Why For did the Mouse really rename MGM “Disney’s Hollywood Studios” ?

Jim Hill

17 years ago

Last week, Lauren S. sent me this e-mail:

Dear Jim,

At the beginning of September, I had a wonderful vacation, dining for free at the Pop Century Resort. However, something threw me – whatever happened to the plans for the other half of the property. Years ago, I remember reading through travel guides explaining that the second half of the project, with buildings featuring the pop phenomenons of the 1900’s to the 1940’s, would be in Phase II. Why did construction cease, and why isn’t Disney trying to hide it? On Google Earth, you can still see the the layout, which is equally visible from the resort itself [I had a room in the 60’s building facing the lake]. “Generation Gap Bridge” left me with a few questions, and on every bus rides, the abandoned resort buildings are in plain view. Are WDW guests ever going to see the resort completed?

Photo by Jeff Lange

One other question: the Birnbaum official guide lists Mama Melrose‘s as “scheduled for retheming”; you also mentioned that the Muppets section of the Disney Studios will possibly be seeing expansion. Is it too late to hope for the Great Muppet Movie Ride and the Gonzo-themed Pandemonium Pizza Parlor?

Thanks,

Lauren

Dear Lauren —

Regarding Pop Century … You have to understand, Lauren, that the “Classic Years” section of this WDW value resort was originally scheduled to open in December of 2001. But then 9/11 happened. And as a direct result of the horrific impact that that tragedy had on Florida tourism, all 2880 of the rooms that had been built for Phase One of this 177-acre property were mothballed. It wasn’t til October of 2003 ’til Disney actually began taking reservations at this value resort. With the first guests not checking in ’til December of that same year.

As for Phase Two of the Pop Century … I’ve been told that — following a very successful test last year over at the All Star Music Resort (Where over 100 rooms in the Jazz Inn building were turned into family suites) — that Disney Parks & Resorts is now giving some very serious thought to converting the buildings that have already been built for Pop Century’s “Legendary Years” section into all-suites structures.

“So when will the Mouse actually be putting this plan into action?,” you ask. Well, given that occupancy rates for WDW’s value resorts have finally climbed back up into the high 80s / low 90s, I’m told that the retrofitting of these partially completed structures could begin as early as in late 2008. With the “Legendary Years” section of Pop Century finally accepting reservations sometime in 2009.

Of course, given what’s going on with gas prices right about now, Mouse House officials are rather reluctant to add any additional rooms to WDW’s inventory. So don’t expect to see any work being done on the other side of Hourglass Lake until the price of Regular Unleaded becomes a bit more reasonable.

As for Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano … Well, the rumor that I’ve been hearing about this MGM eatery is that the Mouse recently approached the Patina Group (You know? The folks that just took over day-to-day operations of Epcot‘s L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante and turned it into Tutto Italia?) and asked them if they’d also been interested in taking on this 16-year-old facility.

As for any new Muppet-based rides, shows and attractions being added to this part of the studio theme park … The way I hear it, the Imagineers are now planning on tearing down the old Backlot Theater (You know? Where the “Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure” show used to be presented?). They’ll then fold into the “Al’s Toy Barn” autograph area into this parcel (Which goes all the way out to where the the Boneyard begins) … When all is said and done, this will be a pretty expansive expansion pad. Approximately the same size as the “Muppet Movie Ride” show building would have been.

“So what’s WDI’s looking to build there?,” you query. According to the scuttlebutt coming out of Glendale, this site may be where the long-awaited “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” dark ride finally gets built. Which — given this proposed attraction’s proximity to where the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is presented every year … Well, it only makes sense to put a holiday-themed attraction back in this corner of the theme park.

Mind you, before any of this can happen, Disney first has to build some sort of structure that can then be used to house the Osbourne Lights during the off-season. Right now, all of those flapping angels & spinning globes are stashed inside of the old Backlot Theater once they’d been removed from New York Street. So before Jack Skellington can set up shop when Quasimodo once sang “Out There,” Disney first needs to build a new warehouse at the studio theme park in which the Osbourne Lights can then be stored.

Work on this warehouse project is supposed to get underway in 2008 (So that the Osbourne Lights can then be moved into their new off-season home starting in January of 2009). Once that’s done, work can begin in earnest on tearing down the Backlot Theater (During which the “Al’s Toy Barn” autograph area will then be shifted over to the “Pixar Place” portion of the studio theme park). With any amount of luck, the first Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests will be able to take their first trip to Halloweentown starting in the Fall of 2010.

As for this “Nightmare Before Christmas” attraction … Don’t expect anything cutting edge. I’m told that Tim Burton himself is delighted that the Imagineers want to build this deliberately cheesy-looking dark ride. Something that not only draws its inspiration from that 1993 Henry Selick film but also looks as though Jack himself actually built the attraction.

Mind you, this “Nightmare Before Christmas” ride — once it’s finally up and running — will become a key component of that long-in-the-planning Halloween hard ticket event that WDW Entertainment has been trying to get off the ground at the studio theme park for nearly a decade now.

In fact, the way I hear it, the Mouse’s desire to get a scary seasonal event going at MGM (As opposed to the Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party over at the Magic Kingdom) may have actually played an important part in helping Disney officials to decide what the new name of the studio theme park should be.

To explain: Mouse House managers had pretty much already agreed to rename MGM “Disney / Pixar Studios” when one executive reportedly pointed out that Pixar wasn’t really a name that was associated with horror. Whereas “Disney’s Hollywood Studios” is a name that can easily be adapted for all manner of seasonal events (i.e. “Disney’s Horrorwood Studios” and/or “Disney’s Hollyday Studios”).

As to when Disney Parks & Resort will actually start begin using these two names as part of seasonal celebrations at that theme park … I’m told that “Disney’s Hollyday Studios” could initially be rolled out as early as next year. Whereas “Disney’s Horrorwood Studios” … Well, that’s really got to wait ’til this proposed “Nightmare Before Christmas” attraction actually gets up out of the ground and Mickey finally gets serious about launching an annual event that’s deliberately designed to rival Universal Studios Orlando‘s Halloween Horror Nights.

Speaking of which … You know that after-hours “Haunted Halloween” event that just debuted at Hong Kong Disneyland last month? Care to guess where those two “Nightmare Before Christmas” -themed parade units that were created for that park’s “Glow in the Dark Halloween Parade” are eventually headed? You guessed it. Disney’s Hollywood … er … Horrorwood Studios.

So what do you folks think? Are WDW visitors really ready for an edgier Halloween event? Or should Disney leave the real scares to Universal and just stick with “Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party”?

Your thoughts?