hollywood studios

What We Miss Most About Disney-MGM Studios – Up The Waterfall Episodes 14 and 15

4 December 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Disney-MGM Studios past, and what we miss, is the topic for this week and last, and what we miss about the Disney-MGM Studios. The hey day of its original opening and the years that followed. We discuss what it was like visiting the park back then and reminisce about our favorites. In this first part, we go over the original Animation Tour, the Backlot Tour (walking and tram), Superstar Television and Monster Sound Show. We also dip a little bit into the Great Movie Ride, in part 1 which we all miss greatly. As you can see below, this turned into a two part series, so we hope you’ll listen or watch to both and take a stroll down Hollywood Blvd or the Streets of America with us as we say, “ACTION!” to episodes 14 and 15 of Up the Waterfall podcast.

The Rocketeer's Bulldog Cafe — The Rocketeer’s Bulldog Cafe on the Backlot Tour

We hope you enjoy the show, and share with us what YOU miss the most about Disney-MGM Studios, what your favorite parts were and what you think we’ll cover in part 2! As always, we thank you so much for listening, watching, and spreading the word to your friends and family. I’ve recently personally gotten some feedback from folks who discovered Up the Waterfall, and I can’t tell you how much it means to hear that people actually listened AND liked it! But no one will know we exist if they don’t hear from our listeners that they recommend Up the Waterfall. We need your help! If you can spread the word, but liking our videos, rating us 5-stars on Apple Podcasts, Google, or wherever you listen, or share this post so others can discover us, we would be eternally grateful. This is a family passion project, and we consider our listeners family too. Thank you for your support!

I’m going to add Part 2 here as well – where we finish up our nostalgic but historic look at the Disney-MGM Studios of yesteryear. In Part 2, we go over the shows at the Premier Theatre – (Hunchback anyone?) as well as the many parades and entertainment spectaculars such as the Rocketeer live every night, Sorcery in the Sky fireworks and more! We hope you enjoy – and let us know your favorites!

Here are some of the blog posts I’ve written on Disney’s Hollywood Studios (or MGM) past:

https://zannaland.com/you-can-leave-your-hat-off/

https://zannaland.com/why-i-fell-in-love-with-the-disney-studios-interaction/

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Reflections On Limited Time Magic

8 May 2013 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

When “Limited Time Magic” was first announced back in October of 2012, it was met with great enthusiasm and high hopes. I know I was not alone in thinking of our distant sister parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea with their various seasonal themes, special merchandise, food, and shows. It also reminded me a bit of what makes Disneyland in California so magical, there are special things that happen throughout the year and then disappear, making them all the more special while they are around. I was truly excited that, as a local to Walt Disney World, we would get a taste of these kind of moments and make our 43 square miles feel a little bit smaller, a little more like the memories I had grown up with.

It’s not quite six months into 2013, and we, as Disney Park fans on the east and west coast of the United States, have been treated to quite a few doses of “Limited Time Magic.” Some, have been incredible successes, as judged by Disney social media fans and critics. Others, have gone by with little fanfare or appreciation. What sparked my desire to write this post was the most recent installment of Limited Time Magic: Disney’s Hollywood Studios “May the 4th Be With You” event, celebrating Star Wars Day as it has come to be known. This was, without a doubt, the greatest Limited Time Magic event to date, in my opinion. But why was this day such a success?

Well, let me first note that some of the past Limited Time Magic days have also been well-received; Long Lost Friends Week both at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland was lots of fun, True Love Week was also a unique experience, the Easter Week egg hunts were a great success as well. Other offerings of limited time merchandise, ear hats, t-shirts etc. may have been a fun addition, but certainly not to the extent that these other events have been. What’s the magic formula? And more importantly, what can Disney DO with these experiences to improve future park experiences for guests?

I think the most important key to these Limited Time Magic successes is this: community. Sure, you can bond with other folks in line for a t-shirt or a pin that you have to collect, but what better way to feel a part of the Disney community than dancing down a walkway with your favorite character, or standing in a group of fellow fans as you ooh and ahh to fireworks created especially for you? I arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the late afternoon on May 4th, but I still felt instantly a part of the special community. We all had on our Star Wars t-shirts, with smiles on our faces as a legion of Stormtroopers marched down Hollywood Blvd, or Chewbacca stood in line for Star Tours with the rest of us. A dance party is fun, but a dance party with a DJ playing real hits, where Chewie and Greedo dance in the crowds? Amazing. We all felt a part of this wonderful Disney-Star Wars family, and as a local that may or may not experience burn-out visiting the parks so frequently, it was wonderful to have something new going on that brought us all together.

