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Getting to the Park

I was happy to let Ron do the driving both days we were here. He has a larger car, and I think he and Jay prefer riding in it (and Ron prefers being in control).

We left the hotel early Friday morning, heading back down towards International Blvd. Then we went under the Beeline Expressway and then circled around to get on it heading back towards I-4. Then we took I-4 south until we began seeing the signs for MGM Studios.

The actual streets we took don't really matter; we just followed the signs. There were actually a couple of ways to get to the park; I think we actually took a longer one than I marked here, but we ended up in the huge parking area shortly after the park had opened.

Then, all we had to do was to get on the tramway and ride to the entrance.

An Orientation to the Park

When we actually begin looking at the many pictures we took today, I will be using the map of the park taken from the brochure we picked up at the entrance. It has all the major areas and attractions marked on it. I thought you might be curious, though, to see what the park looks like from the air.

I tried a number of zoom levels, but it seemed that zooming in didn't do much, as the tops of all the buildings kind of blend together (although it is easier to pick out Mickey's Sorcerer's Apprentice Hat). I think our pictures will do a much better job of giving you an idea of what the park is like than any aerial view could.

But I did take one that will show you the actual orientation of the park, and I have marked the major park areas and a couple of the more famous attractions so that when you see the abstract park map, you will have a better idea of what you are looking at.

The only odd thing was that Disney's brochure departed from the usual standard of having "south" towards the bottom of a diagram and "east" toward the right. Whenever you see a map, that is usually how it is oriented. But in looking at this aerial view, I realized that (perhaps to make the brochure easier to handle) they had rotated the diagram in the brochure so that the entrance was to the bottom, even though the entrance is at the eastern border of the park. A small point, I know, but interesting nevertheless, I thought.

As you will see, Disney MGM Studios Theme Park is comprised of five major areas: Hollywood Boulevard (running through the middle of the park), Sunset Boulevard (to its right), Streets of America (to its left), Animation Courtyard (at the back of the park) and the lagoon where the evening show, Fantasmic!, is staged (at the extreme north end of the park, behind Sunset Boulevard). Even though our walks through the park today took us back and forth from area to area, we mostly did one area at a time, and so I am going to organize the pictures that way.

Below, there will be a heading (and park map extract) for each area, and I'll talk about what we did in that area, and show you the pictures and movies from that area- all at once (even if we visited and re-visited the area because of show schedules or ride wait times). So don't be concerned if the time sequence gets a bit confused; in fact, I'll ignore it for the most part.

Entering Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park

We arrived at the parking area and immediately boarded one of the continuously-running trams to actually get to the main entrance. We could have walked from the car, but the tram was right there, ready to go, so we took it. We'd already bought our tickets online, but we still had to stop at Will Call to pick up the tickets, and Fred snapped a picture of Jay and Ron doing so. (Just after he took that picture, he glanced up to discover that we already under the watchful gaze of the ubiquitous Mickey Mouse.

Just before entering the park, I stopped so we could get a couple of pictures here at the beginning of the day. I took one of Fred, Ron and Jay (which you can see here) and Jay took one of Fred and I.

Now, all we had to do was pass through the usual security screenings (not onerous, but still a sign of the times) then on through the turnstiles to find ourselves at the foot of Hollywood Boulevard. I did make a short movie of us entering the park.

Sunset Boulevard

     Walking Along Sunset Boulevard

We began our walk through the theme park at "The Crossroads," which is right at the foot of Hollywood Boulevard. It is here that you can find the tall tower with the statue of Mickey Mouse at the top, watching over the entire entry area for the park. We walked up the Boulevard towards the center of the park (which you will always recognize because that's where the huge hat Mickey wore in "Fantasia" (the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence) can be found (along with quite a bit of statuary and topiary). But we arent going up there just yet.

We did have to walk just a block or so up Hollywood Boulevard to get to the main information kiosk, where fred found this very nice fountain. We stopped to ask the hostess about where some of the more popular rides were and how to get to them, so we could try to plan our day better. Then we turned down Sunset Boulevard towards our first attraction destination- the "Tower of Terror."

On the way down the boulevard, we took a few interesting pictures, and if you will click on the thumbnail images below, you'll be able to look at them:

     The Hollywood Hotel/Tower of Terror Ride

As we walked down Sunset Boulevard, we could see The Hollywood Hotel; in fact, you can see it from most places in the park. In fact, the it is Walt Disney World's tallest attraction reaching a height of 199 feet. The story is that the imagineers at Disney would have made the building much taller if they could but that was not allowed due to the fact that the FAA regulations state that any building 200 ft. and up would have to have flashing red lights on the top. This would have taken away much of that old Hollywood nostalgia.

