Why no love for the Backlot Tour?

[T-1MILLION]

that's not true. LaVar Burton got his hand prints since I've been a passholder (which is only about 4 years).

Oh and to add to T-1Million's list, wasn't Stitch animated at MGM as well?

Animation is an entirely different topic of studio that also once really existed. Many projects came out of that Florida Animation building. Good point, and I did not include any of those in there. What I listed was all live action tv and feature filming.

 

[Alektronic]

Sorry, but you are incorrect. While the studios on location at MGM Studios Florida never produced any massive hits there were dozens of TV shows and movie filming sessions going on throughout the early years and prior to it being a theme park. Although many flopped and were under the Disney name, it was still a WORKING Studio.


Ernest Saves Christmas
Adventure's in Wonderland
Mickey Mouse Club
Teen Win Lose or Draw
Mortal Kombat: Conquest
Out of the Box
Marvin's Room
Tarzan's Epic Adventures
Big Bag
Kermit's Swamp Years

And lots of various filming from production in the Central Florida area as well. I recall House on Haunted Hill being partially filmed at Islands of Adventure for the opening theme park scene as you may know, but when they needed some interior set shooting done the studios at Universal were occupied at the time, so the went and used a stage at Disney. There are tons of post production companies that rent and use spaces on studio lots.

While for the most part, like Universal its a shell of its former self with what they do for tv and film production, it WAS a studio.


In the 1980s Florida was being looked at to be the new filming location for many productions because some things about it are cheaper than filming in Calofornia. After California Florida is still one of the biggest states for filming in the country.

Disney did not spend all that money and time to build soundstages and facilities for a fake studio. If they were just doing what we have now than they would not of needed all the facilities behind the park.

There was also the movie "Passenger 57"

Sheena Jungle Adventures
A lot of WWF wrestling shows

and mostly there was a complete post production facility.

Sound mixing rooms, Film editing rooms, daily production film rooms, etc.

 

[powlessfamily4]

It certainly was a long time ago. I even remember when you would go se the the Osborne Lights by waking through the backlot that had the Golden Girl's house and Empty Nest.

I remember seeing the Golden Girls and Empty Nest homes. I was/am a huge fan of the Golden Girls and I wanted to just jump off that tram and run up to the house for a glass of lemonade I would rather they keep the BLT and improve it. I just don't see it happening. Too much has changed.

 

[T-1MILLION]

There was also the movie "Passenger 57"

Sheena Jungle Adventures
A lot of WWF wrestling shows

and mostly there was a complete post production facility.

Sound mixing rooms, Film editing rooms, daily production film rooms, etc.

Good ones to add as well.

It was certainly a real studio and place of production. Some people are fooling themselves rather than proving that others have been fooled.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

More than the Backlot Tour, I miss when Osbourne was a walk through experience down residential street. I just think it was much more "magical" than it is now.

And I've said this once before... But if you think DHS's backlot tour is bad... You should try Disney Studios Paris's backlot tour. HOO BOY. :hurl:

 

[cblodg]

Gone are the days:

http://progresscityusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/map_sm2.jpg

Used to LOVE walking around the neighborhoods for the Lights!

 

[cblodg]

Sorry, but you are incorrect. While the studios on location at MGM Studios Florida never produced any massive hits there were dozens of TV shows and movie filming sessions going on throughout the early years and prior to it being a theme park. Although many flopped and were under the Disney name, it was still a WORKING Studio.


Ernest Saves Christmas
Adventure's in Wonderland
Mickey Mouse Club
Teen Win Lose or Draw
Mortal Kombat: Conquest
Out of the Box
Marvin's Room
Tarzan's Epic Adventures
Big Bag
Kermit's Swamp Years

And lots of various filming from production in the Central Florida area as well. I recall House on Haunted Hill being partially filmed at Islands of Adventure for the opening theme park scene as you may know, but when they needed some interior set shooting done the studios at Universal were occupied at the time, so the went and used a stage at Disney. There are tons of post production companies that rent and use spaces on studio lots.

While for the most part, like Universal its a shell of its former self with what they do for tv and film production, it WAS a studio.


In the 1980s Florida was being looked at to be the new filming location for many productions because some things about it are cheaper than filming in Calofornia. After California Florida is still one of the biggest states for filming in the country.

Disney did not spend all that money and time to build soundstages and facilities for a fake studio. If they were just doing what we have now than they would not of needed all the facilities behind the park.

Wasn't part of the HBO Mini-series From the Earth to the Moon filmed there?

 

[daliseurat]

The backlot tour used to be sort of fun, for a fake backlot. Now, the original IDEA was that it was supposed to become a vibrant working backlot, which never really happened. If you saw it in the first couple years you did get to see some things being filmed, a real animation studio at work and some soundstages dressed for filming.

Today, there's not really much to see. No backlot. It would be nice if they could somehow bring sets from movies and such to the studios and set them up for the backlot tour. The whole thrill of a backlot tour is to see places and set that were actually in movies and tv shows you've seen.

Out in CA at Universal it was always so cool to see their REAL backlot that was constantly in use.

I would love for Disney to make the backlot tour relevant. Maybe if they bothered to actually build sets and film stuff like Pirates of the Carribean at the studios in stead of over at Universal.

 

[Disney05]

I think I miss the houses the most. I don't think it should be taken away but I do think it needs a renovation.

