Backlot Tours

[micky95]

i remember when the tour was a lot more interactive.they would pick a family to be on the ship.the last few times i've been they havent done this.i think weather was part of the issue.i just saw honey i shrunk the kids on tv(i liked the show at epcot but it was dated)in one scene the kids are riding the bee through the yard .i remember them doing this on the tour. they would pick a couple of kids put them on a giant bee next to a green screen and they would film them .then they would show you what it looked like with the scenery behind them. does anyone else remember this?

[MickeysBestPal]

i remember when the tour was a lot more interactive.they would pick a family to be on the ship.the last few times i've been they havent done this.i think weather was part of the issue.i just saw honey i shrunk the kids on tv(i liked the show at epcot but it was dated)in one scene the kids are riding the bee through the yard .i remember them doing this on the tour. they would pick a couple of kids put them on a giant bee next to a green screen and they would film them .then they would show you what it looked like with the scenery behind them. does anyone else remember this?

Yup.

[MW1218]

They did the ship with volunteers the last time I was there. They do an abbreviated portion of this show with no volunteers when it's cold outside.

[Jillirose]

I don't believe I've seen either.... maybe because we usually come in FEB and crowds are higher?

[sorcerer fan]

you used to go through the props dept too and they did a skit with the audience there too. it was a right turn when you left the war scene and into the building

[AmandaChan]

I would be happy if they got rid of the entire ship queue all together myself. Only because I have seen it a million times and it's time for an update... but the last time we were there a few weeks ago there were no people on the ship and they did a sort of 'demo' of the special effects and the guy that was talking on the microphone did not do a good job.... he talked SO fast and everyone just kept looking at each other like 'what is he saying???' .. If you're going to half-do the queue like this just get rid of it alltogether and put something new in! I still like the actual tour though. It's relaxing and usually you can find something new on it.

oh btw the weather was perfect. we had no idea why there were no volunteers. dh and myself have been volunteers in the past.

[MaxPower]

When the Disney MGM Studios first opened, there was great emphasis on the fact that it was a WORKING TV/movie studio where guests could watch actual productions being filmed.

One of the main attractions at the time was Inside The Magic: The Special Effects Walking Tour. The walking tour lasted an hour.

It started in the Special Effects dunk tank where volunteers were dressed in rain slickers and took part in the water effects, including having a huge tank of water dumped on one volunteer who was standing in a makeshift boat house. This dunk tank show has been modified and is part of the Backlot tram tour currently in existence at The Hollywood Studios.

Next, the tour went inside the building behind the dunk tank ( you can still see the entry dorrs if you look) where people saw how the Special Effects for the movie Dick Tracy were created.

The next stop was a soundstage where people were shown how a Green Screen works in film production. At this point, volunteer kids rode a HUGE bee from Honey I Shrunk The Kids in front of a green screen and their performance was filmed and inserted into the movie and then was reviewed by Siskel and Ebert.

Next, 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 The Mickey Mouse Club.

Then there was a short movie starring Bette Midler called The Lottery where she chased a floating winning lottery ticket through New York Street. The movie was filmed at the Disney MGM studios. After watching the movie, you'd watch a Behind the Scenes video describing how they filmed it. You'd also see props from the same movie.

The final stops were where people would look through glass at production staff actually working on the Sound Effects Foley Stage and the Video Editing Room at the Studios.

The last stop was the Walt Disney Theater where you'd see previews of upcoming Disney movies. This theater is now used as the theater in Walt Disney: One Man's Dream.

Toy Story Mania now occupies the soundstage buildings where most of Inside The Magic originally existed.

The tour existed for years, but as time marched on, the attraction became dated, and was eventually closed- especially once real production stopped at the Studios.

[magicalmom]

I really enjoyed "The Magic" tour. >sigh< DH was cast as the ship's captain -

[brownie]

They were still pulling volunteers to "man the ship" when we went after Thanksgiving last year.

[JasonH]

My brother was a "lucky" volunteer for the boathouse scene years ago. Got that on home video somewhere too. I do miss going through the walking tour, but I do agree that all of it is really dated now. Let's face it, Catastrophe Canyon is one of just a few original attractions left at DHS but imo, needs to be replaced with something new. My family hasn't gone on that tour for several years now b/c it's so boring to us and doesn't hold the magic anymore like it used to.

[mom2mickeyfan]

We were there the first full week of June and did the Backlot Tour twice. Both times they pulled volunteers. Both times there were 3 on the boat and one in the house that gets the water dumped on him. We rode twice because my five year old son loved Catastrophe Canyon.