backstage studio tour disney

Yikes! That’s a long attraction. It’s a good thing there are restrooms at the halfway point.

Disney-MGM Studios—built to be both a theme park and an actual production studio—opened to the public on May 1, 1989. The Backstage Studio Tour was the park’s major attraction.

Here’s how USA Today (“Disney-MGM Studio park makes debut,” by Craig Wilson, May 1, 1989) described the attraction:

The Backstage Studio Tour first segment transports you by tram behind the scenes of a set, where you’ll see The Golden Girls’ house, a New York City street and skyline before you endure an earthquake, fire, explosions, monsoons and other near-disasters. The second segment is on foot, to special-effects areas (complete with a battle at sea), editing rooms and sound stages.

Before the end of 1989, guests were allowed to walk on New York Street. The two-hour tour quickly became shorter.

The 1991 Guide Book listed the Backstage Studio Tour featuring Catastrophe Canyon as a “30-minute shuttle ride.” The walking portion was billed as a separate attraction, Inside the Magic: Special Effects and Production Tour .

The walking tour limped along, with guests often looking down into empty soundstages. The Walt Disney Theatre, which originally showed a preview of the newest Disney movie as the final part of the walking tour, was transformed into a short-lived stage show, Here Come The Muppets , and then into the long-running live show, The Voyage of the Little Mermaid .

Guide Maps in 1994 listed the Backstage Studio Tour as a “25-minute shuttle ride” and Inside the Magic as a “35-minute tour.” The park had grown into a much more complete theme park, especially with the July 1994 opening of Sunset Boulevard and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror . At the same time, the production facilities failed to take off as a “real movie studio.”

In 1996, the Backstage Studio Tour was renamed the Studio Backlot Tour and its entrance moved to the far end of Mickey Avenue, where the walking tour had previously begun. The water tank special effects stage became the opening act for the tram tour.

The entrance to the walking tour moved next door. Inside the Magic was renamed Backstage Pass (often appended with a movie name, such as Backstage Pass to 101 Dalmatians ). The television series Mortal Kombat: Conquest was filmed at Disney-MGM for its one-season run (1998 - 1999). When the series was canceled, Disney bought the sets so that walking tour guests would have something to look at.

In 2001, the Backstage Pass walking tour closed permanently.

Four photos by Allen Huffman, 1998

The walking tour entrance repurposed as the tram tour entrance

Four photos by Allen Huffman, 1996 and 1997

Water tank special effects stage

Four photos by Allen Huffman, 1998 and 2001

Residential Street

Boneyard vehicles

Two photos by Allen Huffman, 2001

Washington Square Arch and backlot church

The Studio Backlot Tour began with a modified version of the water effects tank from the walking tour. Then, instead of continuing to the special effects workshop and soundstages, guests went through a prop warehouse and onto an abbreviated tram tour.

The residential street was removed in 2003 to make way for the huge Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show , so the tram tour only had the costume department, scenic shop, Catastrophe Canyon, and miscellaneous boneyard props along the route.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007

Modified water effects tank in 2007

Costuming—for the parks, not for movie production

Catastrophe Canyon, always the big scene of the tram tour

In it final years, the whole tour was just 35 minutes.

Did you ever wonder why there is such an imposing studio gate at the entrance to the Animation Courtyard?

Studio gate with Disney-MGM Studios signage (1989 - 2007)

It’s because it originally served as the entrance into the “movie studio” where the Backstage Studio Tour began. The idea was that you were leaving the public street (Hollywood Boulevard) and entering a movie studio complex. Real movie studios in Hollywood had entrance gates from city streets.

The Magic of Disney Animation tour—featuring the film Back to Neverland (with Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite) and a working animation studio—had a modest entrance to the right of the Backstage Studio Tour . The Soundstage Restaurant contained sets from the 1988 Bette Midler comedy Big Business . On the second level of the Soundstage Restaurant, guests could drink at the Catwalk Bar, a full bar overlooking the sets. Nearby, the studio’s production facilities turned out movies and television shows, including The All New Mickey Mouse Club (or MMC ). Guests on the walking tour might even see filming in progress.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009

Studio gate with the Disney’s Hollywood Studios signage (2008 - )

Gradually, the focus of the plaza inside the studio gate changed to animation. The Soundstage Restaurant was rethemed so the guests sat among “sets” from the animated Aladdin instead of the live-action Big Business . (Later, the former Soundstage Restaurant became the home of live shows based on Disney television programs for young children.) The former Catwalk Bar became a character greeting location. The Voyage of the Little Mermaid is based of the movie that launched Disney’s “Second Golden Age of Animation.” What had once been the tram tour entrance became the grand entrance to The Magic of Disney Animation . With the new focus came a new name for the area—Animation Courtyard.

Surprisingly, when the name of the park changed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the beginning of 2008, the Imagineers did not use it as an opportunity to retheme the studio gate as an appropriate entrance to the Animation Courtyard. Instead, they simply replaced the old logo with the new logo.

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© 2014-2020 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks

Updated February 28, 2020.

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Backstage Tours and Experiences • Walt Disney World

Want to experience a different side of the Walt Disney World Resort? A variety of unique Backstage Tours and Experiences are available. Reservations are required for most tours. Unless noted otherwise, tours can be reserved 60 days in advance with a credit card. Full payment is due at the time of booking . Cancellation must occur 48 hours in advance so you avoid forfeiting the entire price of your tour. Park admission is also required for most, but not all tours. A photo ID will usually be required when checking in. Many tours have a small number of guests touring each day, so book early to get the date you desire. Photographs are prohibited in backstage areas. Use the Disney World website or My Disney Experience app for reservations, unless otherwise noted.

Magic Kingdom Tours   Epcot Tours   Animal Kingdom Tours Disney Springs   Multi-Park Tours   Resort Tours

Magic Kingdom Backstage Tours and Experiences

Disney’s keys to the kingdom tour.

