Disney's Hollywood Studios

When the park opened in May 1989 as Disney-MGM Studios, officials welcomed the first guests and VIPs to "the Hollywood that never was and always will be." Attending the lavish, red-carpet affair were Tinseltown icons such as Bette Midler and Warren Beatty. Disney explains the recent name change to Hollywood Studios as a way to "better reflect not only the Golden Age of Tinseltown, but all that today's Hollywood has to offer in movies, music, theater, and television."

Unlike the first movie theme park—Universal Studios in California—Hollywood Studios combined Disney detail with MGM's motion-picture legacy and Walt Disney's own animated classics. Imagineers built the park with real film and television production in mind, and, during its first decade, the Studios welcomed films like Ernest Saves Christmas and TV shows like Wheel of Fortune to its soundstages.

The Animation Studios, too, were busy. Stories like Aladdin and Lilo & Stitch came to life on the easels and computers of Disney's Florida animators. Though production has mostly halted at the park, you can enjoy plenty of attractions that showcase how filmmakers practice their craft. Want to see how special effects are created? Visit the Backstage Studio Tour. If you're wowed by action-film stunts, you can learn the tricks of the trade at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! or the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. No trip to the Studios would be complete without a tour of The Magic of Disney Animation, where you can sit down and draw a character like Mickey or Donald.

In a savvy effort to grab a big piece of the pop-culture pie, in late 2008 Disney opened its own American Idol attraction, where performers earn audience votes to compete in an end-of-day contest for a spot in the TV show's regional audition process. Imagineers continue to "bring it" with big-hit attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania! and new twists on old favorites like the 3-D debut of the Star Tours simulator ride.