A few comments on the new name for Disney-MGM Studios before I toddle off to bed. If you go look at the whois for the new domain names, you’ll see they were just registered August 3rd. So either the folks at Disney are incompetent or too cheap and don’t spend the $8.95 to register a domain name the minute they start discussing it as a serious possibility (ie, when it’s one of the last few choices) OR they really just made the decision to not follow one of the other choices (Disney-Pixar Studios, Disney/ABC Studios, and Walt Disney Studios Florida or just simple Disney Studios were all reportedly under consideration) they had been considering and to go with this option instead.
The funny thing is, back around Star Wars Weekends I heard that this was the possible name, so I went home to see if it had been registered. It hadn’t. I thought about registering it then, but I would probably just have to give it up if they requested anyway. Some random guy owns DisneyPixarStudios.com.
How do I feel about Disney’s Hollywood Studios as the new name? I think it’s good. It will allow the park to be reworked under a cohesive theme, bring in some new lands, and allow some of those attractions that don’t fit the movie production theme (like Tower of Terror) to now fit in appropriately.
If there is one bad thing about this name it is that ‘Hollywood’ has a slightly negative connotation. Think of a politician railing against the violence laden Hollywood films (even if they were produced in Vancouver, BC). So in that sense Hollywood is a construct. But it’s also a very real place with very real problems and real studios. Disney isn’t located in Hollywood. Neither is Pixar, nor Lucas film. Heck even MGM Studios was in the San Fernando Valley at its demise. Parts of the real Hollywood are pretty seedy too.
I have faith that Disney’s great team at Walt Disney Imagineering can overcome these challenges and cash in on the positive aspects that the term Hollywood conjures. It’s all about setting the mood with the details and telling a great story. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.
Personally, I think as long as they make the new moniker the glitz and glamor of the Hollywood that never was instead of the Hollywood that is today, it should be good.
I’m very interested to see what the new logo will look like.
Hey John,
I actually have a third scenario for the domain buy. My guess is that buying the domain is akin to announcing it, and so they wanted to coordinate the buy time with the press release/announcement time.
This theory falls down a bit though if the name was floating around a while ago.
Since ToT is my #1 most favorite attraction in all of WDW, and the new name fits in perfectly with the themeing of this attraction as you’ve said, then I’m all for it!
(See? I’m not that difficult to please!) :)
The strange thing is here is that they could easily bring over some of the stuff they have at DCA to add to the “Hollywoodness” of Disney-MGM Studios. Since DCA is going to undergo major renovations (and hopefully, themed better), maybe they might, although I’m not too sure if I would be thrilled to see things recycled from there.
Zz.
The more I think about the name, the more I like it.
A lot can be done with this re-focus of the identity of the park. Let’s just hope that we get a Star Tours re-do out of this. I’ve heard the rumors and news, but I can’t wait!
For the record, the only film studio actually located in Hollywood, CA is Paramount Pictures. MGM (which still exists) has its corporate offices in Santa Monica, and its former studio lot (now owned by Sony Pictures) is in Culver City–not the San Fernando Valley.
Sorry–I meant to say MGM is located in Century City, not Santa Monica (it recently moved.
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