In my personal opinion, I think something like May the 4th is 10 times more successful than Long Lost Friends Week, where guests may have been excited to see old characters, but really it created long lines and offered little more than a photo op and a souvenir autograph card. Fun, but not amazing. The special Limited Time Magic songs that have been created for Long Lost Friends Week and True Love Week were nice, but seemed a bit forced vs. just letting the experiences speak for themselves. Would these weeks that involve character meet and greets work if the characters were just roaming the parks as they did on May the 4th? I’m not sure, certainly I’m no expert in park logistics, but why not give it a try? I think guests would be surprised and delighted by the experience. Part of what made the Easter Week egg hunts so fun is the community aspect of interactivity. Groups of folks were all searching for the same things, finding fellow guests along the way to share experiences with. Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt?

Other parts to the Limited Time Magic offerings have been special food items, which, on their own, may not be too exciting, but when combined with enough other activities to make it part of the fun, can be a great addition. I dined at Kona Cafe a few weeks ago and saw the little cupcake with the smiling strawberry. I had been out of the Limited Time Magic Loop and had no idea this was a “Limited Time Cupcake“, but I thought it was adorable and unique and it made me smile. THAT’s the kind of little, un-looked-for magic that takes me back to the Walt Disney World I grew up loving – proving that it doesn’t have to be a huge character line-up or special show to make a difference.

Which brings me to my next point, what can Disney DO with all of these experiences? Will they end after this year is up? Will we never see a “Long Lost Friend” again now that that week is over? Will Disney stop creating unique new dessert or dining options because this campaign has ended? I certainly don’t think so on the food side of things. Disney fans are so on top of any new cupcakes or other desserts that come out and I think that will always be a way to excite guests and create buzz. But what about the rest of the park experiences?

Seeing fireworks over Disney’s Hollywood Studios was in a word, spectacular. The Star Wars music and amazing fireworks were the perfect mix. They put a smile on my face and made me proud to be a part of this Disney community, experiencing this special event first-hand. Would they be less special if those fireworks happened every Star Wars Weekend? I don’t think so. I’d definitely stay in the park later, and more than likely spend more money on food, drinks, or merchandise because the park was open later. And after seeing those fireworks, I would most assuredly make a special trip back to see them again. I’ve missed Sorcery in the Sky and I think a fireworks display is just what that park needs. Every other weekend? Once a month? I’ll take it!

These are the moments that make great vacations. These are the moments that create memories and cause little kids and grown-ups alike to go back home and spread the gospel of Disney out amongst their friends and family. I can just picture it now, a little boy or girl saying to their friends, “And then, a Stormtrooper walked right by me and stopped and we battled with his blaster and my light saber!” (or a grown up telling his or her friends the same thing 😉 ) Is that memory not so much more powerful than “and then we stood in line and got a photo with the three little pigs.”? Sure, that photo may be a treasured memory, but the former experience was an active memory rather than a passive one, which put the guest in the middle of the story. It wasn’t planned, it wasn’t staged. It was a spontaneous moment and exactly what makes Disney so magical.

My hope is that Disney takes these Limited Time successes and translates them into changes across the parks. Spontaneous character interactions should be the norm, not a one-time experience. Getting the community to rally around a show or fireworks IS possible if it’s done right.

Seeing the Dapper Dans sing boy band songs, while amusing, isn’t something that will create memories that last a lifetime. In fact, if such a big deal hadn’t been made of the Dapper Dans singing boy band hits prior to that week, it probably would’ve had a much bigger impact. I could see a much bigger buzz having formed around a spontaneous rendition of “Bye, Bye, Bye,” with viral video happening and social media channels reposting all over the place. But knowing it was coming, it was just like, “Oh, ok. Cute.” At least that’s how I saw it.

Having a new set of ear hats, while cool and fun, isn’t what will form the moments that make lifelong Disney fans and guests. Keep ’em coming, the designs are great. But don’t call them “Limited Time Magic” when we all know they are just new merchandise for us to buy. (And don’t get me wrong, I LOVE merchandise. It’s where I got my start with Disney, selling merchandise on Main Street, U.S.A. – and some of the new t-shirt and other designs have been absolutely fantastic lately. But keep it separate from something that’s meant to create excitement about the parks themselves.) Keep the “magic” alive by not watering it down with experiences that happen every day anyway. Characters roaming through a park without a line to stand in? Magic. Fireworks in a park that never sees them? Magic.

