The Crazy Shows of Hollywood Studios’ Past That Disney Would Prefer You Forget

It’s hard to believe, but Disney’s Hollywood Studios recently turned 31! While Josh D’Amaro and Disney World Cast Members celebrated in their own way, we’re honoring this movie-magic park by taking a look back at some extinct park shows.

While your first show thoughts might turn to Fantasmic!, the park has seen its fair share of crazy IPs that we would have never thought would have got their own shows.

Here are some of the crazy shows from Disney’s Hollywood Studios history that Disney would rather we forget.

Doug Live

You remember Doug, right? The animated series that started at Nickelodeon in the 90s before being acquired by Disney and moving to ABC? Before Frozen moved into the Hyperion Theater, the location played host to Doug Live!

The show featured live Cast Members playing the roles of Doug, Patti Mayonnaise, Skeeter, and the rest, but we’re pretty sure these live-action animated characters brought more anxiety than laughs. The show opened in the last year of the series’ run, so it was pretty much a given that Doug Live wouldn’t last very long.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Who would have thought that the heroes in a half-shell would ever be featured in a Disney park? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have become such a popular Nickelodeon franchise, but at one point the boys and April had their own stage show and meet-and-greet at the then Disney MGM-Studios.

Leo, MIkey, Donnie, and Raphael decided to come up from the sewers to hang with their ace reporter pal, April, who would then perform the iconic theme song from the TV show (although Mikey was more interested in ordering a pizza, it seems). The very short show would be followed by a character meet-and-greet, but almost four years after their first appearance, the turtles were on their way back to the sewers of New York.

Power Rangers

The popularity of the turtles would be out-shined later by another wild IP that was actually owned by Disney at one point. From 2001 to 2010 Disney produced the American footage for the Power Rangers franchise. To help promote the series, the rangers made appearances at Hollywood Studios.

In addition to appearing in parades aboard their own souped up roadster, the Power Rangers had their own stage show in the backlot area. Different members from the various incarnations of the show would appear as the series progressed,  but, man, we still can’t get over that car, though. The legacy of the Power Rangers at Hollywood Studios would end when Disney sold the IP back to Saban Entertainment.

Goosebumps

When you think Disney, you think Goosebumps, right? Well, for a year in the 90s Hollywood Studios actually had its own Goosebumps fright show and funhouse. Based on Horrorland, a location from the novels, the show relied heavily on audience participation in the magician Amaz-O’s ominous acts.

Of course, the danger was only fake, but from the audience perspective it looked like children were about to lose their hands or be crushed by spikes. It was a bold risk for Disney to put something like this in one of their parks, but considering it only lasted for one more year we think Disney is glad to leave this show in the past.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let us know in the comments below!