Disney’s Hollywood Studios officially opened 29 years ago today on May 1, 1989.
Today, the park is in the middle of an expansive multi-year transformation that will add two new lands where guests will become part of their favorite stories and create their own adventures: Toy Story Land, which will debut to guests this June 30, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, is set to open in 2019.
In honor of today’s anniversary, let's talk about the top 10 highlights of the park’s history
1. The Chinese Theater – Modeled after the Hollywood landmark, this near replica is a 9/10 scale of the original building. Coming soon in 2019, the theater will be home to the first attraction dedicated to Mickey Mouse: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
2. Gertie the Dinosaur – Created by Winsor McCay in 1914, Gertie sprang to life on the vaudeville screen as many believe was the first animated character to show a distinct personality, making way for the main mouse himself.
3. The Hollywood Brown Derby – Inspired by the actual historic Hollywood eatery, this dining location features three items from the original menu: the famous cobb salad, grapefruit cake and the Shirley Temple cocktail.
4. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith – A 40-foot-tall guitar leads you to the entrance to the first Disney attraction to take guests upside down. Take off from 0 to 60 to the sound of over 900 speakers blasting the music of Aerosmith throughout the attraction.
5. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – Join the 2nd Unit of the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” film crew and experience the thrills of a live set.
6. BaseLine Tap House – Baseline Tap House, which recently opened within the last year, offers “small bites and dreamy flights.”
7. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue – Climb aboard a starspeeder and travel the galaxy and find yourself on Batuu, the planet from the upcoming Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!
8. Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage – The Broadway-style show premiered the same day as the animated feature on Nov. 22, 1991 and is the longest-running stage show at a Walt Disney World theme park, now that's a tale as old as time.
9. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Imagineers watched 156 episodes of “The Twilight Zone” in preparation for this iconic attraction. Hold on tight!
10. Fantasmic! – The show features 50 performers, pyrotechnics, laser lights, one million gallons of dancing water, a 40-foot-tall dragon and five costume changes for Mickey Mouse, now that's a show!
What is your favorite attraction & memory at Hollywood Studios?
News Source: Disney Parks Blog
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