Monday, July 23, 2007

So Your Going to WDW: MGM Studios Must Sees

What I am trying to do in these next four “So your Going to WDW” articles is to try to give you an idea of some of the attractions that you should make plans to see if you’re a FIRST TIME VISITOR to the parks. I will rate them by MUST SEE attraction(MS), SECOND TIME to PARK attraction(STP), and HAVE NOT TRIED attraction(HNT).
MS is obvious, but I don’t want this to be a ride description article. If I say MS I mean it without giving too many details. STP is for rides that can wait until your second time to the park. It can also mean once you do all of the MS attractions and have time, hit the STP attractions. The HNT rating means I have not tried this attraction yet and cannot judge . Maybe bad on me and I am meaning to get to it. Or there is a reason to skip it. Although I hate to pass anything up I’ll mention why the HNT when I get to them. Any and all comments are welcome.

Think of the MGM Studios as a park of Streets. Each street has it's share of attractions, food, and shops.

Hollywood Blvd.

The MGM Studios entrance way is a lot like the Magic Kingdoms. Hollywood Blvd. leads you into the park. There are a lot of stores on either side of the street. Keep your eyes open for some of the street actors that you’ll find here. They are hilarious. At the end of the Boulevard is The Great Movie Ride, MS. This is a nice ride through the classic moments in movie history.

Sunset Blvd. leads the way to two of the best thrill rides in the park and maybe all of WDW. The Hollywood Tower of Terror, MS is one of the best themed attractions in Walt Disney World. Of course you’ve got the big drop, but there is so much more to this attraction. Every detail is cool, from walking up the front pathway to the lobby of the hotel, to the basement, to yelling your lungs out at the top.
The Rockin Roller Coaster, MS is an indoor, shoot you from stop to 60 mph in 7 seconds, looped, roller coaster. This is a very exciting ride and a special bonus if you’re an Aerosmith fan.
The other things on this street are the Entrance to Fantasmic, MS the huge Mickey Mouse Fights the Evil Characters, fireworks show. There is also the Beauty and the Beast Broadway show STP. The show is live and very good.

The Animation Courtyard has a couple of cool attractions. Playhouse Disney Live on Stage MS for 10 and under, is on your right. This is an ever evolving show that stars the characters of the Disney Channel’s morning shows.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid show, MS, is a very cool indoor mix of puppetry, animation and live action.
The Magic of Disney Animation tour STP, is a nice view of how cartoons are made. It was a lot more fun when you actually saw the artists working.

Mickey Ave. is where you can find the Back lot Tour, MS. This is a great attraction that tours around the outdoor sets of the Disney Studios. Also on Mickey Ave, you can find the Journey into Narnia, HNT and Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream HNT. Both of these HNT’s were to our detriment. We will be checking both of these attractions out on our next trip.

On the Streets of America, there is the Muppet Vision 3D, MS. One of the best attraction’s in the park. Make sure you check out the Pre-Show. It’s as worth seeing as the show. Lights Motors Action Extreme Stunt Show, hmmm, I gotta go STP here. It’s a cool show and the stunts are great. Bigggg time investment though. Between line and show 60 minutes or more. On last note for the Streets of America, during the Christmas Season, they are decorated with the Osborne Family Christmas Light show. This is a MS of the highest magnitude. In fact, here is a link to the video from last year. They had just added the light/music coordination.

Echo Lake is the final section of the park.. Here you’ll find Star Tours, MS. This is a nice vacation trip to the Moons of Endor. Say hi to R2D2 and C3P0 as you wait on line. Keep an eye out for the strolling Storm Troopers as you board the ride.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, MS. This is a very good live action show on the stunts used in the Indiana Jones movie. All seats are good. Look for the Well outside the ride entrance. (Pull the Rope)
The last attraction in Echo Lake is Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey, STP. This is an attraction for the Ear. It’s a very fun time, but it does get pitch black for about half or more of the time.

The Disney MGM Studios, while having a smaller attraction list than the other parks, has a large amount of restaurants and stores. Have a great day and don't forget to check out Mickey's Sorcerers Hat.

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