Mantis Miscellany--Walt Disney World Part 5: Disney's Hollywood Studios

Originally Published May 15, 2013

We spent our last full day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, though we left partway through to have brunch at Epcot’s France pavilion via a very slow boat ride that stopped three times along the way (at the Swan/Dolphin hotels, Yacht and Beach Club Resort, and BoardWalk Resort before reaching a special entrance to Epcot in World Showcase between France and the United Kingdom). Many attractions at the Studios are shows, and given the way they are timed, it is difficult to see them all without either waiting around or running from place to place.

The Studios (which was called Disney-MGM Studios until recently) is a slightly disorganized park that resembles the studio section of California Adventure—in fact, the turnstiles at the entrance to the parks look almost identical. It used to be a working studio, mainly for obscure TV movies and shows, though the interior of Isla de Muerta from the first Pirates of the Caribbean was shot on a soundstage here. Disney also used to have an animation studio here that made the great films Mulan and Lilo & Stitch, as well as the mediocre Brother Bear. The Magic of Disney Animation used to tour the studio with views of the animators at work, but now it’s apparently just like the version at California Adventure (minus Turtle Talk With Crush, which is at Epcot).

The Studios has several attractions that are duplicated at the California parks and which we did not visit, including Toy Story Mania (though it has a niftier indoor queue), Star Tours (with an AT-AT outside and six simulators instead of Disneyland’s four), Muppet-Vision 3D (sorry, I don’t know how to make that star symbol without changing fonts), Disney Junior—Live on Stage (though we haven’t seen it at California Adventure either), and Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream. Attractions we didn’t get to were the walk-through Legend of Jack Sparrow, The American Idol Experience, Lights Motor Action Stunt Show (which only had two showings that day), and the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show.

We got to the park early and joined the line to get in. Unlike at the other parks, Disney decided to open the whole park about 20 minutes before the official opening at 9. We joined the throng, and were just about the only ones to turn right on Sunset Boulevard as everyone else rushed to Toy Story Midway Mania. At the end of the boulevard are four attractions: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Fantasmic, and Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage.

We turned left to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which features a giant electric guitar on the outside of the ride building. There was no line, and we walked through the queue, which is the headquarters of the fictional G-Force record label, with musical memorabilia on display. The preshow room looks into a recording studio, where we see Aerosmith in the mixing booth. They’re late for their concert, and as their manager rushes them along, the band insists that we go along with them. They order stretch limos just for us. Still indoors, we emerge into a Hollywood alley at night, complete with chain link fence and graffiti-covered walls. This is the loading area for this indoor roller coaster; the train “limo” is several cars long.

The trains turn and stop at the entrance to a tunnel, with a signboard above displaying traffic information. The sounds of Aerosmith come on the onboard speakers, the DJ counts down, and the coaster launches from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds (by contrast, California Screamin’ goes from 0 to 55 MPH in 5 seconds). The coaster immediately goes straight up the back wall and turns upside down at the top, and then loops upside down again. All this is in the dark, by the way. The coaster then speeds past and through black-lit icons of Los Angeles, including freeway signs, the Hollywood sign, and Randy’s Donuts. Midway through, there is another corkscrew, for a total of three inversions. All this is set to an Aerosmith song. At the exit, a screen shows the aftermath of Aerosmith’s concert. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is certainly the wildest coaster at Disney World, and also wilder then California Screamin’ (though nowhere near as long). The double inversion right after the launch is especially spectacular.

Then it was on to the magnificent Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which stands several stories (figuratively) above California Adventure’s version. There was still no wait, and the outside queue winds through the gardens and walking paths of the hotel before entering the lobby. The lobby and preshow in the library with Rod Serling are essentially the same as in California. The boiler room is much smaller and only one story, with four elevator doors compared to the three doors each on two levels in California. The elevator door opens right into the car, unlike in California where you go through two doors.

The ride ascends without moving back and the doors open to the corridor scene (no mirror scene). The ghosts disappear and the corridor fades into the star field, and a window at the end of the corridor moves toward the car before collapsing. The doors close and the elevator ascends to the Fifth Dimension scene. This is a compelling ride element sadly missing from the West Coast version. Several props, such as a ticking clock, eyeball, and the ghosts from the preshow can be seen behind glass before the room darkens. The elevator then moves out and forward into the room, past the props. This description doesn’t get across how bizarre and almost ethereal this segment of the ride is. The car approaches another star field and a bright line that extends upward and downward before splitting to reveal a pair of doors. The car travels through and pauses.

There is a moment of silence and suspense before the drops begin. Unlike in California, where the drops are the same every time, the faster-than-gravity drops are randomized so the sequence is different with each ride. Every time you go to the top, the doors open to give a view of the park outside. Once the drops are over, you see a screen with images of a spiral and other items from the Twilight Zone TV introduction. The cars then back away from the screen and turn to arrive at the unloading area, which is in a different location from the loading area.

