For those who are keeping score, here's a little park update for some items of interest at the Disney-MGM Studios as of yesterday (October 16, 2004):
The San Francisco back drop is up and looking good. Installed in the same general vicinity is the mysterious ball that drew interest and inquiry several weeks ago - it is, indeed, part of the Osborne Family Festival of Lights and is up and awaiting further orders. Chicago is still under major construction.
Walt Disney - One Man's Dream had a section devoted to television of the 1950s, and none of the four or five televisions were working.
The Back Lot Tour has changed greatly in its current incarnation. It still starts with a demonstration of special effects and then moves through a props warehouse with television monitors directly onto the tram.
The tram takes you through the costuming/wardrobe department where you see cast members stitching and sewing and then you continue through a loop taking you past a few assembled vehicles from some movies, including to my surprise a couple Star Wars "crafts?" and then into Catastrophe Canyon. Some other vehicles in this "bone yard" include the dip machine from Roger Rabbit, the turtle shell space craft from Flight of the Navigator, a couple motorcycles from Indiana Jones movies and a ________ Tracy car, among others.
Going into CC, you see a practice area for Lights, Motors, Action! and you see the set under construction. You also see Walt Disney's personal airplane.
Someone recently inquired whether the effects at CC have been toned down. The answer is a definite "YES!" Where the flood formerly caused power lines to fall and washed the tanker truck down the hill into a small fire from the downed power lines, resulting in a large fire - that is all gone. There is a small fire, and the power lines sway and move, but the tanker never moves and the fire is not anywhere near what it once was. Still, the water effects are pretty impressive and I'm glad it is still there.
After leaving the canyon, the tram takes you back by the airplane and gives you a good, close up view of the new set for LMA, including the area where the cars and bikes go off stage to rev up or slow down. The spectator area looks enormous, and that show is going to be able to hold large crowds. There is an enormous sign for the entrance to LMA waiting to be installed. Our guide told us it had just arrived this week and it was a massive undertaking to get it into place, where it is ready to be hoisted into place.
That wraps up the Back Lot tour. It is not very long at all once you get on the tram. You exit through an area where movie costumes are on display, including a Captain Jack Sparrow costume from Pirates of the Caribbean and a Darth Vader costume, and others.
I made a conscious effort to spy references to MGM properties as I walked through the park. The obvious references are in the Great Movie Ride, and there were some costumes from some MGM films in the unload area for the back lot tour. There was a short Jerry Mouse cartoon in the Sci Fi Theater Restaurant. That was all I could find. I think the MGM references can be removed completely with little disruption, if the companies decide to pursue that course of action.
A nice surprise was a traveling rock band that would wheel up, play some classic rock tunes, then move along. I spied this band at (obviously) the backdrop to the large red guitar at Rock N Roller Coater, then later outside Star Tours. They are energetic and the crowd was digging them.
Finally, I was sad to see the child's meals at Sci-Fi no longer come in cool glow in the dark frisbees. Kids' food comes on a regular glass plate, just like the rest of the food. I guess my frisbee is now a collector's item.
:wave:
The San Francisco back drop is up and looking good. Installed in the same general vicinity is the mysterious ball that drew interest and inquiry several weeks ago - it is, indeed, part of the Osborne Family Festival of Lights and is up and awaiting further orders. Chicago is still under major construction.
Walt Disney - One Man's Dream had a section devoted to television of the 1950s, and none of the four or five televisions were working.
The Back Lot Tour has changed greatly in its current incarnation. It still starts with a demonstration of special effects and then moves through a props warehouse with television monitors directly onto the tram.
The tram takes you through the costuming/wardrobe department where you see cast members stitching and sewing and then you continue through a loop taking you past a few assembled vehicles from some movies, including to my surprise a couple Star Wars "crafts?" and then into Catastrophe Canyon. Some other vehicles in this "bone yard" include the dip machine from Roger Rabbit, the turtle shell space craft from Flight of the Navigator, a couple motorcycles from Indiana Jones movies and a ________ Tracy car, among others.
Going into CC, you see a practice area for Lights, Motors, Action! and you see the set under construction. You also see Walt Disney's personal airplane.
Someone recently inquired whether the effects at CC have been toned down. The answer is a definite "YES!" Where the flood formerly caused power lines to fall and washed the tanker truck down the hill into a small fire from the downed power lines, resulting in a large fire - that is all gone. There is a small fire, and the power lines sway and move, but the tanker never moves and the fire is not anywhere near what it once was. Still, the water effects are pretty impressive and I'm glad it is still there.
After leaving the canyon, the tram takes you back by the airplane and gives you a good, close up view of the new set for LMA, including the area where the cars and bikes go off stage to rev up or slow down. The spectator area looks enormous, and that show is going to be able to hold large crowds. There is an enormous sign for the entrance to LMA waiting to be installed. Our guide told us it had just arrived this week and it was a massive undertaking to get it into place, where it is ready to be hoisted into place.
That wraps up the Back Lot tour. It is not very long at all once you get on the tram. You exit through an area where movie costumes are on display, including a Captain Jack Sparrow costume from Pirates of the Caribbean and a Darth Vader costume, and others.
I made a conscious effort to spy references to MGM properties as I walked through the park. The obvious references are in the Great Movie Ride, and there were some costumes from some MGM films in the unload area for the back lot tour. There was a short Jerry Mouse cartoon in the Sci Fi Theater Restaurant. That was all I could find. I think the MGM references can be removed completely with little disruption, if the companies decide to pursue that course of action.
A nice surprise was a traveling rock band that would wheel up, play some classic rock tunes, then move along. I spied this band at (obviously) the backdrop to the large red guitar at Rock N Roller Coater, then later outside Star Tours. They are energetic and the crowd was digging them.
Finally, I was sad to see the child's meals at Sci-Fi no longer come in cool glow in the dark frisbees. Kids' food comes on a regular glass plate, just like the rest of the food. I guess my frisbee is now a collector's item.
:wave:
, thats too bad about CC, last time i was there i didnt even notice, but its still pretty kuul, and seeing LMA in development is a pretty cool thing, especially seeing the new specially designed cars, i hope "Disney Studios" picks up some new stuff, more than just LMA, becuz it used to be my fav park but its losin its excitment slowly but surely cuz of all the new stuff the other parks are gettin, i guess one thing at a time, 
I wouldn't want imagineergurl to pay a special visit just to be disappointed!