MGM Studios 1995 to 2001 Guide

[Pi on my Cake]

Introduction

1996 map

1999 map

2001 Map

This a guide to MGM Studios from 1995-2001. Meant to help with Sorcerer's Apprentice. It is done mostly by memory. This was my favorite park. It started going downhill in 2005 and, if I can take a moment to be overdramatic, died a slow agonizing death until Great Movie Ride closed in 2017.

I am excited for what is essentially a new park replacing it, but I will forever miss the park whose skin this new one is wearing.



This park started as a real working studio. The studio stuff didn't last long for practicallity reasons. 1995-2001 saw a lot of changes in the park as it emptied out the real studio to become a studio theme park.

Big problems of this era:

-Sunset Blvd being a dead end (still hasn't been fixed)
-Not enough rides, too many shows and exhibits.
-Needs more thrills
-Needs more rides focused on younger children
-Needs more greenery as too many park areas feel like back alleys

This park was known for weird ideas and constantly updating and bringing in new stuff as new movies and shows came out. At least, in the 90s it was known for that.

Every attraction in some way, no matter how small, did more than tell a story, it showed how that story was told. Tower of Terror was the first ride to not feature any sort of backstage element or theming and is still the only one (until Toy Story Land opens). This wasn't just magic, it showed how the magic is made.​

Feel free to point out any mistakes, as I said, this is mostly by memory

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Hollywood Boulevard

The Main St of this park gas stayed mostly the same. In 2001, the BAH (Big @** Hat) was built blocking the iconic view of the Chinese theater with a fancy pin trading store. Though the hat did get some fans over the years. It will be an interesting debate about whether to put up the hat in our version of it or not.

Attractions

Great Movie Ride - Not much changed over the years and it was basically still the same back then as it was when it closed. The biggest change was that the TCM sponsorship didn't happen till the 2010s. So the preshow was different and the recorded parts of the narration we're just a generic voice.

An iconic dark ride through classic films (mostly live action). Took roughly 30 minutes.​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Sunset Boulevard

This was a new land that opened in 1994 with the opening of Tower of Terror. Themed to the golden age of the Hollywood that never was. Specifically 1920s-1940s.

Attractions

Tower of Terror - it goes up. Then back down. It's one of the best theme park experiences of all time, I'm sure you already know about it. If not, just Google this one lol

Theater of the Stars - a Broadway style theater. It is just covered, not enclosed. So, no air conditioning. It featured some smaller shows like a Richard Tracy stage show in it's early days. But with the expansion of Sunset Boulevard, Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage opened in 1991. A hit show that may have aged poorly by now, but was still very much in it's prime in 1995.

Rockin Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith - A thrilling launch coaster with inversions and rock music. This opened in 1999. A great ride despite not fitting into Sunset Blvd. It did give both the park and the Wdw resort a much need thrilling roller coaster. Still the only coaster in WDW with inversions.
​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Echo Lake

A lake area just to the left of the entrance with vague theming that transitions from the Hollywood that never was and always will be to the studio themed sections of the park

Attractions

Star Tours - back before they redid it to the version we have now, the ride made sense and was better. It was a simulator ride with a coherent star wars narrative set during Episode 4

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular - A stage show with a focus on using Indiana Jones to show how studios film action scenes and stunts. A great blend of action, comedy, and film making inside info. A great example of what makes MGM unique and great.

Superstar Television Theater - currently where the Frozen Sing Along is. This theater housed the Superstar Television show which let guests step into the roles of their favorite TV shows. This was replaced by Doug Live in 1999. Based on the Nickelodeon show, Doug, that was bought by Disney. This show closed in 2001. After that it was used as an ABC preview center every once in a while, but mostly empty until American Idol was built in 2009.

