"Welcome the Disney-MGM Studios!": The Glory Days of DHS

jdmdisney99

jdmdisney99

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After watching a multitude of old MGM videos, including Sorcery in the Sky, I can't help but notice that it used to be a grand, organized representation of the film industry and movie making. Here is a place for everyone to remember and discuss the glory days of MGM...
 
Chrononymous

Chrononymous

Well-Known Member
I LOVED Sorcery in the Sky. It was my favorite firework display on property!
And they used to have some really awesome parades...parades I would actually want to take time out to wait for!

There was a time, when I adored this park above all others...even loved it more than MK or Universal Studios!
It was simply my favorite park.
I loved the theme, and the execution of it. It felt glamorous, old Hollywood...like you had been transported back in time to the 40's.

Somewhere, I still have old photos of me and my spouse circa the early 90's, where we dressed in 1930's-40's vintage outfits and took pictures of each other with a black and white camera next to all the authentic looking props and architecture.
 
N

NintendoDS

Member
lego606 said:
I miss the time when it had 2 attractions at opening.

Hey, wait a second...
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I remember going to the park in 1989 and that's exactly why I was disappointed. As a kid, I wasn't really interested in shows and was expecting more than 2 rides.

Even though I like that there are more rides now, I miss the original version of the Backlot Tour where it actually felt like there was a lot to see compared to now where there is barely anything to look at. I also still prefer the name Disney MGM Studios and even with it being called Hollywood Studios for years now, everyone in my family still calls the park MGM.
 
DisneyPrincess5

DisneyPrincess5

Well-Known Member
When the park name changed, I refused to call it DHS for a loooong time. I still call it MGM primarily.
I loved The Muppets at Walt Disney World and still vividly remember the MGM portions. Great memories! Still love it today too.
 
Chrononymous

Chrononymous

Well-Known Member
I just watched an old videotape of the Muppets at WDW. It had both the stage shows...the indoor musical one and the outdoor movie making one.

I vaguely remember the big head muppet walk around characters, but I didn't remember the stage show that featured a full set of the Electric Mayhem doing cover songs.
It is so weird...that it's awesome
 
Bethypoo

Bethypoo

Well-Known Member
I miss the shop they had with all of the old Hollywood merchandise. I bought a Gone With The Wind checkbook holder and used it until it ripped apart. I loved that store.
 
naturallyN'AWLINZ

naturallyN'AWLINZ

New Member
I
Gonzo79 said:
I really miss residential street on the Backlot Tour. In 2008,after an eleven year absense from the parks,I had no idea that they got rid of it. I was very disappointed after riding it. I also miss Roger Rabbits presence in the park.Mostly The Loony Bin. It was a great store with Roger Rabbit merch,props from the movie like the steam roller.
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really miss that street too! I love love LOVE the golden girls and their house was on residential street and I wanted to get off the ride and go to THAT HOUSE. Now no house, and I'm like, SOOOOOO???
 
disney4life2008

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
This post really made my cry. The biggest removal is residential street. I absolutely love the Golden Girls and to see the house would make my whole day. Along with that - the Backlot Tour really was a tour. It was nice to go through costuming and see where productions were being made. But now the Backlot Tour is a joke. You can not pay me to stand in Florida heat and watch a boring prequal with a chosen family get water thrown on them; then a tour in the sun to look at Disney's plane; costume area where it seems to be only a few people working at any given time; and catastrophie canyon which seems to have lost its steam in recent years. And the biggest blow to the Backlot Tour - getting rid of the on board tour guide. That is what made the ride a tour. The boring audio track is terrible and to have the CM sitting there is just ridiculous.

Going back to Residential Street - we lost that for that Cars show. OMG I hate it! Again, you can not pay me to sit in the hot sun looking at some cars blow up in fire.

The American Idol Experience - boy was this a mistake. From the beginning I remember CMs literally begging people to not only sign up to participate in the day shows but also begging people to come sit in the audience. And Disney had the audacity to reduce Fantasmic! with the hopes AIE would become the parks premeir attraction. What a disaster!! Disney do not touch my Fantasmic!!!

Everything else I can live with. Both Universal Studios and Hollywood Studios have evolved over time. Over at US I used to love going through Nickolodean Studios. But they got rid of that for Blue Man Show.
 
BiffyClyro

BiffyClyro

Well-Known Member
I still call it MGM... :D Force of habbit!

disney4life2008 said:
The American Idol Experience - boy was this a mistake. From the beginning I remember CMs literally begging people to not only sign up to participate in the day shows but also begging people to come sit in the audience. And Disney had the audacity to reduce Fantasmic! with the hopes AIE would become the parks premeir attraction. What a disaster!! Disney do not touch my Fantasmic!!!

Everything else I can live with. Both Universal Studios and Hollywood Studios have evolved over time. Over at US I used to love going through Nickolodean Studios. But they got rid of that for Blue Man Show.
Click to expand...

The American Idol thing is fun and all, but i just thought... They've spent all that money on something in which is getting less and less popular!

And yeah, i hate that they reduced Fantasmic. It was hard enough to get a seat anyway, never mind now they have reduced the shows. Can't help feel that was a budgeting thing, but when you pay all that money, you expect something like Fantasmic, which is one of the best attractions o be open and available! It is always over capacity!
 
disney4life2008

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
BiffyClyro said:
I still call it MGM... :D Force of habbit!



The American Idol thing is fun and all, but i just thought... They've spent all that money on something in which is getting less and less popular!

And yeah, i hate that they reduced Fantasmic. It was hard enough to get a seat anyway, never mind now they have reduced the shows. Can't help feel that was a budgeting thing, but when you pay all that money, you expect something like Fantasmic, which is one of the best attractions o be open and available! It is always over capacity!
Click to expand...

Unfortuantely, WDW hit a dud with AIE. When the attraction opened - AI was already loosing steam but to the level that it is now but its been on a downward spiral. Now, AI and done, lol
 
Tomorrowsphere

Tomorrowsphere

New Member
It took me awhile to get use to Disney/MGM Studios, now Disney Studio, first time I was there was in 2000 and I thought is was a strange mix. I loved the art deco buildings but the attractions other than a few seemed at odds with what I was expecting. 2011 I was there and had more time to enjoy it. I liked the street performers and warmed up to most of the shows and rides. I think that the park has the best potential to be more with the Star Wars franchise. The Great Movie Ride needs to be re-thought, it feels forced and now seems dated
 
Soarin2u

Soarin2u

Well-Known Member
MGM use to have a constantly in motion, constantly energetic type of feel. Now it feels as if everything stopped and its frozen, dying in time. The AIE is a joke, just turn it into a year round Jedi Acedemy. And LCA just doesn't fit with Disney. Transform it into a Avengers Battle, it'd attract the little boys. Only the front half seems to live happily. The back half shouldn't be called anything but a ghost town until they bring in a new attraction to spark it up.
 
Goofy Rocks

Goofy Rocks

Active Member
Gonzo79 said:
I really miss residential street on the Backlot Tour. In 2008,after an eleven year absense from the parks,I had no idea that they got rid of it. I was very disappointed after riding it. I also miss Roger Rabbits presence in the park.Mostly The Loony Bin. It was a great store with Roger Rabbit merch,props from the movie like the steam roller.
Click to expand...
awww man i never got to experince this :( sounds really cool! meaning roger rabbit!!!
 

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