WDW Disney Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour Will Close Sept 27, Pixar Place Expansion Likely Coming

If you follow me on the D&M Facebook page you may have seen the news announced by Tom Corless on WDW News Today, which was confirmed to Disney Hollywood Studios cast members yesterday afternoon: the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will close on September 27th, 2014.

According to Tom "work is set to begin on a third track for Toy Story Midway Mania inside of that building" and the area surrounding Soundstage 1 will likely be used for the rest of a large-scale PIXAR Place expansion. Although some of you might miss the Studio Tour all the question now is: what would they put instead of the Backlot Tour and Tom thinks that a Toy Story Playland like the one at DLP Walt Disney Studios and Hong Kong Disneyland which include RC Racer, Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin, and the Toy Soldier Parachute Drop should . But there will be more room available so it will be interested to see if the remaining space would be used for a Cars Land or the inverted coaster Monsters Inc. attractions.


For more details jump to WDW News Today HERE.

Picture: copyright Alan Shaw

Universal Studios will re-open backlot this summer

Good news today for Universal Studios fans as, according to Variety: "Universal will reopen its backlot this summer, nearly a year after a fire destroyed four acres of the studio.

Rebuilt locations include its popular Courthouse Square, Brownstone and New York streets. Production will resume on those sets in midsummer.

While redesigning the lot, the studio added sets such as a gas station, a firehouse and a London Street, as well as a modern urban cityscape with glass and steel facade structures. That cityscape will be the largest modern urban backlot shooting location in Los Angeles, U said.

Additional sets will remain in construction and are planned to open in 2010, but U declined to disclose details on those.

Altogether, the new and rebuilt locations will be featured on the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour, as will the recently renovated soundstage that will house "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" beginning June 1.

U said the new sets were built to "meet contemporary film production needs" and designed with the assistance of filmmakers and art directors.

Studio always said it would rebuild the backlot as quickly as it could, and include the latest fireproofing methods in the new construction.

While last summer's fire, ruled an accident, destroyed key facades, a warehouse storing old prints and the King Kong theme park attraction, other locations like the "War of the Worlds" set, Western Street, European Street, Mexican Street, the Psycho House and Bates Motel, as well as Wisteria Lane, seen on "Desperate Housewives," were untouched by the fire."

Full article by Marc Graser on the Variety web site.

Photo: copyright Seelab.com