Studio Backlot Tour

Description And Comments

A substantial part of the Studios was a film and TV-production facility, although very little actual production takes place these days. Nonetheless, visitors can take a backstage tour to learn about production methods and technologies.

The tour begins on the edge of the back lot with the special-effects walking segment, then continues with the tram segment. To reach the Studio Backlot Tour, turn right off Hollywood Boulevard through the Studio Arch into the Animation Courtyard. Bear left at the corner where Voyage of the Little Mermaid is situated. Follow the street until you see a red brick warehouse on your right. Go through the door and up the ramp.

The first stop is a special-effects water tank where technicians explain the mechanical and optical tricks that "turn the seemingly impossible into on-screen reality." Included are rain effects and a naval battle.

A prop room separates the special-effects tank and the tram tour. Trams depart about once every 4 minutes on busy days, winding among production and shop buildings before stopping at the wardrobe and crafts shops. Here, costumes, sets, and props are designed, created, and stored. Still seated on the tram, you look through large windows to see craftsmen at work.

The tour continues through the back lot, where western desert canyons exist side by side with New York City brownstones. The tour's highlight is Catastrophe Canyon, an elaborate special-effects movie set where a thunderstorm, earthquake, oil-field fire, and flash flood are simulated.

A reader from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, found the tour lacking:

I was extremely disappointed to discover how much the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney Hollywood Studios has been shortened. The tram ride is hardly worth the time, as most of the Backlot is now gone. Catastrophe Canyon is tired and in need of refurbishment. The years of fires have caused significant black scarring on the attraction, which detracts from the realism of the effects. And the special-effects/behind-the-scenes walking tour, which I thought was a great experience when I was a young teen, is also no more.

Touring Tips

Because the Studio Backlot Tour is one of Disney's most efficient attractions, you will rarely wait more than 15 minutes (usually less than 10). Take the tour at your convenience, but preferably before 5 p.m., when the various workshops shut down for the day.

Studio Backlot Tour Wait Times

This chart shows you roughly how long you'll wait for Studio Backlot Tour when you visit on a day with a given Disney's Hollywood Studios Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average "peak" wait time (that is, how long the line will be at its busiest). The bottom and top black lines represent the range of peak wait times to expect (for you fellow nerds out there: it's the 5th percentile and 95th percentile of peak wait times). Please note that these are estimates, and for a better forecast for your travel dates, see Studio Backlot Tour Wait Times.

Special Comments

• We rate this attraction as Not To Be Missed.
• This attraction offers rider swap.

Use the restroom before getting in line.

Special Needs

• Handheld Captioning Available
• Video Captioning Available
• Audio Description Devices Available
• May Remain In Wheelchair/ECV
• Sign Language Interpretation Available

Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Nearer My Godzilla to Thee

Over the years, the Imagineers have come up with plenty of weird concepts for attractions at the Studios. But among the absolute weirdest had to be a proposed "Scream Actors Guild" attraction: a horror-themed spoof of award shows with an ending where the hosts present a lifetime achievement award...to Godzilla. After Big G had been invited to come on down and accept his award, dimensional sound and in-theater effects would have made it feel as if Godzilla were stomping through the Studios, heading for the theater. And the end gag was supposed to have the terrible lizard literally bring the house down, as a life-size Godzilla foot stomped through the roof and splintered the stage.

Additional Resources

• Backlot Tour (StudiosCentral.com)

Other Attractions in Grand Avenue

• Muppet*Vision 3D