Oh wow, where have I been this entire time? Since when was Disney MGM Studios now Disney Hollywood Studios?
Supposedly, since January 7, 2008.
Really? I'm honestly so shocked! Disney World obviously wanted this to be a subtle name change, because they didn't really bother to advertise it. Either that, or I was really living under a rock or something.
So, according to Disney World President Meg Crofton, the "new name reflects how the park has grown from representing the golden age of movies to a celebration of the new entertainment that today's Hollywood has to offer - in music, television, movies, and theatre."
It's really funny how she made that comment, because the first thing I thought of when I first read about the name change (funny enough, in Disney's Annual Report... don't ask why I was looking at it, because I don't really know), that was the first thing that came to my mind.
By making this name change, "old Hollywood" - with its fabulous, well made movies and iconic actors - has pretty much evaporated. Personally, when I was eleven years old and went to Disney World for the first time, I remember being FASCINATED by the "old Hollywood" theme present in the theme park. The Great Movie Ride, anyone? Yes? YES! My absolute favorite. The Tower of Terror? It was very "Old Hollywood," in my opinion. I also loved that it was called MGM Studios because as you may already know, I'm a huge fan of Gone With The Wind, which was an MGM film and a movie I first saw when I was ten years old, a year before I first went to Disney World - so it was fresh and exciting in my mind.
I thought to myself, now that it's called Hollywood Studios, it's probably going to be even more shameless self-promotion of new, hastily made movies. I think the statement said enough: the "new entertainment" is pretty much a big jumble of all four of those elements mixed together. Rarely do you find an actor or actress nowadays who can't act, sing, dance, and happen to have a string of TV shows and movies lined up. And boy, do they stick the many talents of these folks in our faces!
For the most part, I don't mind. I'll admit I get excited about the new films and new albums.
But I do still want a glimpse of Old Hollywood. And I want to find it in Disney MGM Studios.
Granted, I know a lot of it probably has to do with rights to acquire the name "MGM," and contract expirations and things like that. It still makes me sad though.
Thoughts on new name? I know it's trivial, but it's a huge part of my childhood, and I tend to refuse change for the most part.