In any event, as we got close and onto the entry walk for the ride, a billboard, which had obviously seen better days, announced we had arrived. And, from the outside close-up, we could see the very well-done building detail (which is not surprising since with Disney its all about the details). We got in line and pretty soon we were inside.

The premise of this particular ride is that the hotel has seen better days and maintenance has suffered. Inside, everything looks very old and dusty, and even the chandeliers have cobwebs. As with many rides these days, it is all about the ambience, and a number of rides, this one included, attempt to set that ambience via one or more "pre-ride videos." In addition to giving patrons waiting in line something to watch, these videos often set the stage (and induce a feeling) regarding what is to happen on the ride. In this video, Rod Serling from "Twilight Zone" plays himself for a short time. I wondered how this was done, since the Tower of Terror (both here an in California) opened in 1992 and Serling died in 1975. I have discovered that the videographers simply spliced together clips from the many Twilight Zone intros and made a short clip that fit into the story line of the attraction. It's actually Rod Serling's voice until he states that famous line, "This, as you may recognize..", which is where a camera cuts to the scene of an elevator. For the rest of the video, a really great impressionist named Robert Rhine does the rest of Serling's narrative, since it is very ride-specific.

By the time we'd finished watching the video, it was time to board the "service elevator" for our ride. Theoretically, the elevator is supposed to malfunction, shooting up and dropping down unexpectedly, as doors to the outside open and close in front of you. The sensation is pretty interesting, and the ride reaches 1.3g acceleration going up, and something like 80% of free fall going down. At the last minute, having absorbed these ideas from the video, Ron decided not to ride after all, and he met us when we were done.

Maybe the short movie that I made while the ride was going on will give you some idea of what was happening, although my video can't possibly impart the stomach-churning gyrations of the "elevator car."

     The "Beauty and the Beast" Show

After the Tower of Terror ride, it seemed as if something a bit more sedate was in order. When we came out, we found that the next show of the "Beauty and the Beast" revue would be starting shortly, so we just wandered around for a little bit until we could enter the large, tent-covered amphitheatre for the show.

Basically, the show was a re-enactment of specific scenes from the movie, with enough alterations made to make the story line hang together. Live performers took the place of the animated figures, and the whole thing was enjoyable to watch and to listen to. Click on the thumbnail images below to take a look at the pictures that Fred and I took during the performance:

Finally, to give you an appreciation for what the singing and dancing was like, I filmed a portion of the "Be Our Guest" routine.

Hollywood Boulevard

From Sunset Boulevard, we walked up Hollywood Boulevard to the central square of the park. All the other major areas of the park can be reached from this central square, and it is also the location of the Great Movie Ride, which we planned to do.

     Walking Along Hollywood Boulevard

After the "Beauty and the Beast" show, we walked back along Sunset Boulevard towards Hollywood Boulevard. When we got there, we made another stop at the information center, where Fred got a picture of Jay and I at the fountain. Then we turned toward the center of the park and walked along the boulevard.

The walk along Hollywood Boulevard to the central square was pretty short. The street is lined with shops and places to eat, but no attractions to speak of. There was one interesting exhibit that Fred went into which was, apparently, about some of the animatronics used in both Disney movies and here at the park. Just before we got to the central square, one of the cast members (all employees at Disney parks are called "cast members," whether they are working behind the scenes, serving food or, like this girl, out in the front of the house playing a role) came by in an old car playing the role of the Hollywood Starlet. She had a very humorous accent, and really played to the crowd. Below are thumbnail images for three pictures we took of her; click on them to view the pictures:

Her voice and accent were so interesting that I couldn't resist making a movie of her.

     Topiary and Statuary in the Central Square

The central square, the nexus of the park, is dominated by a huge replica of the hat worn by Mickey Mouse in the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence in "Fantasia." All around the circle there are Disney-themed topiaries and various sculptures. The square is a place for people to gather, and it is the crossroads of the park. We took a number of good pictures here. You can see them if you will click on the thumbnail images below:

I also made a movie of this area, the crossroads of the park.

     The Great Movie Ride

It was actually a bit later in the day when we returned to the central square for The Great Movie Ride. This is not one of those thrilling amusement rides, but more a conveyance through an interior space done up to look like many famous MGM movies. There are the usual scares and explosions and some wind and water, but it is all pretty harmless, but very well-done. When we got back to the "theatre," Fred took a picture of the rest of us in front of the theatre facade, and then we prevailed on someone else to take a picture of all four of us. The first picture, which you can see here, shows the facade of the theatre really well. The other picture, which I've included here, got way too much of the sidewalk and not enough of the building.