Highlights the fascinating history of Walt Disney World Resort and also provides backstage access to secret areas of Magic Kingdom theme park. Includes stops at backstage facilities and a variety of favorite attractions, plus a trip below Magic Kingdom theme park into the service tunnels known as the Utilidors. Guests will be provided with Disney issued listening devices.

Days & Times: 4 tours daily at 8:00 am, 8:30 am, 9:00 am and 9:30 am

Duration: 4.5 – 5 hours

Price Range: $129-$149 per person, plus tax; includes lunch at Pecos Bill.

Park Admission: Required but not included

Restrictions: Ages 16 and up. Photo ID required. Also, cameras, video equipment and cell phones may not be used throughout the duration of this tour. Photography is prohibited during the tour–even in the park.

Starting Location: Report to Town Square Theater 15 minutes prior. Walking tour is primarily outdoors.

Discounts: Disney Visa (15%), DVC (15%), Annual Pass (15%)

To Reserve: Use the My Disney Experience app or Walt Disney World website. Same-day bookings are on a walk-up basis only, based on availability.

EPCOT Backstage Tours and Experiences

Epcot dive quest.

Description: A unique scuba diving experience inside the 5.7-million-gallon saltwater tank at the Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion in EPCOT theme park. Scuba-certified Guests can swim with over 2,000 sea creatures, including sea turtles, angelfish, dolphins, eagle rays and sharks. All diving equipment is provided. Please bring a swim suit and, if you wish, bring your own dive mask, particularly if you have a prescription mask.

Days & Times: Daily at 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm

Duration: 3 hours, of which 40 minutes are underwater

Price Range: $229-$249 per person, plus tax

Park Admission: Not Required (or included)

Restrictions: All Guests must be SCUBA-certified and 10 years of age or older to participate. However, guests 10 to 16 years of age must be accompanied by a paying adult (18 years of age or older). You will need to provide proof of certification, such as a C-card or verification from a certifying agency.

Starting Location: Report to EPCOT Guest Relations window outside of the park main entrance 15 minutes prior

To Reserve: Use the My Disney Experience app or Walt Disney World website.

Dolphins in Depth

Guests can learn about and get up close with a school of dolphins at The Seas with Nemo & Friend s Pavilion. First, talk to the expert trainers and researchers who work with dolphins every day. The tour concludes with a very special opportunity for an up-close interaction with a dolphin which is also perfect for pictures. Although not required, please bring a bathing suit if you wish to enter the water. You do not need to swim or be scuba certified to enjoy this program. This experience is limited to 8 participants a day.

Days & Times: Tuesday through Saturday at 10:30 am

Duration: 2 hours

Price Range: $209 per person, plus tax

Restrictions: Guests must be 48″ tall, however guests under the age of 18 years must have a parent or guardian along with them on the tour.

Starting Location: Report to EPCOT Guest Relations window outside of the park main entrance at 9:30 am

Behind the Seeds at EPCOT

See the future of agriculture in greenhouses and labs, release lady bugs and also learn the advanced and often experimental techniques used to grow hydroponic crops with little or no soil. You can preview this tour on the Living with the Land attraction. If you like what you see as your boat cruises through the greenhouse, you will love the this tour. Due to the backstage locations visited on this tour, videotaping is allowed. Read a first-hand report about this tour on our blog . See a special souvenir you can take home from this tour!

Days & Times: Daily from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, departing every 60 minutes.

Duration: 1 hour

Price Range: $39-$45 per Guest (ages 3+), plus tax

Restrictions: Ages 3 and up however children must be accompanied by a supervising adult.

Starting Location: Report to the tour desk on the lower level of the Land pavilion (near Soarin’) prior to your tour. Walking tour is indoors.

Animal Kingdom Park Backstage Tours and Experiences

Wild africa trek.

Wild Africa Trek is an immersive experience offering a unique opportunity to enjoy unexplored areas of the Harambe Reserve while experiencing with intriguing African wildlife. While trained guides lead, begin in the Safi River valley where expedition harnesses allow for crossing precarious rope bridges. Enjoy up-close views of Nile hippos and crocodiles. Continue along the edge of an African savannah, and board a specialized vehicle for an exclusive safari, including a stop at a private safari camp. Guests will use a wireless headset in order to hear the guide at all times. Cameras and video cameras are allowed if securely fastened to the vest but no backpacks are allowed. Lockers will be available for Guest to leave their personal belongings while on the tour. A portion of the Tour price is also donated to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.

Days & Times: Daily at select times during the morning and early afternoon. 12 spaces are available each tour, so reserve your spot early. Approximate times are 8:45 am, 10:15 am, 11:45 am, and 12:30 pm.

Duration: 3 hours

Price Range: $219-$229 per person, plus tax; includes African-inspired snack and photographs

Restrictions: Ages 8 and up (however under 18 must be accompanied by an adult); Weight restrictions between 45 lbs – 300 lbs apply with harness gear on; Minimum Height 48″/122 cm. Guests will be required to step on scale prior to harness issue. Also, certain body shapes may prevent the safety harness from fitting properly. Closed-toe shoes with a back strap or hiking boots required due to the rugged terrain on the tour. No flip-flops will be allowed.

Everyone will wear safety equipment that is issued on the tour. Wild Africa Trek is an outdoor physical journey requiring stamina, surefootedness and comfort with heights. Guests should also be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not participate due to the requirements of the tour. There are no bathroom breaks for 2 hours. Waivers must be completed at check in for all participants.

Guests seeking a less strenuous or wheelchair-accessible trek should contact Wild Africa Trek operations at (407) 938-1373 for alternative programs. Basically, the first 90 minutes is spent with a guide on the Pangani Trail with information, photos and possible special happenings. Guests on the restricted tour then join the regular tour on the Safari Truck and continue to do the remainder of the regular Tour. The price is the same for either version of the tour.

