It is based on favorite movie themes for the public to enjoy backlot tours. Back almost half a century ago very few were able to get such a tour behind the scenes. It was first considered to develop a park on a backlot that was across the river from Disney Studios in Burbank on land adjacent to Griffith Park. But due to the lack of property, with traffic problem etc the operation was moved to Disneyland up in Anaheim In the 1980s the movie business was tripling and so was the production schedules for the Walt Disney Company which would demand more facilities. Rather then the company buying more land up in California it realized it had plenty in Florida right near the Magical Kingdom.

This would give those who visited Disney World's guest a chance to see behind the scenes of how movies are made and television production. Today the park has over 5,000 cast members, you have characters posing as starlets to producers, to gangsters, or even editors. They have backdrops of NY....the Tower Of Terror's Hollywood Hotel from the Twilight Zone....Catastrophe Canyon, an Umbrella where you can stand under and re-enact Gene Kelly's scene "Singing In The Rain" Aerosmiths Rock N Roll Roller Coaster, Indiana Jones Show, and even take a ride on a transporter from Star Wars. Plus so much more! You can take tours on how movies are made...see the costume studios....and alot of objects from movies for example the submarine from the Life Aquatic is at MGM....or the Plane from Flight Plan....or the cages from Pirates Of The Caribbean. 

For me this was more then an investigation it was something my sons and I will always cherish as my boys got up on stage against Darth Vader....and just as I took photos in the supposed haunted ride called the Tower Of Terror. Investigations like this our meant to be fun for our fans and viewers it allows me to share with them a little bit about my life and world in the process of using my abilities to capture paranormal phenomena. 

In addition of the paranormal.....sure their are ghost holographic ones that is. Maybe their are real ghost afterall think of all the actors and actresses who had a love for the film industry passed away. The themepark and studios are just a way of honoring these people who made the movies possible. When I first heard about ghost here it was when we moved our operations to Florida and a few people contacted me asking me to analyze ghost photos taken at MGM I thought to myself that someday I would visit this place and share it with the world. 

Most of the ghost stories that are told come from the spooky looking Hollywood Hotel...Tower Of Terror. Perhaps when something is meant to look spooky the unseen tends to manifest around it to fit the theme. Not only that but their is at least two to three deaths that have occurred here not because the park is unsafe its because sometimes people get on rides and have a medical condition they might not be aware of just to make that clear. The Tower Of Terror supposedly has an active haunting I lost the research I was given about it but I do remember focusing alot of my investigation at this place. I do know for a fact alot of the employees working in this eerie tower have had ghost sightings and the ghost that haunts the ride is said to haunt it afterhours and is a man.

I personally felt alot more energy at the tower itself as a researcher I always find that eerie looking places have more energy the darker the better. Most ghost want to be in the dark...dormant...left alone not all but most. Even if you do not see a ghost the Fantasmic show is one of the best I have ever seen with fireworks...a dragon...steamboat Pete traversing down the canal and a beautiful light show displayed on a wall of water totally amazing. 

If you wish to read some fun facts and more in depth history look further below along with the photos from my trip to MGM! Also make sure you check out our Walt Disney Magic Kingdom Adventure and Our Disney's Animal Kingdom Adventure in addition to this addition of MGM!

 © By

Lord Rick

Welcome To MGM

Studio Tours & Catastrophe Canyon

MGM Theme Park Sites

Chronicles Of Narnia

Aerosmith Rock N' Roller Roller Coaster

Honey I Shrunk Lord Rick

The Hollywood Hotel Tower Of Terror

Star Tours

  Lights, Motors & Action Extreme Stunt Show

Indiana Jones

Fantasmic

Goodtimes At The Arcade & Restaurant

   

History

Prelude
The idea for the Disney-MGM Studios goes back some 40 years ago. One of Walt Disney's dreams was to build a theme park that was devoted to showcasing the wonders of movie making. At the time, rival Universal Pictures had a wildly successful studio tram tour going on. Walt considered using the backlot of Disney, but due to land costs as well as traffic problems, Walt looked to Anaheim, where Disneyland was built. Disneyland, however, did not fully envelope the true dream Walt had of allowing the public to witness the movie making process.