 

[Chrononymous]

Ya know...I kinda liked the old backlot tour.
And yes, it was "real" to the point that it produced a lot of stuff that wasn't very memorable and/or was on the Disney channel for a few months.
And don't forget the music videos and commercials! I always got really excited when I recognized the place in some Saturday morning commercial for bubble gum.

I miss all the Rocketeer stuff too. Maybe that's just me, though.(as the only person who loves that film)

Of course, even when it was a working backlot, and they closed off the New York streets to film something...they would let guests watch.

Unlike at Universal at the time...where we were once rudely kicked out of the park while they filmed something on their streets of america by burly unfriendly security.

And they kicked us out of the whole park...not just the section they were filming in.

 

[mharrington]

Let me sum it up this way, shouldn't something labeled with backlot actually be one? It should be called the parking lot tour. Oooooh look! Some shrubs and employee parking spaces. Oh, and some junk from movies made 25 years ago that were absolute flops. It seems like the only reason they are here is because nobody would buy them on ebay.

Parking lot tour? It's way down at the other side of the park, far away from the parking lot.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

MGM was *never* a "REAL" studio. Ever.

The animation studio wasn't real?

 

[bugsbunny]

Parking lot tour? It's way down at the other side of the park, far away from the parking lot.

Not the actual guest parking lot! But the tour takes you through an actual parking lot where staff parks. Yes, lines on the ground and even a handicap spot. Yawn!

And Lavarr Burton recently? Someone who is really most famous for an 80s tv show and wasn't he also in Roots back in the 70s? Regardless, my point is made that the last relevant flaccid attempt at keeping up with the theater hand prints is loooooong gone.

 

[AEfx]

The animation studio wasn't real?

If you check, I was referring to the Studio Tour.

Yes, some animators did work in the animation department.

It was never a real "live action" studio as it was portrayed. We've gone over this in tons of threads before - yes, a few scant productions used it (mostly Disney for television production, most notably the New MMC). However, the notion that it was any type of real motion picture studio was complete fabrication.

The "studio" tour was full of fake things that were passed off as real. For instance, you would ride through the city street sets, and you'd see "an exciting new music video!" being filmed. There were people in costumes, a camera, even a director. It was fake. If you turned your head and looked as you passed, they reset the scene every time. They were all actors.

Or you'd go through soundstages. One I remember was a courtroom. Now, they may have used it once for a commercial or something, but it was there for years and they'd tell you, "We're filming an exciting new TV show! Look for it on TV!" and mysteriously they couldn't tell you anything about it whatsoever if you asked because it didn't exist.

Just about everything you ever saw on the backlot tour that indicated that filming was going on was absolutely fake.

 

[daliseurat]

I don't remember any FAKE scenes. And they absolutely DID film stuff on the soundstages (just not much) I watched them film a part of PASSENGER 57 as well as an ALICE IN WONDERLAND show that used to be on TV.

 

[Testtrack321]

There were loads of real productions going on till the mid/late 90s, back when Orlando was being set up as the Hollywood of the East. Short hop from NYC, nice weather, tax breaks, and two new production facilities opening.

Real production went on at D-MGM, just most were either only seen during the Backstage Pass (or the original combined Backstage Tour, the 3 hour one) or some misc shooting on Residential Street. Remember Thunder in Paradise, Mickey Mouse Club, various game shows and specials, and other misc TV shows.

The tram tour never really showed productions because it couldn't be controlled easily. Trams are loud, the people can be loud, and they take up a lot of space. That's why any actual production work took place behind glass.

 

[mharrington]

Not the actual guest parking lot! But the tour takes you through an actual parking lot where staff parks. Yes, lines on the ground and even a handicap spot. Yawn!

Well, if they removed the staff parking to accommodate the tour, where will the staff park?

 

[docandsix]

There's so much about Walt Disney World to love...

...and so much to SKIP.

The Backlot tour is Exhibit A on this list at DHS. I'll never return to LMA after just one viewing. Ironic how one attraction helped gut and ruin another (which was admittedly already decaying rapidly by then), leading to two dismissible attractions instead of a single marginal one. The entire row of buildings adjacent to Toy Story Midway Mania is useless for the moment, and has been for a while, except for One Man's Dream, which must feel like filler except to the most devoted fans. (I'm one of those fans, by the way, but cannot imagine the typical once-in-a-lifetime guest caring about a walk-through museum.)

At Epcot, we see the Imagination Pavilion and the Wonders of Life Pavilion rotting away, to say nothing of the useless space of the Odyssey building and the upper levels of the Canadian pavilion, not to mention the empty World Showcase plots that haven't been looked at in twenty years.

Animal Kingdom has an entire "land" (if Camp Minnie-Mickey can be described this way) hanging on by a spectacular but dated show that hasn't changed in over a decade.

The Magic Kingdom is finally capitalizing on space that was wasted for well over a decade with the Fantasyland expansion, but still sees numerous restaurants shuttered nearly year-round.

At least we know that there's plenty of room for expansion and improvement. There are always so many threads about a fifth gate. How about just using the space and buildings that already exist?

 

[unkadug]

Well, if they removed the staff parking to accommodate the tour, where will the staff park?

What staff? There is no studio...therefore there is no staff.

 

[PHSCoach]

I used to enjoy the BLT every time we went to the Studios. Now we don't even bother going on it. At least there used to be something to see during the tour even if it might of ben fake. Now it's just a tram ride and not worth the time or space it takes up.