In 1989, Disney's Hollywood Studios opened with the aim of putting guests inside their favorite movies. Then known as Disney MGM Studios -- the name changed in 2008 when Disney declined to continue licensing the MGM brand -- the park featured films from the golden age of Hollywood, with the centerpiece being the Great Movie Ride, situated at the replica of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in the middle of the park.
Over the last 30 years, Hollywood Studios has seen big changes, especially as popular animated Disney films like "Toy Story," "Monsters Inc." and "Frozen" have inspired themed attractions at the park. But the impact of those attractions is nothing compared to what's coming: the much-anticipated Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land opens at the end of the summer.
A bevy of other new attractions are on tap for 2020, too. Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy opened for young fans of the "Cars" franchise of films. Guests become rookie racers and learn the rules of the road from the star car himself and can even "meet" Lightning himself, who appears on stage to interact with guests. The ride is located next to the former entrance for Toy Story Mania, which has now relocated around the building in the year-old Toy Story Land, which opened in June 2018.
But nothing matches the excitement around the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which will open to the public on Aug. 29, the largest expansion of any Disney theme park. At a recent media event, just in time for fans' "May the Fourth" celebration this weekend, I was one of the first non-Disney cast members to get a 10-minute peek inside the new attraction and was able to walk about 50 yards inside the land, still under construction, escorted by Jon Georges, executive producer of the park area.
He first showed us the scale model of the land that was originally unveiled at the D23 Summit where creation of Galaxy's Edge was announced. Then, we walked a few yards into the area that will soon be one of the two entrances (there will be an additional entrance from Toy Story Land). If you'll pardon the pun, it is pretty stellar. The land is fully immersive in that you cannot see any other part of the park from where you are in Galaxy's Edge. Massive rock formations, forests of landscaping (some still to be planted) and the iconic sandstone buildings of the remote galactic outpost of Batuu just beg to be explored.
There will be two signature rides in Galaxy's Edge; Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will be operating on opening day, while Rise of the Resistance will open as a Phase 2 attraction. At the former, riders will become the crew of the Millennium Falcon as captain, first mate or gunner. We could see the entrance to the "souk" marketplace, where intergalactic artisans will make toys and souvenirs for guests to purchase -- no T-shirts or mouse ears sold here, folks; everything is "authentic" Star Wars. Guests can also sample food and beverage items that are native to planets in the Star Wars galaxy and build their own droid that will interact with other droids via artificial intelligence.
Upon leaving a galaxy far, far away, I also got a peek at the new Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway ride, which will open in the spring of 2020. The ride will be located in the Grauman's Chinese Theatre building, placing the legacy mouse in his rightful place in the center of the Disney universe of films. The original story will take guests through the world of the Disney Channel's Emmy Award-winning cartoon shorts. Guests will climb into a railway car helmed by Goofy (what could go wrong!?) and will be transported into the cartoon world, supported by an original score that, Disney designers hope, will be as iconic a tune as "It's a Small World."
We also got quite a surprise when, after the Runaway Railway presentation, it was also announced that Toy Story Land would soon be home to a full-service restaurant. Currently, the land only features quick-service food and beverage options. Details were scarce, but more is to come.
Even with all these changes, it's clear that Hollywood Studios is not forsaking its original "choose your adventure" theming, connecting fans with their favorite big-screen moments. On the contrary, the developments afoot at the park are sure to appeal to many generations, from those who remember the first 1977 "Star Wars" film on first release to lovers of vintage Disney cartoons to the kids who can't get enough of following the "Cars" cast around the cartoon track. Magic Kingdom might be the most iconic Disney theme park, but Hollywood Studios is about to be the hottest ticket in town.