Disney-MGM Studios Park opened at Walt Disney World on May 1, 1989. Originally called Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. An operating movie studio, the first filming was done there on February 2, 1988 (the television movie Splash Too). Walt Disney had originally envisioned a studio tour as part of the Disney Studio in California, but little land was available and disruptions would interrupt filming. The idea was revived in the 1980s when Disney executives decided that a third gated attraction on the Walt Disney World property would enhance the guests’ vacation experience. The guest enters the park on Hollywood Blvd., where there are shops designed after actual architecture of buildings in the original Hollywood area in California. The focal point at the end of the boulevard is a detailed reproduction of the facade of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, which originally housed the Great Movie Ride. Guests can choose to begin their visit by heading down Sunset Blvd. to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, or taking a backstage tour, or walking through various outdoor sets, experiencing the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, or many other attractions. Dining possibilities range from fast food to the Hollywood Brown Derby. On January 7, 2008, the park was renamed Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