I took two good movies here on The Great Movie Ride. The first was taken when the ride just started out, so you can catch the marquee and the beginning explanation of what the ride was all about. The second movie was taken partway through the ride, when the cars came to a stop in the middle of the animation for "The Wizard of Oz." This section was particularly colorful, what with the witch and all, and since the story is so familiar, it is a good example of what the rest of the ride was like. You can watch both of these movies using the two players below:

Beginning the Great Movie Ride

The "Wizard of Oz" Stop

Streets of America

From the central square, we next headed over to the section of the park known as "Streets of America." On the way, we passed along Commissary Lane, and decided to have some lunch at the ABC Commissary. Then we headed on back to this really interesting area of the park.

There were four major attractions here. First, was the area of the park itself, with its huge backdrops of American cities, and it was hard not to take lots of pictures of cities like New York and San Francisco. Next, we stopped in to see "Muppet Vision 3D." Then, there is a ride called the "Studio Backlot Tour" which shows how some action sequences are filmed and then puts you in the action. Finally, there is a huge show called the "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" which is a show put on in a simulated town with autos going through their movie paces.

     Walking America's Streets

Inside the area known as "The Streets of America," there is an eclectic mix of attractions, but one of the focal points of this area of the park are the huge backdrops (matte paintings) of the type used in movies to simulate a particular background. Here, there were two of these huge backdrops. One, at the edge of the park, was a simulation of San Francisco, shown here with Jay, Ron and I in front of it. In close-up, of course, it's easy to tell it's a set, since you can see the seams and all. But when you step back a ways, and particularly when actual sets are constructed to blend in, it is a lot more realistic.

The other major backdrop was, as you would expect, New York City. Again, when you are up close, the illusion isn't great, but the further back you get, and the more actual construction there is in the foreground, the more convincing the illusion is. We took quite a few pictures just walking around here, and if you will click on the thumbnail images below, you can see a selection of them:

     Muppet Vision 3D

The Muppet Vision 3D show was exactly that. Starring most of the Muppets, it shows continuously in the Muppet Theatre and is a presentation with a loose story line simply intended to wow the audience with the 3D effects. It certainly did that, although it wasn't much different than other 3D presentations and movies that we've seen- such as "Bolt" in 3D most recently. Because there wasn't much of a story, though, they could showcase the 3D effects better. It was certainly enjoyable.

Outside the theatre there was an area with a Muppet-themed fountain, and we spent some time there taking pictures. There are some clickable thumbnail images below for a few of the pictures we took here:

     The Studio Backlot Tour

The Studio Backlot Tour consisted of two parts. The first part was a walking tour, with the main attraction being observing how some special effects scenes are filmed. This wasn't very high-tech, of course. Some members of the tour group were picked to participate, and given roles to play. Three of them were supposedly aboard a PT boat in WWII, and simulated machine-gun fire and explosions doused them with water.

For the second portion of the tour/ride, we boarded a train/tram and wandered through simulated backlot scenery. We were told that some TV shows and movies actually use this area for filming, but it seemed too small for that. The highlight of this part of the tour was a stop in Destruction Canyon, where we were all put in the position of being in the action as an earthquake triggers a waterfall and some explosions. This was considerably more thrilling, and everybody got just a bit wet.

     Lights, Motors Action! Extreme Stunt Show

The last attraction we attended in this part of the park was the auto stunt show. It took place at the back of the park. There was a large grandstand (it is a popular attraction) overlooking what appeared to be the center of a European town. All of the stunts were performed by drivers and small cars or by motorcyclists or a combination of the two. The cars would dart around in front of and behind the buildings, stage near collisions, drive backward, leap over obstacles and, in one memorable sequence, leap through one truck after another.

It is kind of hard to describe; maybe movies will do it more justice. A large part of the action was the precision driving. In one long sequence, a red car (the one being chased) plays tag with four or five other cars in an exhibition of split-second timing. One mistake in the choreography and a couple of cars get totaled.

Another exciting sequence involved the use of three trucks and an giant airbag. The red car is chased around the trucks and then executes an escape by driving up a ramp inside one truck, driving across the top of the next and finally landing on the giant airbag.

A bit later, the motorcycles were introduced with much of the same stunt driving and jumps that the cars had executed. One sequence has the motorcycles, gunmen and the cars.

Finally, a very short movie captures the "wrap" of the action.

