7 Insider Facts About Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Caitlin C

Guests who visit Walt Disney World simply must spend time in Disney’s Hollywood Studios where they can step into the movies and television to feel like stars. Guests who spend time in the park can enjoy experiences that bring them to the other side of the camera to enjoy big action stunts, thrilling attractions, rocking experiences, and eerie worlds. From classic attractions to big thrills, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the favorite park of many guests. While guests spend lots of time exploring and enjoying the park on each Disney vacation, they might feel as though they know everything there is to know about Disney’s Hollywood Studios. However, there are tons of hidden secrets and details throughout the park that a lot of guests might never have noticed before! Here are seven things that they won’t tell you about Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but we will!

7. Alien’s Crew

When guests first enter into Disney’s Hollywood Studios they are greeted with the impressive Great Movie Ride at the end of Hollywood Boulevard. The attraction is housed in a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theater and features beautiful and opulent details. Once onboard the attraction, guests can travel directly into the movies and relive iconic moments from classic films like The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Fantasia, and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. One eerie scene featured on the Great Movie Ride brings guests to the ship Nostromo from the film Alien complete with audio-animatronic creatures ready to attack. While moving through the scene, guests seated on the left hand side of the attraction vehicles should look towards the floor to check out a crew list that features the status of members of the ship. While the list might seem authentic, it is actually paying tribute to the Imagineers who helped create and design the Great Movie Ride!

6. An Eerie Award

One of the most thrilling and creepiest attractions in Walt Disney World can be found on the end of Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror invites guests to star in their very own episodes of the television series and enter into the deserted Hollywood Tower Hotel where five guests mysteriously disappeared years before. Before entering into the library for the pre-show video, guests move through a lobby that is filled with many beautiful props that are covered in years’ worth of dust. Hanging on the wall of the lobby is a 13 Diamond Award presented to the hotel by the AAA, which seems rather ominous as the real award only reaches five diamonds.

5. Rod Serling

The host and creator of The Twilight Zone television series was Rod Serling who many guests recognize as the man who introduced each episode with a very particular speech. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is no exception to Serling’s hosting skills and he can be found narrating the pre-show that is aired in the library. Since the attraction was created after Serling passed away, the pre-show video is a compilation of original clips of him paired with a voice impersonator.

4. Hey Jude

Right next door to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is an equally thrilling attraction which allows guests to rock out. The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith brings guests into G Force Records where the band is recording their next big hit. Before boarding super stretch limos and rocketing through the neon lights of downtown, guests can enjoy a chance encounter with the band in the recording studio. While waiting to enter into the recording studio, guests should listen for a page that pays homage to one of the most influential bands in musical history. An employee comes over the intercom looking for another employee and calls out “Hey Jude!” referencing the famous Beatles song.

3. Muppet’s Key

Guests who are looking to laugh it up in Disney’s Hollywood Studios definitely need to head over to Muppet Vision 3D. The attraction invites guests into the world of the Muppets where 3D jokes, corny humor, musical numbers, big laughs, and chaos like only the Muppets can create can be enjoyed. Before entering into the small lobby which is home to the attraction’s pre-show video, guests pass through a small hallway which is home to several office doors. The first door on the right has a sign posted saying that the occupant will return in five minutes and that the key is under the mat. Sure enough, guests who take the initiative to look can spot the key waiting under the mat!

2. Lucas’ Page

Guests who are fans of the Star Wars universe are sure to absolutely love a thrilling attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Star Tours – The Adventure Continues brings guests on a routine Star Tours flight which soon takes a thrilling turn as a Rebel Spy is discovered onboard. With randomized 3D scenes showcasing familiar worlds and characters, Star Tours – The Adventure Continues is an amazing experience. Before boarding their Star Tours flights, guests should listen for a page that sounds like an alien name but actually references the man behind it all. The page calls for a “Egroeg Sacul” which is George Lucas backwards.

1. Hollywood Crates

Over in the Echo Lake section of Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests can enjoy beautiful scenery and a wonderful breeze while relaxing along the shores of the lake. Nearby is Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner which serves up quick service options that are sure to thrill guests. Right near the quick service dining location are a random pile of crates which might seem like random props but actually reference many big Hollywood films. Guests who pause to read the names and addresses on the crates can find references to Casablanca, The Producers, Gone with the Wind, and Citizen Kane.