Help me remember a ride, please!

[figmentaholic]

The only things in those tunnels have been the EPCOT model, the hairdresser, the guy in the rocket ship, and looking down at buzz and Mickey's Star Traders. Unless your going way back to before they updated Tomorrowland and Buzzlightyear used to be Dreamflight

Oh yeah, this wouldn't be that far back. Maybe I was thinking of the hairdresser.. I don't suppose you guys have a pic of that to job my memory do you?

I know I took some in the tunnels but I don't remember offhand if any of them turned out due to the speed and low-level lighting. I'll have to look tomorrow when my eyeballs are a little more awake and cooperative

Awesome. I can't wait to see what you have!!

[Mr.ToadWildRider]

The "hairdresser" is basically a model of a woman with her head completely under a large dome and then to the side is an illustration representing what is taking place under the dome. The illustration is just a bunch of robotic hands pulling the woman's hair really taut in all different directions while also applying makeup. The whole thing is in my opinion only slightly more interesting than the blackness of the tunnel. Think of the vignettes at the end of the old Space Mountain for FedEx but like several tiers down from the Space Mountain ones and with no real tie in to the attraction or a product. It sort of looks like something you'd expect them to put in one of their stores just to add Disney touches with little displays.

What you described in your original post sounds much more like, as most have said, the Backlot Studio Tour. On that tour the tram actually drives through a tunnel built into the costume/prop design warehouse with windows that allow the passengers to see actual work being done on costumes/props. Every several yards they have displays built into the tunnel that have actual movie costumes (i.e. Jack Sparrow & Elizabeth Swann; children from Narnia; Mary Poppins etc.) They also used to have a large segment of a plane used in Passenger 57 on the opposite side from the windows. As someone else mentioned, I vaguely recall the original, longer version of the tour going more slowly through the tunnel and having television sets depict various stages of costume design. The current version of the tour still takes you through the tunnel and costumes are in display cases but they just go through it more rapidly and the studio doesn't seem to be used nearly as much anymore and the warehouses seem less active.

[NaCler]

Here's the hairdresser pic... not mine, borrowed from the internet:

[Amy]

Yup, that photo is much better than mine...mine are more action-y



I do kind of like this one though...

[figmentaholic]

Ah. Hmm.. I guess my memory is a tricky thing, haha! Thanks all..

Out of curiosity, anyone have a pic of that backlot tour, that part you guys are talking about? I am curious now. Is that still on the backlot tour? If not when did it stop?

[Amy]

Ah. Hmm.. I guess my memory is a tricky thing, haha! Thanks all..

Out of curiosity, anyone have a pic of that backlot tour, that part you guys are talking about? I am curious now. Is that still on the backlot tour? If not when did it stop?

The tram still runs through the costume/wardrobe and prop departments, but it doesn't really slow down so you see very much. I'll have to look and see if I got any good photos this time around. I believe they still had some scenes with actual wardrobe pieces worn in various Disney films.

[NaCler]

Best I could find...

[figmentaholic]

Best I could find...

OH YEAH! That looks like what I remember!!! Well shoot.. the backstage tour huh? Do they still do that and if they do, are those still there? I would love to see those again if I can. Thanks a TON for those pics!!!!

[Satchel T]

Definitely the Backlot Tour! Great ride!

[Mr.ToadWildRider]

OH YEAH! That looks like what I remember!!! Well shoot.. the backstage tour huh? Do they still do that and if they do, are those still there? I would love to see those again if I can. Thanks a TON for those pics!!!!

They still do take you through the tunnel but as I noted earlier I've never seen it particularly active over the last decade (sounds weird saying that and meaning the 2000's at this point) when compared to the 1990's. I think Disney's really moved away from trying to keep DHS as the "working studio" it once was, moving a lot of their operations back to Burbank, California (?). I could be mistaken, but I feel like when they first introduced MGM at the time it was considerably more active with filming, animation, etc.

[figmentaholic]

OH YEAH! That looks like what I remember!!! Well shoot.. the backstage tour huh? Do they still do that and if they do, are those still there? I would love to see those again if I can. Thanks a TON for those pics!!!!

They still do take you through the tunnel but as I noted earlier I've never seen it particularly active over the last decade (sounds weird saying that and meaning the 2000's at this point) when compared to the 1990's. I think Disney's really moved away from trying to keep DHS as the "working studio" it once was, moving a lot of their operations back to Burbank, California (?). I could be mistaken, but I feel like when they first introduced MGM at the time it was considerably more active with filming, animation, etc.

Yeah, I think you are right unfortunately. I actually knew a guy who used to work as an animator at WDW and then they moved everything to France and California and I think maybe China too or somewhere over in the Far East. When they did that, that is really when MGM stopped being the working studio that they used to be and became more like the rest of the parks, at least that is the way that it seems to me, which is a big shame. I don't think they will ever be able to capture that again.

[dwellsbct]

I think it was the Backlot Tram Tour in the Studios!

[pixiesparkles]

I would have to say the Backlot Tour as well.

[BuDz211]

I remember going on the Backlot Tour in the early 90's and it was great. I haven't been there in a long time and I have a feeling that I'll be really disappointed the next time I go back. Do they at least still have Catastrophe Canyon and the part where they dump gallons of water on the captain in the raincoat?

[Amy]

I remember going on the Backlot Tour in the early 90's and it was great. I haven't been there in a long time and I have a feeling that I'll be really disappointed the next time I go back. Do they at least still have Catastrophe Canyon and the part where they dump gallons of water on the captain in the raincoat?

Yup, those two show elements have survived. And you walk through the prop warehouse between the war/water scene before you board the trams. Once on the trams, they run you through the costuming and shop sections in the tunnels. And you see some props alongside the road, but you lo longer go through the residential streets.