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DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Map of the Disney Hollywood Studios

DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS WAS HATCHED from a corporate rivalry and a wild, twisted plot. At a time when the Disney Company was weak and fighting off greenmail—hostile takeover bids—Universal’s parent company at the time, MCA, announced they were going to build an Orlando clone of their wildly successful Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. Behind the scenes, MCA was courting the real-estate rich Bass brothers of Texas, hoping to secure the brothers’ investment in the project. The Bass brothers, however, defected to the Disney camp, helped Disney squelch the hostile takeovers, and were front and center when Michael Eisner suddenly announced that Disney would also build a movie theme park in Florida. A construction race ensued, with Universal and Disney each intent on opening first. Universal, however, was midprocess in the development of a host of new attraction technologies and was no match for Disney, who could import proven concepts and attractions from their other parks.

To broaden the appeal and lend additional historical impact, Disney obtained the rights to use the MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) name, film library, motion-picture and television titles, excerpts, costumes, music, sets, and even Leo, the MGM lion. Probably two of the most recognized names in motion pictures, Disney and MGM represented almost a century of movie history. In the end, Disney Hollywood Studios opened almost two years before Universal Studios Florida.

So what happened to MGM? Disney had purchased the Pixar Animation Studios in 2006 after partnering with Pixar on a series of highly successful film releases including Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. The cost of continuing with MGM, coupled with Pixar's arguably more substantial popularity, probably convinced Disney to rename the theme park. But rather than tie Pixar to the theme park name as they had done for MGM, however, Disney decided that 'Hollywood' represented a more generic reference to moviemaking. In practice, many folks drop the "Hollywood" from the name entirely, referring to the theme park as "Disney Studios" or simply "the Studios."

COMPARING DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS TO THE MAGIC KINGDOM AND EPCOT
THE MAGIC KINGDOM ENTERTAINS, modeling its attractions on Disney movies and TV. Epcot educates, pioneering exhibits and rides that teach. Disney Studios does both. All three parks rely heavily on Disney special effects and audio-animatronics (robotics) in their entertainment mix.

Disney Hollywood Studios is about the size of the Magic Kingdom and about half as large as the sprawling Epcot. Unlike the other parks, the Studios is a working motion-picture and television production facility. This means, among other things, that guests are permitted access to about half of it only on guided tours or observation walkways.

When Epcot opened in 1982, Disney patrons expected a futuristic version of the Magic Kingdom. What they got was humanistic inspiration and a creative educational experience. Since then, Disney has tried to inject more magic, excitement, and surprise into Epcot. Remembering the occasional disappointment of those early Epcot guests, Disney fortified the Studios with megadoses of action, suspense, surprise, and, of course, special effects. The formula has proved so successful that it was trotted out again at the Animal Kingdom theme park. If you want to learn about the history and technology of movies and television, Disney Hollywood Studios will teach you plenty. If you just want to be entertained, you won’t leave disappointed.

Self-Promotion Run Amok
While it’s true that Disney Studios educates and entertains, what it does best is promote. Self-promotion of Disney films and products was once subtle and in context. It is now blatant, inescapable, and detracting. Although most visitors are willing to forgive Disney its excesses, Studios veterans will lament the changes and remember how good it was when education was the goal instead of the medium.

Not to be Missed at Disney Hollywood Studios
Star Tours Fantasmic!
Disney Studios Backlot Tour Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Jim Henson's MuppetVision 3-D Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show Toy Story Midway Mania

HOW MUCH TIME TO ALLOCATE
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ALL OF EPCOT or the Magic Kingdom in one day. However, Disney Studios, is more manageable. There’s much less ground to cover by foot. Trams carry guests through much of the backlot and working areas, and attractions in the open-access parts are concentrated in an area about the size of Main Street, Tomorrowland, and Frontierland combined. Someday, no doubt, as Disney Studios develops and grows, you’ll need more than a day to see everything. For now, the Studios is a nice one-day outing.

Because Disney Studios is smaller, however, it’s more affected by large crowds. Our touring plans will help you stay a step ahead of the mob and minimize waiting in line. Even when the park is crowded, however, you can see almost everything in a day.

DISNEY STUDIOS IN THE EVENING
BECAUSE DISNEY STUDIOS CAN BE SEEN in three-fourths of a
day, many guests who arrive early in the morning run out of things to do by 4 p.m. or so and leave the park. Their departure greatly thins the crowd and makes the Studios ideal for evening touring. Lines for most attractions are manageable, and the park is cooler and more comfortable. The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and productions at other outdoor theaters are infinitely more enjoyable during the evening than in the sweltering heat of the day.

