The Script

The lights are dimmed, the stars are ready to shine. You’re on the set of your first big movie production: "Lights! Camera! Hollywood!" Stroll down a dazzling night-time Sunset Boulevard set, past legendary, iconic Hollywood façades in a romantic, starry-eyed dream sequence of movie magic, rolling frame-by-frame before your eyes!

Production Guide

Disney Studio 1 is not only the largest building in the whole of Walt Disney Studios Park, but also one of the largest of the whole resort. It’s imposing size dominates the entire entrance of the park and lures guests inside and beyond, as this giant soundstage is the only way for guests to reach the rest of the park. The attraction currently functions as the "Main Street" of the park, an initial, introductory boulevard with a boutique, restaurant and a huge amount of atmosphere. The indoor setting allows the "street" (which is, infact, merely a well-presented series of "2.5-D" façades) to use a night-time setting, a pleasant contrast to the bright, sun-drenched Main Street USA at Disneyland Park next door and a useful design feature in allowing the attraction to be popular year-round in the tough Parisian climate.

As you approach Disney Studio 1 through the park’s entrance gates and Front Lot’s Place des Frères Lumières, the giant, majestic, arched façade of the building envelopes your vision with its warm yellow colours and giant turquoise entrance. The building is, infact, a glamorised version of the main soundstage at the original Disney Studios on Hyperion Avenue. A giant turquoise number "1" sits atop the building, with the words "Walt Disney Studios" and the Mickey camera silhouette painted in brown beneath. Large metal lamps hang either side of the huge entrance doors, which give the impression that they could slide inwards to close in the soundstage, but their real function is entirely decorative. On either side of the building are posters for the park’s most popular attractions, which change every few seconds. The poster on the right features Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, Moteurs... Action! and Art of Disney Animation, whilst the poster on the left features Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic, Armageddon: Special Effects and CinéMagique.

Upon entering the soundstage, through the comparatively small entrance doors (designed to be this size to allow as little daylight inside the building as possible), you’re greeted by an initial view of a Sunset Boulevard "that never was", a dream-like recreation of this fabled Hollywood street populated by recreations of legendary Hollywood landmarks as well as newly-created locations, based on classic architecture of "Tinsel Town". Look above you, though, and the effect is brought into reality with the flashing red lights of the “Hot Set” signs, and to your left and right are backstage areas, piled full of set elements and props from past productions. This is Hollywood designed by Hollywood itself, and you’re the star! A brand new production, “Lights! Camera! Hollywood!” is being filmed today, so step out onto the soundstage and into the magic of the movies...

The right-hand side of Disney Studio 1 plays host to Restaurant En Coulisse, which nestles behind the colourful façades of some of Hollywood’s most legendary bars and restaurants. First up is Schwab’s Pharmacy (nr. 1127), the infamous 1940s drugstore and soda bar hangout for some of Hollywood’s most up-and-coming writers and actors. It’s owner, Leon Schwab, claimed that Lana Turner was discovered in his store. True or not, the store went on to become a legendary part of Hollywood history, with cameos in such films as “Sunset Boulevard” (1950). Whilst the Disney Studio 1 façade is largely very faithful to the original building, with its recessed entrance, turquoise green walls and terracotta roof tiles, a few liberties have been taken - the main store sign is now less obtrusive and the large vertical neon sign reads "Schwab’s Pharmacy" instead of the original "Schwab’s Drugs", reflecting the modern meaning of the words.

