Hollywood Studios - Disney World

Few people realize that the Walt Disney World Resort located in Central Florida in the city of Orland is actually made up of four separate theme parks and two water parks. Most people make the assumption that Disney World is just the Magic Kingdom, which is often the focus of Disney advertisements. The truth however is that you could spend an entire week at Disney World Orlando and still not see all there is to see inside each park. It takes roughly a day to complete a theme park, which includes the rides, attractions, shows and entertainment. The four theme parks located in the Magic Kingdom Resort are Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and the Hollywood Studios. Each theme park has its own unique set of rides that fall under its theme; these elements combined with the Disney world magic make each theme park its own special adventure. Disney is, after all, the place where “Dreams come true.”

Hollywood Studios is home to the classics, bringing some of your favorite movies to life like never before! Ever seen a movie and felt like you could feel the heat of the explosions? Or watched a space ship take flight and felt the g-forces every time it made a tricky maneuver? Well now those dreams can come to life as the sequels and reenactments of your favorite movies come off the big screen and to Hollywood Studios. As soon as you enter the park you will see the massive sorcerer’s hat with giant mouse ears, the icon of the theme park. The hat is a massive representation of the fun filled adventure that opened up the animated Disney movies in Fantasia! Under the hat you can purchase souvenirs throughout the day, great gifts to bring home to your family. Daily shows are held under the hat with popular Disney characters, with both singing and dancing these shows get kids involved in energetic fun and entertainment!

The sorcerer’s hat is located on Hollywood Boulevard, the first of five separate sections the park is divided into. Hollywood Boulevard houses the entrance to the park, as well as the shopping area and some of the larger rides. Here you can find all the food and souvenir shops, and if you plan on staying the entire day there is a good chance you will find yourself here several times. Whether you’re looking to replenish in one of these restaurants or you are looking for Disney merchandise you can be sure to find it along here in one of the many roadside stands and shops! An interesting attraction here is “Walt Disney’s One Man’s Dream,” inside you can find a memorial as well as documentary of the life and plans that Walt Disney had for the theme parks. It is interesting to see the ways that Disney has held true to his original plans and adapted their way of thinking to his. Next head on over to the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular show and get an up close encounter with everyone’s favorite action hero! Indiana Jones performs live stunts and explains how they are done and just what it takes to be in the movies! After the show soar on over to Star Tours, a fun filled adventure into the world of the popular Star Wars series. This simulator takes you through the galaxy with a clumsy robot for a pilot, funny situations ensue. When you finally get back from space waltz on over to The Great Movie Ride where you get to sit down and ride your way through some of the classics. Whether your coming face to face with an alien or waving goodbye to Bruce Wayne this ride has something for everyone!

Second in the list of areas is New York Street, where you can find the energetic crew from the Muppets. This great show is a 3D adventure like you have never seen before. Follow your funny friends such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear as they embark on a journey to fix the show… that they messed up. This 3D adventure combines special effects with… special effects to use the room you’re in to bring the story even more to life! Kids love a playground, and they will love the “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” Adventure even more! With large insects and gigantic grass this playground surpasses the rest, and brings to life the miniature world from the movies!

Next make your way to Mickey Avenue, where you can take one of Hollywood Studios most celebrate adventures. The Backlot Tour takes you behind the scenes to see how the movies are made. This tour takes almost an hour and is an in depth look at some of the most theatrical scenes in movie history. During your visit you hop on a tram and ride through Catastrophe Canyon, where you suddenly become bombarded by a huge flood. In a huge display of rushing water and fire you get to see an element of the movie business like none other! As the tram starts shaking thousands of gallons of water rushes into the canyon and fire explodes from the nearby oil lines bringing to life an awesome theatrical scene. Then ride behind the canyon and see just what made this awesome adventure come to life! Finally as the Backlot Tour comes to an end you are let off in the American Film Institute Showcase where you get to see props from the actual movies!

After Mickey Avenue head over to the Animation Courtyard and watch one of the daily showings of Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This tail is just like the movie, with singing, dance and of course everyone’s favorite crab. For those with little girls that love the story this is a great chance to meet their singing mermaid face to face. Once the show is over head over to another show, Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage! Here you can see some of your favorite characters singing and dancing to some of Disney’s most popular theme songs!

Last but certainly not least is Sunset Boulevard! Here you can find the larger rides and entertainment. Number one on the list is the Twilight Zone, where you ride the Tower of Terror thirteen gut-wrenching stories into the air and are suddenly dropped! This thrill seeker adventure lets you plummet back and forth on this one of a kind ride! After you have had your thrill of sudden drops ride the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, an indoor coaster that lets you listen to awesome music by Aerosmith while wizzing through the darkness with only the flashing bright lights from the show! Once you have had your fill of music and rides head over to the Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage show, where your favorite Disney tail comes to live in a singing and dancing adventure! Finally as the night comes to an end be sure to visit the Fantasmic lights, music and fireworks show, the perfect ending to the perfect day!