Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Based on a concept by Marty Sklar, Randy Bright, and Michael Eisner, the park opened on May 1, 1989, as the Disney–MGM Studios Theme Park, and was the third of four theme parks built at Walt Disney World. Spanning , the park is themed to an idealized version of Hollywood, California, and is dedicated to the imagined worlds from film, television, music, and theatre, drawing inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Disney's Hollywood Studios was initially developed as both a theme park inspired by show business and an operating production studio, with active film and television production services, an animation facility branch, and a functioning backlot. Construction on the combined park and studio began in 1987, but was accelerated when the construction of the similarly themed Universal Studios Florida began a few miles away. To increase public interest and the variety of film representation within the park, Disney entered into a licensing agreement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), from which the park's original name was derived. The park's production facilities were removed throughout the 2000s, and many of the park's soundstages were retrofitted for newer attractions and guest use. The park's current name took effect in 2008, with the removal of the MGM-branding throughout the park. In the 2010s, the park began to distance itself from the original studio backlot intention and entered a new direction of immersive theming and attraction development inspired by imagined worlds from Hollywood storytellers.

The park's original landmark was the Earffel Tower, a faux water tower topped with Mickey Mouse ears. In 2001, the Sorcerer's Hat—a stylized version of the magical hat from '' Fantasia''—was erected in the park's central hub and served as the icon until its removal in January 2015. The Earffel Tower was also removed the following year. The Hollywood Tower Hotel has since been the official icon, with the park's replica of Grauman's Chinese Theatre serving as the visual centerpiece. In 2023, the park hosted 10.3 million guests, ranking it the tenth most-visited theme park in the world.

Dedication

History

A team of Walt Disney Imagineers led by Marty Sklar and Randy Bright had been given the assignment to create two new pavilions for Epcot's Future World section. The brainstorming sessions led to Wonders of Life and Great Movie Ride pavilions. The latter was to look like a soundstage backdrop, with a movie theater-style entrance in the middle and would have sat between the Land and Journey Into Imagination pavilions. When newly appointed CEO Michael Eisner saw the plans for the pavilion, he requested that, instead of placing the ride in an already existing park, it should be the anchor for a new park themed with Hollywood, entertainment, and show business.

In 1985, Disney and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) entered into a licensing contract that gave Disney worldwide rights to use the MGM brand and logo for what would become Disney–MGM Studios, which included working production facilities for films and television shows, a backlot, and a satellite animation studio for Walt Disney Feature Animation, which began operation prior to the park's debut. In 1988, MGM/ UA responded by filing a lawsuit that claimed Disney violated the agreement by operating a working movie and television studio at the resort. On May 1, 1989, the theme park opened adjacent to the production facilities, with MGM's only affiliation being the original licensing agreement that allowed Disney to use MGM's name and lion logo in marketing, and separate contracts that allowed specific MGM films to be used in the Great Movie Ride. On opening day, the only two operating attractions were the Studio Backlot Tour and the Great Movie Ride. Several months after park opening, the "Streetmosphere" improvisational troupe was added to the park. The Streetmosphere performers, now named the Citizens of Hollywood, are the longest-running attraction at the park.

Disney later filed a countersuit, claiming that MGM/UA and MGM Grand, Inc. had conspired to violate Disney's worldwide rights to the MGM name in the theme park business and that MGM/UA would harm Disney's reputation by building its own theme park at the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. On October 23, 1992, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Curtis B. Rappe ruled that Disney had the right to continue using the Disney-MGM Studios name on film product produced at the Florida facility, and that MGM Grand had the right to build a Las Vegas theme park using the MGM name and logo as long as it did not share the same studio backlot theme as Disney's property. The MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park opened in 1993 at the Las Vegas site and closed permanently in 2000. Disney was contractually prohibited from using the ''Disney-MGM Studios'' name in certain marketing contexts; in those instances, the park was called either ''The Disney Studios'' or ''Disney Studios Florida''.

In the 1990s, as the park's popularity and attendance grew, the park saw its first expansion in 1994, with the addition of Sunset Boulevard and ''The Twilight Zone'' Tower of Terror attraction. The backlot's New York streets were opened to guest access to relieve traffic and renamed as Streets of America. During that same decade, Walt Disney Feature Animation's on-site satellite studio assisted in the production of ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''Aladdin'', and ''The Lion King'', with ''Mulan'' and '' Lilo & Stitch'' being completed entirely at the park's studio. In 2001, the Sorcerer's Hat—a stylized version of the magical hat from '' Fantasia''—was erected in front of the park's Chinese Theater and began to serve as the park's icon from then onwards, displacing the Earffel Tower in that role. In 2004, Disney shuttered the Florida animation unit. The backlot's Residential Street was demolished to accommodate the new location for '' Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show'' in 2005. In 2007, Disney announced that Disney-MGM Studios would be rebranded as Disney's Hollywood Studios, effective January 7, 2008. That same year, the former Stage 1 soundstage became home to ''Toy Story'' Mania! and the surrounding area was rethemed as Pixar Place.