Starting Location: Check in at the Curiosity Animal Tours kiosk, located across from Kilimanjaro Safaris entrance approximately 15 minutes prior to tour start.

Discounts: Disney Visa (15%), DVC (15%), Annual Pass (15%) (all discounts might not be available for all tours)

Caring for Giants Tour

Get a closer look at the majestic African elephants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom—and learn what it takes to care for them.

During this tour, you’ll meet with dedicated animal specialists who provide for the care and wellness of the African elephant herd. They’ll give you a glimpse into their day-to-day responsibilities as they provide fascinating facts about the elephants. In addition, African cultural representatives will share stories of Disney’s conservation efforts dedicated to the preservation of wild populations. During the tour, Guests will be able to observe the elephants from approximately 80 to 100 feet away. You’ll have the opportunity to be closer to the elephants than you would during other in-park experiences.

This is primarily an outdoor tour. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes.

Days & Times: Daily from 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm

Duration:  approximately 1 hour

Price Range: $39 per person plus tax

Park Admission:  Required but not included

Restrictions: Ages 4 and up. Guests under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a participating adult (18 years of age or older).

Starting Location:  Check in at the Curiosity Animal Tours kiosk, located across from Kilimanjaro Safaris entrance approximately 15 minutes prior to tour start.

Up Close with Rhinos Tour

Get ready for your close-up with the white rhinoceros. In this guided adventure, the rhinos’ keepers will take you backstage to meet these massive creatures as few people ever do. As your guides introduce you to the park’s white rhinos, they’ll offer fascinating insights into the species’ behavior and biology and discuss the challenges that threaten populations in the wild.

Days & Times: Daily at 11:00 a.m.

Price Range: $49 per person plus tax

Savor the Savanna

Excite all your senses with a private tour and experience, starting with a secluded overlook of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, including a sampling of African-inspired cuisine and drink.

Days & Times: Daily at 3:15 pm and 4:30 pm

Duration: approximately 2 hour

Price Range: $189-$199 per person plus tax

Restrictions: Ages 8 and up. Guests under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a participating adult (18 years of age or older).

Disney Springs Tours

Drawn to life page to stage signature experience.

Enjoy even more magic at Drawn to Life with the Page to Stage Signature Experience. Go behind the scenes of this one-of-a-kind collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and Disney Animation. You’ll watch the performance from your premium seat location with a non-alcoholic beverage and a snack of your choice. Afterwards, your host will take you on a guided backstage tour for an up close and personal look at show props, stagecraft, costumes, and more. This experience includes the chance to meet a Drawn to Life performer and capture a photo, and you’ll take home a unique souvenir keepsake. Tickets are subject to taxes and fees. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Subject to availability.

Days & Times: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday – Available only on late performances

Price Range: $258 per person plus tax

Park Admission: No park admission needed. Price includes ticket to Drawn to Life.

Starting Location: Check in with your host upon arrival.

Discounts: None at this time.

To Reserve: Visit the Cirque du Soleil ticket page .

Multi-Park Backstage Tours and Experiences

Vip guided tour services.

VIP Tour Services offers personalized tours for up to 10 guests looking for the perfect Walt Disney World Resort vacation. During a VIP tour, from the moment you arrive your personal VIP guide is there to take care of everything—from creating your ideal itinerary to getting you the best seats in the house for live shows, parades and nighttime spectaculars. During your time with your guide, your focus is only on enjoying the experience.

Days & Times: Anytime of day, 7 hours prior to park closing.

Duration: Minimum of 7 hours or more

Price Range: $450 to $900 per hour, plus tax (depending upon time of year and whether guest is staying at a Disney resort or non-Disney resort hotel). Private transportation is available during the tour at an additional cost. Hefty cancellation fees apply (equivalent to 2-hours at the booked rate).

Location: Available for Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Epcot

To Reserve: Call (407) 560-4033 up to 60 days in advance. Must be reserved at least 72 hours in advance.

Resort Backstage Tours and Experiences

Wilderness back trail (segway) adventure.

See the the stunning surroundings of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort along back wooded trails on a Segway X2 Personal Transporter. Various terrains are encountered such as sand and wood chip paths as well as various wildlife. Training is provided before tour and helmets are provided. Mid-tour there is also a stop at the Tri-Circle D Ranch. Also, guests should bring cameras. Class size is limited to 10 guests, so book early to ensure availability.

Days & Times: Tues – Sat at 8:30 am . No Disney transportation is provided for the 8:30 am tour.

Price Range: $90-$99 per person, plus tax; includes bottled water.

Park Admission: Not Required

Restrictions: Ages 16 and up. Photo ID required. Weight must be between 100-250 pounds. Signature of parent/guardian also required for ages 16 and 17. Expectant mothers and also those with special needs should forego this tour or check regarding additional restrictions. Helmets provided and required. Flip-flops, sandals or rocker/exercise-type shoes (e.g., Skechers Shape-Ups) will not be permitted as these are not compatible with the Segway.

Starting Location: Report to Meadows Bike Barn in Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground 15 minutes prior. Tour is both indoors & outdoors.

Discounts: DVC (15%), Disney Visa, Annual Passholders (15%)

Starlight Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge

Description:  During your safari, join an Animal Programs cast member on an hour-long safari of the Sunset Savanna at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas. Through the use of night vision goggles, guests will see the animals while enjoying resort in a whole new way.

Days & Times: Daily at 8:30 pm and 10:00 pm

Price Range: $75.65-$89 per person.

Park Admission: Not applicable

Restrictions: Ages 8 and up.