Disney has had some incredible successes lately from the food booths at the Flower & Garden Festival, to New Fantasyland, to the promise of a new parade at Magic Kingdom. The most successful Limited Time Magic events have been those that truly create magical moments, instigate buzz, and make lifetime memories with guests. The kind of thing where you can say “I was there for…” such as the next major Limited Time Magic event – Disney Parks on both coasts being open 24 hours. I was there for the One More Disney Day event, and it was a unique experience like no other. May 24th is right around the corner and I know I’ll be at the Magic Kingdom all 24 hours.

I know Disney has it in them to translate these limited moments into future guest experiences that create lifelong Disney fans and supporters. I hope the decision-makers take a look at what the response has been and work on ways to make Limited Time Magic a little less limited and a little more magical. I had such a wonderful time at the May the 4th event, it made me super excited for Star Wars Weekends, but I hope some of that intimate, community feel of May the 4th can translate into not only Star Wars Weekends, but the rest of the parks as well.

What are your thoughts? What have your favorite Limited Time Magic moments been and what would you most like to see in the future?

Sneak Peek at Sofia the First in the Disney Christmas Parade and In the Parks Too!

20 December 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

The Sofia The First character will make her Disney Parks debut in the 29th Annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” airing nationwide on Christmas Day, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25 (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., ET; check local listings) on the ABC Television Network. It was also recently announced that Sofia will be joining the Disney Junior – Live on Stage! show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure in early 2013 – joining Doc McStuffins as a new addition.

Disney’s first little girl princess, Sofia was introduced in the music-filled animated television movie “Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess” which debuted on November 18, 2012 and became the #1 cable telecast of all time in Kids 2-5 and Girls 2-5, and the #1 preschool cable TV telecast ever in Total Viewers and Women 18-49. A “Sofia the First” television series which continues Sofia’s journey as she learns how to adjust to royal life, premieres FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 on Disney Channel (9:30-10:00 a.m., ET/PT) and Disney Junior (5:30-6:00 p.m., ET/PT).

PHOTO TOUR of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights!

13 December 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Walking around the corner at Disney’s Hollywood Studios onto New York Street and seeing the overwhelming amount of holiday lights displayed at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is one of those must-do moments for me, that takes my breath away every year. If I could figure out a way to move into one of those Brownstones on the street, I would pack up in a heartbeat. Heck, I’d even live above the T.P. Tree! 😉 It is such a gift that Disney gives us each year, the beautiful lights, the music, a way to pause and enjoy the wonder and spirit of the season. It’s impossible not to go home happy.

I have so many wonderful memories tied into these lights – with my dad, who loved them as much as I do and loved the Studios too, my mom, as we tear up remembering the times with my dad, my older kids when they were little – I can still picture my now almost-14-year-old son sitting in his stroller, reaching his hand out to catch the “snow” as it fell, and now my youngest gets to experience it all as well and more and more memories are made each year. The past few years I’ve added memories with friends and other locals too. It’s just such a great place to wander and hang out. No parades or fireworks to line up for, just relax and enjoy the sights and sounds that envelope you at every turn.

So without further ado, lets take a look at some highlights from my most recent visit:

Sid Cahuengas is always ready for Christmas!

One of my favorite Disney holiday displays!

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

The T.P. Tree — The infamous Toilet Paper Tree!

Crowds love The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Blue canopy (yes, I guess I went overboard with canopy shots)

Fourth of July Festivities and Fireworks at Walt Disney World Resort

4 July 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

JULY 4TH CELEBRATED AT WALT DISNEY WORLD IN FLORIDA — Cinderella Castle with patriotic projections ©Disney

Here are all the official events going on at Disney Parks here in Florida tonight! For the first time ever, I’ll actually be attending Fourth of July activities at Epcot. I know it’ll be super busy, but it should be super fun too. The last time I was in a Disney park on the Fourth, I was working at the Magic Kingdom in 1995, so it’ll be nice to experience again, on the opposite side of the coin. I wish you all a wonderful patriotic day with family and friends! Enjoy good food and spectacular fireworks as we celebrate our freedom!