ABC Sound Studio Stage - another show space dedicated to sound effects. How they're made and how they are used effectively. Had three shows in our time period.​

• The Monster Sound Show (May 1, 1989 – June 30, 1997)
• One Saturday Morning Sound Show (July 1, 1997 – February 20, 1999)
• Sounds Dangerous starting Drew Carrey! (April 22, 1999 – January 4, 2009, seasonally until May 18, 2012)

50s Prime Time Diner - Opened in 1989, this heavily themed table service restaurant is a signature dining location to this day, despite being vastly over rated. But it is a big deal in a park without many good dining options.

Backlot Express - One of the main quick service locations in the park featuring plenty of movie props.​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Commissary Lane

Essentially just an alley between the hub and NY Street. It is only dining and some meet and greet stuff. Not a lot of space here and not the best visually, but it works well enough for what it needs to be, a connecting pathway with food.

Attractions

ABC Commissary - the main quick service location for the park. Themed to ABC shows

Sci-Fi Dine In - Another heavily themed table service location. This one feels like a drive in movie theater with cheesey B-Movie sci-fi playing.​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

NY Street

Themed to a film set of New York City with building facades and cut outs meant to show how actual sets like this are used in films. These fake sets were used in actual movies. Most famously, the Newsies. This area was eventually expanded into Streets of America to make more space to hold the Osborne Lights Display after the Residential Street was demolished in 2005 for Lights Motor Action. Then it was mostly demolished to make way for Galaxy's Edge leaving only Muppets Courtyard behind.

Attractions

Muppet Vision 3D - A 3D movie where the Muppets are showing off that they have 3D technology with big show!

Pizza Planet Arcade/Restaurant - based on the Pizza Planet from Toy Story, the qsr opened the same year as the movie in 1995. Imagineers made the bold decision to make this suck and bare no resemblance to the restaurant from the film. That is because it was a quickly done retrofit of a space that was, originally, going to be used for a Swedish Chef restaurant. But when the deal with Henson's company feel through after Henson's death, those plans were cut. The space was then used as a Showcase center for props from movies until 95 when Pizza Planet opened. Eventually went on the be rethemed to PizzaRizzo.

Mama Melrose - An Italian Table Service Restaurant. Was originally going to be a Gonzo/Rizzo themed parody of Planet Hollywood/Hard Rock Cafe. This was also cut due to the Henson deal falling through. Mama Melrose was a quick stand in that became well loved and a hidden gem that is still there to this day.

Street Shows - throughout the 90s a truly bizzare and awesome collection of streetmosphere shows took place on NY Street. Meet and Greets with Power Rangers, Kim Possible, and more also took place over the years. But those were in the 2000s.​

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (July 1, 1990 – May 31, 1995)
• Muppets on Location: The Days of Swine & Roses (September 16, 1991 – January 23, 1994)
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective – Live in Action(November 10, 1995 – ? 1996)
• Goosebumps HorrorLand Fright Show and Funhouse (October 8, 1997 – November 1, 1998)

Premier Theater - A theater space used for special events and shows based on the newest of Disney films. Located off to the side of NY Street. In the Streets of America version of this land, it was behind the Golden Gate Bridge/San Fran facade. It housed a Pocahontas show from 94-96. Then a hunchback show until 2002. Then it was just used for special events like Star Wars Weekends.

Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure Playground - a large play ground themed to the set for Honey I shrunk the kid's. Oversized objects, lathe fake grass, slides. Lots of fun. The giant ant scared me as a kid so I hated it. Good riddance.​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Mickey Avenue

This is the area that most felt like the Backlot of a movie studio. It is behind yhe Great Movie Ride and connects the back of NY Street to Animation Courtyard/the hub. Pixar Place took over half of it when it opened.

