside the Magic as a “35-minute tour.” The trimmed attractions worked out fine however, considering the park had grown in size, adding Sunset Boulevard and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror . With the film and television production facilities failing to find their footing as a real studio, the transformation of Disney-MGM Studios from a studio park to a more immersive theme park had begun.

Studio Backlot Tour

As the 1990s moved on, the Backstage Studio Tour was renamed the Studio Backlot Tour. But the attraction wasn’t simply renamed – it added the water tank special effects experience to the front of the tour, followed by the tram portion. A nice end-cap to the tour was a museum exhibit based on the American Film Institute (AFI) 50 Greatest Villains. Many of the villains on the list were represented with life-sized figures in display cases, with drawings and pictures of them from their films.

The Inside the Magic walking tour was renamed Backstage Pass. At this point, the tour combined the special effects shop with the soundstage displays and demonstrations, including sets from Disney movies or TV shows like 101 Dalmatians (1996 live-action film) and Home Improvement . Backstage Pass limped along for about five years, closing in 2001.The spaces occupied by Backstage Pass were repurposed into the show-type attractions Who Wants to be a Millionaire – Play It and Journey into Narnia , as well as the fan-favorite attraction Toy Story Mania.

Lights, Camera, Destruction!

The Studio Backlot Tour shrunk even further in 2003, as Residential Street was removed to make way for Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, which ran from 2005 to 2016 . While the stunt show still was impressive and had the DNA of the original studio park concept, it left the tram tour with only the Costuming and Scenic Shop, Catastrophe Canyon, and miscellaneous Boneyard props along the route.

In 2008, Disney changed the name of the theme park from Disney-MGM Studios to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While the word “studios” remained a part of the park’s name, the concept of including working studio components continued to fade. The tour limped along for another six years, with the live cast member tour guide interaction being replaced by a pre-recorded program. On September 27, 2014, the Studio Backlot Tour was closed for a “temporary refurbishment.” Unfortunately for many studio-loving fans, the temporary refurbishment became a permanent closure when Disney announced the development of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at that year’s D23 Celebration.

This closure proved to be the writing on the wall, hinting at the end of the whole movie studio concept. The final nail in the coffin was the 2017 closure of The Great Movie Ride, which was replaced by Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. While a portion of the park remains a celebration of classic Hollywood, surrounding areas are now rethemed to offer guests stories set in more immersive film settings.

Beyond the Boneyard

The Backstage Studio Tour and Studio Backlot Tour are no longer part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but nods to this original park attraction can be found, if you know where to look. 

Have you visited Disney’s Wilderness Lodge ? The old mining equipment found around the resort’s Boulder Ridge Cove Pool was repurposed from Catastrophe Canyon.

Walt Disney’s Plane was given a complete refurbishment, shown to adoring guests at 2022’s D23 Expo, and now resides at Palm Springs Air Museum, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.

Movie History

Every good Hollywood story comes to an end, and the Backstage Studio Tour is no exception.

Fans of the tour miss the nostalgia of seeing props from yesteryear, and film aficionados have lost the means to peek behind the curtain of Disney moviemaking.

But living up to Walt Disney’s philosophy of his parks never being “finished”,  Disney had shifted the park’s focus to one of full immersion, where guests could ”live their favorite movie moments.” Disney’s Hollywood Studios may no longer simulate a working studio lot, but it does offer guests a chance to become part of the story. And that is, ultimately, what Walt wanted to do when he envisioned Disneyland – the park that started it all. 

Thanks for joining us backstage. Please follow along here for additional articles in this series . We’ll continue to explore many other former attractions and experiences from Walt Disney World, including Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. We will also visit Disneyland and other Disney destinations!

Sources referenced in writing this article include:

Disney Wiki – Studio Backlot Tour

Backstage Studio Tour Featuring Catastrophe Canyon, Werner Weiss, 10/3/2014

Extinct Attractions: Walt Disney World’s Studio Backlot Tour, Cole Geryak, 1/30/2020

Attraction Archaeology: Studio Backlot Tour, Savannah Sanders, 1/11/2020

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Studio Backlot Tour

An Attraction in Hollywood Studios

Last updated: April 9, 2019

At a Glance

A substantial part of the Studios was a film and TV-production facility, although very little actual production takes place these days. Nonetheless, visitors can take a backstage tour to learn about production methods and technologies.

The tour begins on the edge of the back lot with the special-effects walking segment, then continues with the tram segment. To reach the Studio Backlot Tour, turn right off Hollywood Boulevard through the Studio Arch into the Animation Courtyard . Bear left at the corner where Voyage of the Little Mermaid is situated. Follow the street until you see a red brick warehouse on your right. Go through the door and up the ramp.

The first stop is a special-effects water tank where technicians explain the mechanical and optical tricks that "turn the seemingly impossible into on-screen reality." Included are rain effects and a naval battle.

A prop room separates the special-effects tank and the tram tour. Trams depart about once every 4 minutes on busy days, winding among production and shop buildings before stopping at the wardrobe and crafts shops. Here, costumes, sets, and props are designed, created, and stored. Still seated on the tram, you look through large windows to see craftsmen at work.

