Like all of the Disney theme parks, there's a lot to see and do at the Disney-MGM Studios. Here's a rundown of what you'll discover as you explore this fun-filled “Hollywood”-themed theme park.

Hollywood Boulevard

As soon as you enter the Disney-MGM Studios, you'll find yourself on Hollywood Boulevard, which is lined with a wide assortment of shops. To add to the overall atmosphere of Hollywood in the 1940s, you'll find an assortment of “Streetmosphere” performers who interact with guests while staying in character. Since the shops on Hollywood Boulevard are open thirty minutes after the park's official closing time, save your shopping for later in the day. The daily character parade goes down Hollywood Boulevard. For parade times, visit the Tip Board.

The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror 4

The Hollywood Tower Hotel cost the Walt Disney Company more to build than virtually all of the other WDW Resort hotels, only this one won't ever be used to accommodate living guests. This hotel looks like it's from Hollywood's Golden Age, but that it hasn't been maintained too well over the years. The Hollywood Tower Hotel is where you can experience the Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror 4, which is arguably the most thrilling of thrill rides in all of Walt Disney World.

The attraction starts with a preshow and a brief tour of the hotel. Guests then board the elevator, which is rather unique, because you get to sit down as you ride upward. When you reach one of the top floors, you'll experience some of the most incredible visual special effects you've ever seen. That is, just before you plummet down thirteen floors (157 feet) in what feels like a free fall. The drop lasts about three seconds, but it's very intense. Just when you think the thrill is over after the massive drop, the elevator starts rising upward again, only to drop guests a second time. In fact, there's now a random generator that determines when you drop and how many times the drop occurs during a ride.

To experience Tower of Terror 4, guests must be at least 40 inches tall. This ride is not recommended for anyone with heart or back problems, nor should it be experienced by pregnant women. Whatever you do, avoid eating before experiencing this ride or you'll be sorry. As you take the thirteen-floor drop, a photo will be taken of you, which can be purchased as a souvenir as you leave the hotel.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

The Great Movie Ride

“Hooray for Hollywood” is the theme of this twenty-two-minute ride that utilizes over fifty Audio-Animatronic characters to re-create scenes from some of the most famous motion pictures of all time. This ride is located inside the Mann's Chinese Theater. As you're waiting to board the ride, once inside the theater, you'll see many authentic props and costumes from classic movies, and then when the ride begins, the movies will come to life before your eyes. The Great Movie Ride is thoroughly entertaining for all ages.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3-D

Kermit, Miss Piggy, and all of the classic Muppet characters are featured in this attraction's twelve-minute preshow that's followed by a comical twelve-minute 3-D movie. Muppet fans of all ages will truly love this attraction.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

Star Tours

What happens when you combine the creative talent of Disney's Imagineers with the imagination of George Lucas? The result in this case is Star Tours, a ride that's based on the original Star Wars movies and features characters like R2-D2 and C3-PO. As an intergalactic tourist, you and thirty-nine other guests will board a StarSpeeder and experience a whirlwind tour of the galaxy. Using flight-simulator technology, the StarSpeeder is on hydraulics and is perfectly synchronized with the movie you'll be watching on the ship's main view screen.

The overall effect is that you'll feel like you're actually traveling at ultrafast speed through space, when, in reality, your StarSpeeder is only a few feet off the ground. Star Tours is a fast-paced and turbulent roller-coaster-like ride with a Star Wars twist. Be prepared for a long wait to ride this attraction, but while you're waiting to board the StarSpeeder, you'll be entertained by an elaborate preshow that includes Audio-Animatronic characters from the Star Wars movies and video monitors that feature Star Tours travel information.

This ride is suitable for people of all ages, except very young children (under the age of three) and people who suffer from back problems, heart conditions, motion sickness, etc. Once you board the StarSpeeder, stow all of your loose clothing, purse, camera bag, and so on, and fasten your seatbelt. This ride is bumpy, but not scary. The best time to ride this attraction is late in the evening. If the line for this ride doesn't go outside of the building, the wait will be less than twenty minutes.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure

This outdoor playground looks like a scene from the popular live-action Disney movie, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, because everything is extremely oversized, making young guests feel incredibly small as they climb, crawl, jump, and slide around. This attraction offers adults a chance to sit down and relax, while the children have fun exploring this playground.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Here's an exciting opportunity to go under the sea without ever getting wet. Voyage of the Little Mermaid is an extremely innovative live show that features costumed characters and unique lifesize puppets, along with black-light special effects. Scenes from the animated Disney movie The Little Mermaid are re-created. This is an extremely popular attraction, especially among kids, so be prepared to wait up to one hour to experience this show. Be sure to take advantage of FASTPASS to cut your wait time. Very young children might get scared by some of the special effects used during the seventeen-minute show.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!

