After the spectacle of last night's Academy Awards, it felt appropriate that the next district of Disney California Adventure we should explore would be Hollywood Pictures Backlot. From the dramatic gateway entrance to the forced perspective scene at the end of the street, the land is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to Tinsel Town.
In previous articles, we've looked at the story conceit of Hollywood Pictures Backlot (it's actually intended to be a movie set of Hollywood Blvd., rather than the real thing). We've also appreciated some of the fun graphics and wordplay evident throughout the land, but there's always more to discover.
Step into this alcove just past the Disney Jr. - Live on Stage! theater, and you'll discover one of the most elaborate restroom facades in any Disney Park. An architectural treat, it was inspired by the Freeman House, a Mayan Revival-style home in the Hollywood Hills designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1923.
As we leave the Hollywood Blvd. set and step under the arch into the Hollywood Studios production area, we discover a movie shoot in progress for Monsters, Inc.: Mike & Sulley to the Rescue. The bright, cartoonish facade of the attraction lets us know we're leaving behind the more realistic surroundings of the backlot.
The light above the entrance door is active. Passing through, we suddenly find ourselves in Monstropolis and on the set of the latest Monsters, Inc. adventure. It's a madcap trip through the city, with turns into familiar settings from the Pixar film, including the Door Vault and Harryhausen's restaurant.
Monsters, Inc.: Mike & Sulley to the Rescue opened in January 2006, replacing original park attraction SuperStar Limo (you can read more about that short-lived attraction at theYesterland site). It made clever use of some leftover SuperStar Limo assets, while also bringing something new and original to the park.
Among the highlights of the new attraction are the figures of Randall Boggs and Roz encountered near the end of the ride. Using advanced projection technology, Randall (a chameleon-like character in the film) appears to change colors and patterns with each whack on the head he receives from Boo. Around a corner, our taxicab vehicles pause briefly in front of Roz, who then seems to address us directly. Pay attention to her comments the next time you ride. You'll notice they're customized for each group of guests.
You never know who you might reach or what you might learn when you work on a blog such as this...
ReplyDeleteThe first iteration of this article stated that Frank Lloyd Wright's Storer House was the model for the restroom facade in Hollywood Pictures Backlot. This information came from research, but turned out to be wrong. The actual inspiration was another Wright structure in Los Angeles, Freeman House.
My thanks to Jeff Chusid, Associate Professor of Historic Preservation, Department of City and Regional Planning at the College of Architecture, Art and Planning at Cornell University. Jeff served as the preservation architect on the Freeman House project for more than a dozen years and graciously passed along the correction.
Now we all know.