Return to The Parks

Disney’s Hollywood Studios


©Disney Image Makers

©Disney Image Makers

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a place where Disney’s movie magic comes to life.  Dedicated to show business, this park draws its inspiration from the heyday of glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age during the 1930s and 1940s. Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened on May 1, 1989, as Disney’s MGM Studios, showcasing movie and television productions but also combines the entertainment of a theme park proving there’s no business like Disney’s show business.

Lacking a defined layout like the Magic Kingdom Park or Epcot, this park resembles a collection of streets and buildings that blend together like a real motion picture studio. In the early years of the studios, the curved plaza at the end of Hollywood Boulevard defined what was to be the largest Hidden Mickey in all of the parks, visible in aerial pictures.

Bm2QfCGCUAEMofy.jpg-largeDisney’s Hollywood Studios is divided into main themed areas: Hollywood Boulevard Area, Echo Lake Area, Streets of America Area, Sunset Boulevard Area, Animation Courtyard Area, Pixar Place Area, and Commissary Lane Area each offering attractions, dining or  movie themed entertainment.

The world you have entered was created by The Walt Disney Company and is dedicated to Hollywood – not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was—and always will be.”   —Michael Eisner, CEO


2014 Disney Feb-6429

©Disney Image Makers

Hollywood Boulevard Area  Take a stroll down the palm-lined streets of TinselTown during Hollywood’s heyday Golden Age. Hollywood Boulevard Area serves as the parks main entrance where the streetscapes resemble Main Street U.S.A Area of the Magic Kingdom Park but in a style more appropriate of production studios.  Browse in and out of the unique shops and eateries as you near the Graumann’s Theater.

IMG_35535
Echo Lake AreaLocated just off of Hollywood Boulevard Area is Echo Lake Area, the small oval-shaped lagoon and home to a giant dinosaur named Gertie.  Echo Lake is surrounded by several attractions and services and pays homage to its real-life Los Angeles counterpart that was used as a backdrop in a lot of  Hollywood’s early films.

Streets of America Area The Street of America Area was originally designed to be the walkthrough of a New York street on the back lot tour of a movie set.  Once this area was removed from the Backlot Tour, this section was opened up to pedestrian traffic and is now home to four attractions.  Architectural additions were soon to follow to create streets that resembled San Francisco.

©Disney Image Makers

©Disney Image Makers

Sunset Boulevard AreaYour first right off of Hollywood Boulevard Area is Sunset Boulevard Area, where the glitz and the glamour of old Hollywood is apparent. Meet the “Citizens of Hollywood” or visit well known attractions like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Attraction, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Areosmith Attraction and Beauty and the Beast Live. This is also home to the evening spectacular Fantasmic as well.

Animation Courtyard AreaWhat began out as a starting point for the tours of the parks active productions is now dedicated to all things animation. Discover the history of animation, see the creation of a classic character how the magic of Disney’s animation has moved us all.  Enjoy several attractions and live show with your favorite characters. 

©Disney Image Makers

©Disney Image Makers

Pixar Place Area – The newest addition to the studios where Pixar’s character have found a permanent home in this exact replica of the Animation building in California. Enjoy larger-than-life toys like the monkeys in a barrel, green army men and even Luxo, Jr., a six-foot-tall audio-animatronics version of Pixar’s desk-lamp mascot.

Commissary Lane Area Commissary Lane is located in the middle of the park and offers a place to unwind and dine.  Whether you are looking for your favorite Disney•Pixar characters or would like to dine in a convertible car and watch old black and white science fiction movies, this is the place!


Special Tours 

Backstage Magic – Spend your day on a 7-hour tour of all four theme parks to get an inside look and see firsthand how the thousands of dedicated Cast Members make magic happen every day and to discover some of the secrets of the daily operations. 


Character Meet & Greets 

Meeting characters has become an attraction all in itself in all of the parks.  While character dining is a popular ways to meet your favorites and Disney’s Hollywood Studios offers several options, Disney’s Hollywood Studios also offers designated areas and buildings specifically for character meet and greets. Click here for a listing of character appearances and experiences.


Guest Services 

Walt Disney World Guest Services centers offer many different services to their guests to make their visit as convenient and comfortable as possible.  If you do not see any of the services you require, please pay a visit to Guest Relations where they can either help you or lead you in the right direction.  Most of your issues can be solved through the excellent services offered by the Cast Members.  Click here for Guest Services located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.


