Disney's Hollywood Studios grew out of a concept
that was originally intended for Epcot. During
the development of the Wonders of Life pavilion,
a Hollywood-themed pavilion was also in the
works. The pavilion, which was intended to
be placed between the Land and Imagination
pavilions, was to have a movie theater-style
entrance leading to a soundstage backdrop.
Guests would enjoy a slow-moving attraction
that took them through some of the greatest
moments in cinematic history (this concept
was kept and used for The Great Movie Ride
attraction). Newly appointed CEO Michael
Eisner saw the plans for the pavilion and
liked them very much, but he quickly realized
that an entirely new theme park could be
built around this concept, not just a single
attraction. Contributing to this decision
was the fact that Universal Studios was also
planning to construct a backstage-type of
theme park in Orlando. As a result, plans
for a Hollywood-style pavilion at Epcot were
expanded to become the Disney's Hollywood Studios,
creating a new park that celebrated the magic
of showbiz, Hollywood and entertainment.
From the beginning, Disney's Hollywood Studios was
not only going to be a theme park, but also
as a full fledged television and motion picture
production facility. The production section
of the park would host two major television
production facilities, as well as the new
Florida Walt Disney Feature Animation studios.
Several television shows and movies were
filmed in the various sound stages, and guests
got to see glimpses of the production process
in the Backstage Studio Tour and the Magic
of Disney Animation attractions.
The Disney's Hollywood Studios opened on May 1,
1989 with five attractions and one exhibit:
The Monster Sound Show (now ABC Sound Studio)
SoundWorks
SuperStar Television
The Great Movie Ride
Backstage Studio Tour
The Magic of Disney Animation
The park proved to be extremely popular,
and production areas that were previously
closed to the public were opened up to accommodate
the growing crowds and for newer attractions. |
