"It will always be MGM Studios to me"

[mharrington]

I had watched a video on Rob Play's site about why Disney-MGM Studios was renamed to Disney's Hollywood Studios, and more importantly, why it was called Disney-MGM Studios to begin with:


What really gets me is why everyone still refers to it as "MGM Studios" or even just "MGM", when the MGM name, as we speak, has been pretty much purged from the park's existence, for financial reasons, mainly, as the video explains. The park has come a long way since its beginnings as an actual studio. I personally refer to the park, either way, as just "The Studios". That way, regardless of MGM's existence in the park, I don't have to come up with a new nickname for it (although when/if they do change the name, removing the "Studios" part from it, I probably will have to find a new nickname). My nickname does not refer to either Disney or MGM in particular; it is deliberately vague and can go any way.

 

[Lilofan]

Back in the day I recall a guest still can't believe they paid to get in the wrong park. He thought he was in Universal.

 

[stratman50th]

I still call it MGM. But then I also call the French Quarter Port Orleans and the other one Dixie Landings. Probably always will. Too ingrained to change.

 

[WDWmazprty]

Yup. MGM will always be around as a name for the park for the ones who went there back in the day. Sometimes I call it Disney Studios and other times I'll just say MGM. My friends, family, and others know what I mean when I use MGM.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

As much as I liked MGM Studios I also understood why it was changed and it never bothered me.
There are people that will make the argument that they have been going to it since it opened and they will never call it anything else. Well I've been going to the park since it opened as well and I'm not crying about.
My sister and I did think it would be hard to ever not say MGM but eventually Hollywood Studios did start to roll off the tongue and now we just call it HS because we speak in acronyms for a lot of Disney things lol.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I just call it the Studios, that covers the old and new name.

 

[King Racoon 77]

I call it MGM but also still say Downtown Disney .

 

[Randomly Randy]

I have a very hard time calling it Hollywood Studios as well. (also agree with Mr Ferret 88 about Disney Springs

 

[lazyboy97o]

This is not something unique to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The use of old place names is very common. People attach meaning nd significance to names, so they’re not just going to change on the whims of others.

 

[HoustonHorn]

This is not something unique to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The use of old place names is very common. People attach meaning nd significance to names, so they’re not just going to change on the whims of others.

Yep, it's like referring to ladies by their maiden names - Janet-used-to-be-Smith. Doesn't matter that Janet's last name has been Johnson for 40 years and has 3 kids and 17 grandkids. If you first knew her as Janet Smith, she'll always be Janet Smith.

 

[ObscurityPoint]

I recall that in the transitional phase it was simply named “The Disney Studios”. There are some vacation planning videos I watched that refer to it as that without saying MGM. I THINK this was because of the name change time slot, but it could have been due to legal reasons of them saying “MGM” in a dvd, but who knows. I always refer to it as the Studios. Occasionally Hollywood Studios. Used to say MGM back in the day but I grew out of it fast.

 

[networkpro]

I call it Bob

 

[AndyS2992]

My first trip to WDW was in 2008 where it was already called Hollywood Studios and for years before that I would also get the brochures, planning DVDs and video games where the park was always just referred to as Disney Studios so I've never had a reason to call it MGM. It does bug me people call it MGM as gives MGM whole credit for the park when they had nothing to do with it other than the name and licensing MGM movies for the Great Movie Ride. MGM themselves weren't happy with the park for several reasons, mostly monetary, and sued Disney over it so I'd rather people didn't refer to it as MGM but whatever. Funny it's always MGM or Hollywood Studios, you never hear anyone call it 'Disney Studios' lol

 

[AndyS2992]

I recall that in the transitional phase it was simply named “The Disney Studios”. There are some vacation planning videos I watched that refer to it as that without saying MGM. I THINK this was because of the name change time slot, but it could have been due to legal reasons of them saying “MGM” in a dvd, but who knows. I always refer to it as the Studios. Occasionally Hollywood Studios. Used to say MGM back in the day but I grew out of it fast.

No, it was because Disney was not allowed to use the MGM name in promotional material.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It's just that for some people, change is harder to accept then for others. It hasn't been MGM for years now, although it was at one time. To me its like when someone gets married and changes their name to that of their spouse and everyone continues to say "they will always be maiden name to me." Denial isn't just a river in Egypt. There are, however, worse things in life, so it really doesn't matter, people could call it "the place with the movie thing" and would still be correct. To me calling it MGM and not Disney is feeling the MGM was more important then Disney when it came to that park.

 

[The Pho]

I refer to it as MGM still in large part because when it was MGM, it was by far my favorite park. It’s a massive reason for why I love theme parks and film. Also MGM is just a better name than Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Studios is a mouthful to say frequently.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I wonder if people will refer to the upcoming Reflections resort as "River Country".

 

[mharrington]

I refer to it as MGM still in large part because when it was MGM, it was by far my favorite park. It’s a massive reason for why I love theme parks and film. Also MGM is just a better name than Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Studios is a mouthful to say frequently.

So does that mean "Magic Kingdom" is a mouthful, too?

 

[Disneysea05]

So does that mean "Magic Kingdom" is a mouthful, too?

I’ve actually heard people call it “Magic”. I just rolled my eyes. I wonder if Animal Kingdom is “Animal”?

 

[The Pho]

So does that mean "Magic Kingdom" is a mouthful, too?

I’ve actually heard people call it “Magic”. I just rolled my eyes. I wonder if Animal Kingdom is “Animal”?

Those feel more natural to me. But I do hear them frequently referred to as Magic and Animal, alongside Studios, Springs, Blizzard, and Typhoon. People tend to be very informal.