Nighttime Spectacular – Fantasmic! 

©Disney Image Makers

©Disney Image Makers

Fantasmic!Join Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as he brings together favorite Disney heroes, villains and princesses while he battles the evil forces that turn his dreams into a nightmare.  During this 30-minute fireworks and water extravaganza, Mickey battles against Disney Villains, Snow White’s Evil Queen, Ursula, Cruella de Vil, Scar and a larger-than-life Maleficent with his power of imagination to save the day.

Over 50 beloved characters from classics as like Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Aladdin and The Lion King perform while pyrotechnics, laser lights and one million gallons of dancing waters with classic animations projections are brought to life. Fantasmic! is overflowing with entertainment, suspense and silly surprises for everyone of all ages.

***Fantasmic! is performed on select nights only. Be sure to check the Times Guide for the schedule and show times. Since this is an outdoor show, it is also subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. Show times are subject to change.***

Fantasmic! Dining Package – Reserve your VIP spot at the Fantasmic! nighttime spectacular with a dining package at one of 3 restaurants.

Whether you prefer fine dining, casual dining or an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet, you can savor a mouthwatering meal before Fantasmic  Dining packages are available at The Hollywood Brown Derby, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano and Hollywood and Vine and include an entree, dessert, non alcoholic beverage and a VIP seating voucher.

You can purchase standard dining packages from the following locations:

  • The Hollywood Brown Derby: $56.99 for adults and $16.99 for children
  • Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano: $37.99 for adults and $12.99 for children
  • Hollywood and Vine Buffet —$35.99 for adults and $19.99 for children

Advance reservations for the Fantasmic! Dining Package are highly recommended and can be made up to 180 days prior to your visit.   Call (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463 to make reservations.

Character Meet and Greets in Hollywood Studios

Character meet and greets in Hollywood Studios are a popular attraction on everyone’s list, but not everyone can or wants to secure character dining reservations.  Hollywood Studios offers designated areas and even buildings specifically for character meet and greets. Here is a list of locations where you can have a meet and greet with your favorite …

Hollywood Studios Guest Services

Hollywood Studios Guest Services center offers many different services to their guests to make their visit as convenient and comfortable as possible.  If you do not see any of the services you require, please pay a visit to Guest Relations at the main entrance where they can either help you or lead you in the right direction. …

Hollywood Boulevard Area

Hollywood Boulevard Area is the opening scene to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Take part in the glitz of Hollywood in the 1940s with the flashy art-deco facades and palm tree lined streets. Come face-to-face with directors and lively performers as you stroll down the boulevard where live entertainment takes place several times throughout the day.  Shop in unique …

Echo Lake

Located just off of Hollywood Boulevard Area is Echo Lake Area, the small oval-shaped lagoon and home to a giant dinosaur named Gertie.  Echo Lake Area is surrounded by several attractions and services that pays homage to its real-life Los Angeles counterpart that was used as a backdrop in a lot of Hollywood’s early films. Echo Lake Area includes three attractions …

Streets of America Area

Located directly behind Commissary Lane is the Streets of America Area where you will find façades set up to give the illusion of walking down streets in New York City and San Francisco using the movie-making technique called “forced perspective.” What was originally the set of a New York streetscape on the Backlot Tour, is now open to pedestrian …

Sunset Boulevard Area

Sunset Boulevard Area was the first expansion of Disney’s Hollywood Studios since it’s opening on July 22, 1994. It’s lively “Streetmosphere” is flanked with restaurants, quick service snack and dining venues and specialty shops that feature gifts themed to classic films and Disney characters.  Looming in the distance is the 199-foot-tall Hollywood Tower Hotel, which houses the Tower of Terror, a …

Animation Courtyard Area

The Animation Courtyard Area is home to several attractions based on Disney’s animated characters from the past and the present. Marked with a squared studio arch similar to a real Hollywood studio lot entrance, this area of the park was originally the starting point for the tours of the park’s active production studios. The courtyard is …

Pixar Place Area

Pixar Place Area found its permanent home in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2008 and guests were welcomed to the world of Pixar – a place where the toys come to work and play.  Pass under the gates that mirror the actual signs found at the Pixar Studios campus found in Emeryville, California.  Even the bricks used throughout …

Commissary Lane Area

In between Echo Lake Area and the Streets of America Area is Commissary Lane, a place to relax, unwind and fuel up for the rest of your busy day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With its location in the middle of the park, it is a great location for a stopping point.  While there are not any …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.