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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.
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.
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