This live-action stunt show was choreographed by Glenn Randall, who was the stunt coordinator for all of the Indiana Jones movies. While you won't see Harrison Ford, you will see talented stunt people re-create scenes from this movie series. Fireworks, explosions, and other special effects are used to add extra drama to this exciting show.

The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is presented several times throughout the day (showtimes are listed in front of the theater and at the Tip Board). About 2,000 people fit into the theater, so if you arrive between fifteen and thirty minutes early, you're virtually guaranteed a seat for this high-action thirty-minute show. A few brave guests are selected at the start of each show to be “extras.” Not only do audience members get to see dozens of stunts performed, but they also learn how stunts are actually performed in movies so that nobody gets injured.

Journey to Narnia

This short walk-through experience based on the Disney Pictures and Walden Media motion picture release, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is a soundstage transformed into a frozen world of Narnia. It's not quite as exciting as the movie, but more educational.

Beauty and the Beast

After Disney's Beauty and the Beast animated movie was released and became an instant classic, a live adaptation of this movie was created for guests of the Disney-MGM Studios. This thirty-minute live-action performance stars actors and costumed characters. The show re-creates several scenes from the movie.

This show inspired the hit Broadway musical and is presented several times throughout each day. Showtimes are displayed in front of the theater and at the Tip Board. While the theater holds more than 1,500 people, be sure to arrive between fifteen and thirty minutes early to get the best seats (depending on how crowded the Studios are on the day of your visit).

Fantasmic!

Adapted from the highly popular show that was originally created for Disneyland, this nighttime spectacle combines lasers, special effects, walls of water, dancing waters, fiber-optic effects, classic Disney animated movie footage, Disney characters, a cast of over fifty performers, and plenty of Disney music. This is all choreographed perfectly into a twenty-five-minute performance that you'll remember forever. This is perhaps the most spectacular show at the WDW Resort. Fantasmic! should not be missed. Fantasmic! is extremely popular, but the capacity of the outdoor theater is limited. You will need to be at the entrance at the latest thirty minutes ahead of showtime.

To combine a memorable dinner with the memorable performance of Fantasmic! consider taking advantage of the park's “Fantasmic! Dining Experience.” After enjoying a full dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, or Hollywood & Vine, you'll receive a voucher that guarantees seating for that evening's Fantasmic! performance. The dinner/show combo is priced between $19.99 and $36 per adult and $9.99 for kids (ages three to eleven). Admission to the park is still required and only a limited number of dinner packages are available per day.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

The latest ride added to the Disney-MGM Studios is a state-of-the-art roller coaster with a musical twist. As you experience this high-speed indoor coaster, 125 speakers will rock your world with Aerosmith music. When this coaster launches, you'll go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under two seconds, but that's just the start of the experience, which offers plenty of unexpected turns, loops, and twists.

The entire experience (including preshow) lasts about ten minutes. Having quickly become one of the most popular attractions at this park, a sixty- to ninety-minute wait for it is typical. To save time, be sure to take advantage of FASTPASS. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall.

Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat

In December 2001, a giant sorcerer's hat (adapted from the hat Mickey Mouse wore in Fantasia) was built directly in front of the Mann's Chinese Theater to commemorate Walt Disney's hundredth birthday. Using interactive kiosks located behind this giant, 122-foot-tall, 156-ton hat, guests get a peek at events in Disney history. There's also a stage and courtyard area where Disney characters and musical acts appear throughout the day.

Sounds Dangerous — Starring Drew Carey

This interactive show stars comedian Drew Carey and showcases how audio special effects are created for television shows and motion pictures. For this presentation, you're invited to a taping of a fictional television series pilot (that stars Drew Carey). The show lasts about twelve minutes and takes place within an indoor theater (the ABC Sound Studio). Keep in mind, a portion of this comedy show, which focuses on audio, is done in complete darkness. While this isn't meant to be scary, it might not be suitable for very young children.

Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade

In this twenty-five-minute daily parade, guests have a chance to see some of Disney's most famous characters as they ride down Hollywood Boulevard. The parade route begins near Star Tours and ends near the Crossroads (at the entrance of the studios). In all, sixty-three Disney characters are featured, along with a handful of Disney-MGM Studios guests who are preselected to participate. By sitting along the curb of Hollywood Boulevard, guests will have a chance to interact with some of the characters, so have your camera ready.

Walt Disney: One Man's Dream

In conjunction with Walt Disney's hundredth birthday celebration, which kicked off in December 2001, the Disney-MGM Studios created a self-paced, walk-through exhibit that showcases the life of Walt Disney and pays tribute to his many achievements. This exhibit contains extensive memorabilia from the Walt Disney archives, much of which has never been displayed to the public before.

According to Disney Imagineer Roger Holzberg, the senior show producer/director of this attraction, “When we were researching the attraction, we found that many of our guests under the age of fifteen did not know Walt Disney was a real person. They thought it was just a company name.”

Walt Disney: One Man's Dream features a short film of Walt Disney's life that explores the extraordinary hardships he overcame. “He is an individual, not an icon,” added Holzberg. “This tells the story of Walt the man, and we hope that guests will be moved by the scope of his imagination, what he accomplished, and what he inspired.”

Anyone who truly appreciates the accomplishments of Walt Disney as a television and motion picture producer, animator, and theme park creator will enjoy this museum-like exhibit, which is not particularly kid oriented. The entire experience lasts about twenty-five minutes and is entirely indoors.

Playhouse Disney — Live on Stage!

Designed specifically for the under-ten crowd that watches Playhouse Disney on the Disney Channel, this live musical show features characters from Jim Henson's Bear in the Big Blue House, Rolie Polie Olie, Stanley, and stars from The Book of Pooh. This is a fun twenty-minute show that's colorful, upbeat, and will provide plenty of entertainment for kids (especially those familiar with the characters from the various TV shows on the Disney Channel). If you're traveling with young kids, this adorable show should not be missed!

On days when the park is crowded, be sure to arrive at the theater at least twenty to thirty minutes prior to the posted showtime. To ensure that kids, in particular, get the best view of the action, all audience members sit on a carpeted floor within the air-conditioned theater.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights

Between late November and early January each year, the Disney-MGM Studios celebrate the holiday season by transforming the “back lot” area of the working motion picture studio portion of the theme park into a holiday winter wonderland. Opening every evening after dark, this walk-through attraction is absolutely breathtaking and is suitable for the entire family.

One of the primary focal points of this extravagant light display is a 70-foot-tall Christmas tree that's adorned with over 58,000 lights. In all, however, over 350 miles of Christmas lights are used to create this attraction, which requires 800,000 watts of electricity to bring it to life. As you explore this holiday attraction, be on the lookout for the over forty hidden Mickeys that can be found within the decorative display. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, this attraction is still worth experiencing.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

The Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour

One of the things that make a trip to the Disney-MGM Studios so special is that you actually have the opportunity to visit a motion picture and television studio where movies and television programs are being produced.

When guests participate in this tour, they'll ride in trams that take them on a thirty-five-minute tour of the Disney-MGM Studios production facilities (a.k.a. the backlot). Although the Disney-MGM Studios are rarely still used to film live-action TV shows and movies, you'll see movie sets, outdoor “facades,” as well as soundstages where movies and TV shows are filmed. You'll also see the studio's wardrobe/costume facility, plus get a chance to see costumes from classic movies. Along the tram tour, you can expect a few surprises as well, like the Special Effects Water Tank show. In 2004, this tour began being revamped slightly as the back-lot area gets expanded to include new cityscapes, including Chicago and San Francisco.

Lights, Motors, and Action! Extreme Stunt Show

This high-action edge-of-your-seat outdoor live stadium show features stunt drivers in explosions, falls, high-speed spins, jumps, and more. The stunts use cars, boats, and motorcycles. Anyone afraid of loud noises or fire should sit as far away from the stage as possible or not attend at all. Make sure you mark this one off your list early, because the last show is late afternoon. This is also a FASTPASS attraction.