The Inevitable Death of the Movie Studio Theme Park

Years ago, when it was still MGM Studios and still had the animation tour, my husband and I had an interesting experience. We were waiting to board a bus to park hop to another park, and my husband struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman behind us. Turned out he was one of the animators, and we spent a wonderful bus ride with him discussing his job, how Walt was to work for, movies he had worked on, etc. It was more fun than any ride we had gone on. Pity they couldn't keep the animation studio there, as an audience wouldn't interfere any more than they did when movies were silent.

In 1991 I worked on the Tram portion of the Disney MGM Studios. I bet I could sit down and give that tour off the top of my head. The park and its concept were fresh and exciting but we all know it never became Hollywood of the East. The weather just is never cooperating and the fact that people were walking around where they were or wanting to film. I would gather that the sound technicians went crazy with all the noise in the park by people and the park’s own music pumping out in the airways. But I loved that every day, several times a day I could tell people that “Inside the animation studio, the animators are working on the 31st full length, animated feature, film, beauty, and the beast” That was a thrill for me as well as for them. And because I worked there, I got to see a Daily of B&B where everything was mostly animated pencil drawings. That’s what guests probably wanted to see but couldn’t.

The "Hollywood East" movement did end up working out with productions now being shot mostly outside of Hollywood. Georgia and the Carolinas are especially popular. In the digital age it is easier to film elsewhere than it was in the early 90s. The parks were also really inconvenient for filming. Apparently Disaster Canyon's explosion was infamous for making some of the sound stages unpopular for use.

I honestly like both the movie studio theme park concept as well as immersive worlds like Harry Potter. It’s fun feeling like I’m walking down the streets of New York one minute and Beverly Hills the next.

I think even without the park being a functional studio for filming, leaning into the Hollywood theme could help parks as they struggled with an identity. A lot of people still like the allure of the old Hollywood mythos and it could be really cool to recreate iconic sets to allow people to feel like they've stepped into the film making process. (Edit) Or give us more Muppets! I'd love a land that is a "real" Muppet studio, there would be so many fun opportunities including the Great Muppet Movie ride!

It still ticks me off that the two best movie based rides no longer exists, Jaws and Back to the Future, yet crap like Fast and the Furious and The Tonight Show can take up space

The 90’s we’re the absolute peak of theme parks.(PERIOD) emphasis on THEME because if it didn’t fit the theme of the park and/or the “land” of the park it didn’t didn’t get made, unlike today.

One of my fondest memories of my final few years in Florida, was when 'The Tonight Show' recorded a week in Universal, and my friend got me a ticket to get a test run of the opening monologue for one of the shows. Jimmy came out, and did various jokes, to see which would land, and thus be kept in that night's show. I didn't get to sit in on the actual taping of the show, but it still felt like a rare experience that most people wouldn't get to have.

I would've mentioned how the original Universal Backlot "experience" ended within a year of sound production movies and wasn't brought back until the early 60s. This is quite an important note, because it is one of the key reasons that these studio theme parks failed. I think it would've been a good introductory foreshadowing to the overall story here - noting how, it failed once, and Hollywood didn't learn its lesson.

The frustrating part is that the one studio theme park where the theme works - Universal Hollywood - is getting rid of all the unique parts about the park and replacing them with an attempt to be Universal Florida west which they can’t do because of space and sound limitations. The only “see how movies are made” attraction still left is the tram tour and fortunately that at least isn’t going away

I feel like Disney Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios Florida should just rename their parks "Disney Random I.P. Grab Bag Extravaganza" and "Universal Random I.P. Dumping Ground Florida"...........because the theming of both parks is so lost and incohesive at this point that I have no idea what the overarching, unifying idea of either park even is anymore. And, in the latter's case, even worse because of the lack of sightlines throughout the park.

While Studios parks are not as popular, I am still surprised by the amount of actual production that happens at Universal Studios Florida…😊

It’s also worth noting that most movies nowadays aren’t even shot on practical sets anymore. It’s all CGI. And nobody is impressed by looking at a green screen

Universal Studios Hollywood is my home park and I go there very often. With the closure of animal actors and special effects show, I feel like the park has no identity anymore and doesn't tell a story

DCA is a park that represents a bridge between the studio park and the evolution into a series of story areas in a park that you describe USO and DHS has morphed into.

I just wanna say, I really appreciate how your channel feels like Defunctland season 2 with all of your topics being related to each other and interconnected in some way, it makes me feel like we’re building towards something bigger in that way. Love your content dude, keep up the amazing work.

The full backlot tour (walking and riding) was very interesting. Watching the animators was very cool. However I have heard that many on the animators didn't like the "fishbowl" they were working in.

When I was a kid, back in the late 80's I was so happy to have experienced Disney MGM studios. I got to see a part of the Disney Short Rollercoaster Rabbit. At that time I knew nothing on how anything was made and seeing animation being created right in front of me was really a amazing thing to me. I also got to go on the studio tour as well seeing the effects was great and I still have pictures of the ride. Also I think we did do the Universal tour as well. We did walk around the park area as I remember getting to sit in K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider and he did actually talk. I was unsure what to make of it at the time, but to this day I find it amazing I got to sit there when I could. Man that year was so memorable regardless of how now we can just make movies just like Hollywood can. I will never forget all the amazing memories of that time. it was truly the best years of my life.

I do think they truly wanted to get productions out there, but there were reasons why LA was chosen originally. One being the weather. LA gets more sun and less rain, which when filming started and relied on natural light sources, was necessary. Florida is know for sun, but also rain and hurricanes. It's a bit of an issue when filming in the Backlot, and production needs to shut down while it rains and then needs to dry. Also, the rain can add noise in the sound stages as well. The other thing was the talent also didn't want to move out for Florida, and would only fly in for filming. Which adds costs to production and issues if reshoots need to be done.

my dad used to work in the disney studio behind the park. he always loved to reminisce about walking past tower of terror everyday. i miss the magic mgm studios used to have 😭