The biggest change to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney’s MGM Studios) in the last decade isn’t the park’s name. MGM Studios was officially rechristened Hollywood Studios in January 2008 after years of litigation with the now defunct MGM Studios over the use of the MGM brand name in the park which doubled as a working production studio.
In the two brochures below from 2000 and 2010, you can see another major park change, in addition to all of the new attractions. The iconic Earful Tower, a Hollywood-inspired model water tower, was replaced in 2001 by a giant replica of The Sorcerer’s Hat from Fantasia (1940), now the new official symbol for the park. The Earful Tower is still in the park and can be viewed by guests while on the Studio Backlot Tour.
MGM Studios Guide Map: 2000
MGM Studios Guide Map 2000
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The Epcot park at Walt Disney World has undergone significant renovations since I last visited with my family in 1998. When I was in middle school, Epcot ranked at the bottom of my theme parks fun list – it was too “boring” and “educational” – yuck! But now that I am 12 years older and Epcot is 12 years more awesome, I have a feeling the park will fare much better this time around.
For a look at what’s changed since my last visit, compare the Epcot of 1998 with the Epcot of 2010.
Epcot Guide Map: 1998
Epcot Guide Map 1998
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=227
I recently discovered some old Walt Disney World guide maps from my family vacation to the parks in 1998, and I thought it would be fun to compare the Magic Kingdom of 1998 with the Magic Kingdom of today. Compare the maps below to see what attractions have changed in the last decade of renovation and innovations.
Magic Kingdom Guide Map: 1998
Magic Kingdom Guide Map 1998
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=206
Fans of Disney’s Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean series ought to know that Sunday, September 19th is the International Talk Like a Pirate Day. This entirely unofficial holiday which began in 1995 is a celebration of pirate-y lingo, from the “arrr”s to the “avast me ‘earties, yo ho!”. Thanks to the efforts of millions of fun-loving pirate-wannabies, the holiday has spread around the world and will soon be upon us once again.
But fear not, me urchins, it’s never too late to join in on the fun. Here’s a list of ways ye Disney fans can celebrate this here very special pirate-y day. Yaaarr.
Pirates of the Caribbean Ride, image from Disneyworld.disney.go
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=180
One of the most frustrating things about visiting the Disney theme parks (especially during the summer), is the painfully long line queues that can force visitors to wait as many as 60, 75, or even 90 minutes for Disney’s most popular rides. A 90 minute wait for a 5 minute ride is an average of 18 minutes in line per 1 minute of ride – yikes!
Disney's Fastpass Service Logo
Fortunately, both Disney World and Disneyland offer Fastpass Service for their busiest rides. Fastpass tickets allow visitors to access shorter wait lines for certain rides at designated hour-long windows. The catch is that you can only retrieve a new ticket every two hours or after the window for a previous ticket has begun. Fastpass machines are located at the entrance to all of the rides that offer Fastpass access, and the service is so popular that during peak attendance, the machines may run out of tickets as early as the mid-afternoon. The tried-and-true advice is to grab a Fastpass ticket as soon as you enter the park and another one every two hours after that.
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=112
