Opening May 1, 1989, Disney-MGM Studios was much more than just another theme park at Walt Disney world. The new park included typical rides and shows but also a full working production studio. This studio produced both television and film, as well as animation. Full length animated features such as Mulan, and Lilo & Stitch, were produced out of the animation studios located on property, as well as a myriad of animated shorts.
Despite the best efforts of both Disney, and the state of Florida, the production studios shut down in 2003. This lead to many changes throughout the property over the next 15+ years. Intellectual Property purchases, as well as a desire to rebrand the park, meant the removal of much of the related production references as time went by. In January 2008, the park was renamed “Disney’s Hollywood Studios.”
