February 7, 2008 – Disney Announces American Idol Attraction
“It’s a perfect combination and opportunity to offer everyone a taste of the American Idol experience.”- Keith Hindle, executive vice president of FremantleMedia Licensing
On February 7, 2008, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced the creation of a new American Idol-themed attraction, creating a partnership with 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia Licensing. The attraction was announced to give guests the opportunity to feel the experience of auditioning for the hit reality program and be voted on by a panel of judges, with the highest-voted performers competing against each other at the end of the day in a Grand Finale show. Winners of the Grand Finale would go on to win a prize of a guaranteed reservation for a regional stadium audition for the reality show. The attraction, named The American Idol Experience, opened on February 14, 2009, in Hollywood Studios.