In the 2010s, Disney began phasing out the park's "studio-like" attractions that headlined the park during its early years of operation. This included the closure of the park's Studio Backlot Tour, American Idol Experience, and the Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow attractions in 2014. The following year, the Sorcerer's Hat was removed and the original sightlines from Hollywood Boulevard to the park's Chinese Theatre were restored. In March 2015, during an annual shareholders meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted at another possible name change for the park due to the changes coming in the near future. However, the company denied the rumors of a name change in February 2018. The park continued to close more studio-themed attraction; in April 2016, the majority of Streets of America—including the backlot street facades, the ''Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show'', the Earffel Tower, and the remaining backstage areas—was closed and demolished in preparation for ''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge and ''Toy Story'' Land. In 2017, the Great Movie Ride closed as the final remaining opening-day attraction and was replaced by Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway in 2020.

The park was closed from March 16 to July 15, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida. In 2025, Muppet*Vision 3D and the surrounding Muppet-themed courtyard was closed. The area is expected to be re-themed to Pixar's ''Monsters, Inc.'' franchise, including Disney's first suspended roller coaster.

Park layout and attractions

Disney's Hollywood Studios is divided into seven themed areas inspired by romanticized iterations of either existing locations found in Hollywood and throughout Los Angeles, or imagined worlds from Hollywood-born stories. The park's original layout featured a large Hidden Mickey, which was visible in aerial photographs of the park and on the park's early guide maps, though construction and other park changes have eliminated much of this image.

Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard, inspired by the real street of the same name, serves as the park's main entrance and operates in the same vein as Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom. It is lined with themed streetscape facades and venues selling Disney merchandise and park services. Guests enter through the main entrance gate, which resembles the Pan-Pacific Auditorium. Near the park's gate is a recreation of the Crossroads of the World tower. Live street entertainment and seasonal parades travel down the main street throughout the day. At the far end of Hollywood Boulevard stands an exact replica of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, which houses Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, a dark ride themed to the world of Mickey Mouse animated shorts. Near the entrance of Animation Courtyard—resides The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, a themed replica of the original Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, California.

Echo Lake

Echo Lake, inspired by the similarly named neighborhood in Los Angeles, is designed to mimic the suburban " California Crazy" form of architecture from Hollywood's Golden Age and is anchored around the area's namesake lake.

Echo Lake features two major attractions based on characters and films created by George Lucas and produced by Lucasfilm. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is a 3-D motion simulator ride set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. In the open-air Epic Theater, the live-action ''Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!'' re-enacts various action scenes from Steven Spielberg's ''Raiders of the Lost Ark, ''with professional film stunt actors performing as Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood.

The Hyperion Theater houses ''For the First Time in Forever'': A ''Frozen'' Sing-Along Celebration, a musical show based on Disney's '' Frozen''. Behind this building lies a subsection named Commissary Lane, that connects Hollywood Boulevard directly to Grand Avenue and bypasses Echo Lake altogether. In this area, resides two eateries: ABC Commissary, a quick-service restaurant themed to ABC television programs and the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, a dinner theater with a retro-style theme featuring vintage car themed tables and a large movie screen featuring continuous clips of science-fiction films from the 1950s.

Grand Avenue

Grand Avenue is themed as a gentrified historic district inspired by the real location of the same name in downtown Los Angeles. The area features BaseLine Tap House, a modern California-styled pub. The main street of Grand Avenue leads into a recreation of a Figueroa Street Tunnel which connects Grand Avenue to the adjacent ''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge.

Grand Avenue was originally planned in the 1980s as a themed area called Muppet Studios, centered around the Muppets from Jim Henson's ''The Muppet Show'', following Disney's intended acquisition of the Jim Henson Company. The area's design included Muppet*Vision 3D, a 4D film attraction, as well as a themed restaurant and a Muppet dark ride parody of The Great Movie Ride. The deal fell through after Henson's death in 1990, and only Muppet*Vision 3D was developed and later opened in 1991. The Muppet-themed restaurant was reworked into Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano.

