When Disney CEO Bob Iger accidentally let slip (yeah…right)
the possible news of a name change for the Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park in the near future, I wasn’t surprised. This Disney Park has been through
this before and since, hopefully, there may be major changes coming it makes
total sense. Personally, I think they should drop the “Studios” designation as Disney Hollywood Studios hasn’t been a production studio since CEO Michael Eisner shut it down in 2003. I've also read reports of names like Disney's Florida Adventure and Disney's Hollywood Adventure. Of the two, I prefer Hollywood Adventure as that would fit right in with the theming of the Park. Regardless of the name change, and I may not be
alone here, but I still find myself still calling it MGM. Even when the
rebranding becomes an inevitable eventuality, I’ll probably still continue to refer to it as the same. The MGM designation has just become so ingrained in me.
This recent news also brings me back to my first time
visiting Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park nearly 26 years ago. Most of
what is at Hollywood Studios today was not there when the Park first opened in 1989. Today,
many people, particularly those under the age of 21 would not appreciate what
this park used to be and what it accomplished. Back then, Disney-MGM Studios
was a working production facility and occasionally you’d catch a glimpse of an
actual TV show or film in production. Aside from the Production Studio Area and
Backstage Tour, the Theme Park area was of a modest scale and consisted of one
ride, that being The Great Movie Ride, and a handful of shows such as Superstar
Television, Monster Sound Show, (one of
my favorites), and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
The 2-hour Backstage Tour which took you by tram and on foot
through the production studio. The tram portion of the tour took you through
New York Streets/Streets of America on to Catastrophe Canyon and from there you
would disembark to start the second half of the Backlot Tour which was the
walking part that took you through many behind the scenes areas such as the special
effects and sound stages which now currently house One Man’s Dream and Voyage of
the Little Mermaid.
Another of my favorites, aside from Monster Sound Show, was
The Magic of Disney Animation Tour which featured the film Back to Neverland with
Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite and a working animation studio. A personal
highlight of that tour was when walking by a window looking into a working
studio of Disney animators and coming upon an animator’s rather large, and I
mean HUGE collection of PEZ. I don’t know why, but at the time, I thought it
was pretty cool and even though I’m not a PEZ collector, I now consider it was
an amazing detail, since it’s something I still remember so many years later.
Well, much of these attractions are gone now and in my
opinion, Disney Hollywood Studios has become a mere shell of its former self. Other
than Toy Story Midway Mania, One Man’s Dream, Streetmosphere entertainment and
the fact that the Hollywood Brown Derby happens to be onsite, I don’t see much,
other than the above, to draw me into the park. Many people claim, and I happen
to be one of them, who think Disney Hollywood Studios has become a ½ day park
and that’s a shame really. What was once #2 on my favorite park list has sadly
become #4. On the upside, are the recent rumors of upcoming projects coming to
Hollywood Studios or whatever Disney decides to brand it.
The first of many changes has already begun in removing the studios iconic, and rather intrusive, Mickey Sorcerers Hat. That is a step in the right direction as the only thing this structure accomplished was to block the view of the entrance to the venerable Great Movie Ride. Furthermore, like many, I am looking forward to the much rumored Star
Wars Land but until ground has officially been broken then I’ll believe it when
I see it, as this has been kicking around for a few years now. Also, the Cars Land rumors have resurfaced and
since these reports keep bubbling up, then the project may not have been
entirely abandoned. Cars Land for me personally, is the more exciting of the
two ventures. Another project which I would eagerly anticipate with great joy
would be the idea of a Villains Land but unfortunately, Disney doesn’t seem to
share my vision with the same enthusiasm.
OK, many of you may want to stop reading from here on
because I going to say it and I know some of you may also be thinking it, but I
wouldn’t be too surprised upon hearing an announcement of a projected Frozen
Land at Disney Hollywood Studios. I mean, it’s everywhere now. Actually, it's not a bad idea because it may get it out of the other parks
and place it exactly where it’s belongs and is obviously needed.