In 1998, the Studios launched Fantasmic!, arguably the most spectacular



A drawback to touring the Studios at night is that there won't be much activity on the production soundstages.
nighttime entertainment event in the Disney repertoire. Staged nightly (weather permitting) in its own theater behind the Tower of Terror, Fantasmic! is rated as “not to be missed.” Unfortunately, evening crowds have increased substantially at the studios because of Fantasmic! Some guests stay longer at Disney Hollywood Studios and others arrive after dinner from other parks expressly to see the show. Although crowds thin in the late afternoon, they build again as performance time approaches, making Fantasmic! a challenge to get into. Also adversely affected are the Tower of Terror and the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, both situated near the entrance to Fantasmic! Crowd levels throughout the remainder of the park, however, are generally light.

ARRIVING at DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS HAS ITS OWN PAY PARKING LOT and is served by the Disney transportation system. If you drive, Disney’s ubiquitous trams will transport you to the ticketing area and entrance gate.

GETTING ORIENTED at
DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
GUEST SERVICES, ON YOUR LEFT AS YOU ENTER, serves as the park headquarters and information center, similar to City Hall in the Magic Kingdom and Guest Relations at Epcot and the Animal Kingdom. Go there for a schedule of live performances/Times Guide, lost persons, Package Pick-up, lost and found (on the right side of the entrance), general information, or in an emergency. If you haven’t received a map of the Studios or a Times Guide, get one here. To the right of the entrance are locker, stroller, and wheelchair rentals.

About one-half of the complex is set up as a theme park. As at the Magic Kingdom, you enter the park and pass down a main street. Only, this time it’s Hollywood Boulevard of the 1930s and 1940s. At the end of Hollywood boulevard is a replica of Hollywood’s famous Chinese Theater. Lording over the plaza in front of the theater is a 122-foot-tall replica of the sorcerer hat Mickey Mouse wore in the animated classic Fantasia. Besides providing photo ops, the hat is the park’s most central landmark, making it a good meeting place if your group becomes separated. In case you’re wondering, Mickey would have to be 350 feet tall to wear the hat.

Though modest in size, the open-access areas of the Studios are confusingly arranged (a product of the park’s hurried expansion in the early 1990s). As you face the hat, two guest areas—Sunset Boulevard and the Animation Courtyard—branch off Hollywood Boulevard to the right. Branching left off Hollywood Boulevard is the Echo Lake area. The open-access backlot wraps around the back of Echo Lake, the Chinese Theater, and the Animation Courtyard. You can experience all attractions here and in the other open-access sections of the park according to your tastes and time. Still farther to the rear is the limited-access backlot, consisting of the working soundstages, technical facilities, wardrobe shops, administrative offices, and backlot sets. These are accessible to visitors on a guided tour by tram and foot.

Hollywood Boulevard Services
Most of the park's services are on Hollywood Boulevard, including:
Wheelchair and Stroller Rental Right of the entrance at Oscar's Rental
Banking Services An ATM is outside the park to the right of the turnstiles.
Storage Lockers Rental lockers are right of the main entrance, on the left of Oscar's.
Lost and Found At Package Pick-up, right of the entrance
Live Entertainment / Parade Info / Character Info Available free at Guest Relations and elsewhere in the park
Lost Persons Report lost persons at Guest Relations
Walt Disney World and Local Attraction Information At Guest Relations
First Aid At Guest Relations
Baby Center / Baby-Care Needs At Guest Relations. Oscar's sells baby food and other necessities.

WHAT TO SEE
TRY EVERYTHING. As we have with the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot, we identify attractions as “not to be missed.” But Disney rides and shows usually exceed your expectations and always surprise.

WAITING TIMES DISPLAY
AT THE CORNER OF HOLLYWOOD AND SUNSET BOULEVARD is a large display listing current waiting times for all Disney Hollywood Studios attractions. It’s updated continuously throughout the day. We’ve found the waiting times listed to be slightly overstated. If the display says the wait for Star Tours is 45 minutes, for example, you probably will have to wait about 35–40 minutes.

FASTPASS at the STUDIOS
The Disney Hollywood Studios offers four FASTPASS attractions. Strategies for using FASTPASS at the Studios have been integrated into our touring plans.

Disney Hollywood Studios FASTPASS Attractions
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Star Tours
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Toy Story Midway Mania





 


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