Starting Location: Kidani Village

** Walt Disney World Backstage Tours and Experiences are subject to change. **

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Disney World Backstage Tours

Ever wanted to know what exactly goes on behind some of those restricted area gates that are found throughout WDW?  Disney World's Backstage Tours are a great way to find out!  Giving you detailed access behind the scenes in and around the four parks, these tours are a great way to see a part of Disney not readily available to the regular park-going masses.  Being Disney enthusiasts, we've stockpiled our best info on how to get the lesser-known info at your very own tour!

Among the tours Disney offers are the Backstage Magic (7 hours behind the magic at the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot) and Backstage Safari (a three hour tour of the Animal Kingdom) as well as Segway tours of Epcot and Fort Wilderness.  You might choose to get up close and personal with Epcot marine life in three separate tours, or choose to get into a holiday mood with a seasonal tour.

Whatever you'd like to discover, we're here to help.  We hope you find make our insider pages your go-to source for WDW info when planning your next Disney vacation!

Read the Washington Post's reviews of many of the backstage tours.

See Disney World a whole new way through a backstage tour and experience.

See Disney World a whole new way on a backstage tour or special experience!

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Five Things We LOVED about the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

While change is inevitable at Walt Disney World, there are some attractions whose fond farewells hurt more than others. This was certainly true of the Studio Backlot Tour , which was the premiere attraction when then-MGM Studios opened on May 1, 1989. The attraction closed permanently on September 27, 2014, to make way for Toy Story Land.

This was one of the most unique attractions in Disney World. It’s combination walking tour and ride made for a complete experience that took guests through the movie-making process. Both entertaining and educational, this attraction was full of memorable components that we miss to this day.

The Original

The original version of the Studio Backlot Tour, then called Backstage Studio Tour, was much longer. In fact, it was a whopping two hours long, and Disney had built in a break for guests half way through! In 1996 the attraction was renamed the Studio Backlot Tour, and by then much of the attraction had changed from its original concept.

The Harbor Attack  Experience

The first major component of the Studio Backlot Tour most people will remember is the  Harbor Attack  show. Those lucky enough to have been selected as volunteers would act out a scene in a large show area while the other guests watched. The purposes of this portion of the attraction was to show guests how water tanks are utilized on film sets to create special effects. Where else in Disney World can you have this sort of unique experience nowadays!?

The Prop Warehouse

One of the remaining pieces of the walking portion of the Backlot Tour was the prop warehouse. This room, which brought guests out to the tram loading area, held countless props and costume pieces from films such as  Who Framed Roger Rabbit , The Santa Clause,  Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , and  The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

The Boneyard

One of the lasting parts of the tram tour was a trip to the boneyard. This is a place where guests could see vehicles used in several films, including  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,  and  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest . It was around this portion of the tram ride where guests would get a great view of the “Earful Tower”, the original icon of the park.

Catastrophe Canyon

Most guests will remember Catastrophe Canyon as the “grand finale” of the Studio Backlot Tour. In its original version, this would be near the conclusion of the first half of the attraction, with the walking tour taking up the second half. This ‘live’ movie set gave guests a glimpse into the special effects process when shooting a film. Effects included a rumbling earthquake that would shake the trams, a fuel truck explosion (complete with a fireball), and a flood of water rushing towards the trams. Once the sequence was over, the set would reset before the guests’ eyes, again lifting the veil on the movie making process.

What was YOUR favorite part of the Studio Backlot Tour? Let us know in the comments!

Get more from Disney's Hollywood Studios at the links below!

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5 Replies to “Five Things We LOVED about the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios”

I miss the backlot tour. My family and I always enjoyed it. I liked the prop room and was once chosen for The Harbor Attack Experience. It was a blast!!

We went the first year it was operating and it was wonderful. They did a little bank robbery scene while you were going by, you saw the home fronts with the open backs that they used to film, you went through wardrobe design and my whole family got to participate in the harbor attack. It took a long time but, it was great.

Once Disney made the decision to abandon the idea of a true working studio (both live action and animation) in Florida, a “behind the scene” tour ceased to make sense.

While I enjoyed the tour in its early days, several years later, during a trip to California, I did the Universal backlot tour. Now that was an authentic “behind the scenes” look with a rich history. Disney’s version,‘by comparison falls short.

how about ❤️ For the cast members who worked this attraction. My daughter did! The spiel was very long asked an accomplishment to learn. They brought the emotion and excitement to the different sets. It was such a fun experience

In my mind, I group this and the animation tour together as one. They are both a tremendous loss. For me, the biggest things missed are the Williams/Cronkite film (animation) and the Midler film (studio walking). They were informative and entertaining. I also liked seeing how the animation working area was set up and the film stage areas, even if there was nothing live happening. I would have loved the Studios to succeed as a working studio, but there is much historical and educational benefit that could have been preserved.

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November 13, 2023

Written by: jim smith.

(A version of this article was shared with Pirates & Princesses and published on November 15, 2023.)

“Hooray for Hollywood!”

Since the days of silent films, cinematic stories have faithfully transported viewers from their own lives to another world (at least for a couple hours at a time). While those precious movie theater moments provide a welcome break from the stresses of “real life”, it is also interesting to learn how some of our favorite stories are immortalized on film. In this edition of Dearly Departed Disney , let’s peek behind the curtain and explore some of the moviemaking magic Disney staged for guests, beginning with the Backstage Studio Tour and ending with the Studio Backlot Tour.

In the Beginning…

The 1980s were a time of great expansion for Walt Disney World. EPCOT Center opened to guests on October 1, 1982, exactly eleven years after Magic Kingdom first opened to the public. From there, Disney’s most innovative theme park continued to develop and evolve, adding several more pavilions in both World Showcase and Future World .

One of EPCOT’s new pavilion ideas was to be based on Hollywood. It would present the glory days of American cinema. The idea for the pavilion didn’t fit neatly into either of EPCOT’s regions, but newly-assigned Disney CEO Michael Eisner wanted to explore the concept further.

Hello, Neighbor!

