Studios in the Disney News

It’s fun to look back at old magazine covers from way back when and I recently ran across a site that had the covers from the old Disney News and Disney Magazines. This publication was released from Winter 1965-66 until Summer 2005. So let’s take a nostalgic look back at when the Studios made some of these covers.

It’s fun to look back at old magazine covers from way back when and I recently ran across a site that had the covers from the old Disney News and Disney Magazines. This publication was released from Winter 1965-66 until Summer 2005. So let’s take a nostalgic look back at when the Studios made some of these covers.



George Lucas – Spring 1987

This cover highlights the news that George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars films, was joining forces with Disney to create some Star Wars based attractions in the parks. This news brought about Star Tours to Disneyland and then the Disney-MGM Studios. You can see the RX-24 droid ("Rex") behind Lucas in the photo.



Gene Kelly – Spring 1989

This is the first time the Studios are featured and you can see behind Gene Kelly, the Disney-MGM Studios Arch as well as the Earful Tower. This particular issue of the magazine ties Gene Kelly recalling the days of "Song-and-dance" to the opening of the Disney-MGM Studios, which is supposed to invoke memories of that by gone era. This cover comes out before the park officially opens as the park isn’t yet complete.



Disney-MGM Studios Opens – Summer 1989

This issue marks the opening of the Disney-MGM Studios to the public. It features the Chinese Theater in the background with a full dance ensemble in the foreground, which again tries to bring that sense of that 1940’s era type of entertainment.



Jim Henson – Summer 1990

This is a real bittersweet issue because it announces the deal between Henson and Disney to work together, which was shortly before Henson’s untimely death in May of 1990 (note that the issue is marked "Summer 1990", which indicates Henson died before or around the time this issue came out). In the background we see the Disney-MGM Studios Arch, which highlights the "Here come the Muppets" show which debuted in May of 1990.



Muppetvision 3D – Summer 1991

Muppetvision 3D is formally announced as the newest attraction coming to the Disney-MGM Studios. This show opened on May 16, 1991. You can see the 3D glasses from the film "flying" away at the top right of the cover.



Tower of Terror – Summer 1994

The Tower of Terror attraction opens at the Studios in 1994 and is featured here. The attraction had a huge opening with lots of fan fare to drum up interest and attendance to the park. The attraction opened on July 22, 1994 and was the first drop sequence itteration, in which guests were brought to the top of the Tower and dropped once.



100 Years of Magic – Fall 2001

Disney’s celebration in 2001 was the 100 Years of Magic celebration, which marked the 100th birthday of Walt Disney and the Studios were prominently featured in this issue. We see Sorcerer Mickey in the foreground standing in front of the corner of Hollywood & Sunset Boulevards with Echo Lake between the two. The cover also features an article about how to visit the Studios in one day.