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Hollywood Studios 25th Anniversary Event

Hollywood Studios 25th Anniversary Event

On May 1, 1989, Disney’s Hollywood Studios was opened. This year marked 25 years for the park and Disney offered many special events to commemorate the anniversary. As guests entered the park they were offered special 25 year buttons by Cast Members featuring the event’s logo, Mickey in classic movie director garb, complete with megaphone. Specialized park maps and times guides were also available to guests.

At 10AM, the festivities began with Watch the Drama, a rededication ceremony. The Citizens of Hollywood were the pre-show entertainment, featuring Cloe Canard, Mimi Kaboom, and Bo Wrangler. They challenged guests to Disney movie trivia, and were their usual comedic selves. At one point Bo brought out an action figure version of himself and had to explain to the ladies several times that it was not a doll, it moved just like Bo after all!

The ceremony began with host Don Lampkin, a 25 year Cast Member, taking the stage. Don hosted the original opening ceremony alongside Annette Funicello. Next up was Vice President of Hollywood Studios, Dan Cockerell. In 1989 Cockerell was in the Disney College Program at the Contemporary Resort. Over 80 Cast Members have been at Hollywood Studios since the very beginning, and Cockerell invited them to join the stage. The original dedication speech, originally read by Michael Eisner, was read and two guests of honor were introduced for the rededication. The first was Noel Campbell, a 25 year custodial Cast Member, who I personally remember seeing in the park several times in the past. Second was Linda Texter, a park guest who was there for opening day, and Cockerell spoke about the importance of park guests to Disney. Texter represented all park guests and Campbell all Cast Members. Their hands, along with Cockerell and Mickey Mouse, were cast in concrete and thus ended the ceremony.

Following the ceremony I went to see about getting a look at some of the event merchandise, located in Soundstage One. The line was wrapped around outside of the building! I don’t know how long the wait was, but I overheard someone say it was about three hours! Of course this may have been an exaggeration, but the line was definitely over an hour long. Later in the day the line had decreased significantly and I walked right in.

Foodwise, Disney had a few unique treats for the day. At many of the quick service locations a 25th Anniversary Chocolate Nutella Cupcake was featured. The icing had a hint of hazelnut to it, but nothing overpowering. The frosting was lighter than I had expected, as I was anticipating the more lardy variety found on many of Starring Role’s cupcakes. The cake itself was moist and rich. Overall the cupcake was rich, but not as heavy as I thought it would be. At Sweet Spells I spotted a very impressive caramel apple made to look like the park’s original icon, the Earful Tower! Later in the night drink carts appeared, offering two cocktails for the event. A Toast to Tinsel Town consisted of BOLS Peach Schnapps, Cupcake Prosecco, Monin Pomegranate, and was garnished with a strawberry. My drink was a little on the warm side, and I prefer my alcohol to be chilled a little more, but the drink was still quite tasty! It wasn’t too sweet due to the dryness of the Prosecco, and the pomegranate flavoring added a touch of tartness. I did not get a chance to try the other drink, called Hooray for Hollywood, which was comprised of Absolut Vodka, Chambord, and Pineapple juice.

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For a no obligation, FREE Quote with new bookings contact our sponsor Magical Vacation Planner by calling: 1(407)442-0289 Or for a free no obligation quote with new bookings you can fill out the form by Clicking HERE!

At 7PM, guests were given the chance to See the Stars, in a grand motorcade down Hollywood Boulevard. Each star was driven down the main drag in a Chevy Camero. Chip and Dale began the parade, and were followed by some of Disney’s youngest stars, Sophia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Phineas and Ferb. Next up were Belle and Ariel who were followed by another star of Hollywood Studios, Indiana Jones. Mr. Incredible and Frozone succeeded Captain Jack Sparrow. The next stars to round the corner were Darth Vader and a group of Stormtroopers who were making their way to the Sorcerer Hat Stage by foot. Toy Story stars Woody and Jessie were behind the Star Wars ensemble, and after them came the biggest stars of the night, Mickey and Minnie Mouse! The couple was dressed to the nines for an evening on the red carpet. All the stars of the motorcade joined Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz on stage along with the hosts of the event, Dara Vamp and Stone Granite.

With the conclusion of the motorcade, the Sorcerer Hat Stage was handed over to a DJ and the whole area turned into a giant dance party. It was about two hours before the final event was to start, so I used this opportunity to ride a few more attractions. I had seen signs earlier in the day near Midway Mania stating that the back part of the park would close promptly at 8:30PM. Closer to 9:30PM I found a spot on Hollywood Boulevard to watch the fireworks finale, Feel the Excitement. The show was amazing! It featured music from Toy Story, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Little Mermaid, Star Wars, The Twilight Zone, The Muppets, and finally the spectacular ended with Be Our Guest, from Beauty and the Beast.

I made a quick exit and was lucky to escape almost all of the traffic. The day was a fun look back on a park that is loved by guests for its ability to bring movies to life. Disney handled the crowds much better than the last special event at Hollywood Studios, Unleash the Villians. Overall, I was very pleased with the special day Disney created for its guests.

About MichelleB

A lifelong Disney fan, Michelle has been frequenting Disney World since she was three. She currently lives in the suburbs of Tampa and is studying mathematics at Florida Southern College. She aspires to be an industrial engineer for the Walt Disney Company and to visit every Disney park across the globe.