The year was 1989. Universal Studios had recently announced its intention to build a movie theme park in Orlando, and Disney’s young CEO, Michael Eisner, knew he needed to beat the competition to the punch. Thanks to certain legal concessions that Walt had put into place when Walt Disney World came to town, Disney was able to circumvent much of the permitting process that Universal faced, and opened its own movie park more than a year ahead of Universal’s grand opening.
Then known as Disney-MGM Studios, the park was supposed to herald a new era for Orlando. Dubbed “Hollywood East” by industry insiders, Central Florida was expected to become a centerpiece for film and television production, and Disney-MGM Studios would be its crown jewel. With carefully designed soundstages and post-production facilities that gave guests a birds-eye, yet soundproof, view of the action, the new park would allow visitors behind the scenes as never before. Every attraction was carefully crafted to fulfill this dream, while providing the sort of immersive blend of education and entertainment for which Disney was already famous.
A look at the attractions of the park’s opening day shows how seamlessly this experience was crafted. Granted, many people complained that there was not enough to do—but for wanna-be actors and film buffs in Central Florida, it was pure magic. Almost all of these attractions are long gone, as is the concept of Hollywood East, which proved untenable for many reasons. Even the park’s name changed in 2008 to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, marking a dramatic change to the original vision.
1. Backstage Studio Tour
Anchored by the 1990s version of the Mickey Mouse Club, which filmed at the park from 1989 through 1994, filming was a regular occurrence on the Disney-MGM Studios soundstages. The original incarnation of the Backstage Studio Tour was a 2-hour extravaganza that took guests into the heart of the action.
The imposing entrance to what is now the Animation Courtyard was designed to mark your entrance to the “backstage” world of the soundstages from the “public” areas of Hollywood Boulevard. Here visitors would board a tram for an hour-long journey that included such behind-the-scenes areas as the costume and prop shops, a tour of Residential Street (removed in 2003 to make room for Lights, Motors, Action!), a spin through Catastrophe Canyon (then billed as “filming gone wrong”), and a ride through New York Street (considered a Hot Set, with pedestrian traffic forbidden).
After disembarking from the tram, there was a short break before the walking portion of the tour. This began with a fun and educational look at how special effects were created before moving on to an up-close peek behind the scenes. Through soundproof glass walkways, guests could observe filming of their favorite productions, and then look in on the post-production process before taking in previews of upcoming films at the Walt Disney Theater.
A drastically shortened version of this tour limped along until September 2014, when it finally closed for good. Filming had long since moved on, and for the last several years there really wasn’t much to see.
2. The Magic of Disney Animation Tour
Accessed through a modest entrance to the right of the Backstage Studio Tour loading area, The Magic of Disney Animation Tour was a charming look at the legendary Disney animation process. It began with “Back to Neverland,” a short film starring Walter Cronkite and Robin Williams, in which Williams was turned into one of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. Afterwards, guests had the opportunity, via glassed-in elevated walkways, to watch the animators of Walt Disney Animation Orlando at work on such now-classics as The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Mulan. Two more short films followed, one featuring the Disney Animators talking about their love of the process, and one encapsulating key moments from animated Disney films.
Both Walt Disney Animation Orlando and the tour were gradually gutted over the years, and when Disney closed its Orlando animation facility altogether in 2004, the experience was fundamentally over. A shell still exists today, with an “animator” giving a short presentation. But by and large, what was once magical is now gone for good.
3. Monster Sound Show
A comedy horror spoof starring Chevy Chase and Martin Short, the Monster Sound Show introduced visitors to the world of Foley artists—the people who provide sound effects for movie and television productions. Audience members were selected to create all the sounds for the short film after watching it only once with the sound effects in place. The results were generally hilarious, and both the new Foley artists and the audience left with a much greater appreciation for the hard work of the Foley department.
The post-show, Sound Works, provided numerous hands-on activities where guests could experiment with sound. From dialogue replacement in scenes from classic Disney animated features to a 3-D sound presentation, it was easy to spend an hour checking everything out.
The Monster Sound Show closed in 1999 to make room for the decidedly less interactive Sounds Dangerous, starring Drew Carey. Though the sound presentation was solid and even fun, it marked a fundamental change at the park from active, guest-driven experiences to passive entertainment. Sounds Dangerous closed in 2012, and the building is now used for film previews.
4. Superstar Television
Superstar Television allowed guests to perform alongside the stars of some of television’s most classic episodes via the magic of chroma key technology. Volunteers were cast in the pre-show holding area, mostly by jumping up and down and screaming to get the emcee’s attention. They were taken backstage for costumes and makeup while the rest of the audience watched a short intro film.
Inside the theater, guests were taken through a broadcast “day,” with each performance playing out at its designated broadcast hour. Highlighted shows included “I Love Lucy,” “General Hospital,” “Cheers,” “The Golden Girls,” and “The Late Show With David Letterman.” Newsworthy events were also noted, from the 1955 opening of Disneyland to the 1969 Apollo Moon Landing.
In a nod to the changeover from working film studio to pure theme park, Superstar Television closed in 1998 to make room for the Doug Live! kids show, which lasted until 2001. The building sat empty for years, other than hosting occasional special events, until the American Idol Experience opened in 2009. That show closed in 2014, and the building is again vacant.
5. Celebrity Guest Appearances
In the early years, Disney completed the effect of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood with frequent appearances by celebrity guests. Ever wonder how all those handprints ended up outside the Chinese Theater? Almost every weekend, a different star would perform an elaborate handprint ceremony, like those done in Hollywood, followed by a question and answer session.
In addition, the park also hosted a semi-regular “A Conversation With…” evening series. Located in one of the theater buildings, this was a bit more formal than the afternoon Q&As, and typically lasted an hour or more. Betty White, George Burns, and Patty Duke were just three of the Hollywood legends who appeared at these sessions.
Of course, Star Wars Weekends still draws its share of celebrity guests. In general, however, like the rest of Hollywood East, the stars have moved on.
It is not yet clear what the future holds for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which is undergoing a massive refurbishment and yet another name change. But one thing is certain—Disney might have gotten its movie park up and running first, but it has yet to achieve the astronomical success of its rival, Universal Orlando, which weathered similar changes to its core vision in a much more coherent manner.
