Ah, the Backlot Tour. Ever since opening in 1989, this has been arguably the building block for Hollywood Studios’ growth into what it has become today. Well, certainly it has served the park well over time, but how have I enjoyed this famous attraction. Unfortunately, it’s just a mixed bag in my opinion.
Well despite the attraction’s popularity, it never has had a wait when I’ve experienced it thanks to the ride’s gargantuan capacity that just eats through people. Really the attraction begins with a pre-show, highlighted by the exciting Harbor Attack special-effect extravaganza where some guests get the opportunity to contribute to. Unfortunately I’ve never been selected, but nonetheless it’s definitely one of the highlights of the entire attraction. Afterwards if I remember correctly, there’s a brief walking portion that displays a few of Disney’s props featured in motion pictures.
Eventually you board one of the attractions many trams to get to the meat of the attraction, which consists of a long, and I mean long, tour of the Backlot, complete with many scenes featuring props from various famous flicks such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Narnia, and others. However, after a few minutes, the attraction gets pretty dull in my opinion since I can only be intrigued by movie props for so long (and the entire attraction is over 30 minutes long). My favorite sight included in this portion of the attraction is the park’s former icon, the Earful Tower (the massive water tower that once stood where the Sorcerer’s Hat is today). It’s just so cool how Disney saved the park’s original icon.
But by far the highlight of the entire attraction is the impressive Catastrophe Canyon. After maneuvering onto a petite bridge, an earthquake ensues which results in a barrage of special effects that consists of a torrent of water, an exploding oil tanker, and the aforementioned earthquake. While it inevitably bears some striking resemblance to Disaster’s climatic subway scene, Catastrophe Canyon is just more exciting and well executed in my opinion.
Overall, the Backlot Tour is a mixed bag in my opinion. On one had, it features some great props such as Walt Disney’s private plane and the Earful Tower, and two incredible special effects demonstrations. On the other hand, the attraction just lacks any real excitement for the majority of the attraction’s duration with the props just feeling repetitive in my opinion. Definitely give the Backlot Tour a shot if you haven’t been on it before or if you’re a movie buff, but those who are on time-constraints need for be awry of the large chunk of time the attraction merits.
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