Of course we also took some pictures, but they are not so evocative of the action as the movies are. In any event, I've selected six of the best pictures and put clickable thumbnails for them below. Click on those images and view as many of the pictures as you wish:

Animation Courtyard

     Walt Disney: One Man's Dream

The last area of the park we visited this afternoon was the Animation Courtyard. As soon as we entered the area from the central square, we were right in front of "Walt Disney: One Man's Dream," a museum and video presentation of the life and career of Walt Disney. Guarded by Mickey Mouse, the museum was immensely interesting, as was the video presentation. I was a little quicker walking through the exhibits than the other guys, and so got to the vestibule for the theatre in time to film a short movie of part of the museum so you can see what it looks like. You can watch that movie using the player below:

One Man's Dream

     Pixar Place

Pixar Place was an interative affair devoted to the movies that Pixar has made in conjunction with Disney. I guess that Disney spends a fair amount of time keeping things up-to-date. Earlier, we'd seen something about the movie "Bolt," which was just about to be released, so obviously some advance planning had been done. Here at Pixar place, "WALL-E" was prominently featured; we were planning to see that movie when we got to Fort Lauderdale.

In one area of Pixar Place, Disney characters were available for photo opportunities, and we certainly took advantage of them. Below are thumbnails for the four best pictures we took or had taken here; click on the images to view the pictures:

When we were done at Pixar Place, we went back out to the courtyard, where I snapped a picture of Jay, Ron and Fred. Then, with the light fading rapidly, we went to the last attraction of the afternoon- a 360-degree movie/interactive experience based on the Narnia movies.

Fantasmic!

By the time we were done in the Animation Courtyard, it was getting dark, and so it was time to head over to our final attraction of the day- the end-of-day multimedia show "Fantasmic." It is held in a man-made lagoon with a towering, man-made island in the middle. One entire side of the lagoon is given over to a huge concrete amphitheatre than can hold thousands of people. To get there, we had to walk back down Sunset Boulevard (where we stopped to do the final ride of the day, the "Rock 'n Roller Coaster," which was a lot of fun) and then around the Hollywood Tower Hotel. When we got there, people were already streaming in to get good seats for the nighttime performance.

We were actually there a bit early, and so had about thirty minutes to wait. It was a little chilly, and I wished I had a jacket, but you can't dress perfectly all the time. While we waited, I had someone in the row in front of us take a picture of Fred and myself.

Both Fred and I tried to take some pictures before and during the performance, but trying to get enough light on the island and the activity in the lagoon was impossible, so there are no pictures here. The movie camera function works much, much better in low light and at night, though, so that's what we'll include here in the album.

Before the show began, I took a movie of the crowd, the amphitheatre, the island and the lagoon, and the other guys sitting waiting for the show to start, and you can watch that movie with the player below:

Before the Show

When the show started, most of the colorful activity took place on or near the island. At times, there were boats in the lagoon if the particular sequence called for it. The show was music, lights and some narration, all based on various Disney characters or Disney movies.

One interesting thing that they did was to show actual projection movies onto a "screen" that was actually a thin spray of water that shot up from the lagoon itself and formed a curtain in front of the island. There were enough water droplets to reflect the image, so it was like watching a grainy movie. But the neat thing was that you could always see right through the movie to see what was happening behind it on the island.

In the next movie I took, you'll get a chance to hear some music, see some of the light show, and watch this projection system in action. Take a look at this movie with the player at left.

Having gotten a taste for how the show was put on, I took a number of movies during the presentation. One was an excellent clip of the "Lion King" sequence (where you can see amazing use made of the movie projection technique). Another was a part of the "Pocahontas" sequence that involved lots of actors performing on the island stage. You can watch these two sequences using the movie players below:

Fantasmic! "Lion King" Sequence

Fantasmic! "Pocahontas" Sequence

In a sequence using music and characters from "Beauty and the Beast," the show made excellent use of both the boats sailing back and forth and also of the beautiful colored fountains that came up out of the lagoon near the island. I did not film the entire finale, which involved all the characters on a showboat sailing around the lagoon, but I did get part of it. You can watch both these sequences using the movie players below:

Fantasmic! "Beauty and the Beast" Sequence

Fantasmic! Finale Sequence

Epilogue

We spent a really neat day here at Disney MGM Studios. When Fantasmic! ended, we made our way through the crowds and back to the entrance and our car. When we returned to the hotel, Fred and I exercised while Ron and Jay relaxed, and then we all went to the Outback Steakhouse nearby for dinner.

Use the links below to take a look at another album page for our Florida trip.

	Florida Trip Day 4 (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
	Florida Trip Day 1-2 (Driving to Orlando)
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