Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Since the Walt Disney Company was built on the silver screen, its only fitting that the third park at Walt Disney World Resort would be built around the movies. Disney-MGM Studios is not only a theme park but also a working production studio.

Opening in 1989, the 135 acre theme park was built to resemble the golden era of Hollywood. The themed lands of the park were like soundstages from Hollywood dropped right in the middle of Central Florida.

Unlike the other Disney parks, the park is not laid out with the typical wagon wheel layout, it is situated much like a city with intersecting streets leading to the different lands of the park. There are six lands to the park: Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Animation Courtyard, Pixar Place, Streets of America and Echo Lake.

The rides and attractions of the park pay tribute to the many great films from Hollywood. The Great Movie Ride features live actors that recreate scenes from some of the best known movies. Then there is the Backlot Tour that takes riders on a behind the scenes look at what it takes to create a film. There is the Broadway style show Beauty and the Beast as well as the stunt spectacular Lights, Motor, Action. Finally at the end of Sunset Boulevard are two of the biggest thrill rides on the property, Rock n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. But these are just a few of the rides that await inside the park, there are still many rides and shows to enjoy.

The park still functions as a production studio as well. Several movies and TV shows have been filmed here as well as being used as an animation studio. There is even a radio studio on the property that sees operation from time to time for special events.

The park hosts special events throughout the year including Star Wars Weekends, Night of Joy, Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights and ESPN the Weekend. In addition to the annual events, each night the park closes with a special event called Fantasmic. The show features a filled with heroes and villains mixed with fireworks, lasers and special effects.

The parks is constantly changing to keep up with the times. In 2007, the park changed names from Disney-MGM Studios to Disney Hollywood Studios to reflect on its roots from Hollywood. Then in 2008 it began to pay homage to the age of digital animation in the opening of a new land of the park called Pixar Place. Time and technology will dictate what comes next for the park but one thing is for certain, it will be a hit.

For photos from the park, visit my Disney Hollywood Studios photo gallery.

Updated August 11, 2010

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