May 1, 2004, is the 15th anniversary of the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park, which opened in 1989. The park started out relatively small, with a limited number of attractions, but it has grown greatly over the years.

Although there isn't much production activity at the Studios these days, there was much filming going on even before the park opened. Television shows, movies, commercials, music videos, and more were produced there.

My first visit to the Disney-MGM Studios occurred on April 29, 1989, just a few days before the official opening. I didn't get to experience any of the attractions, but it was still quite a memorable visit.

Our high school band was at Walt Disney World for a performance at the end of April that year. And of course, along with a performance comes some free time in the parks. I was excited about the new park opening. Although I knew that we wouldn't be able to visit it on this trip, I did know I would get to visit it on our family vacation in July. And I did manage to get a map of the park from Guest Services at Epcot.

On the Friday that we were there, I was wandering through Epcot early in the morning before the park got crowded. As I was walking through Future World, I noticed a cast member standing beside a sign that read, "Disney-MGM Studios Audience Participation." I got up the nerve to walk over and see what it was about.

As it turns out, many of the celebrities were arriving for the big grand opening celebration of the park, although it was still a few days away. But some were coming early for some special activities. Over the weekend, they would be taping "A Conversation with George Burns" and "A Conversation with Betty White," shows that would air on the Disney Channel similar in format to their earlier show "A Conversation with Bob Hope." For the shows, the celebrity would be on stage, and audience members would have the opportunity to ask questions and listen to the celebrity reminisce about their careers.

I went out and found everyone from our band that I could find in Epcot, which turned out to be the director and three other band members, and then I went back to the cast member by the sign. The Betty White show was taping on Saturday, and the George Burns taping was on Sunday. George would have been my first choice, but we were leaving on Saturday night, so I got our group of five signed up for the second Betty White taping. This was during the time that The Golden Girls was one of NBC's hit shows, and award winning actress Betty White was a pretty good draw. The cast member said that we had to drive over to the Studios parking lot at the appropriate time on Saturday, and someone would be waiting for us there. We also couldn't wear any clothes that had slogans or advertisements of any kinds, and we were warned that it might be a little bit cool inside the soundstage. All in all, it sounded like a fun time.

At the pre-arranged time the next day, our group of five met in the Epcot parking lot to ride in the school van over to the Studios. We parked in the main lot, just outside of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular theater. A parking lot tram was there, along with many of the other audience members for the show. Soon, we all boarded the tram and were taken inside the park.

Unfortunately, we saw very little of the "public" part of the park that day. We went in the backstage entrance on the tram and rode down the streets between the soundstages until we got to the appropriate place. We were then escorted into the soundstage for the taping.

The stage was all set, and an Al Hirschfeld caricature of Betty White hung on the back wall of the stage. Soon, we were introduced to Danny Wells, an actor who among other things appeared as Charlie the bartender on The Jeffersons. He served as the "warm-up guy", explaining some of the procedures to us before everything started. Next, the show started with clips of Betty White's career highlights, including Password (hosted by her late husband, Allen Ludden), Mary Tyler Moore, and of course The Golden Girls. Then Betty herself came on stage, sat in a director's chair, and answered questions from the audience.

I didn't even bother asking a question, because I didn't have a good one to ask, and I was too interested in noticing what all went on behind the scenes. There were even some studio "plants" in the audience to ask a question if things got to a slow spot. Interestingly, I saw one of those "plants" in the audience of Win, Lose, or Draw, another Disney-produced show, on television a year or two later. I was interested to see how many cameras they had, how the sound people would get a microphone to the appropriate audience member, who was doing what, and everything else that was going on, all while also listening to the questions and answers.

All too soon, the show was over, and music was played where the credits would eventually roll. Before we left, an introduction was made for Richard Frank, who was at the time president of the Walt Disney Studios as well as president of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He presented Betty with an award, which was filmed for some show that she wouldn't be able to attend. After that, we were escorted back to the tram, which took us back out to the parking lot.

Since that time, I have made many, many visits to the Disney-MGM Studios, riding the rides, seeing the shows, experiencing the atmosphere. But I will always have fond memories of that first visit, even though it wasn't a standard theme park visit. It was fun and exciting to go to a television taping, to learn more about how things are done behind the scenes. But it was even more fun to know that we were in Disney's newest park, seeing things that most of the regular guests would not get to see.

Even though there isn't much production going on now at the Studios park, it is still a fun place to visit fifteen years after its opening, and when I am visiting Walt Disney World, I always allow time in my schedule for a stay at the Hollywood Tower Hotel, a ride on the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, a trip through the galaxy on Star Tours, or even just a stroll down the Hollywood Boulevard that, according to the park's dedication, "never was, and always will be."

- Story and Photo by Steve Burns
Posted April 29, 2004

Steve is a three-time Disney Store National Trivia finalist and webmaster of BurnsLand, home of Steve's Disney Railroad Adventures.

E-mail Steve at steve@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below.

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