Walt Disney World Resort will pixie dust the night skies July 4 with special pyrotechnic shows, including a patriotic display at Magic Kingdom, a rock’n’roll spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a classic sky show at Epcot infused with an Independence Day finale. Here’s how you can celebrate America’s birthday – Disney-style:

Magic Kingdom will present “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky.” This patriotic fireworks spectacular, paying homage to the hopes and dreams of America’s forefathers, will light the skies at 9 p.m. July 4 – and for guests who would like to begin the Independence Day celebration early, the show also will be presented July 3 at 9 p.m.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, traditional Fourth of July fireworks take on a different spin when Mulch, Sweat, and Shears perform for the all-new “Rockin’ 4^th of July Celebration.” These resident landscapers – with serious rock and roll ambitions – take Disney guests on a musical road trip across America that will highlight each region’s contribution to rock and roll. Fireworks, lighting and special effects – backed by the driving live rock and roll of Mulch, Sweat, and Shears – combine to bring a new twist to celebrating Independence Day. Showtime July 4 is 9:45 p.m. Before the show, Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests can catch Disney’s Fantasmic!, performing July 4 at 9 p.m.
At Epcot, sky-watchers can check out “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” bursting high above World Showcase Lagoon. IllumiNations is a 14-minute spectacular during which pyrotechnics, lasers, water and music are all used to tell a story about the past, present and future of our planet. On the Fourth of July, the show will be enhanced with “The Heartbeat of Freedom,” an overture of traditional Americana themes displayed in a pyrotechnic and laser light event. The show is at 10 p.m.

In addition, Epcot guests may lend their ears to “Voices of Liberty 4^th of July Concert” and meet with Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross and Disney characters adorned in patriotic dress at American Adventure.

Theme park hours on July 4 (subject to change without notice): Magic Kingdom, 8 a.m.-1 a.m.; Epcot, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Disney’s Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights Canopy Show

22 December 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Yet another family tradition each year and yet another moment to cry tears of joy in a Disney park. My dad loved these lights as well as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I’m always flooded with memories when we first turn the orner and see the amazing sparkling colors. I will have to admit, I was a little disappointed with the crowd control this year, normally we can walk right through from the Writer’s Stop, but this year we were detoured at every turn from left of the Great Movie Ride on, and funneled around to the back of the San Francisco area and Lights, Motors, Action!. Unfortunately, this is a terrible way to view experience the lights, especially for first-time visitors. You are able to SEE the lights as you turn into the New York Street area, but cannot gain access until the back, making for teeming throngs of disgruntled guests, and I was among them this week.

Having visited the Spectacle of Dancing Lights (SODL) each year since it premiered, the overall ‘show’ has always started at the end of New York Street and culminated with the turning Peace on Earth globe, angels and the Nativity. Granted, this route has changed slightly since first opening, when guests would get to walk down Residential Street, but the Peace on Earth was always the ‘finale’ so to speak. As years passed, the lights began to dance to music and more and more interactive elements were added. As a result, I understand that there isn’t any one centerpiece or finale, but the current route with countless detours and barricades made for a very disappointing experience.

In addition, there are many more PhotoPass stations now, making it almost impossible to take family photos, or even photos of just the lights, without a line of guests in front of you, waiting for professional photos. Again, I understand why Disney is doing what they are doing, but from a guest standpoint, it’s not something that benefits most people. How about photo stations outside of the fray of New York Street, where PhotoPass software can add the SODL into the background later? Surely, the photos will look better than a close-up of the base of a giant tree of lights, or building, where you can’t see the immense detail and overall wow factor of the experience. Just my thoughts, as a long-time visitor and someone that heard lots of complaints the night I went, and online too.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights — Still awe-inspiring, each year.

Luckily, the lights and the family memories won out in the end and magic again took over, but I implore Disney to work on a better plan that doesn’t involve so much confusion and frustration. When and if you visit, be prepared for crowds and ask the cast members where you actually enter for the lights so you can head there first. My advice is to go during the week and see the lights later in the night, not when the lights first switch on. Those caveats given, I’d love to share one of my favorite musical portions of the nights’ songs, that I was able to record. If, like me, it’s one of your favorite things at Walt Disney World during the holidays, or you aren’t able to make it down to see the lights, I hope you enjoy the show. This video features the all-new canopy, offering some amazing effects.

