What Do Michael Eisner, Harry Anderson, Ashford and Simpson, George Burns, Joy Monica, and Leanna Creel, Walter Cronkite, Jane Fonda, John Forsythe, Estelle Getty, George S Irving, Kate Jackson, Rue McClanahan, Ann Miller, Eve Montand, Willie Nelson, Buster Poindexter, The Pointer Sisters, Stephanie Powers, Tony Randall, John Ritter, Smokey Robinson, Mickey Rooney, Suzanne Somers, James Stewart, Dick van Dyke, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Lech Walesa all have in common?
They all participated in the Walt Disney World MGM Studios Opening Day Television Special; well maybe not together, but they were on the same telecast on April 30th, 1989.
35 years ago, Disney MGM Studios opened to the public and with only 5 opening day attractions: The Great Movie Ride, The Backstage Studio Tour, The Magic of Disney Animation Tour, The Monster Sound Show, and Superstar Television. MGM Studios was the definition of a half-day park. The Great Movie Ride was the last opening day attraction at MGM studios until it closed on August 13, 2017, marking the end of an era. The recently opened International Gateway at EPCOT Center allowed guests to board a tram to MGM Studios then return to EPCOT Center later that same day. The tram pickup was where the Skyline Station is currently being built, and the ride included views of the still under construction Swan & Dolphin and Yacht & Beach Club.
Being a Disney history buff, I find it fascinating to look back at how Disney positioned the opening of the new park. The Hollywood that always was, and never will be; at the time, it was a working studio giving you a look at how movies and television shows are made. After Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, there were lots of rumors of a 5th gate at Walt Disney World, another theme park. I think it’s safe to say that with the changes at Disney Hollywood Studios over the last 5 years, they have created that new theme park while we were watching and paying admission to Studios. It’s clear the new Hollywood studios, if that’s the name, will immerse us into the movies, not behind the scenes of the movies.
I hope you enjoy this look back at Hollywood Studio’s opening day as much as I do!
For more on the opening of Disney MGM Studios be sure to Check out: The Making of Disney MGM Studios Theme Park, and Walt Disney World MGM Studios The Dream Comes True
