Stepping into the park is like experiencing Tinseltown in the 1930s — Hollywood Boulevard is a crazy quilt of flashy neon and chromed art deco where guests are surrounded by the sights and sounds of show business and personalities — detectives, starlets, cabbies and public works employees — can be found prowling the streets.
Just around the corner, Sunset Boulevard pays tribute to the glamorous theater district in all its glory days. At the end of the street stands Hollywood Tower Hotel, which beckons guests to experience The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where recently more terror has been added to the tower with new shakes, drops and special effects.
Acting as the centerpiece for the park, Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat crowns Disney's Hollywood Studios with a special magic inspired by the Disney animated classic, "Fantasia." Just behind the larger-than-life hat icon is a full-scale re-creation of the famous Chinese Theater — the gateway to one of Disney's most elaborate ride-through attractions. The Great Movie Ride showcases the charm, romance, suspense, intrigue and blazing six-shooter action of some of Hollywood's most memorable cinematic moments.
The courtyard of the Chinese Theater features hand prints of numerous show business stars who have visited the studios, including Alan Alda, Lauren Bacall, Robin Williams, Charlton Heston, Samuel L. Jackson, Sylvester Stallone, Bette Midler, Tom Cruise, Jim Henson and even Kermit the Frog.
Mickey Boulevard plays host of regular appearances by Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and other Disney characters. Along Mickey Boulevard you will find Toy Story Mania! — a 3-D interactive attraction inspired by the Disney·Pixar films "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2." Every guest gets to play along in the high-energy adventure that puts them right in the action.
At the end of Mickey Avenue, the Disney's Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour takes you behind the scenes of a staged movie production and past vehicles, costumes and props from some of Hollywood's best films. An innovative design allows a peek in at shooting on state-of-the-art sound stages and sprawling backlot sets.
More popular attractions are Honey, I Shrunk The Kids Movie Set Adventure where you'll experience what it feels like to be the size of an ant. You'll be thinking "it's a jungle out there" as you experience hidden slides, caves, spider webs, a leaky hose, giant toys, tunnels and ants in a "backyard" from the hit film, "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids."
The legendary Muppets star in Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3-D which combines Jim Henson's puppets with Disney's famous Audio-Animatronics technology into an in-theater 3-D animation film — all to showcase the wild antics of Jim Henson's Muppet characters.
It's best to leave the stunts to the pros in Indian Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! an action-packed live show that re-creates the heart-pounding heroics of classic adventure films through movie stunt demonstrations.
A recent addition to the park is Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show which was "imported" from Disneyland Paris for Disney's global "Happiest Celebration on Earth" takes place in a huge "live" Mediterranean village set. The premise of the 30-minute show centers around the filming of a spy thriller film. The audience gets to see how each scene is filmed and then view the completed film as it would appear on the silver screen. High-speed chases, car and motorcycle jumps, pyrotechnic explosions, high-falls, two-wheeled driving and high-speed spins create an exciting production.
Restaurants
The adventure continues in restaurants that reflect Tinseltown history and lifestyle. These have got to be the most entertaining restaurants in all of Disney World.
- The Hollywood Brown Derby recalls the landmark Hollywood restaurant where gossip is washed down with the signature Cobb salad and grapefruit cake.
- The 50's Prime Time Cafe serves guests in kitchenettes of the '50s sitcoms for dining atop laminated tables next to old-fashioned TVs tuned in to reruns of long-ago shows.
- Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant recreates a '50s drive-in theater where the tables are actually 1950s-era cars. Stars twinkle overhead and real drive-in theater speakers are mounted beside each car. You'll be entertained by a 45-minute compilation of sci-fi trailers and cartoons.
- Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano is a quirky Italian restaurant located in a warehouse that has been converted into a dining room.
- Other restaurants include Hollywood & Vine, the ABC Commissary and Backlot Express among others.