The realized Muppet-themed section became a part of the park's former Streets of America area, which encompassed several attractions, including an urban street amalgamation of New York City and San Francisco. The area's namesake street facades were formerly the park's working backlot set, which was originally a component of the park's inaugural Studio Backlot Tour, and opened to pedestrian park traffic in the mid-1990s; this area closed on April 2, 2016 to accommodate the construction of Galaxy's Edge. PizzeRizzo, a pizzeria owned by Rizzo the Rat, opened in 2016. The Muppet-themed areas and a single remaining New York block of the Streets of America facades were repurposed into Muppets Courtyard, which served as a placeholder designation until Grand Avenue was completed in September 2017. The entirety of the Muppet-themed areas—including Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo—as well as Mama Melrose's, closed in 2025.

''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge

''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge is set within the ''Star Wars'' universe, at the Black Spire Outpost village on the remote frontier planet of Batuu. Attractions include ''Star Wars'': Rise of the Resistance, a dark ride that places guests in a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance; and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, a flying simulator attraction that allows guests to pilot the '' Millennium Falcon'' through a customized secret mission on behalf of Hondo Ohnaka and Chewbacca. Restaurants and shops include Oga's Cantina, Savi's Workshop, and the Droid Depot. The land opened in 2019, replacing the park's Streets of America section. The area cost an estimated $1 billion.

Toy Story Land

''Toy Story'' Land is inspired by Pixar's ''Toy Story'' series. The area is themed to Andy's backyard with three attractions, each hosted by characters from the series. The attractions include Toy Story Mania!, an interactive 4D attraction inspired by classic carnival midway games; Slinky Dog Dash, an outdoor roller coaster; and Alien Swirling Saucers, a Whip ride. The land opened on June 30, 2018.

Toy Story Mania! was originally a standalone attraction within Pixar Place, an area dedicated to films and characters created by Pixar, resembling the animation studio's Emeryville, California campus. Pixar Place was also the home of Luxo Jr., a six-foot-tall audio-animatronic version of Pixar's desk-lamp mascot. The moving character performed periodic shows throughout the day and evening across from Toy Story Midway Mania.

Animation Courtyard

Animation Courtyard is home to attractions based on films and characters owned by the Walt Disney Company. Its entrance is marked by a square "studio arch". This section of the park originally was the starting point for the Studio Backlot Tour.

The former Magic of Disney Animation building hosts ''Star Wars'' Launch Bay, a ''Star Wars'' exhibit featuring behind-the-scenes props and character meet-and-greets with Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and BB-8. Mickey Avenue, a subsection of Animation Courtyard, is home to a walk-through exhibit, Walt Disney Presents, which explores the life and legacy of Walt Disney through photos, models, artifacts, and a short biographical film narrated by Julie Andrews in the Walt Disney Theater. The Courtyard section also hosts two live shows. ''Disney Junior Dance Party!'' entertains guests with characters from Disney Junior series.

Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard, inspired by the real thoroughfare of the same name, as well as the film of the same name, was the first expansion of the park, opening in July 1994. The focal point of Sunset Boulevard is the Hollywood Tower Hotel which houses ''The Twilight Zone'' Tower of Terror, a drop tower thrill ride themed to an abandoned hotel and inspired by Rod Serling's ''The Twilight Zone''. Located nearby is Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, an indoor darkened roller coaster themed to the music of Aerosmith in G-Force Records Studio, with three inversions and a high-speed launch.

Sunset Boulevard has two outdoor amphitheaters, and one indoor theater. The covered Theater of the Stars hosts '' Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage'', a stage show featuring highlights from the 1991 animated film. The larger open-air Hollywood Hills Amphitheater is the home of '' Fantasmic!'', a nighttime show featuring Mickey Mouse and many other Disney characters in a story with fireworks, lasers and water effects.
The indoor Sunset Showcase hosts the under construction Disney Villains show expected to open in fall 2025.

Live entertainment

Disney's Hollywood Studios has featured numerous forms of in-park entertainment throughout its history. During its early years, the park featured the "Star Today" program, with a daily celebrity guest. The celebrity would often be featured in a motorcade along Hollywood Boulevard or would take part in a handprint ceremony at the Great Movie Ride's entrance, or participate in an interview session.

At other times, Disney has imported characters and intellectual properties that were not part of its own original library of films and television shows. Some of these characters have included the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', '' Ace Ventura, Pet Detective'', and characters from the '' Goosebumps'' series by author R. L. Stine. The ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' made appearances in the park during the first seasons of the television series but then vanished. Disney had ownership of the Power Rangers franchise through its purchase of Saban Entertainment until May 2010 when Saban purchased the franchise back and were regular members of the park's cast of characters during that time. Live musical acts, such as the cover band Mulch, Sweat and Shears and the a cappella quartet Four For a Dollar, used to perform on the park streets or as pre-show entertainment at the larger shows.

