Disney's Hollywood Studios Memories - The WDW News Today Podcast: Episode 23

[@alfmaster2256]

I remember when MGM opened (I will always remember it as MGM studios) and want to hit on some of the memories that I have from those early days and the few years after: - Mel Gibson and Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) at each station on a TV screen in the walking tour that would do the explanation of movie making. They removed the stations immediately after Reuben's arrest in Tampa (google the arrest if you don't know what it was about) - Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite with the pre-tour movie for the Art of Animation tour and then providing a little skit on each station during the tour. - Monster sound show movie with Chevy Chase and Martin Short. Just a fun short movie and liked it way better than the Drew Carey Sounds Dangerously movie. Also like the David Letterman pre-show "movie", especially at the end where he tells you that if you don't follow whatever instructions, security dressed as a mouse will take you away (something to that effect) - The post show activities area of Monster sound show. The quiet sound booth where you put on headphones and get a haircut before Mickey comes in was totally immersive and cool as it made you truly think you were getting a haircut! Also loved doing the voice overs on the Tron movie when you do the voice for the MCP. - Honey I Shrunk the kids playground. Although we were late teens, early twenties when this opened, we still had a blast one time in this area! There was something just cool about being "shrunk" down. - Was an extra for Cheers in the Superstar television attraction, played the boat captain on the backlot tour, an extra multiple times for Indiana Jones. Never got to be a foley for the monster sound show sadly.

[@toddw8396]

It was a slow fade going FROM a working studio with attractions that show you a “peek behind the curtain” and immerse you in the making of movies TO a park of attractions that are mostly IP based. My favorite lost element will always be the pop-up Streetmosphere performances that gave the park a liveliness that was entertaining and different every time.

[@alexisbk9576]

MGM holds such sentimental value for me. The nostalgic memories of my late father’s favorite park. I miss the Great Movie Ride so much. Thank you for reminiscing your memories with us 💛

[@Floridapanthers2020]

Hollywood studios was the most interesting and my favorite park for the longest time(2009-2016). It offered so many different types of attractions and it still does but not to that level. It is easily the park I have the most memories. Lights Motors Action! Me and my family watched it everytime we went to that and had a great time except me because I was just a little kid with those loud noises but it was awesome

[@swepea6602]

Loved the 50s Cafe. The food was good and Loved how the ladies stayed in character

[@fattestedtravel]

This whole thing is just the happiest I've seen Tom

[@disneylanddude05]

“Footlight Parade” was talked about in my film classes 🤷‍♂️ Busby Berkeley was huge during the Golden Age of Hollywood and James Cagney was a founding member of SAG -Signed a former Movie Rider

[@staceyotterwright2473]

My first visit there in ‘89 I remember my cousin and I getting to wear prop clothing items and performing an impromptu scene hybrid help of two cast members. There was also this giant steamroller my cousin posed under but I had no desire to be posing under a giant prop. Those experiences were awkward! But I remember enjoying some ride that took us behind the stages and areas where people were working, including seeing for a few minutes Let’s Make A Deal. I miss the Great Movie Ride and Back Lot Tours.

[@bdchiaccio]

I really wish I could say I like this park now, but at the most , maybe we spend 3 hours because it's just a couple of attractions that we do. Losing the great movie ride was a gut punch that I don't think I've recovered from yet.

[@ZebraLens]

18:50 Yeah I noticed that as well. Around 2005, Georgia saw an opportunity to bring a major industry to the state, making Atlanta (which we already deem the economic capital of the south) a hub, not just in planes lol, but movie studio production as well. California was starting to get too expensive for production and New York is already the global powerhouse New York. So what made Georgia stand out from other states is the tax credit for production companies which is up to 20% with an extra 10% if the film includes the “Made in Georgia” logo in their credits. The kicker is that with the tax credits, unlike other states, *_THERE IS NO END DATE, THEY DON'T EXPIRE"_* So a company can get up to 30% in tax incentives forever, whereas in other states, those tax credit renewals have to keep getting approval from their state governments after so many years. Which can lead to uncertainty, when production companies are planning for future projects. I don't know why Florida chose not to pursue expanding the film industry in the state. 😁

[@montemullen2801]

This is the one podcast I completely agree with.

