30 years ago today Disney’s MGM Studios opened to the public! As I tuned into the park celebration’s live stream, I reminisced on my first (and only!) visit to what we now call Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The place is… magical! Yeah, I know, that seems a bit redundant, but really, that’s the only way to describe it. I immediately keyed in on the entrance plaza, complete with Fantasia’s magic brooms and the retro Hollywood gate. When entering I was drawn in all directions: Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster - rides I’d dreamed of riding for decades! - to my right, Star Tours and the Indiana Jones stage show to my left, and Lights, Motors, Action! pulling me forward. Honestly, I think I just stood there for a moment, unsure of how to proceed, taking it all in. I love exploring all the nooks and crannies of the parks, but this… this was overwhelming!

Tower of Terror won out, of course. (Looking back, it was always Tower of Terror :-P) I think we rode it 4 times that day, and we have the PhotoPass pictures and videos to prove it! (If you’re planning a trip, it’s a no-brainer.)

About halfway through the day the skies opened and a classic, February Florida thunderstorm claimed the rest of the day. But did that stop us? Not for a second! For dinner we walked into the Hollywood Brown Derby completely soaked, our great planning foiled by giant rain drops defeating our ponchos and umbrellas. That restaurant is, by far, the best parks restaurant open to the public I’ve ever eat at (more on my trips to Club 33 in a later blog!). Our server was incredible, and I’m kicking myself for not remember his name! (We have a picture of the 4 of us floating around somewhere, likely lost to a cloud storage update at some point) I enjoyed a fantastic glass of scotch, and we ate until our hearts’ content. I honestly have no idea how we rolled out of there without causing a scene!

In the evening, the rain stopped just long enough for us to take in the evening performance of Fantasmic! While it didn’t quite live up to my home park’s performances, all the nostalgia came rolling in, and we loved the various differences in the two shows.

What I love about visiting the parks with my family is all of us - oldest to youngest - want… no, NEED to close down the park. We’re tired, our feet are sore, and we’re dying for sleep, but the chance to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster one more time or (let’s face it, that’s an “and”) grab one last churro always wins out. We left the park completely satisfied, yet dying to stay another day.

We still relive the memories we made that day at almost every family function, laughing about how soaked we were, how great the parade was, or how we were able to experience The Great Movie Ride before it was removed. Disney parks, more than anything else, bring our family together, and I couldn’t be more grateful for those moments.