Attractions

Backlot Tram Tour - the signature attraction of the park. Originally a 2 hour long tour through actual movie production facilities meant to emulate real life studio tram tours like at Universal Hollywood. In 1996 it was retooled to work better in a theme park and to adjust for the park not being a working studio anymore. The updated version is a half hour tram tour through sets and past movie props. It featured peaks at costuming workshops (used more by the parks than the studio to make costumes). The two highlights were Catastrophe Canyon (a "real" movie set where guests are accidentally stuck on it as a disaster scene is filmed featuring fire and water and all manner of cool effects with an explanation of how they worked after). The other highlight was the Residential Street. The tram would go past houses from famous sitcoms such as the Golden Girls. The Residential Area was not a part of the tour during Christmas as this was the original and best setting for the late, great Osborne Lights at Disney.
Overtime, as less and less actual movie work was done at MGM, the tram tour was cut down bit by bit until it was mostly Catastrophe Canyon, Residential Streets, and driving past props from movies. But still a great experience that taught about film making. Then, in 2005, residential street was cut out to make way for Lights Motor Action leaving just Catastrophe Canyon and some movie props left.

Backlot Walking Tour (Backstage Pass to..., Behind the Magic. It had many names) - a half hour walking tour past sets and props from movies and TV shows worked on it the park. I remember most clearly a Jim Henson creature shop exhibit on 101 Dalmatians. As less and less movies/tv shows were worked on here, the walking tour just fizzled out. It was closed completely in 2001. Parts of it were taken over by Who Want to be a Millionaire Play It! And a Sorcerer's Mickey meet and greet.
There was also a preview center showing making of featurettes for new movies that I believe was a part of the walking tour but may have been it's own thing. The preview theater and that part of the walking tour became the One Man's Dream Museum. Part of the walking tour also went on to become Journey into Narnia in 2005.

AFI Showcase - a small museum of props amd costumes from movies. Usually with a theme. Set up by the American Film Institute. It was at the exit to the tram tour.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Play It! - an interactive game show where park guests could be picked to play who wants to be a millionaire! The person picked would be able to play to win actual prizes that went as big as a cruise trip! But was mostly just pins and stuff like that. It opened in 2001 as a part of the 100 years of magic celebration. It was replaced by toy story mania.

​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Animation Courtyard

Hey! Who wants to talk more about the Backlot Tour! Because I do!

When the park opened, the idea was that the big studio arches took you from the city of Hollywood to the real studio. The original 2 hour version of the tour boarded where the Star Wars Launch Bay is now. In 1996, when the Backlot Tour was reworked to not be 2 hours, the entrance moved to the end of Mickey Avenue. Leaving the new Animation Courtyard to occupy the area behind the studio gate

Attractions

Animation Studio - here since the park opened, this was a real animation studio where Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, Brother bear, and more we're made. There was a tour of the studio, a demonstration on how animations worked, previews of upcoming animated films, little exhibits, drawing classes. It was awesome. The original entrance was off to the side. When the Backlot Tour moved in 96, the animation building was expanded and given a better entrance. It was eventually closed down to make way for Star Wars Launch Bay.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid - a stage show that features puppets, live actors, projections, lazers, bubbles, and more! It is more small scale and gimmicky than the Broadway style shows, but some would argue that gives it more charm. Still there today, but is now very dated. But that wouldn't have been an issue in 1995 as it opened in 1992.

Soundstages Restaurant - originally featuring a bar and themed to a Bette Midler movie, by 1992 this was rethemed to be the "sets" from animated movies such as Aladdin. I believe it was a character buffet. It was replaced in 1999 by Bear in the Big Blue House.

Bear in the Big Blue House/Playhouse Disney - in 1999, the Soundstage restaurant was transformed into the Bear in the Big Blue House stage show. In 2001, this became Playhouse Disney Live on Stage. Then Disney Jr. later on.​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Nighttime Shows
​

• Sorcery in the Sky (May 29, 1990 – October 1998) — This fireworks show debuted in 1990 when the film Fantasia was celebrating its 50th anniversary, and featured music score from such films as Puttin' on the Ritz, The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Mary Poppins, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars, Chariots of Fire, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and of course Fantasia. The show was cancelled in 1998, and its park replacement was Fantasmic!, debuting later that same year.
• Fantasmic! (October 15, 1998 – present) — This nighttime spectacle with mist projection screens, fireworks, water fountains, pyrotechnics, and Disney characters has drawn record numbers of guests to the park.