From Dream to Reality

Following the success of the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, the Walt Disney Company entered the 1980's in a bit of slump. Internal feuds and Wall Street hijinx created turmoil in the company and the call went out for change. In addition, Disney had a greatly expanded production schedule and needed to build facilities to allow for this expansion. Rather than buy expensive land in California, the company realized it had plenty of land in Florida and the opportunity to combine its new production facilities with a chance for Walt Disney World guests to see behind the scenes of movie and television production, thus fulfilling Walt's dream.

Creating the Dream

At the same time Disney was looking to create its new studio in Florida, rival Universal Pictures was planning to open its own movie themed park in Orlando as well. Facing the threat of Universal Studios Florida, Disney put on a full-court press to get a full-fledged film studio/theme park up by the end of the '80s and that is exactly what they did. How to combine actual film production with a theme park where millions of visitors a year watch the work through walls of plexiglas was the biggest challenge.

Disney Imagineers got to work and had to think up how to bring the 1940's and 1950's Hollywood into a theme park, smaller in size than EPCOT or the Magic Kingdom. They poured over material of the time, from movies to television bits. They wanted a perfect representation of Hollywood. Imagineers then had the task of taking their ideas, and scaling them down to fit in the space of the park. Aside from those ideas, other ideas emerged from designers about featuring Californian-esque achitecture. In addition to showcasing the wonders of film, Disney Imagineers had to encompass the golden age of television in the park, not only for the historical value, but because the Studios would be used for broadcasting television. Additionaly, a radio station was planned to be made in the park so the Studios could broadcast various radio programs.

Disney pulled another ace out of their sleeves when the Walt Disney Company signed an agreement with famous movie studio, MGM Studios, for the use of its name and logo. MGM had in their grasp reels and reels of great movie classics to add. This allowed Disney to widen the audience from people who expected merely Disney animation to encompass the entire spectrum of film making.

President Michael Eisner announced plans for the Studios publicaly, in 1985. Construction began in 1986 and a talented staff of Imagineers were brought in to bring the plans to life. Included in the team was Director and Producer George Lucas. It was vital to the park's success to have a working film studio that showed visitors how film was made but at the same time was entertaining. Lucas is credited with being able to meld excellent story telling with special effects, which were the staple of Disney in such attractions as Small World After All and Splash Mountain. Aside from the thrill rides, Disney Imagineers had to keep in mind that Disney-MGM Studios was to be a working studio and had to be able to accomplish that task. Imagineers designed a facility that created the perfect work environment for Disney animators, while at the same time, allowing guests to witness the animation process from start to finish. In keeping with the classic movie studio theme, Disney Imagineers continued the tradition that movie studios in California used to have of keeping water towers on their lots for heating and cooling purposes. The Studios were designed a tower of its own, continuing the tradition. Named the Earffel Tower, Disney's tower however, does not heat or cool anything. The 130 foot tall tower is empty and is used as a landmark and nothing else. In fact, the mouse ears weigh 5,000 pounds each and had to be hoisted via crane to be put on top of the tower.

In keeping with Disney tradition, Imagineers had to pick something to be the visual draw and center of the park. Disney picked the Chinese Theater, the famous movie house that premiered so many of Hollywood's great films. Unlike most attraction buildings, this theater has no forced perspective so it can be taken in from any direction. The design of the building for the Studios used the original building schematics as a guide and built the building to scale, which includes the exact copying the lobby. In addition, Disney wanted to have its own walk of fame and when the courtyard was being designed, the cement had to be slowly filled so that the stars could come and make their lasting legacy permanent.

Like Walt Disney himself, Disney Imagineers stayed on top of the high-tech technology of the day, incorporating it into the attractions. Everything had to be tested, and then tested again so that attractions would operate exactly as they had it on paper. Through the use of computers, Catastrophe Canyon had to be fine tuned such that the tram didn't fall into the ravine or that the metal on any part of the canyon melted from the fire. Similar tests had to be completed at the Studio's other headlinerattractions while other attractions needed to get permission to actually show the ride, such as in the Great Movie Ride where many actor's voices were needed to set the scene.

