As today marks, the 27th anniversary of Disney's Hollywood Studios I figured I would do a timeline of the history of the park and what's to come in the future. This park holds a special place in my heart as the park opened just five days before I was born. Yes, that means my birthday is this week and just as the Studios is 27, so am I. This isn't about me though as its about how Hollywood Studios came to be.
In what originally was supposed to be a pavilion in Epcot, turned into a whole theme park dedicated to the guest entering into the movies. The theme park came into fruition in 1986 after Universal announced it would be building a theme park in the Orlando area. Disney figured it had to answer and so the war began and the creation of then MGM Studios began. Here is the timeline of the park:
March 27, 1986 - Ground is officially broken on Disney's MGM Studios with special celebrity guest Bob Hope
May 1, 1989 - Disney's MGM Studios officially opens with the following attractions: The Monster Sound Show, Super Star Television, The Great Movie Ride, Backstage Studio Tour, The Magic of Disney Animation, and Indiana Jones: Stunt Spectacular (dress rehearsals only).
August 25, 1989 - Grand Opening of Indiana Jones: Stunt Spectacular and Ewok Village which opened the day before with George Lucas and Michael Eisner in attendance.
December 15, 1989 - Star Tours opens at MGM Studios, dedication takes place in January 1990 with Star Wars Director George Lucas and Star Wars film Stars Mark Hammil and Carrie Fisher are in attendance as well as Disney CEO Michael Eisner.
December 17, 1990 - "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" Movie Set Adventure Opens at MGM Studios
April 20, 1991 - Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant opens.
May 16, 1991 - Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D film attraction opens.
November 22, 1991 - "Beauty and the Beast" LIVE stage show opens coinciding with the film's release (a first that a stage show and a movie release on the same date).
January 7, 1992 - "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" opens.
June 12, 1994 - "Beauty and the Beast" - Live on Stage reopens at the new Theater of the Stars on Sunset Boulevard in the Disney-MGM Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort.Sunset Boulevard officially opens in the Disney-MGM Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort.
July 22, 1994 - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opens at MGM Studios.
June 23, 1995 - "The Spirit of Pocahontas" stage show opens at MGM Studios. The stage show lasts less than a year at the park, performing its final show on February 24, 1996.
November 22, 1995 - Disney's Toy Story parade debuts and performs for two years. The final performance of the parade takes place on June 8, 1997.
November 24, 1995 - The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights debuts at Disney's MGM studios.
February 1996 - The American Film Institute opens at the theme park. The American Film Institute Showcase is dedicated later that year on October 5, 1996.
June 21, 1996 - "Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame - A Musical Adventure" stage show premieres.
June 30, 1996 - The Studio Backstage Studio Tour is renamed as the Studios Backlot Tour combining both the Special Effects Water Tank Show and the Backstage Studio Tour.
June 27, 1997 - A parade based of Disney's "Hercules" called "Zero to Hero" Victory Parade opens at the Studios. The parade lasts less than a year and ends with its final performance on April 18, 1998.
July 1, 1997 - ABC Sound Studio: One Saturday Morning opens. The show will last for two years and closes on February 21, 1999.
April 6, 1998 - The new Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida building opens and is later dedicated on April 22, 1998.
June 19, 1998 - The Mulan parade premieres at the park. The parade lasts 3 years and gives its final performance on March 11, 2001.
October 15, 1998 - Fantasmic! a nighttime spectacular premieres in the park officially, it replaces "Sorcery in the Sky."
March 15, 1999 - Disney's Doug Live! stage show opens. It will be opened for two years and give its final performance on May 12, 2001.
April 22, 1999 - SOUNDS DANGEROUS Starring Drew Carey opens in the ABC Sound Studio replacing ABC Sound Studio: One Saturday Morning.
June 7, 1999 - The Bear in the Big Blue HouseTM-Live On Stage! debuts in Soundstage 5 (Restaurant) at the Disney-MGM Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort. The show ends its run on August 4, 2001.
July 29-30, 1999 - Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is dedicated with the band Aerosmith in attendance. The following day on the 30th the attraction officially opens to guests.
April 7, 2001 - Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play It! a live attraction opens with show host Regis Philbin from the tv show there to help dedicate it. The live show closes on August 19, 2006.
October 1, 2001 - Disney World begins its celebration of what would have been Walt Disney's 100th birthday. The 17-month long celebration called "100 Years of Magic" will be centered at MGM Studios with the park having a new icon a 122-foot tall Sorcerer Mickey Hat on Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Great Movie Ride.