First Impressions of the Disney Studios-Why I Fell in Love

16 June 2011 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

You’ll notice I didn’t say “Disney’s Hollywood Studios,” because I truly fell in love with the Disney-MGM Studios, which is no longer the proper name, as we all know. It will forever be “MGM” to me when I speak of it among family and friends, just as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover will always be the “Wedway Peoplemover”. But I’m not here to talk about why I’m stuck in the past or yell at you kids to get off my lawn. Oh wait, I actually am going to talk about why I’m stuck in the past. Sorry about that. Hopefully you’ll bear with me and perhaps even agree with some of my thoughts.

I am pretty bad with dates and official names for things, so apologies up front if I remember something incorrectly. I used to be great with details, but then I had three kids. In any event, my first visit to the Disney-MGM Studios was some time in 1989, probably in June when I got out of school (a 14 year-old Sophomore). We were living in Lynchburg, VA at the time and would’ve driven down to Orlando. My trips sort of mesh together around this time, so I’m not sure where we stayed, it could’ve even been off-property. It’s hard to imagine that this was a time before Disney’s Port Orleans (either side), Beach Club, or Wilderness Lodge Resorts existed, but it was. I remember there being a lot of buzz surrounding the park, because it was supposed to be a Disney version of the Universal Studios lot in Hollywood, or Hollywood East. Sort of.

My late father was a huge old movie buff. He loved all the classic black and white films, the over-the-top musicals and everything in between. So to say he was excited for this new park was an understatement. As I’ve mentioned before, I spent from 1983-1986 visiting EPCOT Center and the bonds I’d formed there were unbreakable. We had so many memories as a family there, we all had high hopes for the Disney-MGM Studios. And we weren’t disappointed.

From the moment you walk into the Studios, you are greeted with tiny details giving a nod back to old Hollywood, or as their slogan goes, “The Hollywood that never was and always will be.” I remember how completely thrilling it was to walk into the 50’s Prime Time Cafe for the first time and see items I saw in my grandmother’s home as an even younger girl. It truly was another world, different from the Fantasy, Adventure or Tomorrowlands of the Magic Kingdom or the futuristic (it still was back then!) world of EPCOT. It was like reality, only better.

Back then there was no Sunset Boulevard but that didn’t mean anything felt lacking. The only Sorcerer’s hat was that seen atop Sorcerer Mickey’s head as he stood on top of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to kick of the Sorcery in the Sky fireworks, which premiered the following year in 1990. Pixar Place did not exist and Lights, Motors, Action! was actually home to Residential Street, which I still miss to this day. What made Disney-MGM Studios so magical, to me, was not only the incredible attention given to each themed area, but also the amount of guest interaction and audience participation. It was, after all, the birthplace of Streetmosphere!

Who can forget their very first journey on the Great Movie Ride when your car is over-taken by either a gangster or a western bank robber and you are right in the middle of the show? I remember thinking it was the greatest ride ever, even if I did close my eyes in the Alien and Raiders of the Lost Ark scenes. During the finale with the movie clips, I’d listen to my dad name every movie that came on, and usually know all the lines too. As a result, I really can’t sit through that part of the ride today and not tear up, remembering him and his favorites.

Another attraction I loved was the Monster Sound Show. I am a huge Martin Short and Chevy Chase fan, and seeing this fun little movie was great, along with the chance for the audience to create their own sound effects to the film? Hysterical. And? Interactive. Super Star Television was an example of this as well. Housed where the American Idol Experience is now, the stage held several sets for different famous television scenes. Employing blue-screen technology, guests chosen from the audience can then act out the candy factory scene from I Love Lucy, or be a jilted lover in a soap opera, or appear on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. My dad was chosen during our visit and played that soap opera character, complete with long trench coat and fedora. It is such such a special memory and he loved getting to talk about it.

I think my favorite at that time was the Backstage Studios Tour (now the Backlot Tour). When the attraction first opened, you entered where the Animation tour is now and an actual cast member gave you the tour spiel on the tram. Driving through the costuming and set-building departments, something was always being worked on. You truly felt like you were a part of the backstage magic. The tour then went down Residential Street, which showed the front facades of houses used in opening shots of tv shows. The Golden Girls house was there and the house from its spin-off show, Empty Nest as well as the house from the Disney Channel Adventures in Wonderland series. It was just fun to look at these pristine houses from the front, then make a turn and see nothing but framing and no back to the houses at all. I never watched the Golden Girls the same way again! Later, the Bulldog Cafe from the wonderful Disney movie The Rocketeer was placed on the tour too. It was not a real cafe and really very small in person. It did not age well and was removed along with the other houses when Lights, Motors, Action was being built.

