On May 1, 1989, then Walt Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner opened Disney’s MGM Studios, becoming the third park at Walt Disney World. What began as an idea for just a small peek behind the curtain in the form of a studio tour, quickly grew into an entire theme park, celebrating not only Disney movies, but the film industry as a whole. It was a “hooray for Hollywood” past, present and future. For me, it was my own personal yellow brick road, bridging dreams to reality by teaching film production through ‘edutainment’. Walt Disney would have loved it. Following the name change to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2008, the park has seen many more transformations, but set back from the hustle and bustle of Sunset Boulevard, Echo Lake sits quietly, reflecting on the history of animation and its legacy at Disney. Let’s dive into the hidden movie history of Echo Lake.
The History of Gertie the Dinosaur
Gertie the Dinosaur is more than just a great place to get some ice cream, she is a tribute to one of the first animated short films that would eventually inspire Walt Disney.
Gertie the Dinosaur by Winsor McCay was produced in 1914, blending animation and live action, in a time when movies didn’t even have sound. In the film, McCay bet a friend that he can make a dinosaur “live again”, and he does so through a series of 10,000 drawings. When it comes time to settle the bet, McCay gathers his friends for a dinner party and projects his drawings onto a screen, interacting with Gertie all throughout playback, as she eats rocks and trees, and drinks up the lake. Towards the end of his animation, Winsor McCay jumps into his own drawing and rides away on Gertie’s back. Ten years later, Walt Disney would employ these same techniques to put a real actress into an animated world in his Alice Comedies.
As Gertie the Dinosaur was such an influential film to Walt Disney, the Imagineers pay tribute to Gertie (and Winsor McCay) with all of the attention to detail surrounding Gertie the Dinosaur’s Ice Cream of Extinction. On a stroll around the lake, you’ll find Gertie’s footprints descending into the water, as well as tree stumps, left behind after Gertie’s had a snack of her own.
Roger Rabbit in Disney Parks
Fast forward to 1988, animation and live action come together again in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but this time an animated character inhabits a live action world, set in 1940s Los Angeles. Adapted from the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit by Gary K. Wolf, Disney partnered with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and director Robert Zemeckis to create what was at the time, a truly groundbreaking film, recognized by both audiences and critics for its technological achievements. In this film noir satire, the creatives used practical effects, including animatronics, to achieve the idea of a “toon” interacting with humans. As the filmmakers shot the live action elements first, it was easy to conceal any special effects by later animating Roger Rabbit over anything they’d need to hide. Blending animation, animatronics and live action is such a hallmark of the Walt Disney Studios, going back to the films that Walt himself produced, yet it seems as though Who Framed Roger Rabbit is lost to time.
Roger Rabbit was designed pulling influences from beloved Disney characters: Mickey’s color palette, Goofy’s baggy pants, and Donald’s bowtie. With this intention, and the popularity of the film, Roger Rabbit was to be the mascot of Disney’s MGM Studios and was featured in many advertisements for the park in the early 90s, but has since been phased out. Between the partnership with Amblin Entertainment and the licensing of Warner Brother characters to appear in the film alongside Disney animation, it is easy to assume Roger’s disappearance has to do with owning the rights to the intellectual property. However, that is not the case and it was ultimately Bob Iger who didn’t think Roger Rabbit would be a good brand representative due to the adult nature of the film.
Today, there are still traces of Who Framed Roger Rabbit throughout Walt Disney World, but the most prominent nods to the film can be found around Echo Lake. The billboard for the fictional Maroon Studios features its biggest stars, Baby Herman, and Roger and Jessica Rabbit. Above Hollywood and Vine, there is a window for Private Investigator, Eddie Valiant (played by the late, great Bob Hoskins), next to Roger’s silhouette from the iconic scene in the film when he jumps through the blinds. If you’re not familiar with this scene, definitely give this film a watch (maybe not with young children)… it’s not bad, it’s just drawn that way.
The Rocketeer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Both Gertie the Dinosaur and Who Framed Roger Rabbit were well ahead of their time from a technical standpoint, but there is another film ahead of its time that may have set the tone for Disney’s future acquisitions. The Rocketeer (1991), was adapted from a graphic novel and features a star studded cast caught up in a classic snatch and grab adventure when a pilot stumbles across a jetpack and must keep it out of the wrong hands. Much like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it is set against the backdrop of L.A., this time in the 1930’s, and uses the movie business to drive the plot. The Rocketeer is directed by Joe Johnston, who would later go on to direct Captain America: The First Avenger, so if you love Marvel, you’ll find it’s roots here, in what tonally feels like a hybrid of both Captain America and Iron Man.
Peevy’s Polar Pipeline is not only a nod to one of the film’s most endearing characters, Peevy the mechanic (played by the late, great, Alan Arkin), but a brilliant pun by the Imagineers. In the film, Peevy makes improvements to the jet pack, which runs on alcohol, and needs to be kept cool so that a person can wear it, and the clever Imagineers used this idea to theme a beverage stand. At one time, The Rocketeer’s jetpack and helmet, actual props from the film, could be seen on display at The Backlot Tour, but today, Peevy’s Polar Pipeline is the only remaining testimonial at Hollywood Studios. There is one other place on Disney property that pays homage to The Rocketeer. At Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar, they serve beverages on coasters from the fictional South Seas Club from the film. So next time you get a cold beverage from either location, you can toast The Rocketeer, a forgotten classic, though it is one of Disney’s best productions.
Michael Eisner’s vision for “a Hollywood that never was and always will be” has evolved so much over the years. Walking around Disney’s Hollywood Studios, looking closely at the details, there are constant reminders of the Disney history that built today’s legacy. As Walt Disney once said, “we keep moving forward”, with the hope that this incredible park will continue to honor the past and capture the present, while looking toward the future of great storytelling.
Author: Jacki Zolezzi | Travel Advisor