[@jgkidd82]

I liked Hollywood Studios when I was a child. I liked going behind the scenes in the various tours, plus Star Tours and Muppet Vision 3D, we did that every time we went to Hollywood Studios. I also miss touring the Magic of Animation tour. I am glad Gertie is still there.

[@KflanntheRailfan]

There was an east coast movie studio in the early 1900’s. Called the Betzwood Movie studio. Founded and built by Seigmond Lubin in 1912. Silent films were produced there and was more technologically advanced than the Hollywood counterpart. I lived in an apartment complex built on the old grounds and the studio is adjacent to valley forge National Historic Park. It closed in 1924.

[@kallieblumberg9977]

Seeing Eric make the claw made my whole year!! 😆 He's always so funny

[@himynameiscorey]

The destruction of Journey into Imagination and Great Movie Ride are giant slaps in the face to all Disney Parks fans

[@andrewmusick9921]

MGM STUDIOS from 89-94 was the original best. Everything about it made you feel like you were in the movies.

[@chrislombard73]

Best podcast yet… keep up the great work boys (and girls/Nana when you’re on the show)!! WIGS!!

[@kallieblumberg9977]

HI y'all great show! In the new dedicated podcast space I do hope there will still be fun things to look at!

[@jrios29]

1:01:41 Dave Schultz is the wrestler Eric is referring to. The reason most people don't know his name is because Vince McMahon told him to "protect the business," and Vince would make sure Schultz was taken care of in case anything happens. Vince did not have Schultz's back, and basically fired him because of it.

[@katherinepadilla858]

I for one would love a full episode all about the weird connections between theme parks and wrestling!

[@thebreezerunner]

I miss the backlot tour with the Roger rabbit props and the great movie ride.

[@melvinlee9263]

For the Golden Jamboree, the magician you had doing the card tricks was great! I hope you can bring him back for the new event.

[@KforFreedom]

Would love to hear a topic of what you would change/introduce to the parks, in order to improve them

[@jgkidd82]

Oh, and before my mom died, she wasn't happy to hear what they did to the Great Movie Ride. She and I both loved going on that ride multiple times.

[@Dr_Marsh]

Tampa actually had the APMs to the gates before Orlando International. TPA was the first US airport to use the system, opening in the early 70's while MCO's first one opened in the early 80's. They were designed to give all travelers a "short" walk to any gate after checking in, something you can't promise outside of "small" airports. Taking the APM to the terminal after landing always felt (and still feels) like the first attraction of my vacation when I come down to visit WDW.

[@stevehatguy]

'Mulan,' 'Lilo' and 'Brother Bear' were produced entirely at the Orlando studio, not just segments :)

[@buttebd]

I truly enjoyed working there in the early days (1990). My regular role was CRO, but I casual pooled to help out at Backlot Express with the survey group. As someone who's spent time on several studio lots, it was pretty faithful to the experience (minus the hours of boredom waiting for things to happen). We were even encouraged to walk to/from places in costume, through guest areas, to increase the kinetic energy.

[@davyannajones]

I was 3 months old when MGM opened. For the love of God Tom… DO NOT CALL US THE OLDER GENERATION!

[@Anthonyyyyyg]

Great episode. Braving opening day of F&G tomorrow, pray for me 😂. Maybe I'll run into you guys

[@zoe-jr4fj]

The honey I shrunk the kids play park was the most fun playground ever!! I feel bad for kids nowadays that don’t get to experience its glory!

[@SweetReed17]

For me one of the biggest loses was the animation studio aspect. Watching the artists in the "FishBowl" was like watching actual magic being made in front of you. Seeing that area now being Launch Bay is so depressing to me. Going from the magic of Disney animation to a Star Wars meet and greet in a park that already has a Star Wars land is just a real slap in the face, lol

[@nywvgirl]

I missed the Sorcerer's Hat and the cast shows.

