May 1, 1989 – Disney-MGM Studios Opens at Walt Disney World
Image Credit: Official Walt Disney World Site
“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
Originally called Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park, the Disney-MGM Studios opened on May 1, 1989. It is one of the four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort, and combines the glamour of the ’30s and ’40s with the modern day glitz of American Idol. The attractions are just as varied, from the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, to Star Tours and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The park consists of six different areas: Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Streets of America, Animation Courtyard, Sunset Boulevard, and the newest addition, Pixar Place. The area was renamed Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2008.
The idea was originally conceived by Walt Disney. He thought a studio tour would be entertaining at the California studio, but the land was not available, and the tours would disrupt the work at the studio. The idea was revived in the 1980s, with the idea that it would begin as a full fledged studio, where Splash Too was filmed.
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