The mechanics of the ride are quite interesting. In California, there are three shafts with two cars each; as one car loads, the other car is going through the ride (as you can hear). In Florida, the cars start out in four shafts named Alpha (though I know the official spelling is Alfa), Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. Each car is actually ensconced in an outer lift vehicle that moves up the shaft. In the Fifth Dimension scene, the cars exit the outer lift vehicle and move forward. The cars from Alpha and Bravo go to the Echo drop shaft, while cars from Charlie and Delta go to the Foxtrot drop shaft. Upon entering the Fifth Dimension scene, if you look down you can actually see the guide track in front of you and another to the right or left (depending on what shaft you’re in); the two merge together further ahead. The cars lock into another lift vehicle in the Echo and Foxtrot drop shafts that performs the high-speed lifts and drops. (See towerofterror.org for more behind-the-scenes info.)

The Florida version of the Tower of Terror has been billed by some as the best theme park attraction on the planet, and it’s not hard to see why. The immersive theming, otherworldly Fifth Dimension scene, and the randomly generated thrills give it a higher re-visit value than the California version. The drop sequence in the latter version starts suddenly and takes one by surprise the first time, though one can expect it coming on subsequent rides. In Disney World, one knows that the drops are coming as the ride stops in darkness and the suspense builds…the question is just exactly when they will start. This is the true version of the Tower of Terror (the versions at the other Disney parks are based on the California version) and one of the best rides I’ve been on.

Back at the central plaza of the park is The Great Movie Ride, a 20 minute long, extremely elaborate dark ride past huge sets recreating scenes from classic films. The ride building is in a façade of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. The line goes through a replica of the theater’s lobby into a large room showing trailers from various films. Then it’s into the ride vehicles themselves, large two-car conveyances led by a live tour guide. The train passes under a theater marquee and past scenes from Footlight Parade, Singin’ in the Rain, and the chimney sequence from Mary Poppins. In a gangster scene inspired by The Public Enemy, the train stops at a traffic light. A shootout begins as a car crashes through a wall. A live gangster (a woman when we went) kidnaps the tour guide and hijacks the train. Then there is a Western scene with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne. The train enters the spaceship Nostromo and passes by Sigourney Weaver. The alien attacks from the ceiling for guests in the first car and bursts from the right for guests in the second car. The Well of Souls from Raiders of the Lost Ark is next, as we see Indy and Sallah struggle to lift the Ark of the Covenant among hundreds of snakes.

A temple with a large jewel dominates the next room. The gangster leaves the train and approaches the jewel, but the temple guardian, his back towards us, warns the gangster that the jewel is sacred. The gangster ignores the guardian and grabs the jewel. There is a puff of smoke, to conceal the gangster going down a hidden lift to be replaced by skeletal remains (sorry to ruin the illusion). The guardian is, predictably, the original tour guide, who takes charge of the train again. It passes through a mummy chamber and Tarzan swinging by on a vine to the Casablanca farewell scene at the airport between Bogart and Bergman. Next is a projection of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice segment from Fantasia.

The final scene is from The Wizard of Oz. Munchkins welcome Dorothy before the Wicked Witch of the West rises out of the ground to harass us. We then pass by Dorothy and friends to a theater showing a montage of films, including Snow White, The Godfather, Star Wars, Terminator, Taxi Driver, North by Northwest, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Forrest Gump, and Citizen Kane. The trains then return to the loading station. This is an entertaining ride with intricate sets featuring films that people my age and younger may not be aware of (I’ve seen most of the films featured except for Footlight Parade, The Public Enemy, and the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan).

Our sojourn to Epcot took a while—again, it takes a painfully long time to commute from park to park. When we returned, we decided to see Indiana Jones—Epic Stunt Spectacular. I’m a big fan of the Indy movies, especially the odd numbered ones, so this show was the first priority for me among those offered at the Studios. The preshow involves selection of stunt volunteers from the audience. With one exception, they act more as extras in crowd scenes, though the casting director has them do things like scream and stand on one foot. The actual 30-minute show begins with Indy making his way through a recreation of the idol temple from the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark. He dodges spikes that pop up from the ground, climbs out of a collapsing floor, and runs away from the infamous giant boulder. At this point, he disappears, and the “director” calls “Cut” and asks if Indy is okay. We’re introduced to the crew and stunt team as Indy emerges and the temple set is moved away to reveal a Cairo marketplace set. After an interlude with the audience volunteers, there is another stunt sequence, with Indy and Marion evading swordsmen as they fight their way up and across the building rooftops. Gunfire and falls from great heights abound.

After another clever interlude involving Marion and one of the audience members demonstrating fighting techniques, there is the final set piece. An actual plane appears from backstage, and Indy and Marion fight around it as “Nazis” shoot machine guns and fuel-laden trucks drive by. The scene and the show end with a fiery finale and explosions (though the airplane itself does not explode; if you have several shows every day of the year, you don’t want to be buying a new plane for each one). The Indy show is action-packed with a few genuine surprises, though there are less behind-the-scenes explanations that I’d expected. But I’d definitely see it again.

