Trekeo

By Scot and Stephanie

For our video review of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, click here.

The 122 ft tall Sorcerer Mickey’s Wizard Hat is the icon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios which opened in 1989. Everything at this park seems to change, the icon (once the Earffel Tower), the name (previously Disney – MGM Studios), the parades. It is ever growing and changing which I think is a positive thing. It keeps getting better.

The entire family enjoys this park because of great rides like Rock N’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror and now Toy Story Mania as well as things like the Lights,  Motor, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and the Magic of Disney Animation. Our most memorable experience is one that is no longer available though, Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Disney had a studio set up just like the TV game show where guests could participate. Here is Scot’s take on our experience at the show.

Like a blow of the dice at the craps tables in Vegas, luck strikes the Longyear’s once again. And luck was a lady. Sunday, August 13, 2006 while at Disney’s MGM Studios, we stopped by to view “Who Wants to be a Millionaire (Play It Edition).” This is just like the real deal except that the prizes are not monetary in form and the top prize is not a million big ones, but is a cruise on a Disney Cruise Line (not too shabby). About 400-600 people attend each show. It is professional, flashy, high tech and high energy. Everyone is eligible to get in the hot seat.

The first question is a fast finger question. The fastest person out of the audience gets invited to the hot seat for a chance for fame and prizes. Each person has a keypad in front of them and when the question is asked, they enter the answer. The fast finger question is always a question that has to do with putting the answers in some certain order (like “order these books from earliest published to latest”). To be honest, there is no way to look at the question and put them in order in time, so most of the audience hits four letters at random and hopes for the best. The chances of getting them all in order and being the fastest are, well, highly unlikely.

So, today the host throws some question up about putting Kevin Costner movies in a certain order. When they reveal the answers, I know I am out because I hit the wrong order. They show the correct order and the fastest person, “Seat Number 413″ says the hostess. The crowd goes nuts. I look at my seat number to see if I am sitting anywhere close to the winner. I’m #410. Mariah and Madison are to my right (#411 and #412). Stephanie (#413) jumps up “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.”

She immediately turns red and makes her way to the front. I am laughing like crazy. Steph’s biggest fear is speaking in front of groups and here she is, in front of a few hundred people, face on the big screen, answering questions, and hoping for the best. Ahh, it was too much. All this and the added bonus that she would win some prizes for a little kick in the gut to the mouse. All told, she correctly answered eight questions, won a hat (which Maddy wore all around the park), a lanyard , and some rare Disney Trading Pins. Obviously, nothing to cripple the mouse, but again, we take what we can get!

What a memory! Stephanie in all her Disney obsessiveness knows enough to get on stage at the show, which turns out to be her worst nightmare! Do you have any great memories from Disney’s Hollywood Studios? We would love to hear them.