 Disney-MGM Studios is a colourful nostalgic blend of art deco, architecture, pop art sculpted gardens, trendy restaurants, funk diners and curio shops. Here, you can see company cartoonists at work on vintage and new characters and it can easily be visited in one day.
Disney-MGM Studios are split into six sections: Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Animation Courtyard, Sound Stages and Backlot, New York Street and Echo Lake.
HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD
This old-fashioned street, lined with street lamps and black and white stop signs, is a great place to browse because it is full of funky shops and businesses that give you a taste of days gone by.
Sid Cahuenga’s One-Of-A-Kind Antiques and Curios: Here you will find all kinds of Hollywood memorabilia as well as original playbills and autographed star’s photos.
Oscar’s Classic Car Souvenirs & Super Service Station: will attract those with a passion for vintage cars. The shop is lined with fuel-pump bubblegum machines and photos of antique cars. It is also a favourite with parents as they can purchase their baby needs, such as nappies and bottles, here.
The Great Movie Ride: Visitors board open-air box cars and are plunged into the world of movie making. Float with Mary Poppins and follow the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and her friends. You will be amazed at the special effects, intricate costumes and visual details. Please be warned that scenes from Alien and Raiders of the Lost Ark may frighten children. Since it is one of Disney-MGM’s popular rides, the lines may be long.
 SUNSET BOULEVARD
Sunset Boulevard is Disney-MGM’s newest boulevard and simply oozes with art deco and neon tube. The streets are lined with extravagant doors and though most of them are for show, there are some real shops. Mickey Mouse is available for autographs behind one of the doors, but usually goes at 5:00pm.
The Twilight Zone of Terror Tower: Takes you through derelict hotel full of cobwebs, dead flowers and spooky rooms. The ride is a carriage elevator that takes you to the top of the tower and drop you...twice…when you least expect it. Please note that children under 40” are not allowed on the ride.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: is an undercover, dark roller coaster ride on stretched stretch limos. As you pelt through the ride, Aerosmith songs serenade you. It is an extremely popular ride that the rock band, Aerosmith, helped create so lines are long. It is best to use a FASTPASS for the ride, or try boarding it during the Disney Stars and Motorcars Parade.
ANIMATION COURTYARD
The Animation Courtyard is an art deco enclave usually filled with people waiting to get into The Magic of Disney Animation.
The Magic of Disney Animation: Is an extremely popular tour, which takes you on a journey through Disney’s animation process. It starts off in a gallery filled with frames from some of Disney’s best-loved animated movies, Papier-Mache, wood and plastic models of Disney characters and replicas of Disney’s many animation Oscars.
You are then taken in to watch an 8-minute film on the making of Disney animation, starring Walter Cronkite and Robin Williams. Nest is a stroll through the studios, where you can watch the artists at work. The finale is a sentimental; recollection of Disney’s premier animated films that will be enjoyed by all those who have watched the Disney classics.
It is best to take this tour before 10:30am as the wait will be 45 mins or more later in the day. You can take the tour after 5:00pm but most of the animators will have gone home.
SOUND STAGES AND BACKLOT
The Backlot production facilities make up the East Coast counter part of Disney’s studios in Burbank, California. It is the “working part of Disney” where you can watch movies, TV shows and commercials being filmed. Most of the area is only accessible by Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour.
Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour: On caterpillar-like shuttles, you can see costumes worn in Disney movies and watch seamstresses at work, watch sets being built, journey through Catastrophe Canyon where you witness exciting, special effects (which may scare some preschool children) and be driven down a road lined with make-believe houses from Disney movies. The final part of the trip winds you through a simulated New York City. The wait is usually 45 minutes so it is best to get in early.
Who wants to be a Millionaire? Play It!: Created exactly like the real set, you can play for a million points (sorry, no real cash won here) which you trade in for collectable trinkets. If you’re lucky (and smart) you can win passes for two for the real game. All the seats in the theatre are playable so you have a chance of getting into the spotlight, even if you’re not sitting on a “Fast Fingers” seat. Shows are generally performed every half hour, but check the schedule on the way so you don’t miss out.
 NEW YORK STREET
New Your Street provides two family favourites.
Honey I Shrunk The Kids Movie Adventure: Transports you to a giant playpen of attractions. You will definitely feel small and insignificant as you stroll through a forest of enormous grass blades and watch your kids clamber over the gigantic insects that tower everywhere.
Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D: A muppet adventure with an impressive array of special effects. Brace yourself as you are subjected to Miss Piggy’s musical talents and be bounced on by Waldo C. Graphic, a computer generated character that can transform into anything he desires. Unlike other 3D films, this one will literally blow your hat off, spray water in your face and create mayhem in the theatre, with its clever attempts the show a “living theatre”.
ECHO LAKE
Disney’s version of “California Cool”, Echo Lake is a pink and aqua wonderland with trendy restaurants and cafes.
Star Tours: It is a ride in a flight stimulator that doesn’t go anywhere, but leaves your heart racing all the same. Using themes and scenes form the Star Wars movies, the ride involves battle scenes, planets and ice crystals. Please note that pregnant women and children under three are not allowed on the ride and it is not recommended for people with weak backs or stomachs.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular: Also a very popular attraction. It is a 25-minute, fast-paced series of near death encounters, which provide insight into the filming of stunt scenes, and professional stunt actors demonstrate using doubles for dangerous scenes. The presentation captures interests of all ages. Shows often fill up well before show time so the best bet is the first two or last two shows.
WHERE TO EAT
 · The Hollywood Brown Derby: 236 seats, full-service; features world-famous Cobb salad, steaks, seafood, pasta specialties, fine international wines.
· 50's Prime Time Cafe/Tune In Lounge: 225 seats, full-service restaurant and 52-seat lounge; features peanut butter and jelly milkshakes, sundaes, delicious fried chicken, old-fashioned meat loaf, chicken pot pie.
· Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Restaurant: 252 seats, full-service; features cosmic concoctions ranging from salads and sandwiches to linguini and fresh fish entrees. Diners watch the big screen for the best science fiction scenes.
· ABC Commissary: 562 seats, serving creative fast food with an international flair. Selections include vegetarian stir-fry noodles, fish and chips, and Brazilian feijoada (traditional Brazilian black bean stew).
· Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano: 250 seats, full-service; featuring gourmet pizza baked in wood-burning brick ovens. Mama Melrose brings old-fashioned Italian cooking to a restaurant with an upscale feel. Delicious pasta dinners and seafood are available.
· Hollywood & Vine: 468 seats (80 seats on outside patio) "all you care to eat" buffet features fresh salads, pasta, rotisserie meats, and vegetarian selections
· Backlot Express: 600 seats, counter service; features custom-broiled hamburgers, grilled hot dogs, marinated chicken breast sandwich and salads.
· Min & Bill's Dockside Diner: 140 seats on patio, counter-service; features fruit, yogurt, beverages and snacks.
· Sunset Ranch Market: 400 seats covered outdoors; hamburgers, hotdogs, individual pizza, baked potatoes, and turkey legs. Beer is available.
· Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream of Extinction: Snack bar, features ice cream.
· Starring Rolls Bakery:: 48 seats on patio; bakery; features muffins, cookies, pies, cakes, pastries.
· Anaheim Produce: Produce stands featuring fresh fruit, vegetables and beverages.
USEFUL INFORMATION
· From the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and the Animal Kingdom, you can take a Disney bus. Most hotels not situated in Disney World provide shuttle buses. These however are run on the hour every two or three hours so it will be better to drive.
· If you have a car, you can always drive. On Route 4, look for Walt Disney World exits and take the Disney-MGM exit. There is a $7 parking fee (free for Disney World Hotel guests) then you take by a tram to the entrance to Disney-MGM Studios. It is advisable that you make a note of your parking row so you can easily find your car at the end of the day.
· It is best to arrive half an hour to an hour before the park’s official opening time even though the Studios rarely get jammed with visitors. Hollywood Boulevard opens 30 mins to an hour before the rest of the park so you can have a cup of coffee and rent strollers and lockers before the crowds arrive.
· Check the Guest Services window, just inside the park entrance, to see what movies or TV shows so you can watch. Baby Services are also located at Guest Services.
· Strollers and wheelchairs are available at the Oscar’s Super Service Station, just inside the main entrance.
· Lockers are located next to Oscar’s Super Service Station. They cost $5 per day and there is a $2 refundable deposit for unlimited use.
· Lost children should be reported at Guest. Lost and found is at Oscar’s Super Service Station.
· ATMS are located just outside the main entrance and inside Pizza Planet.
· It is ideal to get a FASTPASS in order to avoid waiting in lines. The FASTPASS enables you to insert their ticket into the machine and be given a time to come back for the ride. In the meantime, you can go on other rides. When it is time, you got directly to the FASTPASS entrance and proceed unto the ride with little or no waiting time.
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