Next on your tour of Hollywood greats is The Brown Derby (nr. 917), modelled on the 1929 Vine Street version of the restaurant, rather than the 1926 derby hat-shaped original. This reproduction does, however, feature the iconic derby-shaped neon sign, which stood on top of all the Brown Derby restaurants. The Vine Street establishment was the most popular and most famous, however, with its exquisite menu bringing in many of the top names of Hollywood, who were honoured with their caricature being placed on the restaurant’s "Wall of Fame". Clark Gable proposed to Carole Lombard here, but despite the legendary status, the only remaining Brown Derby restaurant is the full-scale recreation at Disney-MGM Studios Florida. Less reality-based is Club Swankadero (nr. 710), an imaginary night club inspired by Hollywood's clubs of the 1930s and 40s. The warm, pink walls and awnings of this exclusive location give it a definite air of sophistication. A less ostentatious venue is the Gunga Den (nr. 611), a little-known club from the French Quarter of Hollywood, named after the 1939 George Stevens adventure film "Gunga Din", which was based on the short story/poem by Rudyard Kipling.

Nearing the end of Sunset Boulevard, The Hep Cat Club (nr. 225) pays homage to the trendy jazz clubs of the 1950s, made famous during the "Rat Pack" era. Its strikingly modern design with bright, contrasting colours includes a curving balcony (part of the upstairs section of Restaurant En Coulisse), which featured live bands in the early years of the park (they have since been moved to ground level, opposite the club). The final venue on this side of the street is the Liki Tiki, a retro tropical bar right out of the 1960s. It’s bamboo, palm leaf and tiki statue props recall the popular Polynesian theme many bars adopted at the time, with a "rainstorm"” created from flowing blue fabric and a thatched roof presenting a subtle nod to the classic Disneyland attraction: Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.

The Legends of Hollywood boutique on the left-hand side of the street is enclosed by sets depicting stores from Hollywood past. Whilst they are all merely fictional creations from the imagination of the Disney Imagineers, the fact that they are all strongly based upon real Hollywood landmarks and architecture styles makes them thoroughly believable. Southern Californian architecture is visible right from the first "boutique" you come across – Shutterbugs (nr. 1205), a classic Hollywood photo studio. Whilst the top half of the façade has strong Art Deco styling with geometric shapes and shimmering glass tiles, the lower portion is far more outrageous, using the popular SoCal convention of "expressive" architecture for a camera-shaped building design. This lower section is, in fact, a near exact duplicate of a small exterior section of "The Dark Room" boutique on Disney-MGM Studios Florida’s Hollywood Boulevard. Glamour Girl Cosmetics (nr. 1118) is a recreation of the most essential store for Hollywood’s leading ladies of cinema, with the lower floor taking a green, marble-effect frontage framed with gold touches and a more rounded, feminine design contrasting with the art deco next door. The shop windows feature a border of bright, glowing light bulbs, giving the effect of a classic dressing room mirror. The upper floors of the "boutique" are designed as a 1930s office building, and during Christmas Season are brought to life with the projected silhouettes of people passing to and fro, carrying Christmas gifts.

The Alexandria Theatre (nr. 830) is the boulevard’s key movie theatre, with an imposing façade featuring a large neon-lit sign proclaiming: "Premiere Tonight, 'Lucky In Love', A Spectacular In Extravaganzarama-Vision!". Inspired by the colourful and exotic "movie palaces" that sprung up around Hollywood from the 1920s through to the 1940s, this example is undoubtedly influenced by the classic Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, with its strong Egyptian designs giving a unique character to this area of Disney Studio 1. Next door at Hollywood and Vine (nr. 612), however, the style is distinctly "Hollywood". Pure Art Deco architecture and design brings beauty and refinement to the exterior of this recreation of a typical Hollywood "Five and Dime" convenience store.

Read all about it! The Gossip Column (nr. 210) is the place to catch up on all the latest celebrity happenings from across the valley - a circular, neon-drenched visualisation of the popular magazine stands from the golden age of Hollywood. This particular example takes some inspiration from Hollywood’s "Crossroads of the World", which was recreated in full for Disney-MGM Studios Florida. As your Sunset Boulevard dream comes to an end and you head off on more movie adventures, there’s one last stop to make – Last Chance Gas (nr. 104), an homage to the historic gas stations of Route 66 and a recognisable feature from many classic movies. A tower of tyres rotates on top of the rounded, neon-illuminated canopy, and heavily-polished gas pumps and a gleaming Woody Buick Station Wagon create one of the most impressive set elements of Disney Studio 1.