[@santiago7129]

I always liked how the wdw parks were expansions of pre existing park ideas like a worlds fair, zoo, and studio

[@theboyscout0156]

You guys should do a tour of launch bay that focuses on the tram tour/animation tour. Like the remnants

[@dogfpv401]

Not sure if you are interested in ideas or have spoken about this before, but I'd be interested in hearing from you on what tips or tricks you would have for someone who wants to take an overseas trip to one of the parks, but might be a bit intimidated to do it. Which parks to prioritize? At which ones are language barriers more or less an issue (for an english speaker) and how do you deal with them? Are there cultural differences to talk about? What things would people not necessarily think of that will make their experience better? Some of these I can speculate on the answers you might have but I think it could be an interesting topic.

[@SenorSchnitz]

"Hollywood that always was but never will be" 😂😂😂 I think Tom is going to get some ass kicking from the imagineers at stage89. 😂😂😂

[@WDWNT]

That's on the dedication plaque man

[@SenorSchnitz]

​​​@@WDWNT tom said it the other way around! It says NEVER WAS BUT ALWAYS WILL BE - Tom said ALWAYS WAS BUT NEVER WILL BE 😜

[@alfie_8914]

As a massive movie fan I would’ve loved to have a ridden the great movie ride but unfortunately I only managed to visit for the first time last September. For me personally I think after the purchase of 20th Century Fox they could’ve updated the ride with scenes from: Planet of the apes, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Titanic and The Sound of Music

[@ChrissyDee3]

Don’t forget about the bee!!!

[@koopa159]

Honestly if you couldn’t keep Wizard of Oz in the movie ride, I would have replaced it with Sleeping Beauty. Could easily make it the scene where Maleficent places her curse at the Royal christening. Simple reskin for the Witch and an iconic Disney movie moment.

[@mholme17]

Another wonderful episode. Do you think next week you can brush upon why some of the hollywood studios landmarks came down? Meaning the water tower, the soccers hat etc? Or maybe we can do an episode on all things like the lesser known things that have come and gone from disney parks?

[@ZebraLens]

"Different shirts" this time, Tom and Eric 😅😅😅

[@davyannajones]

I will bring you a bottle of Eagle Rare when I come to Florida. It’s easy to get ahold of in NC. Blanton’s is hardest of those for us to get here. Sometimes EH Taylor. I got all of my Weller in Florida 😂.

[@SusanStypa]

We went to Universal Orlando a few months after they opened and pretty much everything was broke down…on the way out they gave all of us an admission ticket to come back that never expired.

[@ainsleyperry5192]

WDW News. Lads, "Superstar Television" the show producer was Michael Sprout. The "Disney Animation Studio" the show producer was John DeSantis ( I hope not a relative ). The tour ended at the "Disney Classics Theatre." Glen Randall was the director of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," stunt show. Over at "Catastrophe Canyon" on the tram tour you'd be greated by 20,000 gallons of water pouring down and around you. Michael Eisner said to the media on opening day, " This studio park is going to be wonderful experience for each and every visitor." Cheers, Chris Perry

[@ethanator62]

Will stage 89 be filmed?

[@WDWNT]

Yes and streamed, but not viewable unless you have the streaming ticket

[@GeorgeAllen-nh5sf]

Disney 5th gate should be a legacy park. Bring back old attractions that they canned with new technology. Updated Great Movie Ride, New Horizons, 20k Leagues,etc.

[@thedisneydude1988]

The mouse about sign doesn't work anymore. The cane doesn't operate anymore.

[@davyannajones]

As a kid I always thought the movie making at MGM was fake. The people drawing and all of that stuff. I always thought it was fake. Had no idea it was real until I was an adult.

