Anniversary of Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios, better known to some as MGM Studios from 1989 until 2008, is celebrating 25 years of movie magic! The Disney Parks Blog has been celebrating all week with fantastic images of the parks history as well as this nifty wallpaper for desktops and phones. This wallpaper features the Disney gang as the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

Let's take a quick look at some of the attractions that make this park a star of its own!

The Muppet*Vision area.

Muppet*Vision 3D opened in 1991. Easily one of the best attractions (Birnbaum Guides would agree!). The 4D show recreates the Muppet Theatre in amazing detail, including Statler and Waldorf heckling from their balcony. The show includes live effects, such as a Penguin orchestra, bubbles, fireworks, Sweetums, and canons! This attraction holds a special place in my heart as being that last time Jim Henson and Richard Hunt would perform their characters.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel main lobby.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened on Sunset Boulevard on in 1994. I'm a huge fan of the Twilight Zone series and love seeing the lobby, the library, and the basement filled with replicas of props from episodes. In the attraction, guests are treated to a ride on an infamous elevator in which five people mysteriously disappeared in during the 1930s. The technology to drop the elevator and for cabs to move through rooms and elevators was designed specifically for Disney.

The Ewok village outside the attraction.

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue opened in 2011, replacing the original Star Tours. The original attraction featured events after Return of the Jedi. The new iteration, which is in 3D and features C-3PO, occurs between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The ride features eleven random segments, showcasing planets like Kashyyyk, Hoth, Naboo, and Coruscant and characters like Master Yoda, Darth Vader, and Admiral Ackbar. I am particularly fond of the Hoth sequence and the Otah Gunga sequence (in which the 3D gags really shine). A very fun element is the audience (unknowingly) participating in the Rebel plans.

The Great Movie Ride premiered with the park. Guests are whisked away in what is basically a moving movie theatre to experience classic films brought to life by audio-animatronics. Scenes include Singin' in the Rain, Alien, and The Wizard of Oz. The Wicked Witch is equipped with the Sarcos animatronic technology, allowing for more fluid and faster movements, creating a more realistic and natural performance. At one point, when Disney was courting the Muppets and Jim Henson, there were plans for a parody ride called The Great Muppet Movie Ride in an area called MuppetMovie land.

Toy Story Midway Mania! opened at Pixar Place in 2008. The ride is a fun spin through carnival-like games featuring the Toy Story characters. Throw rings around the Little Green Men, pop balloons, and hit targets to reach the highest score. At the end you are rewarded with a digital pin. Besides being a ton of fun, the whole thing is in 3D. The queue is also amazing, as guests are shrunk down to the size of a toy and can interact with Mr. Potato Head.

These are but a few of the amazing attractions. The park also has live stage shows like Beauty and the Beast and Voyage of the Little Mermaid, the thrilling Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, the Backlot tour, and so much more! So celebrate Hollywood this May 1!

The World you have entered was created by The Walt Disney Company and is dedicated to Hollywood—not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was—and always will be.

—Michael Eisner, May 1, 1989