I was very fortunate when, back in 1989 (or 1990, I can’t remember exactly), I was invited by one of my friends to go with him and his mom to a new park in the area that wasn’t open yet. Of course, that park was the Disney-MGM Studios, and since his mom was a Cast Member, we got a “sneak peek” of the place during Cast Member Previews.

I was young then, but I do remember going on The Great Movie Ride for the first time, scared to death as we turned each corner, not knowing what we’d find next. Of course the “worst” scene was the one from Alien; which is ironically my favorite scene now.

The park that I remember back then is vastly different than the park I know today by the same name. Take a look at what I mean:

What you’re looking at above is the old Disney-MGM Studios, circa 1990. If you were to visit the park back then, you could have:

Taken a journey “into the movies” on the Great Movie Ride (center in yellow, with the words “Chinese Theater”), which is still in operation and essentially untouched since opening day. This ride was the centerpiece of the park (in more ways than one), and was partly the inspiration for the park to be built in the first place.

Been a part of TV history in SuperStar Television (right side of the red building left of center, with the words “Theme Park”), in which the participants were cast from the audiences to play roles in famous TV scenes, such as from shows like I Love Lucy and Gilligan’s Island.

Helped create the mood of movies at The Monster Sound Show (left side of the red building left of center, with the words “Theme Park”), where in the first section, the audience got to see a couple of participants and real life Foley artists create sound effects for a small film starring Chevy Chase and a spooky house. In the second section, guests tried their hand at various sound effects themselves, including a three-dimensional sound experience in small “Soundsations” booths.

Experienced the danger, adventure, and production of the Indiana Jones movies with the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (red hexagon-like shaped building left, near the words “Backlot Annex”). This outdoor show replayed some of the most famous scenes from the Indiana Jones movies, using real life stuntmen, humor, and some volunteers from the crowd. This show, like the Great Movie Ride, is essentially untouched from the park’s opening.

If you had visited in late 1990, you could have experienced Star Tours (uncolored building above the words “Backlot Annex”), which was the first ride of its kind using synchronized motion base, animatronics, and video playback. This ride was themed to correspond with the Star Wars universe from the films by the same name, upon which you were boarding a “Starspeeder” to travel to the Moon of Endor for vacation. Like a galactic airport of sorts, you boarded your Starspeeder with your droid Captain Rex, who just happened to have his first flight with you! This ride is essentially the same as when it first opened.

Soon the illusion of forced-perspective, exterior sets and matte paintings by taking a walk down New York Street (in purple, left side, where the walkways in white create what looks like an “X”), where guests can get their picture taken as if they were in New York with downtown in the background. New York Street is still there, although the matte paintings of the city skyline in the background and becoming a little bleached out from the sun.

Understood the work behind the magic at the Disney–MGM Studios Animation Tour (light purple building, to the right of the words “Studio Gate Arch”). This was a walking tour begun by a hilarious video of Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite. The walking tour then took you through the stages of animation from Storyboard to Editing, with a glimpse at the real working animation studio located inside the building. This attraction has undergone some major, major changes since opening. The Orlando Animation Unit that was operating here has been closed with the Animators largely laid off, so the idea of seeing a working animation studio is now impossible here.

Seen a real working studio in the Backstage Studio Tour. This attraction was to be the pinnacle of the park, in which the Company wanted to have real working shoots occurring here as a real studio. Back in the early 1990s, the area we now know as Mickey Avenue was not open to the public, as it was part of the real working studio. If you look at the map again, you can see the walkways in white; that was in fact the only areas accessible by guests. All other walkways were not for guests, but were to be used in the filming and development projects the Company hoped to have there regularly.

To show you how massive the Backstage Studio Tour once was, here’s the pages from the original Park Guide that described it:

As you can see from above, the old tour was massive: two hours in fact! The tour started as a tram riding tour that initiated near the Animation Tour. Once the riding tour was complete, the walking tour would begin at the effects tank and eventually take you through the “working” soundstages.

I remember distinctly the emphasis of the park at that time on the Dick Tracy movie, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and more than anything Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

In fact, the warehouse (the building in green above) where the walking tour began was almost exclusively gags and props from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, as well as the large Dip Truck from the movie. They had the truck parked on the edge of the drop off of the tram tour, and it would activate as you rode by it on the tram tour. If you’re around the Hollywood and Vine Restaurant, take a look up at the windows in the “rooms” above. You’ll see Detective Eddie Valliant’s Office, as well as the hole in the window blinds in the shape of Roger Rabbit, when he threw him out of the window.

...and that was about it. No Tower of Terror, no Rock ‘N Roller Coaster, no MuppetVision 3D. Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to changes over the years.

To be sure, the Disney-MGM Studios Park we have today is very, very different from the one described above. How different you ask?

Well, that’s a topic we’ll have to wait for next week, when we explore the Disney-MGM Studios of today as a contrast to the one presented here from the very beginning. Until then...

Thanks for stopping on by, and I’ll see you next week!