Top 7 Must Sees at WDW with Stacey from Resort TV - 2008 - Retro Walt D...

Joe Darthmaz takes you back to spend some time with Stacey, the former Walt Disney World Resort TV host as she guides through the "Top 7 Must Sees" at Walt Disney World. 

Stacey Aswad premiered on WDW Resort TV in 2005 in the "Must See" series, which was basically a thirty minute in-room commercial for Walt Disney World. She kept us company for over fifteen years, as the "Must Sees" became the much longer tenured and much more well-known "Must Dos" of Walt Disney World. 

Sadly, in 2021, Disney removed "Must Do Disney" from Resort TV and we were all forced to say goodbye to it and to Stacey. But you can still see her here at Joe Darthmaz.

Being the lunatic that I am, in 2008, I set up a camera on the bed and recorded nearly the entire "Must See" loop. Small edits were made to remove me passing in front of the TV. Also, please forgive the talking that can be heard in the background in one small section. I made an attempt to edit it the sound, but it's fourteen-year-old non-HD video.

So let's take a walk down memory lane on another Retro Walt Disney World video here on Joe Darthmaz as we count down (most of) the "Top 7 Must Sees at Walt Disney World."

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darthmaz314 is Back! with a Disney Snapshot of the Day - Stuntman Takes a Fall at Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

We fell...off the face of the earth...or more accurately, the internet, for a few days. Through the genius of our web hosting service and the credit card company we pay for it with, our site was down for a few days, unbeknownst to us. Due to a very poorly timed fraud protection block which occurred simultaneously with our web hosting renewal, we were yanked unceremoniously off the net. For anyone who noticed...we're back! Keep checking back for new content and thanks for your support.

Stuntman Takes a Fall at Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show 

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Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios Closed - What Will Replace It?

The Entrance to the Now Closed Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios -courtesy darthmaz314.com

More and more of the Walt Disney World attraction rumors that ricochet around the internet are becoming a reality. After much speculation about the permanent closure of the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios,  Disney made it official with an announcement earlier this month. The last day of operation for the Backlot Tour was Saturday, September 27. 

The Studio Backlot Tour was an original attraction that dated back to the 1989 opening of then-named Disney-MGM Studios. At that time, the tour was one of the marquee attractions of the Studios and it was not commonplace to expect long wait times, particularly on peak summer days. The original incarnation of the tour featured a tram trip down "Residential Street," a row of false front house facades that were made famous from movies, commercials and television shows like "The Golden Girls" and "Empty Nest." Follow the link for a few glimpses of Residential Street courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog (click for link). Sadly, the Residential Street portion of the Backlot Tour tram ride was eliminated to make room for the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show which opened in 2005. The popularity of the Backlot Tour continued to wane over the years, particularly after it was dissected to make room for Lights, Motors, Action! 

Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney's Hollywood Studios - courtesy darthmaz314.com

Another component of the tram tour was the trip through "The Boneyard," a collection of large scale props featured in various Disney films. Here you could see some classic props from popular films, including the bone cages from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," the hijacked plane from "Con Air," the steamroller used to flatten Judge Doom in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," a Skiff from "Return of the Jedi," one of the many incarnations of "Herbie the Love Bug," and "The Mouse," one of Walt Disney's private planes, used by Walt and other Disney executives for three decades.

Bonecages from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest from The Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios -courtesy darthmaz314.com

The Con Air Plane from The Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios - courtesy darthmaz314.com

The Steamroller the Flattened Judge Doom from The Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios - courtesy darthmaz314.com

Herbie the Love Bug from The Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios Courtesy darthmaz314.com

Return of the Jedi Skiff from The Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios - courtesy darthmaz314.com

    

One of the Backlot Tour's highlights was the tram's trip through "Catastrophe Canyon." As your tram wound its way through the backstage area of Lights, Motors, Action! (which is unavoidable, since this attraction was literally built around the Backlot Tour) it "inadvertently" wandered onto a "hot set" where there was a very dangerous special effect scene being filmed. This scene included a rickety bridge, an earthquake, some pesky falling live wires, an oil truck that caught ablaze faster than Katniss Everdeen on amphetamines, and a deluge tank effect that cascaded enough water down the canyon to extinguish the fire and introduce a fleeting moment of cool into an otherwise torrid central Florida summer day. Click the link to watch darthmaz314.com's Video Featurette spotlighting  Catastrophe Canyon (click for link).