[@EEvtg]

Really enjoyed this video! Anytime you two are discussing parks history / lore is good time! That said, this also made me very sad... It's such a disgrace what has happened to Studios and Epcot. We've lost thematic cohesion, and seen objective downgrades in attraction quality!

[@annemariec7659]

So glad to hear they preserved the signed blocks from legendary animators. I feared they just paved over them. 😢

[@SusanStypa]

Love this podcast….I’m so interested to hear the stories of what was supposed to come with The Muppets! I was sooo disappointed at D23/Destination D (whichever the last one was) that they started with the Muppets and had them featured throughout the whole show and….nothing! I thought for sure they were going to be announcing something coming with The Muppets but sadly I was disappointed 🤬. Another great podcast…keep ‘em coming!

[@santiago7129]

Is it possible that the great movie ride is the last of those classic epcot type rides ever made?

[@himynameiscorey]

You wouldnt consider Rise of Resistance on that scale?

[@WDWNT]

It’s not a scale so much as a style, also the number of animatronics isn’t even close

[@davyannajones]

As a man that loves both wrestling & Disney it’s definitely the story telling for me. We know that it’s scripted but that’s ok. It’s not about that, it’s about the performance.

[@davyannajones]

Oh how I wish the Harry Potter park was stand alone. All on its own.

[@roberttorres1382]

Just an FYI - Jabber Jaw was an "okay" impersonation of Curly Howard of the Three Stooges. And saying it was okay is being kind

[@JLKelly2]

They wore different shirts today

[@craigsvonkin6710]

Disney was looking at a Heroes and Villains park, I believe. Also, a Disney Sea would be hugely popular. A new park focusing on America would be popular, too. But given the population of the US, I think Disney would be better off building a park around New York or Virginia, as they were planning when they almost built Disney's America. With Florida being so uncooperative, a new park in Virginia or New York or Pennsylvania, or somewhere like that, would be wise.

[@bambikiller338]

Maybe we will find out if star tours was just a star wars overlay of body wars. 😊

[@lindamemo5224]

Our first trip to wdw was Oct 1989 and studios was our first park ever and great movie ride was our first ride. Backlot tour our kids got to do the honey I shrunk bee green screen segment I got to do sound stage murder she wrote scene.

[@jillm7061]

🎉

[@EEvtg]

Tom, I really don't think the theme change of Studios was natural... I believe Iger viewed it as being a subpar park when he came in, in a similar light to DCA, and needed "fixing." Seeing as Iger only utilizes IP, it was a conscious abandonment of the original theme, being replaced with IP theming he viewed as better (aka less risky / easier).

[@WDWNT]

Guests did too, attendance was bad.

[@EEvtg]

@@WDWNT True, I guess there was no saving the backlot.😪 I think it could've been possible to continue some of that "behind the curtain" theming elsewhere though.

[@himynameiscorey]

Florida as a “Hollywood East” production arm was too ahead of its time, nowadays with the increased costs to California and the movement to Georgia, in the last 10-15 years or so, proves that Florida was onto something, just maybe 10-15 years too early, enough time to wane interest and pull out investments and put them elsewhere. If Universal and Hollywood Studios’s developments in the past decade has proven anything, it’s that they’ve doubled down on this area being suited for theme parks first and foremost, the studio portion no more than a namesake at this point.

[@davyannajones]

I will NEVER tip at sonic.

[@dougjackson3890]

Any talking heads for Stage 89 that helped create one of my favorite rides ever, the Rock N Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith?

[@WDWNT]

No we're focusing on the first 5 years

[@davyannajones]

I can vouch as a child of the 90’s the gimmick wrestling was beneath me.

[@bigjohny8446]

Big misconception that wcw were the 1st to show backstage fights...ecw definitely were doing it before and a bunch of territories did it Wcw just had a lot more watching

[@ACfairgrounds]

Do a park based off of elements Water water rides Fire: inside the center of the Earth Earth :nature Air: roller coasters.

