Hooray for Hollywood (Studios) 🎥
A very brief history of Disney's Hollywood (MGM) Studios and a game of This or That
For today’s post, I thought playing a game of Disney’s Hollywood Studios attractions, This or That, would be fun.
I have a program I wrote, yep, I’m a nerd, that will spit out two random attractions at a given park, and I have to pick between them. I have no idea if this will work in this format. Here’s hoping 🤞
📨 Oh, please comment or email me if you would have picked anything differently.
Hooray for Hollywood 🎥
First, here is a little backstory to my favorite Walt Disney World Park, Hollywood Studios #alwaysMGMtome.
The park was initially intended to be a new pavilion in EPCOT, named "Great Moments at the Movies," with the Great Movie Ride as its main attraction. It was going to be placed between the Land and Imagination Paviolins. The word is that once new CEP Michael Eisner came to the company, he saw this pavilion and jumped at the opportunity to make a Park/studio, knowing that Universal was eying the same thing in the Orlando area.
Disney’s MGM Studios opened on May 1, 1989, happy belated 35th birthday, as a working studio where movies, TV Shows, and animation would be created. The main attractions were a 2-hour “behind the scenes” studio tour and The Great Movie Ride. Disney built this park knowing it would be a "half-day experience," hoping customers would also go to other new projects such as Typhoon Lagoon and Pleasure Island. The animation studio would produce three of their films: Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear.
The park was a huge success, the studio not so much. During what Eisner dubbed the "Disney Decade," many proposed lands and attractions for the park were worked on. These included Dick Tracy's Crime-Stoppers, Roger Rabbit's Hollywood, and The Great Muppet Movie Ride; I would have loved to see this one. None of these would come to pass, with many of Disney’s park plans being scaled back after Disneyland Paris's rough opening.
🏨 In 1994, Sunset Boulevard, the park's first significant expansion, opened with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which is IMO one of the best Disney experiences.
Listen to our podcast episode about the Tower of Terror. It’s five years old now, but it's still relevant.
Eventually, it would be joined by Rock' n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith in 1999. As part of 2001's 100 Years of Magic celebration (this celebrated what would have been Walt’s 100th birthday, not the company’s), the park would serve as the primary host of the celebration, with the Sorcerer's Hat, 🤢, large display becoming the park's icon for the next 14 years.
On January 7, 2008, the park was rebranded "Disney's Hollywood Studios," with the official announcement made on August 9, 2007
In 2015, a new major expansion was announced that would demolish what remained of the park's unused production facilities and backlot, with Toy Story Land opening in 2018, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opening in 2019, and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway opening in 2020.
Touring Plans has a great page listing all of Hollywood Studio’s attractions that have ever been listed here.
And that’s the short version of the history of this park. Now onto
This or That!
Round 1
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
It's random, and it picks the two Galaxy Edge rides. I love Smuggler’s Run, but Rise is an experience.
Pick: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Round 2
Disney Junior Dance Party! vs. Star Wars Launch Bay
Yikes, both I could care less about. I’d have to pick Launch Bay since meeting the characters there, BB-8, Chewie, and Darth Vader is still fun.
Pick: Star Wars Launch Bay
Round 3
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror vs. Toy Story Mania!
As you can guess, I love ToT, and I like Toy Story Mania. The pick here is easy, Pick: Tower of Terror
Round 4
Vacation Fun – An Original Animated Short with Mickey 🔥& Minnie vs. Slinky Dog Dash
Here’s the problem with random pairings 😂. A break from the heat in the AC is always welcome, and we love the Potatoland diorama, but Slinky Dog Dash is such a fun ride and a must-do.
Pick: Slinky Dog Dash
Round 5
Star Tours - The Adventures Continue vs. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
I love both of these rides. Rock' n' Roller Coaster is fantastic and fun. Star Tours is great, and with different scenes, it has excellent “re-ride-ability” every time. Plus, the thrill you feel when you are picked as the Rebel spy is like nothing else. This may be a hot take 🔥
Pick: Star Tours
Okay, I think that’s enough for now. Again, please let me know if you agree or disagree with any of my picks.
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Have a great big Beautiful Tomorrow because today is almost over