Disney-MGM Studios to be renamed - Official

Post by **acp** » Aug Thu 09, 2007 5:55 pm

So the new name is official. Read on...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Aug. 9, 2007) -- In the Walt Disney World theme park famous for all things Hollywood, it's curtain up on the launch of new attractions, new looks, new breakthrough experiences...

...and a brand-new name.

Disney-MGM Studios will be renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios, effective January 2008, announced Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort.

"The new name reflects how the park has grown from representing the golden age of movies to a celebration of the new entertainment that today's Hollywood has to offer -- in music, television, movies and theater," she said.

Framed by the park's supporting cast of classic Hollywood architecture are shows and attractions straight from contemporary Hollywood, such as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" and many more. Disney's Hollywood Studios is also the place to meet favorite character stars of today including Lightning McQueen and Mater from Disney-Pixar's "Cars," Power Rangers and Little Einsteins.

With exciting coming attractions and experiences, the best and brightest of Hollywood is about to emerge for park guests, Crofton said.

"As Disney continues to grow and invest in our family entertainment business, we constantly explore new ways to deliver high-quality, immersive experiences for our guests," she added. "As a park all about entertainment, Disney's Hollywood Studios will deliver like never before. Now we can say that Hollywood is literally our middle name."

Read the full press release here

Andy.

Blackie Pueblo · Post by **Blackie Pueblo** » Aug Thu 09, 2007 6:07 pm

Wow... I'm a little shocked and I don't know why. But at the same time, I can see why they are doing it. They don't really promote any of their movies in the park. Aside from the Great Movie ride. It's not like they have people dressed up as characters walking around the parks or anything. It always has been more of a Hollywood park not a specific studio based park.

"More than any other medium, the motion picture is being challenged to meet the greatly enlarged opportunities and responsibilities of modern showmanship."
---Walter Elias Disney

Lion Sleeps Tonight · Post by **Lion Sleeps Tonight** » Aug Thu 09, 2007 7:32 pm

Well at least it isn't Disney Pixar Studios.

If they get rid of the Great Movie Ride, I'm going to cry.

Well it'll be interesting to follow the developments over the years, and hopefully it will work out in the long run.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Aug Thu 09, 2007 8:25 pm

What Disney is not saying, THEY DON"T HAVE THE RIGHTS TO USE MGM ANY MORE. But they did make it sound like they wanted to do it. They are really good LIARS!!

coasterphil · Post by **coasterphil** » Aug Thu 09, 2007 9:00 pm

I don't think the name is that bad. We all knew that it was going to have to change, and all things considered it could have been much worse.

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 4:16 am

Let's hope big things are in store for this park! 8)

Disneynut · Post by **Disneynut** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 6:29 am

No complaints here, I'm glad Disney has decided to change the name.

Joe90 · Post by **Joe90** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 6:37 am

Hollywood, MGM, whatâ€™s the diff, as long as itâ€™s the same stuff inside.

Just move that big hat from outside the front of the Chinese theatre please.

casrin · Post by **casrin** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 6:55 am

If they get rid of the Great Movie Ride, I'm going to cry.

Yeah, no kidding!

Mom and I were saying the other day that that attraction is about the only thing we'd want to see @ the Studios if we were able to go back.

Jacca5660 wrote:What Disney is not saying, THEY DON"T HAVE THE RIGHTS TO USE MGM ANY MORE. But they did make it sound like they wanted to do it. They are really good LIARS!!

Yup. That too!

It's like how on the planning DVDs for years, they've only called it "Disney Studios Florida" because they couldn't use the MGM name. Heck, it was even that way on the WDW Explorer CD-ROM "game" that came out when Win95 was in.

Esmeralda · Post by **Esmeralda** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 7:20 am

I'm a little sad that they're restating their image as no longer representing a golden age of movies. Keeping the park modern will be tough (think Tomorrowland) and I love the classics - especially as shown in the Great Movie Ride.

As for the name change itself, not bad but I'll really have trouble not just calling the park MGM.

Post by **rdeacon** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 8:45 am

Must say it is a better name then Disney Pixar Studios, especially for a marketing standpoint.

No more MGM, now its DHS!

hmmm sounds like Disney High School

Rich

Kieffer12 · Post by **Kieffer12** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 9:15 am

I hope that this name change will signal the "re-birth" of the Studios Park. Other than Lights, Motors, Action the park has been stale for some time.
I read somewhere that rumor has it a copy of Crush's Coaster from Disney Studios Paris could be coming as well as a change from HSM Pep Rally to HSM2: School's Out show. This is all in addition to Toy Story Mania. I for one believe it is time they worked on adding to and freshening up the park. And I like the name Disney's Hollywood Studios. Iwould like to see them add some more Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Muppet attractions.

stev02 · Post by **stev02** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 11:12 am

For having to change the name, Disney Hollywood Studios is good.

Post by **rdeacon** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 11:18 am

Here is some more info on why Disney changed the name, and why they didn't change it to Disney-Pixar Studios

jimhillmedia.com wrote:Now, what's interesting about that "Disney's Hollywood Studios" name is that it's something of a compromise. To explain: The Walt Disney Company was contractually obligated to stop using the "MGM" name in association with its studio theme park by the end of 2007. And the Mouse's marketing team was all gung-ho about the idea of renaming WDW's third theme park "Disney-Pixar Studios" ... Until they got back the results of a certain survey.

It seems that those that Disney polled about possibly changing "Disney-MGM" 's name to "Disney-Pixar" were initially quite positive about this idea. However, there were certain guest assumptions that then came attached with this proposed name change.

As in: When people who were taking this phone survey were then asked which theme park they'd expect to find "Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin," "Turtle Talk with Crush" and "Finding Nemo -- The Musical" in, they immediately answered "Disney-Pixar Studios."

Which (of course) was going to be a bit of a problem. Given that the "Buzz Lightyear" attraction that they'd mentioned was located in WDW's Magic Kingdom, "Turtle Talk" was over at Epcot while that new "Nemo" musical was being presented in Animal Kingdom.

What this phone survey supposed showed WDW officials was that -- if they chose to remain WDW's studio theme park "Disney-Pixar" -- Disney World visitors would then expect to find all of that resort's Pixar-based attractions located within the walls of that one specific theme park. Which would make things rather difficult for the folks working at Guest Relations at the Studios. Given that they'd be ones who'd then have to explain to irate guests why the "Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor" show wasn't located inside of Disney-Pixar Studios, but -- rather -- over at the Magic Kingdom.

So -- in the end -- it was decided that the safer choice would be to rename WDW's third theme park "Disney's Hollywood Studios." However, recognizing the promotional value of the Pixar name, the Imagineers then opted to rename at least part of this theme park after this CG studio. Which is why -- in 2008 -- Mickey Avenue (i.e. Formerly where the soundstages that "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire -- Play It!" were located. Now this area will be play host to the studio theme park's "Toy Story Mania" attraction as well as the soon-to-be-announced stateside version of "Crush's Coaster") will officially become Pixar Place.

The soon to be announced coaster... oooohhhh

Rich

Lion Sleeps Tonight · Post by **Lion Sleeps Tonight** » Aug Fri 10, 2007 11:26 am

The coaster sounds really great. It will breathe life into that sorta dead Mickey Ave. area at night. And also, it'll give a little break to those working around the Sunset area by diverting the crowds. Hopefully.

Even though the focus and the brand is going to be different, I still hope they'll keep the homages to the golden age of musicals and classic films. That part of the park has always been the most charming for me. (Even though I haven't seen many of the films)