After 37 Years, Disney Is Reworking One of Hollywood Studios’ Last Opening-Day Features
Guests heading toward Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios may notice something unusual waiting for them near the Chinese Theatre.
Construction barriers have appeared in front of the park icon as Disney crews work on replacing sections of pavement in the area. While the project is relatively small, its location has made it difficult for guests to miss.
The Chinese Theatre sits at the end of Hollywood Boulevard and serves as one of the most recognizable landmarks at Walt Disney World. Because of its importance to the park, even minor construction projects tend to attract attention from Disney fans.
The work currently underway focuses on several concrete sections located in front of the theatre. Freshly poured concrete can now be seen behind temporary barriers while crews complete repairs.
One of the most interesting parts of the project involves the celebrity handprints that have been a fixture of Hollywood Studios for decades.
Among the sections receiving attention is the Bob Hope signature and handprint display. Rather than removing the tribute, Disney appears to have recreated it in its original location while preserving the same date associated with the imprint.
For longtime visitors, these displays represent an important piece of the park’s history.
When Disney-MGM Studios opened in 1989, the Chinese Theatre courtyard featured celebrity handprints inspired by the famous Hollywood landmark in California. Over the years, actors, filmmakers, Disney legends, and entertainers added their names to the collection.
The displays became a popular feature for guests exploring the park and remain one of the few surviving elements from Hollywood Studios’ opening era.
Another section of fresh concrete has appeared near the George Lucas imprint. Unlike some of the surrounding displays, this location reportedly did not contain a handprint tribute before construction began, making some fans curious about the reason for the replacement.
At this point, Disney has not announced any larger project connected to the work.
Everything currently points toward routine maintenance designed to preserve the area rather than transform it.
Still, the timing is interesting. Hollywood Studios continues undergoing significant changes throughout the park. New entertainment offerings, attraction updates, and future expansion projects are helping reshape the park’s identity.
As those changes continue, maintenance projects like this help ensure that pieces of the park’s original history remain intact.
For now, guests can still access Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and move through the surrounding area without major disruptions. The barriers are limited to a few pavement sections, and operations continue as normal.
Once the project wraps up, most visitors may never realize the work happened. But for Disney history fans, the construction serves as a reminder that preserving the past often requires occasional repairs to keep those memories alive.