Over the years, the Backlot Tour saw numerous changes, including the introduction of the behind the scenes look at the creation of special effects scenes from the Disney/Touchstone release Pearl Harbor in 2001. In later years, this element marked one of the highlights of the tour as it did offer a glimpse into the world of film making special effects. Integrating audience participation also helped to keep the crowds coming back, since you never knew if you would be selected to become "a part of the action." More recently, Disney's negligence in updating this portion of the tour with a more current film definitely contributed to its decline. With Pearl Harbor on the long side of a decade ago, integrating a more recent release into the tour may have been called for. These days, if you want to use an older film in an attraction, it had better be a classic that transcends time. While I am a fan of Michael Bay's WWII epic, a classic it is not.   

Production Offices Once Seen on the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios - courtesy darthmaz314.com

Another contributing factor to the Backlot Tour's decline was the cessation of production at the Studios for the Disney brand. While there was never really production work being done for any blockbusters at the Studios that would have made a guest think they could catch a glimpse of a major television or film star, at least when there was some production work taking place, it gave the sense that as a guest, you were somewhat in the thick of things while on the tour. The tour used to allow guests to walk through a prop warehouse section and the tram portion at one time passed through several working areas of the park, including the costume department. As these components were excised from the tour over the years, so were the throngs of guests waiting in line for the attraction. 

In recent years, the final stop on the tour was a walk through exhibit sponsored by the AFI (American Film Institute) spotlighting villains in film. The exhibit, entitled "Villains: Movie Characters You Love to Hate," featured some nice costume and prop photo ops focusing on villains listed on the AFI 50 Greatest Villains in Film. Below is a sampling of some of the costumes that were at one time on display.

Villains: Movie Characters You Love to Hate Exhibit on Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios courtesy darthmaz314.com

Darth Vader fromVillains: Movie Characters You Love to Hate Exhibit on Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios - courtesy darthmaz314.com

Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts fromVillains: Movie Characters You Love to Hate Exhibit on Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios - courtesy darthmaz314.com

Alien from Villains: Movie Characters You Love to Hate Exhibit on Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios - courtesy darthmaz314.com

Although many had grown weary of the Studio Backlot Tour and it was true that it had become a shell of its former self, I personally will miss the attraction. Not only was it an original Disney/MGM Studios attraction, but it was reminiscent of what the park once was and will probably never be again...a theme park that focused on the process of making movies. And while I will certainly welcome the attractions that take its place, there will always be a place in my heart for the Studio Backlot Tour. 

So what's next for the location now occupied by the Backlot Tour? Read our next post for darthmaz314's predictions.

Say Goodbye to Hollywood...At Least to Part of It.

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darthmaz314 Disney Snapshot of the Day - The Explosive Finale of the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

With rumors swirling that the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show may be on its out of Walt Disney World to make room for Star Wars Land and/or Cars Land, today's Disney Snapshot of the Day brings you the finale of the show captured in all its explosive glory. The show was brought to the Orlando Disney park as part of Disney's Happiest Celebration on Earth, which marked the fiftieth anniversary of Disneyland. 

The "celebration" honoring the opening of Disney's first park involved bringing one attraction from each Disney park around the world to one of its sister parks as a "gift." Walt Disney World's gift was the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show from Disneyland Paris. Bringing the show to Disney World meant decimating the park's Studio Backlot Tour, which was once the crown jewel of the then-named Disney MGM Studios. But with both the Backlot Tour and the Stunt Show waning in popularity, rumors continue to abound that both attractions could soon be just memories with new attractions themed to the Star Wars and/or Cars properties built on their respective footprints.

The Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show is a 40 minute exhibition of car, motorcycle, and jet ski stunts, peppered with chases, jumps, pyrotechnics, and a look behind the scenes of making action scenes for film. Throw in some humor, audience participation, and appearances by Mater and Lightning McQueen, and you have a very entertaining show that allows you to wind down for almost an hour of your Studios park touring day. Although I am entirely in favor of brining Cars Land to Orlando and am salivating for a Star Wars Land, I would hate to see the Stunt Show go. Catch it while you can...

