The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1994 and featured busts of Hollywood greats including: Desi Arnez, Bob Newhart, Betty White, Bea Arthur, Lucille Ball, Barbara Walters, Diahann Carroll, Bill Cosby, Dick Clark, Andy Griffith, Mary Tyler Moore, Oprah Winfrey and, of course, Walt Disney.
In 1999, Bill Cosby was inducted to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame and thus his bust included in the ATAS Hall of Fame Plaza. After a series of allegations that Cosby had drugged and raped women throughout his career, a change.org petition to remove his bust from the park began gaining attention. As the controversy grew, Disney officials made the call to remove the bust after the park closed on July 7, 2015.
In October of 2016 the collection of busts was removed entirely from the park.