Above the doors at either end of Disney Studio 1 are giant painted backdrops of a glitzy Hollywood at sunset. Disney’s El Capitan theatre is depicted in the sunset backdrop, which is illuminated by two cleverly projected "spotlights" which pan left and right across the Hollywood skyline.

Cut! That’s a wrap! Your glamorous, star-studded journey along the timeline of Hollywood greats is in the can!

Production footnotes

If Disney Studio 1 were a working soundstage, it would be the second largest of its kind in Europe (upon opening in 2002). It is 70 metres long, 35 metres wide and 20 metres high.

The huge Hollywood backdrop changes from day to night every few minutes using simple, but effective lighting effects.

There are two interactive lightmixer machines located inside Disney Studio 1, allowing guests to alter the lighting on various landmarks within the attraction. The first machine is located next to Club Swankadero, and changes the lighting on the Hollywood & Vine façade; the second is located inside the Liki Tiki area and changes the lighting of the thatched roof, starts the “thunderstorm” effect and lights up the Coca-Cola neon sign.

The cartoon sketches displayed in The Brown Derby section of Restaurant En Coulisse are copies of the original drawings that were on display in the original Brown Derby in Hollywood. These include caricatures of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis Jr., Ronald Reagan, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Cary Grant, Omar Sharif and many other stars.

The Shutterbugs set element also functions as a real, working photo studio. The technology is rather more up-to-date than 1930s Hollywood, though, with a special green-screen allowing the computer systems to add a number of Disney-themed backdrops into your souvenir group photo.

Disneyland Resort Paris Business Solutions frequently hires out Disney Studio 1 for corporate functions and events using a variety of pre-designed events.

The giant poster for Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic, which can be seen on the Front Lot side of Disney Studio 1, indicates the location of this attraction to be in Backlot, when it is infact classified as a Production Courtyard attraction.

Disney Studio 1 features a large variety of live entertainment throughout the day. In addition to the various "film shoot" sketches from the comedic CinéFolies team, live bands frequently perform songs from classic movie soundtracks, outside The Gossip Column.

A Restaurant Reservations desk is located in the Egyptian-themed facade of The Alexandria Theatre, allowing you to book any restaurant across Disneyland Resort Paris.

The interior of Disney Studio 1 becomes a glittering wonderland of lights during Christmas Season, with thousands of extra lights, tinsel and decorations added on the ceiling, in the palm trees and right across the sets which line the street.

History

A large soundstage at the entrance to the park was planned right from the earliest concept plans for Disney-MGM Studios Europe, as a replacement for Disney-MGM Studios Florida’s long, outdoor Hollywood Boulevard.

The exterior of the soundstage changed repeatedly throughout concept plans for the park, with the final design featuring a more rounded, European façade with a clearer "Disney touch".

The words "Walt Disney Studios" and the Mickey movie camera silhouette (the main symbol of the park) were only painted onto the building at a very late stage in its construction, hence the absence of these features on early publicity photos.

The official name of the attraction was changed from "Lights! Camera! Hollywood!" to "Disney Studio 1" shortly before the opening of the park. This was likely done to better explain the basis of the attraction and to emphasise to guests its "story": a large soundstage featuring a lively, old-fashioned Sunset Boulevard set.

On the 5th July 2003, the Shutterbugs set element was turned into a real, working photo studio.

In early February 2006, giant posters for classic Disney movies were added to the sides of the Disney Studio 1 building. Animation Courtyard side: "Pinocchio", "Dumbo", "The Little Mermaid", "The Lion King" and "Monsters Inc"; Production Courtyard side: "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea", "“Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "The Chronicles of Narnia", "Mary Poppins" and "Pirates of the Caribbean".

© WDS Fans 2006