Inside the Magic: Special Effects & Production Tour — My ex-husband counseling his victim…er, volunteer

The Catastrophe Canyon section was the same and it was actually believable that we were stuck in the middle of a movie production. Now there is no pretense, and guests are told up front that we are just witnessing special effects. The tour ended where the Studio Catering Company now is, and guests could take a break before going on to the second part of the tour – Inside the Magic: Special Effects & Production Tour. This was always fun because you got to see things like blue-screen technology used to make the flying bee scene in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and miniatures used in the making of Dick Tracy. You then walked through a series of production studios, including a section on sound hosted by Pee Wee Herman and Mel Gibson. You were also able to see actual shows being produced, including the new Mickey Mouse Club. We then watched the short film, The Lottery, starring Bette Midler and filmed right on New York Street. The last part of the tour was walking through a room filled with the set pieces from The Lottery. This was later replaced with pieces from the 101 Dalmations live-action film.

The details are a but hazy as to when the changes to this part of the tour were made, but I know the bee room and the miniatures room were still in effect back in 1995, because that’s where my now-ex-husband (then-fiance) worked when we first moved to Orlando to work at Disney. He started out in Merchandise at the Little Mermaid shop, but then transferred to Attractions and worked at the special effects water tank, the two inside special effects rooms, and rotated to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set play area. I remember being so jealous that he was in Attractions! It was really fun to watch him perform his show. At that time there was a tv show on the Disney Channel also called Walt Disney World Inside Out. It started with Scott Herriott as host but changed in 1995 to J.D. Roth, Brianne Leary and George Foreman. J.D. Roth filmed a segment at the Inside the Magic tour and my ex-husband was the cast member responsible for (off-screen) setting off all the correct cues to make the bee and other parts of the attraction work. Fun fact! 😉

Needless to say, we enjoyed our first visit. My mom and I returned in 1991 with my high school class trip to Walt Disney World. At that time, Here Come the Muppets was where the Voyage of the Little Mermaid is and the Dick Tracy show was there (I may only be remembering the Dick Tracy show from the vacation planning video though – I seem to remember it being part of the Backlot Tour…maybe it was just a display of some sort?). EDIT: Confirmed by StudiosCentral.com – here’s a YouTube video of the Dick Tracy finale with some other great Backstage Studio Tour footage! Thanks, Matt!

Later when we moved to Orlando in 1995, we would enjoy the Aladdin parade and see the debut of the Toy Story Parade. I cannot hear “Strange Days” without remembering that time in my life – good memories of course! I haven’t even touched on Streetmosphere (see that link above, it’s worth a read!) or the wonderful Hunchback of Notre Dame and Pocahontas stage shows, which had incredible sets, actors and special effects. The park has of late received a lot of criticism and I will admit that I myself even thought less of it as the years went on. Things like Residential Street being destroyed, the Sorcerer’s Hat addition, and lots of Disney Channel synergy moving in have changed the feel of the place. However in recent times, I realized how much I really did fall in love with the Studios and what a special place it is.

Streetmosphere — Dorma Nesmond to the rescue during the D23 Great Scavenger Hunt

One thing that brought this into view was taking part in the D23 Great Scavenger Hunt about a month ago. There were so many difficult questions that caused you to really stop and notice the impeccable detail and Hollywood spirit with which the park is imbued. Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards are brimming with nods to old Hollywood, little inside jokes and other Imagineering details you’d expect in any Disney park but may not have ever noticed here. While the scavenger hunt was frustrating, it definitely gave me a renewed appreciation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

As with all Disney parks, things will change and corporate decisions will be made that may not feel right as a guest, but great decisions are made as well – Star Wars Weekends are one of my favorite times of the year and the all-new 3D Star Tours is probably my favorite ride right now. If I were to speak to the decision-makers at Disney I would implore them to remember what made the Studios so appealing: interaction. They are on the right track with Star Tours and the “Rebel Spy” aspect, which is now a goal for each guest as they ride. After all, don’t we all want to be a star?

The park history remains as well. Just as I regale my children with tales of Horizons and KELP and how Living with the Land was once LISTEN to the Land, I now tell them how there was a time when the 8×10 glossies hanging in Mama Melrose were relevant actors and how their daddy used to dump gallons of water on people every day. So during this Disney’s Hollywood Studios Awareness Week, I have become acutely aware of how important it is to capture and record these memories while they are fresh and appreciate the best laid plans of Mice and men.