The Explosive Finale of the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

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Flaming Stuntman From Lights Motors Action Extreme Stunt Show - Disney Snapshot of the Day

Think you're having a bad day? You could be this guy. Today's snapshot features a moment from the "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Prior to this moment in the show, the stuntman pictured wipes out on his motorcycle and skids across the pavement for about twenty feet and then through a line of flames before being almost instantly ignited as you see him here. He then spends the next thirty or more seconds flailing around engulfed in flames until he drops to the ground and is blasted with fire extinguishers to douse the raging fire. He does this three times a day. And you thought your job sucked.....

Imagine This Being Your Job
photo courtesy darthmaz314.com

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Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney's Hollywood Studios

The Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney Hollywood Studios

Tucked away in the far end of Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, beyond The Streets of America, is the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show attraction, one of the "must sees" of the park. Disney brought the attraction to the then named Disney-MGM Studios in 2005, hoping to recreate the success of the Moteurs...Action! Stunt Show Spectacular attraction at their Disneyland Paris park.

The attraction is an auto stunt show that features specially designed stunt cars equipped with motorcycle engines and hand-operated stunt brakes, capable of performing amazing maneuvers. The premise of the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show is that the audience has been permitted "backstage" to witness the filming of several key stunt and special effects scenes that will complete an upcoming action film. The forty minute show features motorcycles, jet-skis, stunt performers, and the film crew charged with capturing all the extreme stunt action scenes. These scenes include motorcycle and car chases, stunt falls from a four story building, and dazzling pyrotechnics. 



A Daring Motorcycle Jump...Just one of the many thrills in the
Lights, Motor, Action! Stunt Show

The show is hosted by the director of the fictitious movie being filmed and members of his/her crew. A huge video screen mounted atop the facade of the French village set enables the audience to watch footage of the live action being filmed by the crew during each take.

 

 

This footage is edited together with pre-recorded segments featuring the fictitious film’s “star” so that by the end of the show, the audience is able to view the completed action sequences that were on the crew’s shooting schedule.

 

Lightning McQueen Makes a Cameo

The Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt features interesting peeks behind the scenes after each of the stunt sequences, as the crew shares how they perform some of their movie stunt magic. At every show, one lucky audience member is selected to participate in one of the show’s more comical moments. In another
lighthearted moment, audience members are treated to a cameo appearance by Disney/Pixar superstar Lightning McQueen, who has replaced the previous vehicular cameo of traditional Disney star Herbie the Love Bug. 

The Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show should be on your list of must sees at Disney Hollywood Studios. It is packed with action and special effects and offers a unique glimpse into the making of movie magic. There are some laughs sprinkled into the show and it is truly a unique theme park experience, as always, done Disney style.

darthmaz314’s "Helpful Hints”

• “Extreme” is in the name, so be warned that the show can be very loud at times (screeching cars, revving engines, explosions, etc.) and is not suited for infants and very young children who may become frightened.  

• The show’s theater seats 5,000 and there really aren’t any bad seats in the house. But if you want to sit in the center section or up front, you will have to time it right, as Disney always employs the “keep moving down as far as you can” seating method, which may mean that if you are one of the first few hundred people to be seated, you will be coerced by Disney cast members to move to the far left seating section of the theater to “fill in all available space.”

• If you are looking for photo opportunities, this show definitely has them. You have to be quick to quick to capture some of them, so be ready. If you are a real photo enthusiast, this the place to take your digital SLR with the telephoto lens and the high shutter speed settings.

  

• Set aside time for this show in your park plans for the day. Showing up at the very last minute can leave you out in the cold (or perhaps more appropriately, the heat), so you will need to arrive at least 15-30 minutes before show time. During high volume attendance, you may need to arrive earlier. The best bet is to ask cast members for guidance when entering the park. The show itself if 35-40 minutes long and it takes some time for all of that humanity to spill out of the theater and back out into the park.

• The bottom line is that you need to set aside a minimum of an hour for the whole process. This may play into your decision of whether or not to include the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show into your Disney Hollywood Studios itinerary.

• For those beaten down by trekking through the park all day in the oppressive Orlando heat, the show offers a chance to sit and unwind for a nice chunk of time.

• There are some rumors swirling around online that in the future, this attraction and the nearby Studios Backlot Tour could be replaced with an Orlando version of Disneyland's very successful Carsland.

 

all photos courtesy darthmaz314