The tour continues through the back lot, where western desert canyons exist side by side with New York City brownstones. The tour's highlight is Catastrophe Canyon, an elaborate special-effects movie set where a thunderstorm, earthquake, oil-field fire, and flash flood are simulated.

A reader from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, found the tour lacking:

I was extremely disappointed to discover how much the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney Hollywood Studios has been shortened. The tram ride is hardly worth the time, as most of the Backlot is now gone. Catastrophe Canyon is tired and in need of refurbishment. The years of fires have caused significant black scarring on the attraction, which detracts from the realism of the effects. And the special-effects/behind-the-scenes walking tour, which I thought was a great experience when I was a young teen, is also no more.

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Disney Dish with Jim Hill Podcast

Learn more about the latest doings at Disney with Len Testa of TouringPlans & Jim Hill of JimHillMedia.com

Learn more about the latest doings at Disney with TouringPlan's Len Testa & Jim Hill of JimHillMedia.com

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Theme parks, disney cruise line – what you need to know, cruise line ships, recent walt disney world, recent disneyland, all reviews, recent reviews, allears style, newsletter home, disney’s hollywood studios archives backstage pass, note: as of 2/02, this walking tour has closed until further notice..

Introduction | Attraction | Touring Tips | Kids and Characters Dining | Shopping | Interesting Facts

INTRODUCTION

If you walk to the right of the Chinese Theater , then hang a left on to Mickey Avenue , you'll stumble across the Soundstages that house the Backstage Pass, a 25-minute walking tour through actual soundstages that gives guests a first-hand look at real movie and TV production. In addition to touring actual sets, tour guides clue you in on a few behind-the-scenes secrets.

Backstage Pass – The movie featured in this tour changes periodically, but it is currently featuring Disney's live-action version of 101 Dalmatians. After a short video about casting puppies for the film, you find yourself in the dimly lit Henson Creature Shop , overlooking hundreds of puppets and props used in a variety of films and television shows. The guide explains how some of these creatures are developed and gives a demonstration of a mechanical puppy.

The second stop on the tour is a re-creation of the set of ABC-TV's long-running sitcom Home Improvement , which starred comedian Tim Allen . In addition to getting a bird's-eye view of the furnishings from a catwalk above, one member of the tour group is selected to participate in a demonstration of "blue-screen" technology – the guest is virtually "inserted" into a scene from the show, and broadcast on monitors giving the appearance that he/she is acting opposite Tim Allen.

The final segment of the tour allows guests to wander past sets from the live-action film 101 Dalmatians , which starred actress Glenn Close as the evil Cruella de Vil . Also on display are costumes from the film, including several of Cruella 's exotic outfits.

Mini-Review : As of August 2000, the script for this tour was very weak, as was the delivery of the Cast Member tour guide. There are several aspects of interest along this tour, but all in all, I'd save it for a day when you either want to get out of the heat, or have nothing better to do.

TOURING TIPS

There may be actual filming going on during your visit – ask a Cast Member!

This is a 25-minute walking tour – there are no places to sit along the way, only lean rails in several locations.

This attraction is wheelchair/ECV accessible . Restrooms and telephones are located to the right of the entrance to this building.

KIDS AND CHARACTERS

There are no characters associated with this attraction. There are, however, several character greeting stations further along Mickey Avenue . Check your daily Guide Map for times and locations.

There is no place to eat in the immediate vicinity of the Backstage Pass . Studio Catering Co. , a counter service restaurant featuring sandwiches and snacks, is located a short walk down Mickey Avenue , past the Backlot Tour .

Believe it or not, there is no shopping area located in the immediate vicinity of this attraction.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Backstage Pass was originally part of the Backstage Studio Tour , one of the attractions that debuted when the Disney's Hollywood Studios opened in May 1989. That tour was divided into two attractions, the Backstage Pass walking tour and the tram tour called Disney's Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour several years ago.

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M-G-M Backlot

There follows a brief overview. for the full story on the mgm backlots, please buy or borrow this following gloriously detailed volume. more details from the book..

M-G-M Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot

M-G-M Lots 1,2,3

The vast MGM lot was spread across six separate locations, totalling 165 acres.

Lot 1: This is the current site of Sony Pictures Studios. 44 acres, containing the main production offices and, at it’s height, 28 soundstages (along with support services and facilities).

Lot 2: Lot Two was located across Overland Avenue from the main lot, between Washington and Culver, and totalled 37 acres. A fire destroyed a portion of the sets in 1967. Sets on it were demolished in 1974. One of the last projects shot here was The Phantom of Hollywood, a 1974 TV movie which was originally titled The Phantom of Lot Two. Demolition had already started during production.

Lot 3: Lot Three was a 65 acre parcel of land at the corner of Jefferson and Overland in Culver City, 8 blocks south of the main lot. The borders were Jefferson to the north and what is now a community college on the south. The site is now housing. Back in the 1960s, it had a street of victorian houses, a 63 million gallon man-made lake and western street.

Lots 4, 5 and 6: Located across Jefferson from Lot #3.

