Hidden Mickey: History and Facts of Hollywood Studios

Before coming up with the idea of Disneyland, Walt wanted to have tours throughout his animation studios. This way people could learn about the movie-making process. He even wanted to add rides, like a small theme park. However, his idea kept growing - too big to fit into his actual studios. The Hollywood Studios park is what Walt's original idea of a studio backlot tour might have looked like.

At the same time Disney was planning their Hollywood theme park, Universal was also planning on establishing a Hollywood theme park in Orlando. The two had very similar attraction ideas. They parks were racing against each other to be the first one to open. Disney, of course, was the first to open on May 1, 1988.

A lot of people view Hollywood Studios as a half-day park. And Disney imagineers originally intended for Studios to be a half-day park. However, more was added to the park after its unpredicted popularity. Some additions are Sunset Boulevard, which feature Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.

Hollywood Studios is home to Walt Disney World's largest hidden Mickey. It is the park itself! However, this Mickey has become distorted with the addition of Sunset Boulevard.


If you have ever been to guest relations, you might have noticed that the building does not look like the others in the park. The guest relations building resembles a small cabin. This is to represent the residents of Hollywood before it became home to the stars.

The buildings along hollywood boulevard and sunset boulevard are designed after actual buildings in Hollywood.

You can find the dedication plaque between echo lake and the great movie ride. The plaque reads, "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."

I am not sure if this is true or not, but rumor has it that a cast member was fired for "cleaning" the fake cobwebs in the Tower of Terror queue line. The fake cobwebs were very expensive to create. Believe it or not, custodians actually do clean the queue. However, there are very strict rules on what exactly should be cleaned.

Studios is the only park that has had more than one icon. It's original icon was the Earful tower, the Mickey shaped water tower that was seen on the Backstage Tours. When that attraction closed, and the new millennium came around, the sorcerer hat became the new icon. A while ago, the hat was taken down, and now the park icon is now the Tower of Terror. 

Just like on Main Street, there are names and dedications on some of the windows on Hollywood Boulevard. One of them is a reference to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. This movie came out one year before Studios opened, and the movie takes place in the same time period (the golden age of hollywood)  as the park does. Above the Vine you can see "Eddie Valiant Private Investigator".

Just like the Hollywood walk of fame, there are signatures etched into the cement right outside of the Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Some signatures include Disney actors, like Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Steve Martin, who used to work in Disneyland, has signed his name here as well. And this is the only place you can find Audrey Hepburn's signature, as she never earned an official star in the real Hollywood. Don't forget to look for Mickey Mouse's signature, which is dated on Studio's opening day!

Tower of Terror was added to the park in order to compete with the thrill rides of Universal's park.

The Cast Member Cafeteria backstage is called Take Five.

Three Disney movies were animated in Florida - Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, and Brother Bear.

A revival of the Mickey Mouse Club TV show was filmed in the park. This was the same Mickey Mouse club where our favorite pop superstars - Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christian Aguilera - got their start!