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage opens and features characters from shows such as Bear in the Big Blue House, "Rolie Polie Olie," "Stanley," and many other Playhouse Disney show favorites. Walt Disney: One Man's Dream opens. Disney Stars and Motor Cars parade opens (actually unofficially debuted September 24, 2001).
October 1, 2004 - "Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D" attraction at MGM Studios changes its name to just Muppet*Vision 3D.
May 5, 2005 - Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show debuts in the park, a high-octane stunt show featuring specially designed cars, motorcycles, and jet skis with spectacular special effects.
December 9, 2005 - Journey into Narnia: Creating The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, a walking tour attraction, featuring the sets from the film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," opens in Soundstage 4 on Mickey Avenue at MGM Studios.
January 7, 2008 - Disney's MGM Studios officially changes its name to Disney's Hollywood Studios.
February 2008 - Playhouse Disney Live on Stage! is updated to include new characters from programs such as "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," "Handy Manny," and "The Little Einsteins."
March 9, 2008 - Disney Stars and Motor Cars parade ends its run at Hollywood Studios. It is replaced by another parade called, "Block Party Bash," which features favorite Disney*Pixar characters such as Buzz and Woody from "Toy Story", Mike and Sulley from "Monsters Inc.", and many more.
May 31, 2008 - Toy Story Mania! opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
June 27, 2008 - Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian, a walking tour attraction based on the film, opens in Soundstage 4 on Mickey Avenue, it replaces Journey into Narnia: Creating The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe walking attraction.
December 7, 2008 - Sounds Dangerous Starring Drew Carey ceases to be a daily attraction at the park and becomes a seasonal attraction.
February 14, 2009 - The American Idol Experience opens and replaces Who Wants to be a Millionaire - Play It! live which closed in 2006.
September 8, 2010 - Star Tours closes at the end of day operation to re-open as a new 3D Star Wars film experience that is scheduled to open in 2011.
January 17, 2011 - Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun parade debuts and replaces Block Party Bash. The parade ended on April 6, 2013.
March 4, 2011 - Disney Junior Live on Stage! opens and replaces Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage!
May 20, 2011 - "Star Tours - The Adventures Continue" opens at the start of Star Wars Weekends at the Studios. The Grand Opening takes place with George Lucas and Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger in attendance.
December 6, 2012 - The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow opens in Soundstage 4 replacing Journey into Narnia: Prince Caspian. The attraction is there until it closes for good November 6, 2014.
Here is where the closings begin at Hollywood Studios:
September 27, 2014 - The Studios Backlot Tour closes permanently, no announcement is made on what will happen to one of the Studios original attractions.
Early 2015 - The Sorcerer Hat is taken down and removed from the Studios. It had been the parks icon since 2001.
March 2015 - During Disney's Annual Shareholders' Call, when Iger is asked about Hollywood Studios by a young shareholder, he mistakingly announces that the Studios will be seeing a name change in the future
July 12, 2015 - The Magic of Disney Animation closes again no word on what would replace it.
August 15, 2015 - At Disney's D23 EXPO Disney CEO Bob Iger announces largest themed land expansion in its theme parks. Disney's Hollywood Studios will be transformed with two new lands being built including a 14-acre Star Wars Land and an 11-acre Toy Story Land. No set date has been announced for the lands to open.
December 1, 2015 - Star Wars Launch Bay opens inside the old Magic of Disney Animation building. Jedi Training Trials of the Temple opens a reimagining the original Jedi Training Academy at the Studios.
December 18, 2015 - Symphony in the Stars - A Galactic Spectacular a nightly new Star Wars-themed fireworks show debuts.
January 6, 2016 - In preparation for the Star Wars and Toy Story Lands, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights ends its run at Hollywood Studios.
April 2, 2016 - Several closures occur at Hollywood Studios to prepare for the expansion construction including: Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, Studio Catering Co., Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure, Streets of America, and Watto's Grotto.
April 14, 2016 - Ground is officially broken on both Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land.
April 29, 2016 - Disney's Hollywood Studios first official icon, the Earffel Tower, is removed overnight from the Studios. It was due to be removed due to the construction of Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land.
Disney's MGM Studios/Hollywood Studios sure has seen a ton of changes throughout its 27 years and will continue to see changes well into the future. The future sure is bright for Hollywood Studios and I can't wait to grow along with it.
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