Lot 4: 5.4 acres, for parking and the Studio Zoo.

Lot 5: 7.8 acres – transportation and stables.

Lot 6: 6 acres – studio nursery

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON

MAP OF AREA COMING SOON

MGM Backlot – 1970s

Unfortunately during the 1970s the backlot suffered from neglect. Sets were not repaired and vehicles were not cleared after productions ended. It also seems that the backlots were not sufficiently secured from vandalism.

Backlot Today

A section of New York Street was constructed behind Stage 12 in 2011. Many of the studio buildings around Main Street could be used for filming, but as they’re offices and in use regularly, I doubt this happens much.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios looks back and ahead on 35th birthday

Walt Disney World celebrated the 35th anniversary of the opening of Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park Wednesday with Muppets, movies and memories.

The park opened May 1, 1989, just more than a year before the debut of Universal Studios Florida, and they helped launch a new “made in Orlando” film era.

Wednesday’s festivities included a 15-minute program in the park’s Theater of the Stars open-air venue co-hosted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. The latter insisted the water fountain topped by a statue of her was the real icon of Hollywood Studios, not Tower of Terror.

The event included appearances by multiple characters from the “Fantasmic” show, current Walt Disney World ambassador Serena Arvizu, Hollywood Studios Vice President Jackie Swisher and several cast members who worked at the park on opening day and are working there these days.

“For 35 years, we have been a place where you can let your adventures begin,” Swisher told an audience of cast members and park visitors.

“We opened by bringing our guests into the world of movie-making and television production. ‘Mulan,’ ‘Brother Bear’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch’ were all filmed here,” she said. “And many TV viewers got their first look at rising stars such as Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake in the all-new ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ filmed right here.”

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Disney World’s third theme park opened under the name Disney-MGM Studios with an iconic water tower topped with mouse ears and named the Earffel Tower. Attractions included the Studio Backlot Tour, Great Movie Ride, SuperStar Television and the Monster Sound Show.

As the park’s mission morphed, it was rebranded as Disney’s Hollywood Studios in early 2008. Now it’s the home to attractions such as Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

“Now we’re a place where our guests can really live that adventure inside the stories they love. So we really immerse you into the movies,” Swisher said after the ceremony.

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Tom Vazzana, director of creative development, said he visited Disney-MGM as a guest on opening day.

“I remember walking through the gates and feeling like I was immersed in Hollywood,” he said. “I felt like movies were alive. And I remember going on the Great Movie Ride and being like, ‘How are they doing this?’”

A few years later, Vazzana was cast in the park’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame” show.

“I feel like it was just really moments ago, and it really set the tone for my career,” he said.

Swisher and Vazzana said they were looking forward to an upcoming park addition, a stage show titled “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.”

“We’ve had the opportunity to refocus the telling of ‘The Little Mermaid’ story. It’s Ariel’s point of view. Ariel’s an empowered person with goals, and she makes her own destiny happen,” Vazzana said.

“We’re leaning heavily into beautiful technology so that everyone will be fully immersed in every scene both under the sea and on land,” he said.

The new show slides into the space previously held by “Voyage of the Little Mermaid,” a show that didn’t reopen after WDW’s four-month, pandemic-related shutdown in 2020. There will be new sights and sounds.

“We found the opportunity to add ‘Kiss the Girl’ [song], which I think adds so much heart to the story,” Vazzana said.

Disney has said the new show will debut this fall.

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Virtual Gallery: The Early Years of Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Like the name “Disney,” there is inherent magic in the word “Hollywood.” It represents a cache of cultural nostalgia for the movies we love. When the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park opened at Walt Disney World on May 1, 1989, its dedication plaque described the park’s Hollywood experience as “a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic.” The resulting park history has become one part memory lane, one part dream factory, and one part starring role for every guest who finds themselves immersed in the mythology of Hollywood, the moviemaking process, or the worlds of their favorite television shows and films.

Upon its debut, the park unveiled an impressive roster of new and unique attractions but could also legitimately boast of being a real production facility supported by state-of-the-art soundstages, an expansive backlot, and a functioning animation studio. Disney films of the era were also heralded and promoted throughout the park, oftentimes by way of special costume and prop exhibits, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and celebrity appearances which helped to further tie the in-park experience to its Hollywood roots.

In 2008, the park officially changed its name to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, reflecting a new direction—away from actual production and a behind-the-scenes focus to wholly immersing guests in their favorite TV and film experiences through new and exciting attractions and environments. Still, the park perfectly retains its fantasy aura of classic Hollywood seemingly filled with stars, sky-tracing klieg lights, and cement handprints, successfully creating a nostalgia for “a Hollywood that never was and always will be.”

To celebrate Disney’s Hollywood Studios on its 35th anniversary, the Walt Disney Archives proudly presents a virtual gallery of iconic merchandise, ephemera, and props that chronicle the park’s early years, including its Grand Opening Spectacular weekend (April 28 to May 1, 1989):

Opening text adapted from A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of the Most Magical Place on Earth (2021) by Disney archivists Kevin M. Kern and Steven Vagnini and Disney author/historian Tim O’Day, now available from Disney Editions.