Tag Archives: Attraction

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.

April 29, 1957 – The Sleeping Beauty Walk-Through Attraction Opens

Image credit: Official Disneyland Site

 “Relive one of the most beloved Disney legends as you stroll through the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle.”

 On April 29, 1957, the Sleeping Beauty Walk-Through opened in Disneyland, with Shirley Temple on hand to make the dedication. The attraction was created to use the empty space in the castle, and featured dioramas to tell the story of Sleeping Beauty in the style of Eyvind Earle, the production designer for the 1959 film. The dioramas were redesigned in 1977. The attraction was closed in 2001, but on November 27, 2008, the attraction opened again, reverting back to the original Eyvind Earle-inspired artwork, but with new technology that wasn’t available in 1957.

April 22, 1964 – The New York World’s Fair Opens

“…the New York exposition of 1964 is the greatest World’s Fair of all time.” – Walt Disney

On April 22, 1964, the New York World’s Fair opened to the public. This two-year fair included four Disney exhibits: Ford’s Magic Skyway; It’s a Small World (presented by Pepsi-Cola/UNICEF); Progressland, featuring the Carousel of Progress (sponsored by General Electric); and Illinois’ Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. After the fair ended, these four attractions made their way back to Disneyland, and have been there since.

The idea for doing attractions at the fair came from the success of Disneyland, and the requests Walt received about building similar Disneylands across the country. Walt wondered if Disney attractions would be as popular on the East coast as they were on the West, and used the fair to test this theory. The attractions Disney built ended up being the most popular attractions at the fair.

The Welcome sign of the It's A Small World ride

The sponsorship of the attractions paid for Disney Imagineers to research and develop new methods of “animation” as Walt called it, which would become the Audio-Animatronic figures extensively used throughout the attractions. The “It’s a Small World” attraction used 297 audio-animatronic children alone.

April 1, 1995 – The Walt Disney World Water Park, Blizzard Beach, Opens

Summit Plummet - image from the Walt Disney World webpage

On April 1, 1995, Walt Disney World opened the second of its two water parks, Blizzard Beach. The park is sixty-six acres, and features several attractions, including one of the world’s tallest, fastest free-falling waterslide.

The story of how Blizzard Beach came to be is another page in the Disney Legend: There was a freak snowstorm that covered Florida, causing a ski slope to pop up. Unfortunately, the weather went back to being hot, the snow melted, leaving everyone with the question: what to do with the resort now? While everyone was pondering, an alligator saw an opportunity, and slid down the ski-slope with a loud, “Yahoo!” The ski slope was then turned into a water park unlike any in the world.

Included in the park are the attractions Shush Gusher, Teamboat Springs, Toboggan Racer, Snow Stormers, Runoff Rapids, Tike’s Peak, Melt-Away Bay, and Cross Country Creek. Summit Plummet, probably the most spectacular ride, is 120-feet high, with a twelve-story jump. The riders travel at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.