Back on Sunset Boulevard is the Beauty and the Beast show that, like Indy, takes place in a covered amphitheater. At half an hour, it glosses over some aspects of the story. Lefou and Maurice are entirely absent. After a mash-up of the songs “Belle” and “Gaston,” the narrator intones, “After a series of events, Belle found herself at a mysterious castle.” And after Gaston stabs the Beast, he walks offstage, never to be seen again. Someone not familiar with the movie may wonder how it got nominated for Best Picture Oscar (I certainly think it deserved the nomination). It should be noted that unlike in the Broadway show, the enchanted objects are in costumes that cover their whole bodies and thus their characters’ voices are prerecorded. But it’s still a pleasant enough show and can’t be accused of dragging like Finding Nemo: The Musical (it has the opposite problem). But again, it’s nowhere close to Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular.

Dinner was at the ‘50s Prime Time Café, which, shockingly, had no line (Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano was not accepting walk-ins, and rides like Toy Story Mania and Tower of Terror had lines of over an hour at that point). The setting is a 1950s home dining room, with TVs showing vintage clips of period sitcoms and commercials (as a result, I think I have the theme to “I Married Joan” permanently stuck in my head). The waitress, or “Aunt” as she insisted on being called, informed us of the rules: No elbows on the table and finish your vegetables. Oh, and you have to pile up your plates when you’re done eating. It’s fun if you’re in the right mood, but I can see how it could be exasperating if you’re tired and just want to eat. I had the sampler, which included some of the featured homey fare: fried chicken, pot roast, and meatloaf. Surprisingly, the meat loaf was the best, though the fried chicken wasn’t bad. I’ve definitely had better pot roast, including at the Plaza Inn at Disneyland. It’s a fine restaurant for comfort food, though the atmosphere and theme are bigger draws than the actual fare.

Our wait for the Studio Backlot Tour was probably the longest we waited for a non-show attraction at Disney World not counting breakdowns, though at about 15 minutes, it was still quite tolerable. There are several lines, and a mass number of guests are let in every 15-20 minutes. We had in fact waited for this before Indy, but we were cut off right before we got into the next area, and would have missed the show had we waited another 15-20 minutes in addition to the 30-minute tour itself.

The monitors in the queue area show a rather dated and brief behind-the-scenes look at Pearl Harbor, a film that proves that Ben Affleck is really suited for directing and not acting.  Michael Bay drones in a monotone voice about the wonderful special effects he used in the film without really giving any specifics. And given that the film is Pearl Harbor, nobody would be interested in the specifics anyway.

We were let in to the next area just in front of the cut-off this time. In this next segment, we watch as technicians show off a special effects tank. A small wheelhouse is drenched with water, and flames and mortars go off in the surrounding water. The tour then moves through a prop warehouse to the boarding area for the tram.

The tram drives through the rather empty backlot area. There are barely any sets, though you do get a good look at the Earful Tower, the studio’s requisite water tower. The tram passes through the costume and manufacturing buildings, where you can see personnel working on various costumes and props. Or, if you go fairly late in the day like we did, you can see empty rooms. The tram then goes through a small boneyard, with vehicles like the motorcycle from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Walt Disney’s private jet. You can also see some of the prep areas for the Lights Motors Action Stunt Show as well as a portion of the stage itself.

The tour climaxes with Catastrophe Canyon. On the left side of the tram, you can see a canyon, pipes, and a fuel truck. Shaker tables under the tram simulate an earthquake. The fuel truck explodes, and flames and fireballs erupt from various pipes and tanks. A huge flash flood deluges the canyon, and more water flows down from above the tram. After, the tram drives by the backside of the canyon to reveal the mechanisms and support structure of the set. The tram goes past the boneyard and stunt show area again before returning to the loading station. The exit is a walkthrough of a museum that, at the time, featured posters and props from some of AFI’s 100 greatest films of all time. As there isn’t much production going on at the studio, the only interesting part is Catastrophe Canyon. The tour at Universal Studios Hollywood is much more entertaining and informative, though none of its ride-like elements are quite as spectacular as Catastrophe Canyon.

We didn’t get to do as much at the Studios as Epcot or Animal Kingdom, yet at the same time, I don’t feel like we missed that much. Just the Lights Motors Action Stunt Show and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. The shows were entertaining and though there were only a few rides, most of them were top notch (like at Animal Kingdom). The Tower of Terror was a special favorite of mine, and it’s too bad that we only got around to riding it once. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a nice park, and while it doesn’t have the variety of Epcot or the novelty of Animal Kingdom, it still has many attractions that are among the best that Disney, or anyone, has done.

Note: We did see Fantasmic at the end of our day at the Studios, but I have a lot to write on that, and so I am including it in the next (and final) post.

Next: Fantasmic and Conclusion