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Learning To Like Disney's Hollywood Studios
by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Message Board Guide and Featured Columnist
So which is
your favorite Walt Disney World theme park? It's a question that most of us could answer immediately and, for the
record, mine is Epcot. That question then naturally leads on to another,
"Which is your least favorite Disney theme park?" I'm guessing that's
something that we could probably answer as well, although we might need to
think about it a bit more. For me, the park that somehow is the least appealing is the Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios).
Why is Disney's Hollywood Studios at the bottom of my Disney park list? Well, apart from Epcot being my favorite, the Magic Kingdom
is, well, just magic really! After all, it's based on Disneyland, which is
where it all started. As for Disney's Animal Kingdom, Animal Kingdom is beautiful! To
me, it's like escaping into a tropical wonderland, filled with hundreds of
animals that I could just sit and watch for hours. If only they'd just stop
those safari vehicles on the Kilimanjaro Safaris and allow you to do that!
But for many years now, I've felt that there was no such great theming at
the Disney's Hollywood Studios. You walk in and yes, the idea is that you're
transported back to a golden era of Hollywood, but compared to the other
parks, it just looks remarkably normal. And as for the attractions, they've
never done much for me. Not being big thrill riders, the Sunset Boulevard
area was unfamiliar to us, even though it's the first stop on most people's
lists as they head for the Tower of Terror and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
Of course there's not only thrill rides at MGM, but we've also found some of
the other attractions less than appealing. Although Who Wants to be a
Millionaire? -- Play It! had many fans, we weren't amongst them. It's very
much geared to an American audience, which while perfectly understandable.
Being from England, it frustrated us immensely. And then there's the Backlot
Tour. The last time we'd taken this, it had been severely reduced, as work
was underway to create the new stunt show.
So what's happened to change my view? Well, on our last visit to Walt Disney
World, we really gave the Disney's Hollywood Studios another chance and I started to
learn to love this park.
The first thing that changed was some of the attractions that had never
appealed to us were either gone or much improved. Who Wants to be a
Millionaire -- Play It! disappeared in the summer to make way for Toy Story
Mania!, scheduled to open in 2008. And then there's the Backlot Tour which
is very much back to its former self, with its route restored now. You
really feel as if you're being given a good tour these days, unlike a couple
of years ago, when you came off wondering "was that it?"
And the Lights, Motors, Action! Stunt Show Spectacular, the reason for all
those changes to the Backlot tour, is proving to be an excellent addition to
the Studios. Some have said that two stunt shows may be too much for one
park, but for our money, they both showcase very different stunts and
there's room for both. If you haven't checked out this new show yet, it's
well worth a visit, as it's packed with talented drivers who show off their
skills.
We also finally found our way to the Sunset Boulevard area, as I plucked up
courage to try the Tower of Terror -- and wow, what a great ride this is!
I'm no thrill ride fan, but this was a lot of fun. If you've never tried
this, it's definitely worth giving it a go. I found the drops amazingly
smooth and far better than some of the ones I've experienced on planes when
we've run into turbulence!
Then there are the old favorites that we've always known and loved at the
Disney's Hollywood Studios. Who could fail to enjoy the Great Movie Ride, as it
takes you on a tour through the magic of Hollywood? Yes, your enjoyment of
this ride is likely to depend on whether you get a good guide or not, but in
our experience, they usually put 110% into their roles, as you'd expect from
any aspiring movie star!
One attraction that many people seem to skip, unless they've got young Ariel
fans in their party, is Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It's something that
always exceeds my expectations and somehow, I never seem to remember just
how good this production is. This live show is packed with surprises,
including some really imaginative use of falling water and puppets. There's
something magical about watching the story of the Little Mermaid come to
life in front of you.
The story of another Disney princess, Belle, also comes to life at Beauty
and the Beast -- Live on Stage, another not to be missed attraction at the
Studios. Sadly, it's one that we rarely seem to make it to, perhaps because
there was so much else to see on our last visit, but we'll make sure we put
that right when we're next there.
Perhaps the real hidden treasure at the Studios is One Man's Dream, the
story of Walt Disney and the magic he created throughout his life. It's a
fitting tribute to the man who started it all. Any Disney fan could easily
spend hours in there, browsing all the exhibits and learning more about his
life. It's another park attraction that many seem to pass by, no doubt
heading for high octane thrills elsewhere in the Studios, but if you take
the time to head inside, you won't be disappointed. I could linger for
hours, learning more about Walt's childhood and his dreams. My personal
favorite is the video of him talking about his Experimental Prototype
Community of Tomorrow, whose initials spell out EPCOT. While the reality of
Epcot may be very different from the vision he talked about in the video,
watching it, you can understand how much vision one man possessed.
The other thing that changed on our last trip to the Disney's Hollywood Studios was
that we rediscovered their afternoon parade. We made a pledge that we would
take in some of the park parades, as we hadn't seen them for many years and
of course, none of them disappointed. Somehow though, Disney Stars and
Motorcars was far and away my favorite. Maybe it was the fact that it
features characters you don't usually see in other parades, such as the
Muppets, Darth Vader, and R2-D2 or maybe it was the fact that the cars work
so well. Instead of floats, there's naturally something for them to be
traveling in. Either way, it's well worth a look.
And the moral of this whole story? If you're not convinced by one of the
Disney parks, do go back and give it another go. You may be surprised at
what you find waiting for you.
About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, especially to America. They were on the first 11-night sailing of the Disney Magic around the Mediterranean and have recently returned from 19 nights in Walt Disney World. Cheryl is a Featured Columnist for PassPorter.com -- click here to read more of her articles.
This article originally appeared in our February
8, 2007 newsletter and was last updated on February 14, 2008 --
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newsletter today for free!
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Updated 02/14/2008
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