[@himynameiscorey]

Might as well make an avatar the last airbender theme park

[@Jakepugh15]

I fly in and out of Tampa every time instead of Orlando. Worth every minute not spent at MCO.

[@user-fe8uq9zp2g]

It’s almost ironic how WDW is turning into Universal. Hollywood studios also has no theme? I can’t explain that park to someone? It’s Hollywood but with basically a Star Wars land and Toy Story and random rides? It’s basically an IP dump like you said. Instead of Disney moving forward in storytelling it’s going backwards. I love IP and I’m actually for IP at the parks but with a story that makes sense.

[@lindamemo5224]

I was on murder she wrote and my daughter was on the ponderosa scene. Our girls got to ride the honey I shrunk the kids bee backstage green screen thing

[@maryjesch8841]

Why doesn't WDI get all of these amazing people from Stage 89 together to figure out how to FIX Studios? Seriously, it seems like this would be our only hope...

[@ronmartin2277]

I love all the information that comes with these podcasts and have ordered the streaming for the Stage 89 event. I think this is best stop for real information, but the shade at Universal for doing the exact same thing Disney does is unreal. To say Universal "cares about theming until they don't" in same breath as they mention the effects on ToT that don't work anymore is laughable. Say what you will about Epic Universe's overall theme, but its better than any of the WDW parks theming now, which now just IP land after IP land with no story attached to it. I'm a fan of WDW, but I cannot wait until someone replaces Iger. Also, the best idea for a themed fifth park that also uses IP is a park themed around the Kingdom Hearts series. Would be very easy to do, but I guess they'd have to work with Square Enix on that.

[@davyannajones]

Also can I say that WWE has completely made a mess of this whole Cody Rhodes, The Rock, Roman Reigns thing?

[@charliehuffman326]

I'm sure it was just an oversight with so much stuff to cover, but no love for the Earful Tower???

[@WDWNT]

Leave it for Stage 89

[@Nuggtendo]

More wrestling talk please 🙏

[@djdef5521]

Tom is so anti Universal anything lol. Epic Universe will definitely take attendance numbers away from Disney once it’s open in some form.

[@jtt9810]

Within a couple of minutes of each other, Eric said meh to 50s Primetime and then recommended Sonic. That is one refined palette. 🤢

[@Delundon]

Rar!!! The noise from the cherry picker!

[@kotmapno]

Tom i am very disappointed in your opinion on Epic Universe, it has more theming a story to it if you actually looked farther into it. Please do better next time.

[@WDWNT]

Portals aren't a story, Frontierland at Disneyland Paris is a story.

[@lifehoff]

Epic universe is based on portals to self-contained universes. It's a video game thing. Movies, books, and games. Disney could easily do a villains park or dark kingdom with Darth Vader, Nightmare before Christmas, Marvel Villains, and for fan service a remade Mr Toads that ends in hell. The food at MGM is terrible. Why is there no Pizza Planet? I hate that welcome to our workshop or garage theming. It feels very lazy. MGM is Disney's ripoff of Universal but its updates are worse then what was there before vs Universal which is better. I like the New York and Hollywood section better at USF as IP did not piss all over historical buildings. Star Wars makes no sense one area is frozen in a 14 day window and the other is a movie set with a forrest and desert gift shop side by side. The two star wars lands are connected by the Muppets. Toy Story land is where creeper Andy stole all of Bonnie's toys and put them in his backyard and nothing is to scale. Give Universal credit with the minions as everything is to scale. I think Disney showed their true colors with the greedy decisions to cram everything into Toy Story and Galaxy Edge like the cartoon cat and Mandolorian with baby yoda even though it dilutes the story or makes no sense to the theming. MGM died when they got rid of the water tower. Four park logo merch for WDW still does not know what to use for MGM. You should have a vote at stage 89 for the park symbol. I would put the water tower in the space by boats before the security check. Seems like a waste that no Fox IP like Family Guy or Bob's Burgers has been added but thats the difference vs Universal

[@NicholasColeman-en5xj]

First