Welcome to a Disney Theme Park that never made it off the drawing board – Disney-MGM Studios Europe, the proposed second theme park of Euro Disney Resort. This park is as legendary to European Disney fans as the fabled Westcot project is for American fans. Prepare to step through the gates of a Hollywood that never was…

Disney-MGM Studios Europe was supposed to be about twice as large as the current Walt Disney Studios Park and would have included actual studio production facilities. The number of attractions it was supposed to open with is not known for sure, however a leaked plan shows approximately 7 to 10 attractions and at least seven themed restaurants are mentioned on the original plan.

The Tour

We start our tour at the main gates of the park where a large Disney-MGM Studios sign marks the start of our Hollywood adventure. As we go through the main gates, we enter the Front Lot plaza with buildings in Pueblo Deco style on each side, lots of palm trees and a high towering Earffel Tower. Passing over the square we approach a huge soundstage based on the original Hyperion Studio (the first studio Walt Disney owned). Inside the soundstage we discover Hollywood Boulevard, a large indoor set resembling Hollywood at night. While walking towards the exit of Hollywood Boulevard it becomes clear how huge this building actually is: the soundstage consists out of 3 connected smaller buildings.

As we exit the covered Hollywood Boulevard we enter a huge plaza with a beautiful recreation of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. It houses the Grand Movie Palace attraction, a European version of the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (orginally Disney-MGM Studios). A tram drives us through various famous movie scenes from European and American movies, each with its own Audio-Animatronic actors.

A whole area dedicated to Route 66 is located to the right of the Grand Movie Palace, with the Route 66 Roadside Diner as its centerpiece.

We continue our journey by crossing over the plaza and entering Gangster Shootout on the left of the Grand Movie Palace. It’s an attraction, based on the Touchstone production Dick Tracy, combining the technology of The Indiana Jones Adventure at California with Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast. The show building and façade has been themed as a huge factory complete with chimney’s and bridges.

While walking to Animation Courtyard, we pass by the Backlot Express restaurant, located in the same building as Gangster Shoutout. The industrial look and feel of the Gangster Shootout façade carries on here.

Two buildings are located on each side of Animation Courtyard. On the right we see the Animation Commissary restaurant and on the left The Magic of Disney Animation exhibit, showcasing Disney’s proud tradition of handdrawn animation. A look inside the real Parisian animation studios is included in our tour.

Leaving Animation Courtyard we pass by another restaurant: The Brown Derby, an exact copy of the Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando) version.

We’ve reached a crossroad now: to the left we can go to the “Attraction Studios”.
(Almost nothing is known about this area. The plan mentions lots of real studio buildings, including special effects stages, but it’s not sure whether these were actually used to house attractions.)

The only attraction clearly mentioned is the Backlot Tram Tour. As we board our tram, we go on a tour through the real Studio lot on property and end with a visit to Catastrophe Canyon, located right behind the loading station.

As we go back to the crossroad and go to the right, we first pass by the New York and waterfront backlot: a recreation of New York city and its waterfront, complete with a large ship. A sign informs us that a new attraction is on its way: the Honey I shrunk the kids play area: a larger than life playground for the little ones.

We pass by the waterfront to reach the Indiana Jones themed area. The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular takes us on an adventure with the most memorable stunts from the original movies. An Indiana Jones themed restaurant and shop are located here as well at the far end of the park.

And so, a day of backstage movie magic comes to a close in the Hollywood that truly never was…