Inside The Magic

[MaxPower]

Does anyone remember " Inside The Magic: The Special Effects Walking Tour" when The Hollywood Studios first opened as The Disney MGM Studios? It had volunteer kids ride the bee from Honey I Shrunk The Kids in front of a blue screen and their performance was reviewed by Siskel and Ebert. You would walk through a skywalk above the soundstages and actually see production being filmed on them through one-way glass - including Star Search and Mickey Mouse Club. Then there was a short movie starring Bette Midler where she chased a floating winning lottery ticket through New York Street. You'd also see props from the same movie. This attarction never seems to get mentioned much on these boards.

[Claudielou]

I remember that!! In fact my kids got to ride the bee :mickey:. I really miss the parts they have removed. It was a lot longer and very interesting. That was in 1991 and I cant rememer everything, I just realized when we went back last september that the ride was really abbreviated! I think we have a video of the kids on the bee.

[Nancyjae]

I enjoyed those parts as well. We were actually walking through one of those recording areas and noticed they were filming a commercial, and the stars of the commercial were from our home town. 2 DJs from right here in the Pittsburgh area (WDVE). They were there filming the commercial for a promotional back here in the 'burgh. Someone won a free trip that year!

It was neat to see that part with B. Midler, and then walk out on NY street and see the window where the winning lottery ticket was taken away by the pigeon. They still have some of those props in the "prop shop" you walk through before boarding the trams.

[danicafan]

Back in the Fall of 1990 one of my roommates on the College Program worked this attraction, crowd control for TMNT, Backlot Tour and sometimes even the Great Movie Ride.

[ariel326]

Yes, I do remember it, and it was neat. The Bette Midler thing was called "The Lottery". Also, on the tour you looked down on stages, if lucky you got to see actual recordings of shows. It was actually behind the scenes more than what we see today.

[pink]

I don't remember the Bett Midler thing but I do remember being very young and going into this room with railings and then they had a car set up against a green screen and they would let someone from the audience come in the car and then play it back on the TV screen and show how they make it look like a real street in a movie. I don't know if this was even Disney or not though. :mickey:

[Sylvia]

I remember it, too. Seeing the sound stages, especially when they were in production, was interesting. When I'm on New York Street I always remember the Bette Midler scene.

["DoYouHaveYourParkPass?"]

:thumbsup: Yes we remember this tour and we all enjoyed it, especially the Bette Midler movie thing. My kids always wanted to ride the bee but never did. Funny you should bring that up, we were just chatting about it a couple of weeks ago - fond memories.
______________________________
26 visits and more to come

[badkitty]

Wasn't the first part of the tour hosted by film with Robin Williams?

[MaxPower]

Actually, Robin Williams (along with Walter Cronkite) was in the film for the Magic of Disney Animation Tour when the park first opened.

The beginning of the Inside the Magic Tour was The Special Effects Water Tank that is now the beginning of the Backlot Studio Tour today where volunteers dress up in rain slickers and get water dumped on them after they pretend filming a battle at sea.

As a matter of fact, even today you pass by the now unused entry doors for the "Inside The Magic" Tour when you exit The Special Effects Water tank show and make your way to the Prop warehouse before you board the tram for the backlot tour. The entry doors are clearly visible from the ramp that you use to get to the prop warehouse. The ramp used to lead you into the "Inside The Magic" Tour, but they just changed its direction.

[Marilyn Michetti]

I had forgotten about the walk through until you posted this, but my son, who was 16, got to stand in the "crows nest" in the yellow slicker.:)

[Imagineer1981]

This was a great attraction and it made the studios very cool, it really felt like a working studio, because it was!!! I remember seeing Johnny 5 from short circuit in the props and the bee thing was awesome!

[mcjaco]

Actually, Robin Williams (along with Walter Cronkite) was in the film for the Magic of Disney Animation Tour when the park first opened.

And let's not forget his cartoon iteration, Walter Croncat! :D