Four years after the plans had been announced, Disney-MGM Studios became a reality. With the landmark Mann's Chinese Theater being smack in the center of the park, Disney committed itself not only to a first-class park, but to courting Hollywood's movers and shakers as a working studio as well. It's affiliation with ABC television, in addition to the syndicated programs, added impetus to Disney officials' desire to make the dual-natures of the park's mission mesh. What's more, the Studios opened up a full two years ahead of rival Universal Pictures' Universal Studios, which were competing to be the Floridian equivalent of their Californian predacessors.

The Studios Open

On Monday, May 1, 1989, the Disney-MGM Studios opened its doors to the public and the fanfare gala associated with the opening was the most ever for a Disney World park. Despite persistent rain throughout the day, people flocked by the hundreds to experience Disney's newest creation. In fact, the parking lot closed an hour after opening, leaving traffic backed up for miles. The Media covered the opening from different parts of the Studio, in front of different attractions. Streetmosphere characters kept the large crowds and long lines entertained. Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner read the dedication plaque at the opening ceremony:

The world you have entered was created by The Walt Disney Company and is dedicated to Hollywood--not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine; a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was--and always will be.

Draped in proper Hollywood glitz and glamour, the opening was hosted by a star-studded cast, including Walter Cronkite, George Burns, Willie Nelson, Jane Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, Dick Van Dyke, President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and more.

Actor John Ritter hosted the event and provided some humor, after poking fun at the process that took place to bring the Studios into becoming a reality. The show opened with a big musical number starring Smokey Robinson that was a good launch as he and numerous dancers made their way down Hollywood Boulevard.

Another smartly paced musical featured Buster Poindexter, Ashford and Simpson and Ann Miller in three dance numbers that were well-choreographed and entertaining.
Other highlights of the show included clips with Harry Anderson showing how special effects are created and with Tony Randall talking about the workings of animation.
The show actually was fairly full through its first 90 minutes, but quickly dropped off as last half-hour went into a long concert session with the Pointer Sisters, George Burns (the highlight) and a rather uninspired Willie Nelson.

There was also a good deal of walking the television audience around this new park, which features a ride similar to the one at Universal Studios through a film studio backlot. The park also has sessions for audiences to take part in filming along with booths where children can dub their own voices into cartoons, and so on.

The Studios Find Success

From day one, the Disney-MGM Studios were a hit. So much so that park officials had to open up areas that were closed off previously to help with crowd flow. Rather than use the new space for just crowd control, Imagineers began planning new attractions to take up residence in the newly opened areas. Plans that Disney thought would be years away had to be brought in and used to help cope with the demand for more. With the help of several popular live shows, the park was able to handle crowds while still developing more attractions.

On the actual studio production side, pull-a-way trailers were brought in to make room for the animation department. Some plans included building more studios across the main highway alongside the park, connecting it with access roads and walkways.

In 1994, a new section of the park was opened to the public: Sunset Boulevard. Complimenting Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset is a tribute to the theater district of Hollywood. The theaters on the block are actual reproductions of several found in California, including the Carthay Circle, where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered. In addition, Sunset Boulevard became home to the wildly famous Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction, which rose to 199 feet. The reason for 199 feet is if a building is 200 feet or above, it requires lights to notify aircraft of its position and Imagineers could not tie the lights in to the building.

In the years following, Disney has added some great attractions including the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It! as well as opening up parts of the park that were closed off, such as New York Street. Plans for the future include the opening of the Motor Stunt Show and an expanded New York Street.

Fun Facts

The idea for a park based on favorite movie themes originated with Walt Disney more than 40 years ago when "backlot tours" were limited to a privileged few. He first considered a park on his own backlot, then looked across the river from the Disney Studios in Burbank on land adjacent to Griffith Park. Lack of enough land combined with potential traffic problems caused him to look elsewhere; namely, Anaheim. The result was Disneyland. In the mid '80s, a greatly expanded production schedule for the Walt Disney Company demanded more facilities. Rather than buy expensive land in California, the company realized it had plenty of land in Florida and the opportunity to combine its new production facilities with a chance for Walt Disney World guests to see behind the scenes of movie and television production.

