Listen to the Episode:
Welcome to Episode 75 of the RetroWDW Podcast: Honey I Shrunk The Kids Movie Set Adventure – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. Welcome back to the Disney-MGM Studios!
Listener Mail
We open the mailbag every month and we are ready to hear from you. Be sure to reach out with questions, stories, memories, and more. You never know if your letter will be read on a future episode: podcast@retrowdw.com
- Brett is our first letter to open on this episode and it sure is a good one. Brett shared with us a Norway Pavillion Opening Crew shirt that looks pretty amazing. This is something that would have been lost to history but here we have it for you to take a look. Thanks, Brett!
- Andrew wrote us next about the Haunted Mansion sign, wondering who made this or who designed this. He has not come across the original artist and neither have we!
- Ross just listened to the Vacation Planning Episode 74 and wanted to chime in on our fireworks discussion. Ross also had some amazing thoughts on EPCOT Center, which as we have all seen, pretty much predicted the future and showcased so many things we do today on the regular. Great letter Ross, thanks for reaching out!
- Our next letter is from Ramon and he wants to talk World Showcase. In a previous episode, we discuss how World Showcase countries go back to the past in almost every version presented. Ramon has another example that we missed! Thanks, Ramon!
- Reese is our last message for this episode and she is wondering why the beach at Fort Wilderness is called Clementine Beach. We reached out to a number of people and did not get a definitive answer, other than connecting to Oh My Darling, Clementine the song itself. Now one interesting aspect, the song has Clementine drowning…so an interesting choice. Maybe somebody else will reach out with some more input on why this name was chosen. Thanks Reese!
Main Topic
The Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure was one of the early attractions at the Disney-MGM Studios that opened in late 1990, following the success of the film Honey I Shrunk the Kids which opened in 1989. Before we start, let’s read a small blurb from a WDW press photo:
‘A Big Ride For Little Tykes: Kids who visit the ‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure’ can climb on board an extra-large sized ant, just like in the hit movie! The gigantic scaled backyard play area is the newest addition to the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park and has made a ‘big’ impression on park visitors. With three-story-tall blades of grass, lifeboat-sized cereal bits, and a twenty-foot tall paper clip, the re-creation of the movie set allows guests to experience the special effects of movie-making firsthand (1991)’
In this episode we start with the film itself and the success of this movie. Back then, this movie was made way different and it lent perfectly to the Disney-MGM Studios and the reason for the park attractions. We dig into the ride from start to finish, including the location at MGM-Studios and how each little part of this attraction was presented. If you attended this as an adult or a child, you had different experiences. As a kid, it was an amazingly cool playground that made you really feel like you were in the movies. As an adult, it was a chance to take a minute to relax, and most times, the adults participated with their kids, which is awesome.
This entire attraction lasted until 2016, which is insane if you think about it. We also get into some rehabs that occurred, which saw some new add-ons put into the play area due to sponsorships and partnerships. Some items were needed while others were very specifically placed for a reason. Overall, this was super close to an opening day attraction for MGM-Studios and everyone treats it as one of the originals from that park, which it felt like. Nowadays, this is currently Galaxy’s Edge and there really is nothing left of it. We hope you enjoy this look back on this classic attraction that took the concept of a playground and ramped it up to an eleven.
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