While Disney was mulling over the Hollywood concept, a new neighbor moved in down the street. Movie studio powerhouse Universal announced plans to build a new theme park in Orlando, just a few miles away from Walt Disney World. According to Universal’s announcement, the new park would give guests on the east coast the chance to experience the movies, and catch a glimpse of life on a movie lot.

Just like that, Eisner found the solution to his Hollywood problem within the adversity of a direct competitor. In response to Universal’s announcement, Eisner fast-tracked an idea much larger than that which Disney had previously considered. The Hollywood “pavilion” would become a theme park in its own right. Disney partnered with film giant MGM Studios, and hastily developed Disney-MGM Studios. 

Walt Disney World’s third theme park opened on May 1, 1989 –  a full year before Universal opened their first Orlando theme park. Disney-MGM Studios was envisioned to provide guests with a celebration of the movies, from both sides of the camera, and as such had two anchor attractions. The Great Movie Ride – tucked behind a full-scale replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – treated guests to a taste of many iconic American film scenes. Conversely, the Backstage Studio Tour took guests behind the scenes to examine many different facets of moviemaking.

Disney’s Backstage Studio Tour

Welcome to the movies! Got a couple hours to spare? That’s how long the original incarnation of the Backstage Studio Tour took guests to complete. Let’s walk (and ride) through the attraction as it originally operated, then we’ll chronicle the transformation of this gigantic two-hour tour into the modest-sized thirty minute experience it was reduced to prior to its closing in 2014.

The Backstage Studio Tour’s pre-show was a little more like “queues with character.” Guests waited in four different lines underneath a large canopy, which boasted props from several different Disney films, including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pearl Harbor, The Rock, and Armageddon . With the exception of Pirates of the Caribbean , all of these films were directed by Michael Bay. This comes as no surprise, since the queue area also featured a film loop, narrated by Michael Bay, showing guests how some of the special effects scenes from Pearl Harbor were filmed. It’s also worth noting that four volunteers were plucked from the queue area to participate in a portion of the attraction to come later.

The Tram Ride

After getting through the pre-show queue, guests boarded shuttles at the Backstage Shuttle Station. The first stop along the tour was the production center where guests would see several facets of film production. Let’s explore them here.

Costuming and Scenic Shop

This was the area where Cast Members would create outfits and sets that would be used in various places around the Walt Disney World property. In a park map from 1989, Disney billed the scenic shop as “If it’s in the script, here’s where the studio craftsmen will build it.”

Residential Street and New York Street

Once out of the design area, guests would coast down Residential Street, taking in the exterior sights of houses from classic sitcom shows like The Golden Girls and Empty Nest , as well as films like Splash Too and Ernest Saves Christmas .

Moving on to New York Street, guests traveled by the busy storefronts, offices, residential buildings, and subway stops of downtown New York. Of course, there were no people or vehicles roaming the street, other than the tour trams, so the street had a slightly creepy abandoned feel of an apocalypse. But forced perspective was on full display here, convincing guests they are surrounded by taller buildings and a street that went on for miles.

The Boneyard

Sprinkled along the tram’s route were stretches spotlighting the park’s “greens department” with character-shaped topiaries, and a “Boneyard” filled with prop vehicles from different films and television shows. Guests could spy Judge Doom’s Dip machine from Who Framed Roger Rabbit , ships from the original Star Wars franchise, and motorcycles from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade . This route through the Boneyard offered the best view of the Earffel Tower (the park’s original icon) and a sentimental favorite – Walt Disney’s private plane – N234MM (where the MM stands for Mickey Mouse).

Catastophe Canyon

The last stop on the tram tour was a worthy finale. Catastrophe Canyon was an experience that simulated popular movie disasters. Guests would shake in an earthquake, witness falling power lines and the fiery explosion of a fuel tanker truck, and even survive a massive flash flood from a breached water tower.

Guests could literally feel the heat from the flames and the mists from the splashes. This energetic demonstration never failed to satisfy!

The Walking Tour

As Indiana Jones said in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, “We walk from here.”

After completing the tram tour, guests put their feet back on the ground and got a mid-attraction break before embarking on the walking portion of the experience. This midway point offered bathrooms, shops, and food, to re-energize guests for the second half of the tour.

Water Effects Tank

The Water Effects Tank was located in an outdoor area, and sported props setting the scene for Disney’s film Pearl Harbor, including the deck and engine room of a patrol boat. While Cast Members explained how the water and props could be used in filming scenes from action films, those volunteers plucked earlier from the pre-show queue were set up to participate in a filming demonstration. One lucky volunteer sat in the engine room and was swamped by a deluge of about a thousand gallons of water. The other three volunteers stood on the deck during a simulated attack. Underwater explosions, simulated torpedo bursts, and fireballs added an alarming amount of realism to the simulation. After filming was completed, the footage was edited together, along with previously recorded footage of airplane attacks and dialogue. The final film was then shown to the guests, to amusing delight.

Special Effects Workshop and Shooting Stage

This is the area where TV and movie productions were planned to take place, as the 1989 park map invited guests to “Explore the fascinating science of optical and mechanical effects.” Unfortunately, the production facilities failed to take off as a “real movie studio”, and guests often saw empty spaces on the shooting stage portion of their walking tour. But there were fun set pieces to enjoy, from films such as The Santa Clause (starring Disney Legend Tim Allen ), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , and The Rocketeer .

Post Production Editing and Audio

This portion of the walking tour exposed guests to the area where editors, sound engineers, and other technicians add the finishing touches to films and television shows. Similar to the shooting stage before, the post production area was often uninhabited when there were few films and shows actually being produced here.

The Walt Disney Theater

The final stop on the walking tour was the Walt Disney Theater, where guests could enjoy sneak peeks of upcoming Disney films. Think of this as the happy ending to the tour, and a reminder to head to your local movie theater soon.

