Disney-MGM Studios

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was also a functioning production studio and was formerly known as "Disney-MGM Studios" from its 1989 inception until 2008, when it was renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios. Despite its former name, it was never actually affiliated with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which only licensed the name to Disney, as part of a deal to increase public interest as well as to increase the variety of film representation in the park.



1st Logo (February 19, 1990-1991?)

Visuals: Over a blurry blue-purple background with glimmering yellow bokeh lights is the following:

Taped at the
DiSNEY MGM
Studios at the Walt Disney
World Resort in Florida

In between "DiSNEY" and "MGM" is a graphic of Mickey Mouse holding a clapperboard. Noticeably, the "D" from "DiSNEY" is cut off at the left side. The Merv Griffin Enterprises logo then flips in from the top of the screen.

Technique: Live-action and digital editing.

Audio: The ending theme.

Availability: Seen on 1990 Disney World episodes of Wheel of Fortune.

2nd Logo (October 1991-1995?)

Visuals: On a peach/lavender-magenta/salmon gradient background is a sky blue bar with a red line above and below on the bar. Inside it says "DiSNEY·MGM" in white, with the word "DiSNEY" in its trademarked script font on the left, "MGM" on the right, and a center dot in the middle. Below the bar is the word "STUDIOS" in the Broadway font with a shadow effect and in spaced-out letters.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: The end title theme of the show. Later in the weeks on Wheel of Fortune, Charlie O'Donnell would announce:

  • 1991: "Wheel of Fortune was taped at Disney·MGM Studios in Florida (on the 1991 Merv Griffin Enterprises logo) and is a Merv Griffin Enterprises Production, (on the 1990 King World logo) distributed by King World."
  • 1992-1994?: "Production facilities provided by Disney-MGM Studios."

Availability: It was seen on episodes of the aforementioned series that were taped at the Disney-MGM Studios.

3rd Logo (1991-1995)

Visuals: On a dusk background is a Mickey Mouse-shaped water tower with the text "Videotaped at" or "Produced at" over it. The tower has "DiSNEY·MGM STUDIOS" on it. The Mickey ears on the tower have blinking lights on them, and one corner of it is covered by leaves from a tree under the tower.

Variant: On Season 7 episodes of The Mickey Mouse Club/MMC, the water tower and text fade out to make room for the MMC logo flying in and sticking into their place like a sticker, as well as a Walt Disney Company copyright stamp fading in below.

Trivia: The water tower in this logo was actually a real tower formerly located at Disney's Hollywood Studios (the current name for "Disney-MGM Studios") at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and its name is the Earffel Tower (a pun on the Eiffel Tower). The logo also appeared on the opening of the Disney-MGM studios' first day, but without the text (excluding the text on the tower).

Technique: Live-action, with computer animation for the variant.

Audio: Patrick Richwood (or one of the cast members on Season 7) says "Videotaped at the Disney-MGM Studios, Lake Buena Vista, Florida" or "The Mickey Mouse Club/MMC was taped before a live studio audience at the Disney-MGM Studios, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.", all over the ending theme of the show. Richwood uses his voice for the White Rabbit from Adventures in Wonderland with no music. Season 1 and 2 episodes of Mickey Mouse Club did not have a voiceover, as it was on a prior slide.

Availability: This logo was last seen on the aforementioned shows (Adventures in Wonderland only used it on season 1).

  • It can still be seen on old VHS tapes of the former.
  • Also seen on episodes of WCW Worldwide in 1995.

4th Logo (April 1, 1994-May 5, 1995)

Visuals: There is a slightly modified version of the print Disney-MGM Studios logo, consisting of a marquee as seen in the second logo, with Mickey holding a clapperboard between "DiSNEY" and "MGM", and the MGM logo on top of the bar (minus the wreath and mask and with an unknown lion inside the circle).

Variants:

  • Sometimes, the logo is in-credit.
  • On the two-part Family Matters special "We're Going to Disney World", there is a panning overhead shot of the then-current Disney-MGM Studios. Suddenly, the logo zooms up to the screen. The background then turns black.

Technique: Live-action combined with editing effects.

Audio: Jo Marie Payton (who portrays Harriette Winslow) saying "Production Services for Family Matters provided by Disney-MGM Studios in Florida" while a standard music cue for the show plays in the background. Otherwise, it's the end theme.

Availability: Only seen on the short-lived television series Thunder in Paradise and the two-part Family Matters special "We're Going to Disney World". This logo may also be preserved on the latter's Season 6 DVD set. However, most syndicated prints of both parts (including TBS' prints) exclude it.

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