Like Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios also used to run daily parades down Hollywood Boulevard. The Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade and the Pixar Block Party Bash featured film characters performing in a street party along Hollywood Boulevard and near Echo Lake. Several times each day, the "'' High School Musical 3 Senior Year'': Right Here Right Now" show used to travel Hollywood Boulevard before performing a live street show in front of the Sorcerer's Hat.

Streetmosphere performers have been present at Disney's Hollywood Studios since 1989. They are the only opening day attraction left in the park. The improv troupe was originally called Streetmosphere, but later renamed to the Citizens of Hollywood. They perform magic, skits, and interact with guests multiple times a day on Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard.

Annual events

Disney's Hollywood Studios has hosted several events during the years that often draw thousands of fans to the park.
*ESPN The Weekend (late winter) featured commentators from the Disney-owned cable sports channels as well as sports celebrities. The event was started in 2004 and permanently cancelled in July 2011.
* ''Star Wars'' Weekends (May–June) brought ''Star Wars'' fans and celebrities together for special park events. Running Fridays-Sundays throughout June, they featured the 501st Legion (a worldwide ''Star Wars'' costuming group) parading through the park in costumes that include Stormtroopers, TIE fighter pilots, biker scouts and Rebel soldiers. Several ''Star Wars'' actors appear each weekend for photos and autographs, appearing in a variety of shows hosted in the various theatres around the park, larger Jedi Training Academy classes for younger guests, and other activities. ''Star Wars'' Weekends ended its run in 2015.
* ABC Super Soap Weekend was scheduled in November, the event paid tribute to the legions of fans of soap operas from ABC. Guests could meet stars from ''All My Children'', ''One Life to Live'', and ''General Hospital''. The event's final presentation was in November 2008, with ABC instead planning to schedule multiple, smaller regional events around the country for its fans.
* The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (November–January) took over the Streets of America during the Christmas season. The display featured over five million Christmas lights on more than of wire. The event ended its run in 2015 preceding the demolition of Streets of America.
*Disney Jollywood Nights: A separate-admission seasonal Christmas event introduced in 2023, hosted on selected evenings from 7:30 pm to 12:30 am in November and December.

Production history

The Walt Disney Company's original concept of the Disney-MGM Studios was to operate it as a television and motion picture production facility, as well as a theme park. In 1988, among the first feature-length movies filmed at the facility, prior to its completion and opening as a theme park, were '' Ernest Saves Christmas'' and '' Newsies''.

When the park opened in 1989, the studio/production facilities housed two major components, the first of which was Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, where Disney produced projects including ''Mulan'', '' Lilo & Stitch'', ''Brother Bear'', and sequences from other 1990s-early 2000s Disney animated features. The second, larger component was Walt Disney Studios Florida, which consisted of three sound stages used for Disney projects including The Disney Channel's '' Mickey Mouse Club'', '' Teen Win, Lose or Draw'' and '' Adventures in Wonderland''. Several third party productions also used the Studios, including ''Superboy'' (first season only, from 1988–1989), the 1988–89 season of MTV's ''Remote Control'', '' Thunder in Paradise'', a revival of ''Let's Make a Deal'', special broadcasts of '' Wheel of Fortune,'' airplane interior sequences for the feature film ''Passenger 57, and The Dooley and Pals Show.'' Music videos, several tapings for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and live broadcasts of ''WCW Monday Nitro'' were also shot there; see WCW Disney tapings. The Post Group had a Florida-based post-production facility located on the Studio lot throughout the 1990s. All these production and post-production facilities were constructed to be an integral part of the theme park's Backstage Studio Tour as well.

A working broadcast radio studio, used by Radio Disney and invited local broadcasters, was also located at the park, behind '' Sounds Dangerous!''

In 2004, Disney management (including CEO Michael Eisner) downsized Disney's Florida operations by closing the animation studio, laying off personnel and then moving the operations to the main animation studio in Burbank, California.

Attendance

See also

* Incidents at Walt Disney World Resort
* Walt Disney Studios Park, sister park at Disneyland Paris

References

External links

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Conception of Disney's Hollywood Studios
at Disney D23

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Walt Disney World
1989 establishments in Florida
Amusement parks in Greater Orlando
Hollywood Studios
Disney production studios
World Championship Wrestling
Backlot sets
Amusement parks opened in 1989

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