Attraction Editing

The whopping two-hour tour of the original Backstage Studio Tour saw many “edits” over the years, trimming the experience from a once-robust two hours down to a scant thirty minutes.

The first of these edits was the removal of New York Street from the tour only months after the attraction opened. Due to the popularity of this portion of the tour, combined with the need for guests to have more places to roam freely within the park, New York Street was split off from the tour, enhanced with another street reflecting the landscape of San Francisco, and renamed the Streets of America.

Within two years of the attraction’s opening, the attraction was officially split into two separate portions, each with its own entrance. A 1991 park guide book listed the “Backstage Studio Tour featuring Catastrophe Canyon” as a “30-minute shuttle ride”, while the walking portion was billed as ”Inside the Magic: Special Effects and Production Tour.” At this point, the sum total of both experiences was a little over an hour in length.

In 1990, the Walt Disney Theater was removed from the walking tour and transformed into Here Come The Muppets , featuring favorite Muppet characters. As the photo shows, the Muppets participating in the show were all “human-sized” and a little unnerving as a result. How can Kermit be anything other than two-feet tall (unless he’s a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade )?

Less than a year and a half later, Here Come the Muppets was replaced with The Voyage of the Little Mermaid , which enjoyed a much longer run of over 28 years.

By 1994, guide maps listed the Backstage Studio Tour as a “25-minute shuttle ride” and Inside the Magic as a “35-minute tour.” The trimmed attractions worked out fine however, considering the park had grown in size, adding Sunset Boulevard and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror . With the film and television production facilities failing to find their footing as a real studio, the transformation of Disney-MGM Studios from a studio park to a more immersive theme park had begun.

Studio Backlot Tour

As the 1990s moved on, the Backstage Studio Tour was renamed the Studio Backlot Tour. But the attraction wasn’t simply renamed – it added the water tank special effects experience to the front of the tour, followed by the tram portion. A nice end-cap to the tour was a museum exhibit based on the American Film Institute (AFI) 50 Greatest Villains. Many of the villains on the list were represented with life-sized figures in display cases, with drawings and pictures of them from their films.

The Inside the Magic walking tour was renamed Backstage Pass. At this point, the tour combined the special effects shop with the soundstage displays and demonstrations, including sets from Disney movies or TV shows like 101 Dalmatians (1996 live-action film) and Home Improvement . Backstage Pass limped along for about five years, closing in 2001.The spaces occupied by Backstage Pass were repurposed into the show-type attractions Who Wants to be a Millionaire – Play It and Journey into Narnia , as well as the fan-favorite attraction Toy Story Mania.

Lights, Camera, Destruction!

The Studio Backlot Tour shrunk even further in 2003, as Residential Street was removed to make way for Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, which ran from 2005 to 2016 . While the stunt show still was impressive and had the DNA of the original studio park concept, it left the tram tour with only the Costuming and Scenic Shop, Catastrophe Canyon, and miscellaneous Boneyard props along the route.

In 2008, Disney changed the name of the theme park from Disney-MGM Studios to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While the word “studios” remained a part of the park’s name, the concept of including working studio components continued to fade. The tour limped along for another six years, with the live cast member tour guide interaction being replaced by a pre-recorded program. On September 27, 2014, the Studio Backlot Tour was closed for a “temporary refurbishment.” Unfortunately for many studio-loving fans, the temporary refurbishment became a permanent closure when Disney announced the development of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at that year’s D23 Celebration.

This closure proved to be the writing on the wall, hinting at the end of the whole movie studio concept. The final nail in the coffin was the 2017 closure of The Great Movie Ride, which was replaced by Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. While a portion of the park remains a celebration of classic Hollywood, surrounding areas are now rethemed to offer guests stories set in more immersive film settings.

Beyond the Boneyard

The Backstage Studio Tour and Studio Backlot Tour are no longer part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but nods to this original park attraction can be found, if you know where to look. 

Have you visited Disney’s Wilderness Lodge ? The old mining equipment found around the resort’s Boulder Ridge Cove Pool was repurposed from Catastrophe Canyon.

Walt Disney’s Plane was given a complete refurbishment, shown to adoring guests at 2022’s D23 Expo, and now resides at Palm Springs Air Museum, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.

Movie History

Every good Hollywood story comes to an end, and the Backstage Studio Tour is no exception.

Fans of the tour miss the nostalgia of seeing props from yesteryear, and film aficionados have lost the means to peek behind the curtain of Disney moviemaking.

But living up to Walt Disney’s philosophy of his parks never being “finished”,  Disney had shifted the park’s focus to one of full immersion, where guests could ”live their favorite movie moments.” Disney’s Hollywood Studios may no longer simulate a working studio lot, but it does offer guests a chance to become part of the story. And that is, ultimately, what Walt wanted to do when he envisioned Disneyland – the park that started it all. 

Thanks for joining us backstage. Please follow along here for additional articles in this series . We’ll continue to explore many other former attractions and experiences from Walt Disney World, including Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. We will also visit Disneyland and other Disney destinations!

Sources referenced in writing this article include:

Disney Wiki – Studio Backlot Tour

Backstage Studio Tour Featuring Catastrophe Canyon, Werner Weiss, 10/3/2014

Extinct Attractions: Walt Disney World’s Studio Backlot Tour, Cole Geryak, 1/30/2020

Attraction Archaeology: Studio Backlot Tour, Savannah Sanders, 1/11/2020

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Disney world | orange deputies arrest ‘potential serial killer’ in slayings of two women, things to do, theme parks, disney world, disney world | cirque du soleil adds behind-the-scenes option at disney springs.

Cirque du Soleil is adding a behind-the-scenes tour for “Drawn to Life,” the theatrical production at Disney Springs . The new “Page to Stage Signature Experience” will include exclusive access before and after select shows.

Participants will receive a backstage tour, an artist meet-and-greet, premium show seating, a “Drawn to Life” gift bag, a souvenir popcorn bucket, personalized check-in and other benefits. There will be a limit of nine guests per experience.

