Disney-MGM Studios to Change in January 2008

[BigPigletFan]

Disney-MGM Studios to Change in January 2008

PHOTO: BigPigletFan

The Disney-MGM Studios theme park will be renamed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, effective January 2008. The change was announced Thursday by Meg Crofton, president of the Walt Disney World resort.

Crofton said the change reflects how the park has grown from representing the golden age of movies into the new entertainment today’s Hollywood has to offer in television, music and theater.

The classic Hollywood architecture will remain the home to shows and attractions directly from contemporary Hollywood, such as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, and Star Tours, just to name a few.

New attractions and experiences are in the works for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These include an interactive attraction, Toy Story Mania!, where guests ride while wearing 3-D glasses and try for the most points in midway-style games hosted by Toy Story characters. (Summer 2008)

Block Party Bash, Disney’s most interactive parade will make its way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and allow guests to dance, watch, and play with more than 20 Disney-Pixar Film characters fill the streets. (Spring 2008, replaces Disney Stars and Motor Cars parade)

The popular Playhouse Disney — Live on Stage! show will soon have a new cast of friends. The new cast will include stars from Playhouse Disney shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Handy Manny and more. (Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage! will be dark most of January 2008, reopens February 2008)

Disney High School Musical 2: School's Out! will include new songs from the Disney Channel Original Movie Disney High School Musical 2. This show invites guests to sing and dance along to show their Wildcat pride. (Fall 2007, replaces High School Musical Pep Rally)

As Disney’s Hollywood Studios continues to be the place to find various movie and television stars, guests will now be able to meet Handy Manny. He will join other Disney Channel Stars in the Animation Courtyard next to Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage! (November 2007)

"As Disney continues to grow and invest in our family entertainment business, we constantly explore new ways to deliver high-quality, immersive experiences for our guests," added Crofton. "As a park all about entertainment, Disney's Hollywood Studios will deliver like never before. Now we can say that Hollywood is literally our middle name."

[zeppelindude]

thats really interesting piglet. ty. for a guy who gets to go to WDW once every four years, this is big news

[PumpkinKing!]

Wow I guess thats a good thing... right? So is DCA still gonna get a name change?

[cellarhound]

Crofton said the change reflects how the park has grown from representing the golden age of movies into the new entertainment today’s Hollywood has to offer in television, music and theater.

But I LIKE the golden age of movies.... If you want to do new entertainment of todays Hollywood Mann's Chinese Theatre would have to be replaced with a giant Flat Screen HDTV and a giant remote...

[Rocker]

I like the name change, and I like the fact that the Disney-MGM Studios will change the direction of how the park is going. It's a perfect way to keep up with the times.

[JEANYLASER]

i love that name Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is awsome!

[PragmaticIdealist]

Can anyone guess where the name, "Hollywood Studios", first appeared in Disney culture?

[cellarhound]

It actually is pre-Disney Eisner... he wanted to start a studio named Hollywood Studios with Katz... Pre 1985...

So anything named Hollywood Studios in the Disney pantheon is a tribute to Eisner, not Walt...

[BigPigletFan]

But I LIKE the golden age of movies.... If you want to do new entertainment of todays Hollywood Mann's Chinese Theatre would have to be replaced with a giant Flat Screen HDTV and a giant remote...

Yeah, everything else seems to fit except Mann's Chinese Theatre and GMR now with this "new"Hollywood idea. I wonder if that means changes to one of the original icon attractions might also be in the park's future? Hopefully it will stay, but only improve.

[PragmaticIdealist]

It actually is pre-Disney Eisner... he wanted to start a studio named Hollywood Studios with Katz... Pre 1985...

So anything named Hollywood Studios in the Disney pantheon is a tribute to Eisner, not Walt...

While Eisner did register "Hollywood Pictures" as a trademark, I was referring to "Hollywood Studios", itself.

The name appeared in "The Autograph Hound", a short-subject film that Walt Disney produced. Donald Duck attempts to gain entry to a studio lot where he seeks the autographs of many caricatured stars of the day. And, Hollywood Studios was that fictitious plant.

[mouseinphilly]

In other news, Columbus prove the earth is round, and has accidentally discovered a place called America.

[WSVR]

In other news, Columbus prove the earth is round, and has accidentally discovered a place called America.

Newsflash. Years and years after the fact, people still don't know that Columbus did not prove the world was round. That's a yarn. It was well known by the Greeks that the world was roughly shaped like a sphere. That fact appears in the writings of Aristotle. By the time of Columbus, it was widely accepted the world was round. The debate was over the distance between the Spice Islands of Asia and Europe via the route proposed. Columbus believed it to be 5,000 miles, within range of the ships of the day. Others believed that distance to be out of range. They were right by the way and Columbus was wrong. They were indeed well out of range. Lucky for Columbus, he found the West Indies.

[riklik1968]

Does anyone know if the studios plan on changing out any of "The Great Movie Ride" due to conflicts with the MGM contract?

[tasman]

In other news, Columbus prove the earth is round, and has accidentally discovered a place called America.

I thought it was Magellan that proved it was round...

On another note, according to the Jim Hill site, this park will eventually be renamed "Disney's Hollywood"...which I like better than "Disney's Hollywood Studios."

[Ghostbuster626]

Does anyone know if the studios plan on changing out any of "The Great Movie Ride" due to conflicts with the MGM contract?

yes but not for the reason listed.

I believe Great Movie Ride is scheduled for a major overhaul soon