It cannot be overstated how huge of a hit Fantasmic was with shows reaching capacity on a nightly basis even on the off season for years. You stood in line to get in and planned your evening around it.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Parades

MGM had a tendency to do cheap, quickly made parades to promote new movies. Meaning a new parade every 2 years for the 90s! A new permanent parade was added in 2001 as a part of the 100 years of Magic Celebration
​

• Dinosaurs Live (September 26, 1991 – August 29, 1992)
• Aladdin's Royal Caravan (December 21, 1992 – August 27, 1995)
• Toy Story – The Parade (November 22, 1995 – June 8, 1997)
• Hercules "Zero to Hero" Victory Parade (June 27, 1997 – April 18, 1998)
• Mulan – The Parade (June 19, 1998 – March 11, 2001)
• Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade(October 1, 2001 – March 8, 2008)

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Festivals

Epcot is known as the festival park now, but MGM did it first and better. All of these have ended by now, but they were huge in the 90s and early 2000s. Each involved special fan events every weekend during the time they were going on including appearances by celebrities from the topic of the party, special meet and greats, and more!

Star Wars Weekends - by far the biggest. Featured Jedi Academy (before it became a permanent thing) and all kinds of special stuff.

Soap Opera Weekends

ESPN weekends

Others? I only know those three and can't find info on any more.​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Conclusion

This park is gone. Everyone makes a big deal about Epcot being a shell of what it once was, but it is still there. This park is gone. Tower of Terror and a couple of dated stage shows badly in need of updates are all that remain of this incredible and unique park. So, do we save the park while it was young, or kill it sooner to start anew.

Over all, MGM of this era was full of crazy, unique ideas. It was educational while being exciting and fun. It was adult and mature while never being boring. It was thrilling yet relaxing.

Every attraction in some way, no matter how small, did more than tell a story, it showed how that story was told. Tower of Terror was the first ride to not feature any sort of backstage element or theming and is still the only one until Toy Story Land opens.

 

[Suchomimus]

We could remake the Monster Sound Show, featuring Sonic the Hedgehog in Chevy Chase's place (he could voice Sonic though, but that might make Sonic too old sounding so Roger by default. The reason I put Sonic in has to do with something I did when I was 7.) Don't know who Martin Short would be.

You Sonic nut job

 

[Pi on my Cake]

We could remake the Monster Sound Show, featuring Sonic the Hedgehog in Chevy Chase's place (he could voice Sonic though, but that might make Sonic too old sounding so Roger by default. The reason I put Sonic in has to do with something I did when I was 7.) Don't know who Martin Short would be.

Ya know, my original thought for the current round of Sorcerer's Apprentice was to suggest a rededining of theme for MGM to include video games. With a sonic meet and greet/exhibit being a part of it in the sounds Dangerous space.

I don't want to go into it now because we are still working on the MGM project, but I'd love to see your idea or brainstorm it with you later after this round is done!

 

[KanakoS]

You Sonic nut job

hey its her idea dont demolish it we need some for the gamers

 

[Suchomimus]

hey its her idea dont demolish it we need some for the gamers

Did you watch the Tragedy of Ralph the Wrecker?

 

[KanakoS]

Did you watch the Tragedy of Ralph the Wrecker?

Ralph breaks the internet is comin out

 

[Suchomimus]

Ralph breaks the internet is comin out

Then there’s your answer.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Did you watch the Tragedy of Ralph the Wrecker?

Yes, I did, and I would love an attraction based upon it. Now that Stitch is pretty much on life support at this point, why not do something to finally end the existence of the worst Disney attraction ever?

 

[Suchomimus]

Yes, I did, and I would love an attraction based upon it. Now that Stitch is pretty much on life support at this point, why not do something to finally end the existence of the worst Disney attraction ever?

I like your idea except for the part of making its home in the same place as Tron.