The post-performance tour will include an under-the-stage tour and looks at the show’s costumes and props.

“By showcasing the work of our talented artists and skilled technical team, attendees will gain a special insight into the magic that brings this collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and Disney animation to life,” Kevin Hargrove, company manager of “Drawn to Life,” said in a news release.

Disney sets August start date for Epcot Food & Wine fest

“Page to Stage” will be offered after the second performance on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting May 4. “Drawn to Life” is performed Wednesdays through Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The new experience costs $285 ($225 for ages 3-9). Tickets are now on sale through December.

Disney-Cirque’s ‘Drawn to Life,’ Epcot’s Broadway stars and fireworks: New, but improved? | Commentary

“Drawn to Life” debuted at Disney Springs in late 2021, taking over the stage that had been home to “La Nouba” for 19 years.  The new show’s story is inspired by Disney animators and has famed characters incorporated into the presentation in a Cirque du Soleil way.

For tickets or more information, go to cirquedusoleil.com/drawn-to-life .

Email me at [email protected] . Threads account: @dbevil . X account: @themeparks . Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters .

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A History of The Actors Studio

Written by Andreas Manolikakis

The Actors Studio was founded in New York by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis in 1947. For seven decades it has been devoted to the service and development of theatre artists –actors, directors and playwrights. To our members, who are primarily actors, The Actors Studio offers free lifetime membership, with no fee or tuition required, which entitles them to a unique opportunity to explore and improve their craft in a safe, laboratory environment with colleagues with whom they share the same process of work.

The roots of The Actors Studio go back to the Group Theatre (1931-1941) whose work was inspired by the discoveries of the great Russian actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski and his best student Eugene Vakhtangov as revealed in the legendary productions that the Moscow Art Theatre toured in America in 1923. In fact Stanislavski’s dedication to his book, ‘My Life in Art,’ (1924) reads: “I DEDICATE THIS BOOK IN GRATITUDE TO HOSPITABLE AMERICA AS A TOKEN AND A REMEMBRANCE FROM THE MOSCOW ART THEATRE WHICH SHE TOOK SO KINDLY TO HER HEART.”

When the Moscow Art Theatre ended its American tour, several members of the theatre stayed behind and trained artists, including Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman and Stella Adler, who would go on to form the Group Theatre along with other artists such as Elia Kazan, Sanford Meisner and Robert Lewis. These artists studied, explored, developed and improved the work of the Russian masters with extraordinary results that were unique in the history of the American theatre and a new kind of acting was born.

After the Group Theatre closed, in 1941, many of its members went their separate ways. Elia Kazan has stated that one of the principal reasons he created The Actors Studio, in 1947, was in order to preserve and develop this new American acting. He wanted to create a not-for-profit organization that would provide a laboratory, a private workshop in which the professional actor could work on his or her craft, far away from the commercial pressures of casting, rehearsal and performance. It was to be a place that would offer its member-artists an ongoing training, a continuity of work and the feeling of an artistic home like they had at the Group Theatre.

At the Studio, it was eventually decided that membership should be achieved through an audition process of preliminary and then final auditions where the only requirements are talent and the possibility of improvement.

In 1948, Lee Strasberg was asked by Elia Kazan to join the Studio as one of its teachers and in 1951 he became its Artistic Director, a position he maintained until his death in 1982. Strasberg’s deep understanding of the Stanislavski System and the reformulations of Vakhtangov, together with his own personal discoveries and improvements on the acting process, provided the foundation on which The Actors Studio based its work.

At the same time, the work of Elia Kazan as a theatre and film director demonstrated in the most powerful way the extraordinary results of the deep and personal process of acting espoused by The Actors Studio.

For seven decades, the very existence of The Actors Studio, the principles and values that it represents, the methodology of its work process, its consistency and long life have established the Studio as a unique theatre organization and a guiding light for actors, directors and playwrights around the world. For many it is considered the temple of the acting process.

Today the work that is done at The Actors Studio continues the Stanislavski-Vakhtangov-American approach, and most of the leading members of the Studio today have studied with more than one of these great American teachers: Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman, Elia Kazan, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner and Robert Lewis.

Currently, Ellen Burstyn, Alec Baldwin and Al Pacino serve as co-Presidents of the Studio. Beau Gravitte serves as Artistic Director in New York and Salome Jens and Lou Antonio serve as interim co-Associate Artistic Directors in West Hollywood at our Actors Studio West branch, which opened in 1966. The Actors Studio is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of members from both coasts.

After 70 years, The Actors Studio continues to thrive because it is needed. Goethe has said that, “The actor’s career develops in public, but his art develops in private.” The Studio provides its members with this special kind of privacy, along with a group of colleagues who share the same passion for what Studio members refer to as “The Work.”

In spite of the presence of The Actors Studio over many years and its extensive influence in America and worldwide, there still persist many misunderstandings of the Studio, its mentors, its philosophy and its process. These errors most often arise from discussions by some academics, theoreticians, historians and even by some theatre professionals who attempt to analyze and interpret a process of work that they have never learned through serious practice. The work of Stanislavski, Vakhtangov and The Actors Studio was arrived at through deep and lengthy practical experiments that elude rational analysis by non-practitioners.

In 1994 The Actors Studio entered a major new phase with the creation of The Actors Studio Drama School MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Program in acting, directing and playwriting, in order to bring the Studio’s method into a university setting. In September 2006, the Actors Studio Drama School moved to Pace University in downtown New York City, which also is the home of one of the program’s most visible teaching platforms, INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO, hosted by James Lipton.

Andreas Manolikakis is a Board Member of The Actors Studio and Chair of The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City.