MGM Studios opened on May 1, 1989.

The dedication plaque at Disney-MGM Studios reads - "The world you have entered was created by the Walt Disney Company & is dedicated to Hollywood - not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream & wonder & imagine, a place where illusion & reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was - and always will be."

The Earffel Tower is 130 feet tall. It is not a working water tower. The ears weigh 2 and half tons. 

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is 199 feet tall.

There are 6 simulators at Star Tours

Gertie the Dinosaur, on Echo Lake, pays homage to pioneering animator Winsor McCay and his revolutionary 1914 animated cartoon, Gertie the Dinosaur.

Imagineers used the blue-prints of the original 1927 Meyer and Holler building for reference, when building the replica of Grauman's Chinese Theater. The facade is built to full scale. The 22 ft central roof section was constructed seperately and hoisted into place by crane.

Films represented in the Great Movie Ride include Busby Berkeley's Footlight Parade, The Public Enemy, Singin' in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Alien, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tarzan and Casablanca.

The Hollywood Brown Derby pays homage to the second Brown Derby restaurant (1929), once located at 1624 Vine Street, just south of Hollywood Boulevard.

"The diameter of the Earful Tower is 8 1/2 feet and translates into a hat size of 342 3/8. The reason for the hat size is because every holiday season they usually top it off with a Giant Red Stocking Cap." Andi Brandon

The HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon": A 13-part drama was in production in two soundstages throughout 1997.

Films shot at the studios include: "Marvin's Room," "Passenger 57," "Oscar," "Quick Change," "Ernest Saves Christmas," "Splash Too," "Separate But Equal" (Emmy-winning TV mini-series) and "Instinct."

TV shows taped at the studios include: "Sheena," "Full House," "Wheel of Fortune," "World Championship Wrestling," "ESPN College Football Awards," "Talk Soup," "Step By Step," "Barbara Walters Special" and "Live! With Regis & Kathie Lee."

Among the hundreds of actors, comedians and entertainers who've appeared at the studios are: Charlton Heston, Dustin Hoffman, Bette Midler, Ann-Margret, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Hanks, Liza Minnelli, Billy Joel, Kevin Bacon, Michael J. Fox, Gary Sinise, Samuel L. Jackson, Lou Gossett Jr., Drew Carey, Oprah, Susan Lucci and Britney Spears.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

When the Tower of Terror was being built, it was struck by lightning.

As the story goes, on the night of October 31, 1939, there was a thunder storm in Hollywood Hills, and the elite of the film industry sheltered in the Hollywood Tower Hotel's lobby. A child actress & her governess, a young couple & an over-worked bellman were among those in the lobby that night, & they were last seen heading for the elevator. After they stepped into the elevator, it vanished, along with the passengers & several sections of the upper hotel.

Rock 'n Roller Coaster

The coaster was built first, then the building was constructed around it.

The building volume is over 3.7 million cubic ft.

The limos go from 0-57 mph in 2.8 seconds.

There are 125 speakers and 24 sub-woofers in each limo.

There are over 900 speakers in the attraction

There are three inversions - two rollover loops and one corkscrew.

There is 3,403 feet of track

The launch catapults you 200 feet

Each limo can hold 24 guests

At 40 feet tall, the larger-than-life stratocaster guitar that adorns the entrance of the attraction has a 32-foot-long neck which is nearly 15 times the size of the neck on an average stratocaster guitar.

As you enter the first inversion the G-Force is between 4 and 5

The story behind the R 'n' R Coaster - "You're going on a tour of a fictional record plant, G-Force Records. You meet Aerosmith, and they invite you to go with them to this concert they're performing that night. Unfortunately, there isn't enough room for everyone in Aerosmith's limo, so geusts end up waiting for more cars. When the guests get into their own limos, the radios are on, broadcasting 'live' from the concert. The actual ride then is your tour through Southern California as Aerosmith gives its concert."