The Moscow Art Theatre: A Model By N. Ostrovsky

What follows is a copy of an article found in Volume 1, Number 4 of Theatre Arts Magazine, published in August, 1917. I can only assume that the copyright on this article is now in the public domain. If not, my apologies. If any organization or individual holds claim to this material, please advise me, and it will be removed, if desired.

Although I do not necessarily find the opinions of the writer at all times agreeable, I do find it interesting to reflect upon the perceptions of one living in 1917.

The Moscow Art Theatre, sometimes known as "The Sea-Gull Theatre", is probably the most important center of dramatic art in Europe. It is not a theatre in the American sense. That is, it is not merely a building to which travelling companies come. Nor is it like your stock companies, which are based on purely commercial standards, and in which the actors have no more interest than that of making a living and playing up their personal acting. The Moscow Art Theatre is more like an art institution, or a craftsmen's cooperative society. It is hardly too much to say that it is the one art institution in Russia that is best known to the world.

The history of the theatre began with a revolt of a forward-seeing playwright, Nemirovitch-Danchenko, against the stupid conservatism of the established Russian theatres. He was a dramatic teacher as well as a writer -- the sort of man whom the American theatre merchants would call a theorist and an outsider. He met in 1897 the since-famous Konstantin Stanislavsky, who at that time had become known only for his connection with an amateur dramatic society. The two formed a partnership and determined to start a new kind of theatre.

The first company was made up chiefly of amateurs. Rehearsals were started in a barn in the suburbs of Moscow -- just as humbly as many of your American little theatres are starting. The first productions, which were given in the unsympathetic atmosphere of a variety theatre, were treated to a storm of abuse from the critics and the men of the older theatres. But a few people saw a new something in the company's work, and the founders persisted in their venture.

In the early years of the project, the company was hampered by lack of money, and like many other worthy art ventures, this once contracted a large debt during its first year. But it found means to continue, and later became an exceedingly profitable enterprise. At the end of its worst season, a wealthy amateur of Moscow became interested, and secured the present home of the theatre, building for it one of the most modern stages in Europe.

The productions at the theatre are generally divided into three groups. First, there was a realistic phase, when the founders emulated the famous Theatre Libre of Antoine in Paris. They were fortunate in discovering the plays of Anton Tchekov. These had been thrown aside by the regular theatres as impossible, but with them the Art Theatre made its first great successes. The tendency toward deepest realism and naturalism continued, with the works of Gorky, Ibsen, Tolstoy and Hauptmann, until the theatre became stamped as one of the foremost exponents of naturalistic doctrines. In staging, absolute imitation of natural life became the rule. There was even an attempt to provide the semblance of the fourth wall of a room at the front of the stage, and at another time four room were shown on the stage at once. And in historical productions every detail had to be archaeologically correct. While this period of the theatre's work is now seen to be very one-sided, it served a good purpose in demolishing the old trickery and conventionality in acting, which had been left over from the romantic movement, and it showed up the faults of the old artificial methods of stage setting.

But a group of inspired artists could not long be satisfied with mere naturalism. Retaining their new quiet method of acting, the company swung to the extreme away from realism in staging. It began to search for utter conventionalization, and adopted a method of symbolism. The name of Maeterlinck now comes into the theatre's history, and the symbolistic staging of The Blue Bird was one of the most interesting achievements of the company. But most important among the experiments in this direction was the production of Hamlet with no other setting than Gordon Craig's folding screens. This production has become celebrated throughout Europe as a classic example of simplified staging.

The third phase of the theatre's work brought a return to modified realism. While the naturalistic method of staging was not revived, the purely symbolistic method was set aside and realistic dramatists came into favor again. The theatre really tried to combine the two methods, attempting to interpret the realistic plays spiritually. It sought to attain truth to life -- but artistic and not photographic truth. While preserving the stylistic, symbolic and lyric notes, which it had learned to value in its second phase, it tried to get back to types of drama more closely related to the present world. In Tchekov's plays especially it has learned to create mood.

The acting company contains no "stars." Perfect ensemble effect is the aim of every player, and an actor who has an important part in one play may be hardly more than a "super" in the next. The theatre now has the reputation of being the home of perhaps the best acting in Europe. Its actors are not taken from regular theatres, but are preferably trained from youth by the Art Theatre members. A school, or "Studio," has been established for this purpose, and to make possible experiments in new methods of staging. There are no curtain-calls, no matter how successful the production has been. And the audiences are requested not to applaud at any time during the course of the play.

The managers of the theatre are very receptive in their attitude toward new ideas, as the invitation to Gordon Craig to produce Hamlet proves. But, on the other hand, they never accept a new idea hastily. Indeed, thoroughness is a marked characteristic of their work. The Hamlet production was in preparation intermittently for at least three years, and there were 150 rehearsals of The Blue Bird .

The theatre is organized on the repertory plan. It produces on an average fifteen plays each year, of which three or four may be new. But on account of the necessity of being self-supporting, the best productions may be kept on the stage for several weeks. The theatre seats only about 1,100 people, a happy medium between the little theatres and huge commercial theatres in this country. Its stage is properly equipped for art production, with revolving stage and other modern improvements.

The organization of the company is cooperative. The actors receive comparatively small salaries, but after five years with the theatre they share generously in its profits, which now are large. Many of the players could earn a great deal more with other theatres, but prefer the artistic advantages of a company in which they have a personal interest.

The administrative system is a model for art theatres everywhere. A board of directors, composed of artists and men of affairs specially interested in the theatre, controls the general policy. The purely artistic activities are placed in the hands of the famous director Stanislavsky, to whom the actors and other workers on the stage must be obedient, and there is a business secretary who has charge of administrative matters aside from the producing of plays. The audiences also feel a cooperative interest in the theatre, since nearly all the seats are sold under a yearly subscription plan. Incidentally, they cost less than seats at the American theatres.

Altogether, it is probable that your little theatres can learn more from the Moscow Art Theatre than from any other in the world.

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